Californication (19982001)In the years following his departure from the band, it became public that John Frusciante had developed an addiction to heroin, which left him in poverty and near death. He was talked into admitting himself to Las Encinas Drug Rehabilitation Center in January of 1998. He concluded the process in February of that year and began renting a small apartment in Silver Lake. He acquired many injuries/problems in the years of his addiction, some requiring surgery, including permanent scarring on his arms, a restructured nose, and new teeth to prevent fatal infection.
The newly reunited band in a Californication promotional shot. Circa 1999.In April 1998, Flea visited his former band-mate and openly invited Frusciante to re-join the band, an invitation an emotional Frusciante readily accepted. Within the week and, for the first time in six years, the reunited foursome gathered to play, and jump-started the newly reunited Red Hot Chili Peppers. Anthony Kiedis said of the situation:
For me, that was the defining moment of what would become the next six years of our lives together. That was when I knew that this was the real deal, that the magic was about to happen again. Suddenly we could all hear, we could all listen, and instead of being caught up in our finite little balls of bullshit, we could all become players in that great universal orchestra again.
Despite the band's elation by Frusciante's return, he was both mentally and physically torn. Frusciante had not played in several years, having previously sold every guitar he owned for drug money, and experienced a difficult time resuming life prior to his drug usage. His former talent did, however, resurface and new songs began to roll out. On June 8, 1999, after over a year of production and meticulous practice, Californication was released as the band's seventh studio album. An almost instant achievement, the album ultimately sold over 15 million copies worldwide and became the band's most successful recording to date. Californication contained fewer rap-driven songs than its predecessors, instead integrating textured, consistent, and melodic guitar riffs, vocals and bass-lines.[citation needed]
Californication samples:
Around the World
Sample of Around the World, the second single from Californication(1999), which combined hard, abrasive guitar progressions with a deeply melodic chorus.
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Otherside
Sample of Otherside, the fourth single from Californication(1999), the band's darkest recording following One Hot Minute(1995).
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Californication peaked at #3 in the US and produced three more number one modern rock hits: Scar Tissue, Otherside and Californication. Scar Tissue won the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Rock Song. It was also performed at the ceremony and included a brief jam with rapper Snoop Dogg at its culmination. Other singles included Around the World, Road Trippin' (UK only), and Parallel Universe, which broke the Top 40 modern rock charts despite not having been commercially released as a single.
In July 1999, as part of the band's two-year long international world tour in support of their new album, the Red Hot Chili Peppers played at Woodstock 1999. Some 10 minutes before the show, they were asked by Jimi Hendrix's sister to play a cover of her brother's songs. After some hesitation, the band decided to play his classic Fire, which they had covered in Mother's Milk. Coincidentally, about two thirds of the way into the band's set, the closing set of the three day concert, a small fire escalated into full-fledged vandalism and resulted in the intervention of riot control squads.
In 2001 they released their first concert DVD, Off the Map. The DVD was directed by longtime friend Dick Rude, who had also produced the music videos for Catholic School Girls Rule and Universally Speaking. The footage was taken from numerous different concerts, but was amalgamated with transition and indistinguishable song conversions.
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