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John Frusciante - Niandra Lades and Usually Just a T-Shirt Audio CD

A fair review of the John Frusciante "Niandra Lades and Usually Just a T-Shirt" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all John Frusciante reviews here, or go back to the John Frusciante tabs.

John Frusciante Band: John Frusciante
Title: Niandra Lades and Usually Just a T-Shirt
Rating:
Release Date: 2008-01-13
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Niandra Lades: As Can Be 2: Niandra Lades: My Smile Is a Rifle 3: Niandra Lades: Head (Beach Arab) 4: Niandra Lades: Big Takeover 5: Niandra Lades: Curtains 6: Niandra Lades: Running Away into You 7: Niandra Lades: Mascara 8: Niandra Lades: Been Insane 9: Niandra Lades: Skin Blues 10: Niandra Lades: Your Pussy's Glued to a Building on Fire 11: Niandra Lades: Blood on My Neck from Success 12: Niandra Lades: Ten to Butter Blood Voodoo

Very confusing, but intriguing
He wrote half of this while recording the Peppers' breakthrough album BSSM. Frusciante is the lead guitarist of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The other half he wrote after quitting the band for a while (he was too into drugs to be useful as a band member).

Bear that in mind when you listen to this album: He was stoned when writing this album.

That said, it's very experimental. Rolling Stone recently labeled him as "The Visionary" in guitar rock. There's tracks that are played backwards, or digitally sped up, or any other distortion they can get. And his vocals sound painful to sing - some are painful to listen to. The lyrics make very little sense, though they made sense to him, and I'm sure they would make sense to me as well if I were to take drugs. "Running Away Into You" has a really creepy part where the track loops about 2 seconds, speeds up and at the same time changes the pitch rapidly upward.

Some have terrible guitar playing, but some are great guitar lines that should be sampled or covered for another song sometime.

To sum up: This is NOT as rockin' as the RHCP, but it's not terrible either. Would I have bought it if I had heard it first? Probably not, but I did buy it, and I listen to it occasionally.


A religious experience
It truly has been a religious experience. As I sit here listening to this album for the first time, I find myself completely enthralled. This man was on some stuff. It really shows. You have to have a solid background and appreciation in music to enjoy this album like I have. If you are looking for the beloved guitarist of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, well, you are looking in the wrong place. It sounds very Frank Zappa influenced. This is a man at one of the lowest points in his life, yet, somehow, he manages to pull out some beautiful songwriting, and some of his best ever material. Frusciantes guitar is as good and lucid as ever. The second half (Usually Just a T-shirt) is much more chilled and instrumental. Great album by one of the greatest (and most underrated musicians) of the past decade. .


No, you can still be a music fan, if you dislike it.....

Although if you want a great documentation of what was John Frusciante of that time, and listen to some well structured lo-fi pop songs while feeling uncomfortable at times, this is great record to listen to then. First off, Alot of reviews stated that if you love music you have to like this, which is not true at all.
This is also a good aid for when your lonely and you can just pop this into your stereo and lie in bed, it feels like he is right there playing guitar and singing for you underneath the shelf where your stereo lies.
.


Misunderstood
I could say that I found a deeper meaning to his lyrics, but some of you might find that to be naive. This album is very misunderstood. Although if you're reading this, I imagine you're not some random person trying to find a new artist to be interested in. So I assume most of you are familiar with john, and with the chili peppers. And although I may be the only person I know that knows enough of their history, i know a lot of you do! But it really does make the man, everyone has to understand that john was in a really low point of his life during the recording of this album. The quality is low, because he recorded it himself! The singing is his style, his variety that he adds. It has certainly improved over the years. . . between his occasional background vocals on californication, and his constant backgrounds on By the Way.
The best example, has to be his singing on Save the Population, i'm sure you all realize he has the last line in the song, and he sounds, well, awesome!
I consider myself a philosophical person, so I can read into his lyrics of a time that his life was in a valley of lows. We've all had our low points in our lives, but he reached a certain low, that I know he hopes none of us would ever have to. The lyrics, and the singing definitely reflect the pain i can tell this man was going through. And to hear and see him now, he's a new person.
I don't know if he'd like to say reborn, but in a sense he has been. The songs on Niandra Lades are beautiful, artistically overwhelming, and simply awe-inspiring!
I didn't even mention the guitar, don't let me forget that! His playing would make a Neanderthal want to pick up a guitar and spend hours attempting to do what he is capable of!.


I can't describe my love for this album
Every sound is either pure joy or complete agony, this is what the art of music really is at it's heart. The music on this album is(without compare) the most pure expression of emotion through and instrument and through words. I can't believe that anyone could dislike this music, it is 4track genius, irreplicable, honest, and almost perfect. RHCP and top 40 types should not expect the same appeal from this music, but really need to give it a chance.


You can see a complete list of all John Frusciante discography, or go back to the John Frusciante tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

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