“Mother’s Milk” was the fourth studio album released by Red Hot Chili Peppers in 1989, and was the first album with newbie guitarist John Frusciante and drummer Chad Smith. The album was still backed up by main duo Anthony Keidis and Michael “Flea” Balzary.
It received greater commercial success than their previous albums due to Frusciante’s prioritization of melodies, rather than the previous album’s wicked rhythms. Frusciante’s particular taste heavily contrasted with their producer’s, Michael Beinhorn, taste in heavy metal riffs. Ultimately, Frusciante’s acid-rock noise won over the record.
The album’s three best songs are “Knock Me Down”, “Taste The Pain”, and “Nobody Weird Like Me”.
“Knock Me Down” is a deep song about the death of their previous guitarist, Hillel Slovak. It reaches deep into the impact of drugs and the effect Slovak’s death had on the band. The song was originally going to be a duet between Kiedis and Frusciante, but the way it was mixed put Frusciante on lead vocals where he sings his heart out. Frusciante also got the killer guitar riff from the song “Miss You” by The Rolling Stones.
“Taste The Pain” was the third single released and it reached number 29 best in the UK, the highest they had reached at that point. The song was originally recorded with the drummer before Smith but it still had John Frusciante’s killer strings backing up the track. Flea had one of his best trumpet solos closing out the song, with Kiedis’ more polished vocals layering the track.
“Nobody Weird Like Me” is the 5th track on “Mother’s Milk” and features one of Flea’s hardest basslines ever. The song is about being an individual and being a rebel. It features a lot of inspiration from Led Zeppelin’s “Nobody’s Fault But Mine”. While it isn’t as popular as the first two, it features a lot of the oddness and hidden meanings that the later albums would have.
Overall, “Mother’s Milk” is a wonderful album that carved the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ way to success. Its intricate sound paved the way for the future of the band.
