|^October^0^1989j The Manitou Messenger/page 9] PERSPECTIVE VELCOMETO: MAGNUM CUM LOUDER Peppers continue rock's integration FUN w When the Peppers took the stage by Michael Sorvari TJ5 for their first set, they wasted no time punching into high gear, causing the Since the beginning of rock and somewhat young crowd to go into a roll history there has been a defini­ thrash dance frenzy on the floor. An­ tive color line separating black and thony Kiedis danced and taunted the white popular music. After nearly 30 crowd with his rap pantomimes as years, however, today's music is in the unpredictable Flea plucked and the overdue process of attempting to popped his bass jive. Chad Smith's integrate itself. Over the majority of wicked backbcat and Frusciante's the past two decades, whites have psychedelic, quasi-Hendrix guitar ruled the hard-rock aiiwaves while rifife added to the funk-jive beat of black musicians have dominated the the Chili's performance. dance/funk charts. This format ap­ The Peppers' played a few old fa­ pears to have taken a formidable vorites off their self-titled debut and turn since the mid-80's. Freaky Stvlev. before performing In the past few years, this musical tunes off the new album. segregation has been disintegrating The first,"Stone Cold Bush" (a with numerous groups (Fishbone humorous look at the life of a prosti­ and the Beastie Boys to name a few) tute), threw the crowd into further Hoodoo Gurus crossing over the color line that was pandemonium as Frusciante played so prominent just a few years ago. through a mix of crazed guitar solos, Perhaps the most successful of these sentimental wah-wah and rhythmic Magnum Cum Louder crossovers occurred last year when chunking, which was similar to the black rockers Living Colour late Slovak's guitar style, yet still by Tail Johnson launched into the national limelight maintained a personality all its own. with their debut album, Vivid, quite Previous Peppers tours were no­ possibly the most riveting hard-rock torious for the band's disorderly an­ In 1987 the Australian band Hoodoo Gurus released one of the release of 1988. tics on stage (during one tour the best albums of the year, Bloto Your Cool. Topping this album was a With Living Colour making the band frequently came out onstage monumental task. After replacing bassist Clyde Bramley with Rick crossover for blacks into heavy wearing nothing but a tube sock Grossman, the Gurus released Magnum Cum Louder this summer metal, The Red Hot Chili Peppers over their private parts). The Pep­ and scored some video play with "Come Anytime." The album on the appear to be going the opposite di­ pers' growth in popularity apparently The Red Hot Chili Peppers recently brought their bare chests to First whole came veiy close to topping Its predecessor, forging the Gurus' rection, becoming the first legitimate has not changed the band's live per­ Avenue. foothold in alternative music even deeper. white funk band. After several criti­ spective, (Flea was clad in a pair of "Come Anytime," the first single from Magnum Cum Louder, cally acclaimed albums, the Peppers underwear with diapers over them, The band was at its best, how­ Raging Slab's music proved to be gives the listener hints of the 60's influence on the Gurus' music. have finally hit the mainstream mar­ and Kiedis jokingly claimed that the ever, when they performed their ode entertaining, yet the band definitely The song begins with Dave Faulkner's (the bands leader and primary ket with their fourth release, band had a sexual encounter with to their late friend and guitarist Hil- needs some help before they can be songwriter) acoustic guitar (similar to "I Want You Back", Stoneage Mother's Milk. Although the Peppers' the Replacements backstage before lel Slovak. "Knock Me Down," the a serious force on today's music Romeos) and Faulkner's flowing vocals breaking the silence clear as style may be categorized as funk, this the show.), and their unique brand Peppers' anti-drug anthem, estab­ scene. The band could use a new a choir boy. band sprinkles a variety of musical of rock n' raunch proved to be the lished itself as the high point of ihe lead vocalist and polish up their Then the song switches gears with a snare spurt Brad concepts into their melting pot. The force behind the show. evening. As the crowd danced vigor­ stage image rather than looking like Shepherd's deep, forboding guitar mixing in with the Hammond Peppers can be correctly placed any­ Even though the Peppers like to ously to the funk rhythm, Kiedis the rest of today's pop-metal icons. organ. The Hoodoo Gurus' show their potential on songs like where between hardcore punk to ham it up during their gigs, these sang, "If you see me getting mighty / Although the Peppers' hard funk "Come Anytime," "I Was the One," Bittersweet," and What's My funk and from rap to metal, or all guys are not your typical punk hacks If you see me getting high / Knock is sometimes mistaken as an imita­ Scene" that burst out but are not so loud that they become these styles at once. who arc out to make a buck by utiliz­ me down / I'm not bigger than life." tion of "black" music for a while au­ overbearing like most metal. All of these Guru classics identify with Although this Los Angeles based ing their bad attitude and not their Raging Slab, a band with the dience, they actually melt together ri their own sound showing that they can play any kind of music and quartet sounds great on record, their instruments. Flea and Frusciante dis­ thrash metal chops of Metallica diverse form of rock, punk and go oil make it work. true talent is in their maniacal live played their superior musicianship spliced with the American blues ol' R&B with a reassurance to CCs I wish that more bands would use the classic instruments like show, which arrived at Minneapolis' during the show by playing the mel­ roots of such bands as the Allman fonnat of humoristic style and inde­ the Gurus. Nothing sounds better than an acoustic guitar and a First Avenue earlier this month. Al­ low instrumental "Pretty Little Ditty." Brothers and Aerosmith, opened the pendence. Along with other bands Flammond organ. "Shadow Me" utilizes both of these in a flawless, though the band has gone through During the song, Flea upheld his show. Raging Slab, despite looking who are taking a chance with the consummate ballad. Faulkner's voice is almost blurry in it sound some changes in the last year, pri­ claim as one of rock's premiere ridiculous at times, played a mean set black and white crossover, the Red almost like you arc listening to the song in your sleep. marily because of the heroin related bassists (along with bass-god Billy of metal blues which blended to­ Hot Chili Peppers are expanding tlie Hut Magnum Cum Louder is not going to put you to sleep, with death of guitarist Hillcl Slovak, the Sheehan and Metallica's late Cliff gether admirably. The songs were a limits of modem music by fusing to­ songs like the maniacally twisting "Glamourpuss" containing a band has retained a devastating line­ Burton) by playing an impressive fin­ mixture of power chords and slide gether different musical styles', white knockdown solo by Shepherd. Other sleep impeders are up that sizzles in concert. ger-plucking bass melody. guitar with the addition of a bone- still concentrating on rock basics. If "Axegrinder" and "I Don't Know Anything." "Axegrinder" cuts The core of the Peppers includes The Peppers continued through crushing lead. you're looking for an alternative to through to the harsh, revelous side of the Gurus that spawned the two remaining founders of the their show with irresistible versions The band acknowledged their the growing population of tiresome earlier songs like "Hell for Leather" and "Party Machine." The band, vocalist/rapmaster Anthony of "Good Time Boys," "Nobody Weird roots at the end of their set with a techno-pop dance records (i. e. New axegrinder explained in the lyrics of the song is seen as a human Kiedis and super bassist Flea Balzary Like Me" and an encore of Hendrix's country number and then abruptly Order, Erasure, etc.), The Red Hot who like the song takes no crap from anyone (my skin is bronze/ my (who usually doesn't use his sur­ "Fire". The band also took time out flew into an amusing thrash-metal Chili Peppers might be just what chin is chrome/..../my blood runs hot like molten lead/ rock the name). Recent band replacements to play a few bars of "Mr. Brown- chunking rage. After this short and you're looking for in a group that boat I'm gonna knock you dead). Chad Smith (drums) and John Frus- stone," a song written by fellow L. A. entertaining song the band closed its will put your hips (and more than "I Don't Know Anything" vibrates with the quick snare gallop ciante (guitar) appeared to be a part friends and hell-raisers Guns N' show with a powerful cover of likely the rest of your body) back in of drummer Mark Kingsmill combined with the lyrical and guitar of the Peppers since their concep­ Roses. "American Band." motion. reverb. This gives way to the song's spiraling climax, a mayhem of tion. shouted lyrics and heavy guitars and drums.