Catch-up #1: The Mystical John Frusciante

Catch-up #1 : John Frusciante : The Empyrean

This is the first post of the « catch-up series ». This sequel presents albums that I missed earlier this year but that fortunately came back to my ears thanks to you. The first episode is brought to you by Xavier (tierce humeur).

What best describes the last solo record of Red Hot Chilli Peppers’ (RHCP) guitarist is the title: The Empyrean which means, for those like me who don’t know what it is :

1. the sky or heavens: the sky or celestial sphere ( literary )
2. highest part of heaven: the highest part of heaven, believed in ancient Greek and Roman times to contain pure fire or light and believed by some Christians to be the dwelling place of God ( archaic )

(taken from Encarta).

The ambiance of the album, released in January 2009, is mystical very far away from RHCP music. It is closer to palace brothers but with longer instrumental parts and more rock oriented. Frusciante is not the best singer of the rock scene but it sufficiently good to haunt the album. His guitar play is as always very good and never demonstrative.

John Frusicante - The Empyrean
Label: Record Collection
Producer: John Frusciante

Flaming lips: An embryonic & psychedelic journey

Did you know that the Flaming Lips released their first LP in 1986? Yes it was 23 years ago. Flaming lips must be the oldest embryo ever.

Anyway Embryonic sounds great and new. It has psychedelic influences from the start till the end and a dirty sound like we could hear on some Primus records. To conclude let me quote a flaming lips fan: "I have it!!!! It's great, it sounds like their old stuff but since they have money now it sounds really great".

Interested U.S. readers can click on the amazon widget to buy the album or songs. It is also available on musicme.