Free Spirit
April 2001, Guitar One (USA)
thanks to Caroline for typing it out
click the thumbnail to see scans
He’s never driven a car, never held a day job, never even had a bill in his own name. In fact, anything that doesn’t positively affect John Frusciante’s creative process has no place in his life. On his third solo album, To Record Only Water for Ten Days, the freespirited guitarist shies away from Chili Peppers funk and dives headlong into a pool of pop.
“In high school, I often used to stay up and practice all night until I had to go to school the next day.”
The last time we spoke with guitarsit John frusciante, he and the Red Hot Chili Peppers were on the verge of releasing Californication, a disc that marked Frusciante’s unexpected return to the fold after nearly seven years.
A lot has transpired since his return. Frusciante, who began a year-and-a-half’s worth of RHCP touring dates wearing long-sleeved shirts, and sporting lengthy locks and a full beard, seemed to gain confidence at every show. He eventually shaved his head, showed some skin, and began improvising his solos - in every song, every night. By the end of RHCP’s tour, Californication had racked up sales in excess of four million copies in the U.S. alone, and Frusciante had return to top form.
Of course, non of the above would’ve ever happened if it weren’t for the mending of relationships within the Peppers’ organization. Back in May 1992, by the time Frusciante announced he was leaving the band, he and Anthony Kiedis were no longer on speaking terms, Chad Smith was reportedly throwing drumstick at him onstage, and Flea’s resentment toward him was palpable. Ending his carrer as a Pepper on the sourest of notes, Frusciante commenced an excruciatingly dark period in his life. It is this era, between 1992 and 1997, in which he produced his first solo material, including his latest effort, To Record Only Water for Ten Days (Warner Bros).
But first, abit of background. In 1994 and 1997, respectively, John Frusciante unleashed a pair of four-track recordings: Niandra La’Des/Usually Just a T-Shirt (American/Sony) and Smile from the Streets You Hold (Birdman). Radically different from anything resembling Chili Peppers music, the records - which featured acoustic guiatr, piano, eerie electric overdubs, and John’s caterwauling vocals - received some extreme reviews. Many praised the guitaist’s daring minimalism and stellar songcraft, while an equal number of critics crushed his work; Frusciante himself described Smile from the Streets You Hold in Guitar One’s August 1999 cover story as an “album made only because I needed money for drugs.”
In 1997, John’s healing process from heroin addiction began with a phrase: “To record only water for ten days.” In his mind, the phrase would also become the title for a future record. “Basically, it means to create a state of purity step by step,” Frusciante explains. “Three yaers ago, I had no ability to write songs, play guitar, or make people feel good with my voice. I couldn’t do any of that stuff, but I wanted to more than anything. When I decided I was gonna start gathering up the spirits and become myself again, I knew I was gonna make a record called To Record Only Water for Ten Days. I also knew that phrase was going to be meaningful, in terms of what I was gonna have to go through to make that record happen.” The good new is the record and John Frusciante’s healing did happen, and this ultimate creative spirit has lived to write another musical chapter.
Loading ...
