John Frusciante

This classic Red Hot Chili Peppers interview from the GP vault captures the Magik in the minds of Flea and Frusciante as they reflect upon their 1991 ...

That helped me concentrate – I had no contact with anyone for a couple of months. Frusciante: I got into character for this record the same way an actor would prepare for a part. A lot of people don’t understand how much it means to just beat the shit out of your guitar, to put every last ounce of energy and spirit into it. Every single gesture really meant something, and all of that translates musically. I thought of it as a parody of a rock star solo. We love anything that has a groove that makes you want to live. On “Funky Monks” I played everything without a pick, even the solo. “I recorded the acoustic guitars right here, and Anthony does all his vocals from his bedroom. We’ve all grown out of love and admiration for each other. As the sour notes echo against the bare walls and hardwood floor, he outlines the band’s recording procedure: “We all play together facing each other downstairs in the living room. And other people who worked on the project have seen things.” By 1991, the classic lineup that formed in 1988 – comprising guitarist John Frusciante, bassist Flea, drummer Chad Smith and vocalist Anthony Kiedis – was fully forged.