Californication (album)

Writing and recording

The majority of the music for Californication was written at Flea's makeshift garage studio in the summer of 1998. John Frusciante, recovering from drug addiction, took several weeks to readjust to playing with the band, which led him to adopt a minimalist approach to guitar playing. The Red Hot Chili Peppers wrote between 30 and 40 songs for the album, later distilled to 15 for release. The band members took a laid-back approach, with Anthony Kiedis noting they were making music for the sake of making music.

Recording took place at Cello Studios in Los Angeles and was completed in a little over three weeks. Rick Rubin, who had produced the band's two previous albums, was chosen as producer despite some hesitation about reenlisting him. About a week into sessions, Jim Scott replaced the original audio engineer because the band was unhappy with the initial production. Unlike previous sessions, the band was timely and professional, avoiding the day-long pot sessions or sexual indulgences that had plagued earlier recordings.

Composition

The band members' personal and professional struggles shaped most of the lyrics and material on Californication, leading to a more delicate tone than fans of skate-punks and fraternity boys might expect. Kiedis wanted the album to describe lost souls searching for the American dream in California. "Porcelain" came from his encounter with a young heroin-addicted mother living with her baby at a YMCA. His romance with fashion designer Yohanna Logan influenced his look at love on the record, especially in "This Velvet Glove." Kiedis turned sarcasm into a song after being inspired by Dave Navarro, whom he called the "King of Sarcasm." For "Scar Tissue," Frusciante played two notes far apart to create a cool rhythm, a method he had tried on his first solo album. "Emit Remmus" was based on Kiedis's short relationship with Spice Girls member Melanie C.

Promotion and release

To promote Californication, the Red Hot Chili Peppers developed an Internet presence, streaming three new songs each day on their website from June 4 to June 8. Flea engaged with fans through a series of online posts called "Fleamail," discussing the recording process, upcoming tour dates, and stream-of-consciousness thoughts. The band also performed at various high school proms across the United States shortly before the album's release, aiming to reintroduce themselves to a younger audience under the theme "Stop The Hate," a response to the Columbine High School massacre; admission required a written suggestion on preventing bullying and hatred.

Californication was released on June 8, 1999, by Warner Bros. Records. It debuted at number 3 on the Billboard 200, selling 189,000 copies by June 26, surpassing the initial sales of Blood Sugar Sex Magik and One Hot Minute. The album stayed on the Billboard 200 for 101 weeks and has been certified 8× Platinum by the RIAA. Internationally, it reached number 1 in Australia, Finland, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, and Sweden, and was certified 5× Platinum in the United Kingdom.

Critical reception

Californication was very well-received by music critics, in contrast to One Hot Minute, and achieved greater worldwide success. Rolling Stone credited Kiedis for drastically improved vocals, noting his vocal cords had gained range, body, pitch, soulfulness, and melodic sensibility. Songs such as "Otherside" and "Porcelain" were described as "Pumpkins-esque," and the album was called "epiphanal." Howard Cohen of the Miami Herald hailed the album as a major improvement over its predecessor, featuring the band's most accomplished music to date.

Sandra Sperounes of the Edmonton Journal predicted the album would be a success and that "Scar Tissue" and "Otherside" would be chart toppers, praising the renewed instrumentation and harmonies while taking issue with the numerous references to California. Other critics credited the album's success to the return of John Frusciante. AllMusic's Greg Prato considered him the quintessential RHCP guitarist and the obvious reason for the band's rebirth, calling the album a bona fide Chili Peppers classic.

Entertainment Weekly noted that Frusciante transformed the band's sound into a more relaxed, less grating, and more introspective album.