Anthony is the best he’s ever been poetically, Josh is now a real member of the band, Flea is a funky genius – as always – and Chad… well let’s say he’s rather silently cool this time.
Kevin Peterson, Coalition II, used as the album’s cover
One of my favourite bands just released their new album a week ago (17/6/2016) and I couldn’t keep myself from being hyped about it. Yes, the Red Hot Chili Peppers are back with The Getaway, five years after their last studio album I’m With You and three years after the release of the latter’s b-sides, I’m Beside You (I’m B-Side You, got it?). Was the long wait worth it? If you want my opinion, hell yes. The Peppers have released a good, complete album which is able to satisfy most of the band’s fans and even bring new audience to the 34-year-old group – it was in 1982 when Mike Balzary (Flea), Hillel Slovak and Anthony Kiedis started rocking and rapping together.
From the few discussions I’ve had and the comments I’ve read on YouTube and other websites, some people share my excitement for the new RHCP album, while others feel rather disappointed. To the latter, my advice is one: give it time so that it grows on you – this is what always happens with the Chili Peppers’ albums.
Now, let’s cut to the chase. The album has 13 songs and a total duration of 53:52 minutes – rather short for RHCP. With quite a few love songs and sweet melodies, some funk, some psychedelic-stoner rock, elements of metal and electronica sounds, The Getaway is a mash-up of different styles. But let’s see the songs, one to one, tackling both their lyrics and music.
1. The Getaway
The song that gives the album its name is, in my opinion, one of the best in the LP. The Getaway is musically strong with a good performance by all band members, though Chad could have played a greater role in my opinion. Also, the break that the song makes before the outro and the change of rhythm in the latter is fantastic.
Lyrically, most people say that Anthony is referring to his ex-girlfriend Helena Vestergaard but personally I am convinced that it refers to someone else, someone who RHCP fans love much more than this Vestergaard girl. Yes, you guessed right. The Getaway talks about John Frusciante’s getaway. Let’s see how we come to this conclusion.
That’s right you’re right
We will do our thing tonight alright
Take me through the future
[The future: reference to Frusciante’s futuristic electronica music projects]
It’s time you’re fine
Just another color coded crime
Incision and a suture
[Incision: a cut made during a surgery – with John leaving the band, there was an incision in RHCP’s body.
Suture: a stitch that closes the wound – Josh’s arrival.]
You told my friend
[My friend: Josh was one of Frusciante’s best friends and it was he who proposed Klinghoffer as a tour gutarist and later as his replacement.]
We would get it on no matter when
[We would get it on: Even without John, the Peppers would still survive and would find their style with Josh.]
A supercavitation
[(super)cavitation: the creation of a cavity (a hollow or space, or a potential space, within the body or one of its organs) – the space that John leaves with his departure from the band.]
Let’s go you show
Me something no one will ever know
A love hallucination
Another lonely superstar
[Lonely superstar: John is currently living alone and rather isolated in his house in California. His desire for loneliness was what made him leave the band both in 1992 and in 2009.]
To get away inside your car
[Inside your car: Frusciante doesn’t drive but this might be a reference to the music video of Scar Tissue, where John is seen driving a 1967 Pontiac Catalina, as a metaphor for his return to the band.]
Take it much too far
Surrender to the brave inside
A lover that another tried
[A lover that another tried: John was married to Nicole Turley. In October 2015, Turley announced that she was seeking $75,000 per month as part of the divorce settlement. Turley took legal action against Frusciante (John was tried by his lover) and the judge ruled in favour of Turley. John is still having legal troubles due to this case.]
Take it, too my ride
You don’t have to keep it if it’s mine
(Another lonely superstar to getaway inside your car)
Another place maybe another time
[Another place maybe another time: Maybe the band and John will meet again in the future.]
(Surrender to the brave inside a lover that another tried)
Complete repeat
[Complete repeat: John left the band firstly in 1992 while the RHCP were touring in Asia and left again in 2009. He repeated the same act.]
Sitting in your car and on your street
Lost in California
[Lost in California: John lives in his residence in California, isolated.]
Let’s steal this wheel
Take a spin to find out how we feel
[Find out how we feel: An invitation to John to contact the band’s members.]
Just around the corner
Slow down for sound
Turn it up and no we can’t be found
The body that we transcend
Asleep, you weep
Find out that the trick is never cheap
A melancholy girlfriend
Another lonely superstar
To get away inside your car
Take it much too far
Surrender to the brave inside
A lover that another tried
Take it, too my ride
You don’t have to keep it if it’s mine
(Another lonely superstar to getaway inside your car)
Another place maybe another time
(Surrender to the brave inside a lover that another tried)
That’s right you’re right
We will do our thing tonight, alright
Drive the constellation
It’s time you’re fine
Just another color coded crime
The song is fascination
Another lonely superstar
To get away inside your car
Take it much too far
Surrender to the brave inside
The lover that another tried
Take it, too my ride
A May December might not be so smart
[A May December might not be so smart: The line that made me realise the song’s meaning. John firstly left the band just after their gig in Tokyo on the 7th of May 1992. He returned in 1998 to leave again in 2009, announcing his decision to depart in December of that year. Kiedis is criticising Frusciante’s departure saying that it wasn’t smart.]
(Another lonely superstar to getaway inside your car)
Arrivals that we wish would not depart
[Arrivals that we wish would not depart: Quite self-explanatory, might refer to John, Hillel and Helena all at the same time.]
(Surrender to the brave inside a lover that another tried)
Don’t be late cause you’re my savior
[Savior: Reference to the RHCP song Savior from the album Californication (1999), whose lyrics are said to refer to either Kiedis’ dad or Hillel Slovak or John.]
Make it great whatever stays
Golden gate my rearranger
Hold my name inside your rays
2. Dark Necessities
Dark Necessities is certainly in the best three tracks of the album. Excellent intro, with Flea slapping the bass like in the old days. Chad does a good job keeping the rhythm with his drums but doesn’t shine. Flea also plays the piano, giving a peaceful tone to the song. Josh is doing a great job in the backing vocals, and his solo in the end of the track is very powerful.
Lyrically, the song is talking about Anthony’s old addictions and the role they have played in his life, being his dark necessities. The lyrics are well worked and give the song a quite deep meaning in my opinion.
3. We Turn Red
Probably the funkiest tune of the album. Flea’s bass is again wonderful, Chad finally hits the drums like he loves to and Josh is giving an interesting tone with the guitar’s effects, without offering us a solo though. Anthony’s vocals take us back to his rapping times, combining this with the melodic chorus which seems to have become his new “thing”.
But what about the lyrics? We Turn Red seems to refer to the upcoming presidential election in the US. Kiedis invites the Mexicans (Mexico you are my neighbour/Home of the let’s be braver) to the USA as a response to the bigotry of the Republican candidate Donald Trump while the country turns red (turning to socialism, thanks to Bernie Sanders, who the RHCP publicly endorsed by performing in a fund-raiser) and green (a reference to ecology – also shown in the line Hallelujah, I feel it warming which refers to global warming). Donald Trump has a large role in the song as “the billionaire”, but also as the “gold plated hate” (referring to Trump’s hate speeches against several groups, as well as his “hair” and his wealth).
4. The Longest Wave
I don’t dislike this song, but it sounds to me as one of the weakest in the album. It’s nice and melodic, Chad Smith’s drums give a beautiful, chilled rhythm, Josh’s guitar and it’s weird effects make it heavenly and Flea is good on the piano. However, I feel like it doesn’t have something extraordinary. It is a love song, talking about Anthony’s break-up with Helena Vestergaard. Finally, I don’t know why, but I love the “pirate and the papillon” binary. A good song, but not much more than that in my opinion.
5. Goodbye Angels
Personally, I love it and I think everyone does. The ayo, ayo, ayo, ayo routine sticks to your mind and gives the song a great RHCP feeling. The lyrics are again about Anthony’s break-up, but are more reflective than those of The Longest Wave and particularly focus on the problem of age difference between Anthony and Vestergaard (she was 19 when they got together, while he was in his 50s). Being a Rolling Stones fan, I deeply appreciated the reference to Sticky Fingers (1971). As far as the music is concerned, I have no words. The outro is one of the best things I have ever listened to, with Flea and Josh doing an incredible job and coordinating as well as Flea did with John. Chad uses his drumsticks again in this song and this can only have good results. Goodbye Angels is certainly another song in the top-3 of The Getaway.
6. Sick Love
Another love song, the third one in a row, which can cause some frustration. However, all three are very different. The lyrics here are quite strong and give a more objective view on relationships. I personally really like the lines I don’t know but it’s been said/Your heart is stronger than your head. Musically, the track is strong, with Elton John making a guest appearance on the piano and giving a bit of his class, while Josh’s solo is great and actually reminds a bit of Frusciante to my ears.
7. Go Robot
After We Turn Red, another funky song. A feel-good rhythm which makes the song extremely catchy and a great tune to dance to. Flea and Chad play very well, while Josh’s rather subtle role gives a nice touch of magic to the song, due to the multiple effects that he uses on his guitar. The song has strong sexual connotations and probably criticises the lack of feelings of Vestergaard towards Anthony, comparing her to a robot.
8. Feasting on the Flowers
This is another great song. The music is great with a nice vibe and a nice rhythm kept by Chad. Josh’s guitar reminds me a bit of Supertramp for some reason, but also gives these great – in my opinion – touches of a heavenly electronic sound which make the song a bit more special. Flea doesn’t shine here, but we can give him a break. The lyrics of the song refer to the first guitarist of the Peppers, Hillel Slovak, who died from an overdose in June 1988, at the young age of 26 (mentioned in the song). The song is a final reconciliation with Hillel’s absence, which is now remembered by feasting on the flowers (possibly referring to visiting his grave).
Hillel Slovak
9. Detroit
Detroit is another funky song, which takes us back to One Hot Minute (1995) days. Flea is back with a great bassline which accompanies Anthony’s vocals in a very RHCP way. Chad hits the drums well and Josh has a discreet but nice presence in the song – especially in the backing vocals which are somehow sung by his guitar as well. The song talks about Detroit – surprising, as Detroit is not in California. It refers to the economic crisis and bankruptcy of Detroit, as well as the hope that the city will rise again, mentioning great personalities that are related to it (Henry Ford, Iggy Pop and The Stooges, J Dilla), while also paying tribute to the city’s great automobile industry – through some mechanical sounds as well. With this allegory, Anthony addresses the break-up’s negative effects on him, but seems confident that he is going to overcome the difficulties, as will Detroit.
10. This Ticonderoga
Extremely interesting track, which struck very well to my ears from the first listening. This Ticonderoga can be categorised as a stoner rock song, and it personally reminds me of the Queens of the Stone Age. I find it great musically, though I can see why some people might not like it. Josh is again excellent with a mix of normal guitar playing and added effects, Chad is showing us some of his power on the drums, while Flea has some great moments. However, Anthony does outshine the others in this one. The transitions from stoner rock/metal to a melodic pop sound are very well made and Anthony leads the band greatly with his voice. I personally cherry-pick two specific moments from this song. The line When all the animals want to be just like you and the second to last Done it right in the end of the song, where Kiedis offers us an unexpected Ozzy Osbourne-like voice. The song talks about life itself and the difficulties people face, in Anthony’s typical half-nonsensical way.
11. Encore
Some people apparently love this song. I am not one of them. I find it, together with The Longest Wave, the weakest of the album. It’s not bad, it has a beautiful feel, but I don’t see much in it. I like the reference to The Beatles and I really enjoy Josh’s guitar (which again reminds of Frusciante in this song) but that’s about it. I find that the lyrics don’t have anything special and though it’s quite good musically, it is nothing spectacular.
12. The Hunter
Coming right after Encore, another slow song. However, if Encore was rather boring for my ears, The Hunter is in my opinion in the top-3 of the album. A great piano line, wonderful touches by Klinghoffer in both the guitar and the bass, a slow, parade-like drum beat by Chad and a magical piece of trumpet by Flea form a great musical piece, which is joined by Anthony’s most mature lyrics we have ever witnessed, talking about his relationship with his father and his son, as well as the process of ageing. The line strawberries left to decay is wonderful and the reference to Hemmingway’s The Old Man and the Sea shows the intellectual maturity that Kiedis has reached after all these years.
[The transition between (12) and (13) is excellent, I dare say it can be compared to Pink Floyd’s transitions.]
13. Dreams of a Samurai
For the album’s closing, we have Dreams of a Samurai, an interesting and very unique song, which could possibly be compared only to This Ticonderoga. Its style reminds me of One Hot Minute because of its rather “dark” feeling. It is very strong musically, with a great job by Chad Smith on the drums (by the way, this is Chad’s favourite song from the album, I wonder why) and great coordination of Flea and Josh on the bass and the guitar respectively. Dreams of a Samurai is a long song (lasts 6:02 minutes) which makes a great conclusion to the album and presumably prepares us for what the Red Hot Chili Peppers still have for us. The lyrics of the song are quite enigmatic but it’s certain that they reflect upon Anthony’s personality as it’s seen from his relationship with Helena Vestergaard in its first part (from the beginning until the end of the first chorus), while the second part is Anthony’s monologue addressed to the recently deceased Scott Weiland of the Stone Temple Pilots (Weiland died in a tour bus from an overdose on 3/12/2015).
So, overall, the impression the album gives me is very positive. Out of 13 songs, I really enjoyed 11 and found the other two rather indifferent, but not bad. The Getaway is a thematic album and talks about different types of getaways: break-ups (John Frusciante’s departure from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kiedis’ break-up with Vestergaard), deaths (Hillel Slovak, Scott Weiland) and ageing. The idea of having an album which is a complete work over a specific subject is a clear sign of producer Brian Burton’s (aka Danger Mouse) influence. Personally, I really like this concept, even though I can imagine it has left good songs out of the album – hopefully we will soon have the chance to listen to these as b-sides.
The concept of the album is also seen on its artwork, which I really like. As Anthony has already said in an interview, the figures on the artwork represent the members of the Red Hot Chili Peppers themselves, with Chad Smith being the bear, Josh being the girl, Flea as the racoon and Anthony as the raven. However, in the album’s cover we see the tail of a fox (and the whole fox in the original artwork by Kevin Peterson) which hasn’t been commented upon. This fox stands for the people who have got away, whether it may be Hillel Slovak, John Frusciante, Helena Vestergaard or Scott Weiland.
Finally, and because I have been talking about top-3s and the rest throughout this review, here are the album’s songs in order of my preference:
1. Goodbye Angels
2. The Hunter
3. Dark Necessities
4. Dreams of a Samurai
5. The Getaway
6. We Turn Red
7. Feasting on the Flowers
8. This Ticonderoga
9. Detroit
10. Sick Love
11. Go Robot
12. The Longest Wave
13. Encore
Final rating: 8,5/10
fikrallowed 