The Red Hot Chili Peppers (“Californication”) released their second album of the year “Return of the Dream Canteen” on Oct. 14. Similar to its predecessor “Unlimited Love,” the album is a whopper of a record containing 17 brand new songs. You may be wondering how the band could possibly have cranked out so many original tracks in such a short amount of time without a lapse in musical or lyrical quality. The answer lies in the combined power of friendship and songwriting. Since the return of guitarist John Frusciante in 2019, the group has entered a sort of renaissance and churned out tons of fresh material.
“Return of the Dream Canteen” was announced on the band’s official Instagram back in July, where they shared how much this new work means to them.
“When all was said and done, our moody love for each other and the magic of music had gifted us with more songs than we knew what to do with. Well we figured it out. Two double albums released back to back. The second of which is easily as meaningful as the first or should that be reversed,” the post read.
It is more than fair to say that the words “moody” and “magic” encapsulate the tracks on this album. The song “Eddie” is particularly sad and melancholy, with a tone oddly reminiscent of “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” by Blue Oyster Cult (“The Symbol Remains”). Lead vocalist Anthony Kiedis sings, “Please don’t remember me, for what I did last night, oh / I guess I played a flying V” and the song closes out with a sick minute-long guitar solo by Frusciante.
The elements of grief in the song make perfect sense, because the song is dedicated to the late Eddie Van Halen (“Respect the Wind”) who died in 2020. According to a tweet obtained by ultimateclassicrock.com, drummer Flea is the one who came up with the idea of making a tribute song.
An experienced group that honors its heroes can hardly ever go wrong. They managed to create an album with “dream” in its title that goes beyond funk guitar over sad lyrics, but that is a simple feat for a band nearing its 40th birthday. Straying from the usual format, “My Cigarette” uses spooky synth sounds and even some saxophone towards the end while Kiedis sticks to his tried-and-true staccato enunciation of words. Perhaps it is not the standout track of the album, but it shows that the band can be flexible.
The songs definitely match the album art, which was created by Thami Nabil and Julien Calemard who also have made animated videos to accompany some of the band’s songs. It is fanciful and dreamy, seeming to be a cross between Ed Hardy and Lisa Frank art with a double dose of neon and a sprinkle of acid. Looking at it threatens to bring on a headache. No matter how long you stare at it you will not figure out if those winged creatures are birds or not. The swirling opalescent images of snakes and flowers with faces contrast with some of their past covers, but at the same time it fits right in with the rest of them.
In all honesty, it is safe to say that this album tops “Unlimited Love.” The instrumentals are equally powerful as the vocals, sometimes a step higher but without being overbearing. It is clear that a lot of love and care was poured into its creation, where the band asserts that quantity and quality can coexist.
Image from Red Hot Chili Peppers via YouTube
