Mother's Milk (album)

Did You Know?

• The album cover features a black-and-white photograph of the band sprawled across the arms of a giant topless woman, with her nipples covered by a red rose.
• Model Dawn Alane claimed the band did not notify her that she was chosen for the cover.
• Several national chains refused to sell the record due to nudity, and a censored version was manufactured for some retailers.

Recording and production

Pre-production for Mother's Milk went smoothly, unlike the stop-start sessions for The Uplift Mofo Party Plan. Many songs were already written, and some were recorded by the time pre-production began in January 1989. "Taste the Pain" was recorded before Chad Smith joined, featuring Philip "Fish" Fisher of Fishbone on drums. The band recorded basic tracks at Hully Gully studios in Silver Lake; songs like "Knock Me Down" formed from jam sessions without input from producer Michael Beinhorn.

Flea noted the sessions were productive, with the band playing hard and fast. Kiedis and Flea recognized Frusciante's significant influence on the new material. The band entered Ocean Way Recording studio in Hollywood in February 1989 to record the album. Frusciante recalled joining the band only a few months before recording, with Smith having been in the band for just two weeks.

Beinhorn pushed the Chili Peppers to produce the best possible takes for each of the 13 tracks while the band hoped for a hit record.

Music

The band's style developed with Frusciante, who introduced melodies, harmonies, and more-complex song structures. Beinhorn observed that Frusciante brought songwriting and composition elements the band had not truly had before. In contrast to previous groove and rhythm-based albums, Mother's Milk contained melodic compositions. Most of the record, due to Beinhorn's presence, is composed of heavy metal guitar riffs and excessive layering.

Musically, the album has been described as funk metal, alternative metal, and funk rock. "Knock Me Down" became one of the most radical shifts in style, with introspective lyrics analyzing the death of Hillel Slovak and the effects of drugs. Kiedis did not want the track associated with anti-drug sentiments, stating it was about letting friends know you need help and accepting help. The track integrates punk influences but emphasizes melody and harmonics leading into alternative territory.

"Knock Me Down" was originally recorded as a duet between Kiedis and Frusciante, but was remixed before release, inadvertently emphasizing Frusciante's voice.

Critical reception

Mother's Milk received mixed reviews from critics, who were unimpressed with the excessive distortion throughout the album, though it was also praised. Amy Hanson of AllMusic called it a pivotal album and noted the opener "Good Time Boys" and the cover of Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground" proved the new lineup was onto something special. Steve Morse of The Boston Globe described it as a high-octane fusion of metal, funk, and rap, comparing it to Prince meets Jimi Hendrix in the Twilight Zone.

The Toronto Star called the band the Mothers of Invention for the 1990s. In 2005, the album was ranked number 359 in Rock Hard magazine's book The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time. Carly Darlin of the Orange County Register found it an energetic restatement of the band's whiplash funk attitude but believed it did not break new ground except for the instrumental "Pretty Little Ditty". Mark Jenkins of The Washington Post said the polite term for the album was "eclectic" but it sounded as if the band was unraveling, though he believed Frusciante possessed solid metal chops.

Village Voice critic Robert Christgau mocked the band's ability to promote empathy and found the guitar layering improperly done.

Mother's Milk tour and aftermath

Mother's Milk garnered more attention than the band's previous records, and venues accommodated far larger crowds. The band upgraded to a full-fledged tour bus and added backup musicians and singers, including Keith "Tree" Barry on horns and backup singers Kristen Vigard and Vicki Calhoun. In England, roadie Robbie Allen opened for the band with a comedy performance pretending to cut off his own penis. The album's official launch was held in New York City at a club called Tramps.

The band then embarked on an introductory European tour, including a free show in Amsterdam's Dam Square attracting over 10,000 attendees. On September 8, 1989, the North American leg began in Seattle, receiving an overwhelmingly positive response. John Foyston of The Oregonian noted the audience reaction had to be seen to be believed, with stage-divers rushing the stage from the moment the band walked on. Todd Caudle of The Gazette said the performance at the Colorado Indoor Sports Complex was the kind of place where kids could be kids, with the audience throwing their arms up in approval.