By the Way [CD]

By The Way, officially the eighth studio album from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, is often overlooked and ignored by more hyped Chili Peppers releases such as Californication, Blood Sugar S*x Magik, and Stadium Arcadium. But don't get it twisted: this album is as good or better than anything the Red Hot Chili Peppers has ever done. The album kicks off with the title track, which is basically a microcosm of the Chili Peppers career: funky, melodic, fast and slow, loud and quiet, it's rock and roll. Then they take a slower and more peaceful approach with "This is the Place", "Dosed", "Don't Forget Me", "The Zephyr Song", "Midnight", and "Tear"; on these tracks lead singer Anthony Kiedis and guitarist John Frusciante show off their new falsetto style of singing, and surprisingly, it works. They do the exact opposite on faster, more agressive tracks such as "Can't Stop" and "Throw Away Your Television". Then there is the beautiful "I Could Die For You", which shows the maturity of the band. In my opinion, the highlights of the album are "C*bron" and "Minor Thing". "Cabron" is a salsa-esque tune that is tailor made for a summer day. While "Minor Thing" is a little piece of perfection. It's clear on By The Way that the Red Hot Chili Peppers have a plethora of talent and skills at every 'position' and they are here to stay.

I first heard the song by the way from their greatest hits album. I was in high school in India back then and I was new to RHCP. I've been a fan since then and own their last two albums and californication. I was happy I came across this one when I was in best buy store last time. This is an underrated gem in my opinion. The sound of this album is very nostalgic throughout the album. My favorite track is "I could die for you".

At 16 songs, By the Way is kind of a long album but it's so great and their sound flows so well from song to song that you don't even notice the time slip away. Starts off strong with By the Way and keeps it up through the whole album. My personal favorite is Don't Forget Me, but they're all great. A great hit from the Chili Peppers and a must have for a fan.

The legendary RHCP have been around for over 30 years and are still proving their naysayers wrong. By the way is a very diverse and powerful album that plays to the traditional strengths of the band. While this album is not a break through (in style), it demonstrates a maturity that few bands ever reach.

At the price tag of $5.99, this purchase was a no brainier. One of the best funk/rock/fill in the blank bands of all time. Never purchased the album years ago when the album released, but owned some of the mp3s off the album. Let me reiterate--$5.99!!

Want to hear an album full of funk, fun, and fortitude? By The Way is an essential RHCP album that surpasses those expectations. There are many musical directions experimented with here, yet it is cohesive and still unexpected.

The Getaway was so good that I had to go back and collect their catalog. I had written this band off as hacks. I could not have been more wrong. I really believe this band is one of the greatest rock bands I have ever heard.

So this may be biased, but I love the RHCP so anything they release I'll automatically buy. This album was a little different for them. It was a little on the slow side for my taste, but it was still great