Why I Had To Go Solo Again
Six Appeal
TG's Rough guide to John's solo sextuplet
The DC EP
The only one of John's solo albums not to feature synths (those weird boxes with lots of knobs on) was recorded in the same Washington, DC studio where one of John's favourite punk bands, Fugazi, record. Fugazi collaborator Jerry Busher played drums, while John laid down his guitar work on a borrowed Les Paul Junior and Marshall head.
Automatic Writing
Mor of a group project tha a solo album, really, Automatic Writing is a collaboration between John, Fugazi bassist Joe Lally and Frusciante's pal Josh Klinghoffer. A dark, elentless record, it was written around the trio's long improvisations and repetitive grooves. "It felt like the music was just there and we were sucked into its writing energy."
The Will To Death
Referencing bands like Velvet Underground, the Rolling Stones and Talking Heads, John set out to record an album that was peppered intentionally with imperfections. In Frusciante's world, off-pitch vocals and ou-of-tune guitars should be tolerated if the overall vibe of a recording is good. Neil Young would no doubt approve.
Inside Of Emptiness
This was another collaboration with John's chum Josh Klinghoffer and was inspired, in terms of production, by the albums White Light/White Heat by Velvet Underground and Lust For Life by Iggy Pop. The solo for the song A Firm Kick was recorded by John Apparently "beating the fuck out of" his guitar. Nice.
A Sphere In The Heart Of Silence
John's final collaboration with Josh was a richly textured slice of electronica. The album's about as far removed from a Chilis' record as the intrepid Frusciante could get. Sphere, the first song on the album, was originally 30 minutes long - that's more than three times longer than Sir Psycho Sexy!
Curtains
John ended his solo sextuplet with the acoustic-driven Curtains. Mars Volta's Omar Rodriguez played lead guitar on two tracks. The entire thing was recorded in Frusciante's front room, on an Ampex 8-track tape machine from the 70s. John's next record will of course be the new Chilis' album, which will hopefully land later this year...
