Izdavač: Ostalo
Žanr: Alternativni Rok, Fank i Soul, Hard Rok i Metal, Rep i Hip-Hop, Rok
Poreklo: Strani izvođač

Original, made in Germany

Knjizica od 16 str.

knjizica 5/5- Cd 5-/4+

Studio album by Red Hot Chili Peppers
Released September 24, 1991
Recorded April – June 1991
Studio The Mansion (Los Angeles)
Genre
Funk rockalternative rockfunk metal[1][2]rap rock[3][4][5]
Length 73:56
Label Warner Bros.
Producer Rick Rubin
Red Hot Chili Peppers chronology
Mother`s Milk
(1989) Blood Sugar Sex Magik
(1991) What Hits!?
(1992)

Blood Sugar Sex Magik is the fifth studio album by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, released on September 24, 1991, by Warner Bros. Records. Produced by Rick Rubin, its musical style differed notably from the band`s previous album Mother`s Milk (1989), reducing the use of heavy metal guitar riffs and accentuating the melodic songwriting contributions of guitarist John Frusciante. The album`s subject matter incorporates sexual innuendos and references to drugs and death, as well as themes of lust and exuberance.

Blood Sugar Sex Magik peaked at number three on the US Billboard 200, and produced hit singles `Under the Bridge`, `Give It Away`, `Suck My Kiss`, `Breaking the Girl` and `If You Have to Ask`. The album received widespread critical acclaim and propelled the band into worldwide popularity. Heavily uncomfortable with fame, Frusciante quit the band during its 1992 tour; he rejoined in 1998.

Blood Sugar Sex Magik is widely recognized as an influential and seminal release of the alternative rock explosion of the 1990s, with Steve Huey of AllMusic calling it `probably the best album the Chili Peppers will ever make.`[8] Flea shared the same sentiment in 2023, calling it his favorite Red Hot Chili Peppers album.[9] The album has sold over 14 million units making it the band`s second best-selling album behind Californication.

Background
The band`s previous album, 1989`s Mother`s Milk, was the band`s second album to enter the Billboard 200, peaking at number 52, at the time the biggest of their career.[10] Although the album was somewhat successful, the band felt unsatisfied with producer Michael Beinhorn. He convinced Frusciante to play with a heavier guitar tone, and instructed Anthony Kiedis to write lyrics that would be more radio-friendly, causing the band to feel restricted creatively.[11][12]

As the band`s contract with EMI came to an end, they began looking for a new record label. The group reached a consensus to go with Epic, with the proviso that they buy out their last album from EMI.[13] Though the label promised it would take only a few days, the process stretched out into several months.[13] Although a deal had been made with Epic, Mo Ostin of Warner Bros. Records called Kiedis to congratulate him on the successful deal, and complimented the rival record label.[14] Kiedis recalled of the situation: `The coolest, most real person we had met during all these negotiations had just personally called to encourage me to make a great record for a rival company. That was the kind of guy I`d want to be working for.`[15] The group pursued the idea, and eventually dropped the contract with Epic in favor of a deal with Warner Bros. Ostin called an old friend at EMI, who immediately allowed for the label transfer.[11][15]

Recording and production
Now settled into Warner Bros. Records, the Chili Peppers began looking for a suitable producer. One in particular, Rick Rubin, stood out, as he was more broadminded than people the band had worked with in the past, even though Rubin had turned down the chance to produce their 1987 album The Uplift Mofo Party Plan due to the drug problems of Kiedis and guitarist Hillel Slovak (who died of a heroin overdose a year later).[16] Unlike the Peppers` previous producers, Rubin was someone the band felt confident in to ask for guidance and input during times of difficulty. He would often help arrange drum beats, guitar melodies and lyrics.[11][17]

The band sought to record the album in an unconventional setting, believing it would enhance their creative output. Rubin suggested the mansion magician Harry Houdini allegedly once lived in, to which they agreed. A crew was hired to set up a recording studio and other equipment required for production in the house in Los Angeles. The Peppers decided they would remain inside the mansion for the duration of recording, though according to Kiedis, Smith was convinced the location was haunted, and refused to stay.[18] He would, instead, come each day by motorcycle.[18][19] Smith himself disputes this account, and instead claims the real reason he did not stay at The Mansion was because he wanted to be with his wife.[20] Frusciante, however, disagreed with Smith, and said `There are definitely ghosts in the house,` but he felt they were `very friendly. We [the band] have nothing but warm vibes and happiness everywhere we go in this house.`[21]

Frusciante, Kiedis and Flea each had their own rooms in the house. When not recording with the band, Frusciante would spend his time painting, listening to music, reading and recording songs he`d written.[18] Due to the seclusion, Kiedis ended up recording all his vocals in his room, as it was large enough to accommodate the recording equipment.[18] For more than 30 days, the Chili Peppers worked inside the house; Kiedis felt it was an accommodating and resourceful environment which allowed him to complete the rest of the lyrics.[19] During production, the band agreed to let Flea`s brother-in-law document the creative process on film.[18] When the album`s recording was complete, the Chili Peppers released the film, titled Funky Monks.

Music
Blood Sugar Sex Magik was written at a more rapid pace than the band`s previous album.[22] Before the Chili Peppers relocated into the mansion, Frusciante and Kiedis collaborated at each other`s homes, in order to arrange song structures and guitar riffs.[23] Then they presented ideas to Flea and Smith, and as a whole, they decided on what they would use for the bass, guitar, vocal and percussion ensembles.

Kiedis focused lyrically on sexual references and innuendos, as they were frequently on his mind.[24] Songs such as `Suck My Kiss`, `If You Have to Ask`, `Sir Psycho Sexy`, `Give It Away` and `Blood Sugar Sex Magik` all contained sexual links, with lyrics like `A state of sexual light / Kissing her virginity / My affinity` and `Glorious euphoria / Is my must / Erotic shock / Is a function of lust.`[25] The concept behind `The Greeting Song` was a request Rubin had made. Rubin asked Kiedis to write a song solely about girls and cars. Although Kiedis disliked the concept, he wrote the song as Rubin requested and ended up disliking almost every one of the lyrics` aspects.[22] Kiedis also began writing songs about anguish, and the self-mutilating thoughts he experienced thanks to his addiction to both heroin and cocaine; he believed his life had come to its lowest point under a bridge in downtown Los Angeles.[26][27] Over a month later, Rubin stumbled upon a poem that eventually became the lyrics to `Under the Bridge.` Also, he suggested Kiedis show it to the other band members. However, Kiedis was apprehensive because he thought the lyrics were `too soft` and different from the band`s style. After singing the verse to Frusciante and Smith, the band started working on the song`s structure the next day.[28] Both Rubin and Kiedis worked several hours on arranging the song`s chords and melodies until they both accepted it as complete.[28] Frusciante ultimately chose the chords he played in the intro so it could balance out the song`s depressing atmosphere: `my brain interpreted it as being a really sad song so I thought if the lyrics are really sad like that I should write some chords that are happier.`[29] `Naked in the Rain` was among the first songs that the band wrote for the album. The Red Hot Chili Peppers even played once at the end of the Mother`s Milk Tour in 1990, while the intros for `The Greeting Song` and `Sir Psycho Sexy` were also teased during the end of that tour; however, neither song was completed or had lyrics.

Blood Sugar Sex Magik integrated the band`s typical punk and funk style, but moved away from that with more melodically driven songs.[8] Tracks like `The Righteous and the Wicked`, `Suck My Kiss`, `Blood Sugar Sex Magik`, `Give It Away` and `Funky Monks` still incorporated the use of heavy metal guitar riffs, but they differed from Mother`s Milk since they contained less distortion.[30] Flea reduced his use of the slapping technique emphasized on earlier albums, instead favoring more traditional and melodic bass lines.[31] He even adopted a minimalist, `less is more` philosophy, saying, `I was trying to play simply on Blood Sugar Sex Magik because I`d been playing too much prior to that, so I thought, `I`ve really got to chill out and play half as many notes`. When you play less, it`s more exciting—there`s more room for everything. If I do play something busy, it stands out, instead of the bass being a constant onslaught of notes. Space is good.`[31] Kiedis thought that the album had expanded the Red Hot Chili Peppers` musical horizons and served as a departure from their previous material.[32] One of Blood Sugar Sex Magik`s more melodic tracks, `Breaking the Girl`, was written about Kiedis` constantly shifting relationships. He feared that he was following in his father`s footsteps and simply becoming a womanizer, rather than establishing stable and long-term relationships:[26] `As exciting and temporarily fulfilling as this constant influx of interesting and beautiful girls can be, at the end of the day, that shit is lonely and you`re left with nothing.`[32] The track also featured a bridge in the middle, consisting of percussion instruments salvaged from a garbage dump.[33]

Although jams had always served as an integral aspect of song creation for the Chili Peppers, Blood Sugar Sex Magik saw songs containing more structure. One specific jam caused the breakout song on the album: Frusciante, Flea, and Smith were all playing together—with Kiedis at another part of the room watching—when `Flea started playing this insane bass line, and Chad cracked up and played along ... I always had fragments of song ideas or even specific isolated phrases in my mind. I (Kiedis) took the mic and belted out `Give it away, give it away, give it away, give it away now.`[33] The philosophy behind the lyrics came from a conversation that Kiedis had with Nina Hagen, regarding selflessness and how insignificant material possessions were in his life. This was the inspiration to the song `Give It Away`.[33] He also reminisced about late Chili Peppers guitarist Hillel Slovak, composing `My Lovely Man` in his memory.[26][34] Kiedis wrote `Sir Psycho Sexy` as an over-zealous and exaggerated version of himself; a figure that could get any woman, and do anything he pleased to them.[34] `The Power of Equality` confronted topics concerning racial equality, prejudice, and sexism.[35] Kiedis wrote `I Could Have Lied` to document the brief relationship he had with Irish singer Sinéad O`Connor.[35]

Outtakes
Around 25 songs were written and recorded during the Blood Sugar Sex Magik sessions, with 17 of those making the album`s final cut. The album`s singles contained four outtakes from the album sessions as B-sides. Among those were the instrumental `Fela`s Cock`, a cover of The Stooges` `Search and Destroy` and `Sikamikanico` (which would also appear on the Wayne`s World soundtrack in 1992). On Oct. 3, 2019, `Sikamikanico` was performed for the first time ever at the request of guitarist Josh Klinghoffer for his 40th birthday.[36] The most notable outtake was `Soul to Squeeze`, a song that would eventually become a hit single in 1993 when it was released on the Coneheads soundtrack and was also included on the band`s 2003 Greatest Hits album.

`Little Miss Lover` and `Castles Made of Sand` (a song the band had been performing live for a few years), two Jimi Hendrix cover songs, would eventually be released in 2006 as iTunes bonus tracks. An unknown song appeared in the VH1 Blood Sugar Sex Magik documentary, Ultimate Albums.[37] A rough mix of the album surfaced on the Internet and contains some alternate versions of the songs recorded during the album`s sessions.[38]


Credits adapted from AllMusic.[94]

Red Hot Chili Peppers

Anthony Kiedis – lead vocals, percussion on `Breaking the Girl`
John Frusciante – electric and acoustic guitars, backing vocals, percussion on `Breaking the Girl`
Flea – bass, backing vocals, piano on `Mellowship Slinky in B Major`, trumpet on `Apache Rose Peacock`, percussion on `Breaking the Girl`
Chad Smith – drums, tambourine on `Funky Monks`, `Mellowship Slinky in B Major`, `If You Have to Ask`, `Sir Psycho Sexy` and `Give It Away`, marimba on `Sir Psycho Sexy`, percussion on `Breaking the Girl`
Additional musicians

Brendan O`Brien – Mellotron on `Breaking the Girl` and `Sir Psycho Sexy`, Hammond B-3 organ on `Suck My Kiss`, `Under The Bridge`[95] and `Give It Away`, synthesizer on `If You Have to Ask`, toy celeste on `Apache Rose Peacock` and `Mellowship Slinky in B Major`
Gail Frusciante and her friends – choir vocals on `Under the Bridge`
Pete Weiss – Jew`s harp (credited as juice harp) on `Give It Away`
Production

Brendan O`Brien – engineering, mixing (with Rick Rubin)
Rick Rubin – producer
Howie Weinberg – mastering
Chris Holmes – mixing
Design

Gus Van Sant – art direction
All tracks are written by Red Hot Chili Peppers, except where noted

Blood Sugar Sex Magik track listing
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. `The Power of Equality` 4:03
2. `If You Have to Ask` 3:36
3. `Breaking the Girl` 4:55
4. `Funky Monks` 5:22
5. `Suck My Kiss` 3:36
6. `I Could Have Lied` 4:04
7. `Mellowship Slinky in B Major` 3:59
8. `The Righteous & the Wicked` 4:07
9. `Give It Away` 4:42
10. `Blood Sugar Sex Magik` 4:31
11. `Under the Bridge` 4:24
12. `Naked in the Rain` 4:25
13. `Apache Rose Peacock` 4:41
14. `The Greeting Song` 3:13
15. `My Lovely Man` 4:39
16. `Sir Psycho Sexy` 8:16
17. `They`re Red Hot` Robert Johnson 1:09
Total length: 73:56