Madman or Genius?
I just wanted to get out and get into life. ...
It's been a good path since then, because I've grown and changed and gotten better at a pretty even level. I've stayed disciplined the whole time, and I don't ever lose sight of the fact that in the equation of what makes the music that I make, I'm a very small part of it.
It's the music that I listen to. It's pain. It's the friends that I have, whether they're human beings or spirits. That's where the music comes from. I'm just going on from that line. I was really blessed to be able to start from that fresh point and to have friends who believed in me. It would have been impossible without them. "Those times in my life during which I stayed far behind my potential and this is what I'm trying to catch up with now: those three or four years in which I could have been creative but I wasn't due to my inner problems. Already I've got tons of music which I've not published anywhere. It’s all about the music"
Today, John Frusciante is completely clean, and more focused than ever. No drugs, no alcohol, no junk food- Just music! Frusciante uses his downtime to execute another ambitious campaign of his: (Six solo albums in six months) “I live to make music and I treat it like nine to five job. For anybody who thinks that I'm just rushing through it or going too fast or something, I'm not," says Frusciante. "I just know the songs really well. If I'm going to sing a song, I don't sing it twenty times, I just sing it once. If I need to fix a line or two, I fix 'em. To me, a band, especially a rock band, should be good enough where you should just be able to go in and play the song. Every artist could make an album every month if they wanted. It’s all about your work ethic.”
John has since dedicated every ounce of his being to music, art, and creativity in general. He is The Red Hot Chili Peppers' secret weapon and guiding force throughout the years (and perhaps the reason for their huge success) and he will always be regarded as a man wholly dedicated to music. His story of struggle and triumph has inspired me personally, and John's music has become the soundtrack to my everyday music listening.
John Fruscinate......now you know.
---Chad Zumock
