Mother's Milk (album)

After Red Hot Chili Peppers received a record deal with EMI Records in 1983, the group established themselves as a prominent funk rock band with their 1984 debut album The Red Hot Chili Peppers. Disappointed with the results of the production, vocalist Anthony Kiedis and bassist Flea replaced guitarist Jack Sherman with founding member Hillel Slovak, who had quit his band, What Is This?, several weeks before. The group's George Clinton-produced second album, Freaky Styley (1985), was Slovak's first effort with the band. is the only Red Hot Chili Peppers album the original members recorded together. Shortly following the ensuing tour, Slovak died of a heroin overdose and left the rest of the group in complete shock; Irons, citing an inability to cope with the death, quit. Band manager Lindy Goetz realized that McKnight and Peligro were not well suited for the Chili Peppers, and the two were fired within several months of joining. The band was now once again without a drummer and were forced to hold open auditions. The last to audition, Chad Smith, was a six-foot three-inch tall drummer who, according to Flea, "lit a fire under our asses." Kiedis later said the audition with Smith left "[the band] in a state of frenzied laughter that we couldn't shake out of for a half an hour." ==Recording and production==

Unlike the stop-start sessions for The Uplift Mofo Party Plan, where Kiedis would frequently disappear to seek drugs, pre-production for ''Mother's Milk'' went smoothly. Many of the songs had already been written, and some were even recorded by the time the band started pre-production in January 1989. "Taste the Pain" was recorded before Smith joined, and it featured Philip "Fish" Fisher of Fishbone on drums. The band recorded basic tracks at Hully Gully studios in Silver Lake; songs like "Knock Me Down" were formed from jam sessions without any input from returning producer Michael Beinhorn. According to Flea, the Hully Gully sessions bore fruit: "We played hard and fast more than [at] any other time in our career, I think. A lot of chops were going down [...] we played constantly, got to know each other, and came up with a record." Kiedis and Flea recognized that Frusciante's presence had become a significant influence on the band's new material as the Hully Gully sessions were proving to be extremely productive; Flea recalled that "[Frusciante] was an immense new element to the sound of our band and a big opening up for us." Beinhorn pushed the Chili Peppers to produce the best possible takes for each of the record's 13 tracks while the band hoped to obtain a hit record. Although there had been stress and conflict during the recording of other Chili Peppers albums, the sessions for ''Mother's Milk'' were uncomfortable thanks to Beinhorn's incessant desire to create a hit. He recalled that he and the band were at odds, saying, "Suffice to say that I had a very intense personal relationship [with the band] and somewhere along the line I fell out with [them]." Frusciante was frustrated with Beinhorn's attitude, and he resented his playing on the record, thinking that it was too "macho". Another incident, following a performance at the George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, caused legal repercussions; a student accused Kiedis of engaging in sexual misconduct and indecent exposure. Kiedis was subsequently arrested and released on bail pending a trial that was to be set for a later date. ==Music==

The band's style of music developed with the arrival of Frusciante; producer Michael Beinhorn observed, "It was apparent early on that John was the perfect guitarist for the band—he brought the elements of songwriting and composition to the band which they'd never truly had prior to his involvement. I believe that John is a pivotal figure in the Chili Peppers, being that he is such a distinctive songwriter." Musically, ''Mother's Milk'' has been described as funk metal, alternative metal, and funk rock. ''Mother's Milk'' features an array of musical styles in its 13 tracks. Among the songs that surfaced from the Hully Gully sessions in early 1989, "Knock Me Down" became one of the most radical shifts in style for the band. According to Apter, the song "Knock Me Down" was "clearly the most important track the band had ever laid down; it proved that these Peppers were more than knuckleheads with socks hanging off their cocks." "Knock Me Down" was originally recorded to be a duet between Kiedis and Frusciante, but the song was remixed before being released as a single; the new mix inadvertently emphasized Frusciante's voice instead of Kiedis's. "Higher Ground" became another song that helped the band achieve international success. Originally written and recorded in 1973 by R&B singer Stevie Wonder, the track was, according to Flea, a perfect cover for the band: "[...] the lyrics are great. Especially as far as the situation that the band has been in, as far as state of mind, for the past few months. That song is really about raising and uplifting yourself spiritually." Flea said the band covered the song to pay homage to Wonder and the important role he played in popular music. The eclectic track was originally intended to be more than three minutes long, but was cut to just under two minutes before the album's release. The song "Punk Rock Classic" quotes the guitar riff of "Sweet Child o' Mine" by Guns N' Roses. "Taste the Pain" reflects a more meditative and melodic theme, similar to "Knock Me Down." Frusciante introduces psychedelic guitar progressions in the verse, while the lyrics touch on themes of love and loss. ==Album artwork==

''Mother's Milk features a black and white photograph of the band sprawled across the arms of a giant topless woman, with her nipples covered by a red rose on the right, and Kiedis standing up on the left. Controversy arose when the model Dawn Alane claimed the band did not notify her that she was the one chosen to be on the cover of Mother's Milk''. Furthermore, several national chains refused to sell the record because they believed the female subject displayed too much nudity. A more strictly censored version was manufactured for some retailers that featured the band members in far larger proportion than the original. When Kiedis was finding shots of the band to use on the cover, Frusciante initially refused every photograph Kiedis showed him but settled on one of him sitting down laughing. Following the album's release, a limited number of promotional posters were issued with the model's breasts exposed. Alane had no knowledge of the pressing and sued the band, winning a $50,000 settlement. "Higher Ground" was similar in that all four members — photographs of which were taken from the music video — were printed in front of a large image of Kiedis's face. "Taste the Pain" featured the band together with a red and yellow background with the Chili Peppers' asterisk adjacent to the typeface. ==Promotion and release==

A promotional 12" titled For the Thrashers, which contained four songs from the album, was released to radio stations to promote the then forthcoming album in the weeks leading up to its release. Director Drew Carolan shot a promotional video for "Good Time Boys" which was released on the 1989 Hard 'n Heavy Vol. 2 collection. The video, which has never been released elsewhere by the band or even acknowledged as an official video, featured the band performing the song with cut away scenes of the band being interviewed discussing the album and their sound. Carolan was also hired to film the music videos for album's first two singles, "Higher Ground" and "Knock Me Down" before the release of ''Mother's Milk''. The initial premise for "Higher Ground" was to have the song's original writer, Stevie Wonder, sit in the lotus position as the Chili Peppers dance around him; however, Wonder declined to be in the video. Kiedis gave full creative license to Carolan on the condition that he "make us [the band] look like the Gods of Funk." "Knock Me Down" is notable for featuring an appearance by actor Alex Winter, who would co-direct the video for the band's third single, "Taste the Pain". MTV introduced the band's videos into their daily rotation, highlighting the band as up-and-coming and "one to watch". ==Critical reception==

Although more commercially successful than the band's previous albums, ''Mother's Milk'' received mixed reviews from critics who were unimpressed with the excessive distortion found throughout the album. However, it was praised as well; Amy Hanson of AllMusic called it "a pivotal album for the Red Hot Chili Peppers," and believed that "if anyone doubted the pulsating power that leapt from the blistering opener, 'Good Time Boys', it took only a few bars of the Red Hot Chili Peppers' outrageous, and brilliant, interpretation of the Stevie Wonder classic 'Higher Ground' to prove that this new lineup was onto something special. Wrapping up with the aptly titled and truly punked-out 'Punk Rock Classic' and the band's own punched-up tribute to 'Magic Johnson', ''Mother's Milk was everything the band had hoped for, and a little more besides." The Toronto Star commented that the Red Hot Chili Peppers were "the Mothers of Invention for the 1990s." In 2005, Mother's Milk was ranked number 359 in Rock Hard'' magazine's book The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time. While Carly Darlin of the Orange County Register found the album to be "an energetic and fun restatement of the RHCP whiplash funk attitude", she believed that "with the exception of the dreamy instrumental 'Pretty Little Ditty', it doesn't break any new ground." She continued by saying that, if anything "''Mother's Milk'' is a slight step away from the party-funk grooves of the last two albums and a return to the band's punk-rock roots. They even reprise the cover of Jimi Hendrix's 'Fire', which they did as a B-side for their 'Fight Like A Brave' 12-inch two years ago." However, Jenkins did believe Frusciante possessed "solid metal chops and means to show them off." Village Voice critic Robert Christgau mocked the band's ability to promote empathy and found the guitar layering in ''Mother's Milk'' to have been done improperly: "punks who loved Hendrix and P-Funk way way back, they're finally cashing in on their good taste, and though unbelievers dis their sincerity, execution's the problem. They didn't have the chops to bring it off then, and by pushing the guitar up front they sound even cruder now. But they're perfectly nice fellas, really—mention 'compassion' in the very first verse." ==Commercial performance==

Released on August 16, 1989, ''Mother's Milk peaked at number 52 on the U.S. Billboard'' 200, "Knock Me Down" reached number six on the U.S. Modern Rock Tracks whereas "Higher Ground" charted at number eleven; the latter of the two ultimately proved to be more successful, however, by influencing foreign charts at number 54 in the UK and 45 in Australia and France. While "Taste the Pain" did not chart in the U.S., the single reached number 26 in the UK—the group's first Top 40 single in the region. The band had played numerous concerts before the album's release and aired new songs weekly to generate interest in it. ''Mother's Milk'' was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in late March 1990—it is now certified platinum—and was the first Chili Peppers album to ship in excess of 500,000 units. In 2003 the album was re-released through EMI; all tracks were completely remastered and an additional six songs were included as well as hand written liner notes from Flea. ==''Mother's Milk'' tour and aftermath==

''Mother's Milk'' instantly garnered more attention than the band's previous records and, as such, the venues the band performed in were able to accommodate far larger crowds. For the first time the band also upgraded to a full-fledged tour bus and added backup musicians and singers. Longtime friend, Keith "Tree" Barry was added to play horns and backup singers Kristen Vigard and Vicki Calhoun (who appeared in the video for "Knock Me Down") also joined the tour. When the band hit England, roadie Robbie Allen (nicknamed Rob Rule) would open for the band providing a comedy performance in which he would pretend to cut off his own penis. Allen would later become one of the band's backup singers on the One Hot Minute tour. The album's official launch, however, was held in New York City at a club called Tramps; following this, Red Hot Chili Peppers embarked on an introductory European tour which included a free show in Amsterdam's Dam Square that attracted over 10,000 attendees. By the end of the leg, the band members were having trouble adjusting to their newfound fame as virtually every concert on the tour was sold out and ''Mother's Milk approached 500,000 units sold. Spin'' reported that following a show in Atlanta, Flea invited a woman to his hotel room for sexual intercourse, but locked himself in the bathroom upon arriving because all he could think of were his wife and daughter. The tour continued in the United Kingdom, where the band was receiving less attention; Kiedis complained after several shows there, "We're huge in the States and it's sort of frustrating and confusing that no one knows who we are here." It was not until after their return from the UK that "Taste the Pain" was released as a single and subsequently charted at number twenty-nine there. Smith and Flea's arrest worsened Kiedis's impending charge in Virginia from the "Positive Mental Octopus" tour. He was convicted of sexual battery and indecent exposure and sentenced to pay a fine of $1,000 per charge. Once complete, the band rested, and Frusciante and Flea organized a short-lived side project called H.A.T.E. with Fishbone vocalist Angelo Moore and L.A. Guns drummer Nickey Alexander. EMI capitalized on the recent interest in the Chili Peppers by releasing a music video compilation VHS called Positive Mental Octopus, which was named after the tour, in 1990. That same year the band also released "Show Me Your Soul", a song that was originally a b-side on the "Knock Me Down" single, on the soundtrack to the hit romantic comedy film, Pretty Woman. The song was a minor hit for the band and a music video was made. For unknown reasons the band also recorded a cover of the Bachman–Turner Overdrive song, "Takin' Care of Business," however the song would never be released. ==25th anniversary==

On January 29, 2014, Chad Smith announced that EMI was planning to release a 25th anniversary version of the album later in the year, which would contain bonus material. In an August 2014 interview with Rolling Stone, Smith discussed the anniversary and legacy of the album, commenting that a remastered version was still in the works which would likely include a live show recorded in Cleveland, Ohio on a bonus disc. However, he reckoned that many of the outtakes from the record have already been released. , EMI has yet to re-release the album. ==Track listing==

Notes • "Good Time Boys" contains excerpts of "Bonin' in the Boneyard" by Fishbone, "Try" by Thelonious Monster and "White Girl" by X. • An extended version of "Pretty Little Ditty" running some 3:07 is included on the 2003 remaster of the album. • Tracks 18 and 19 recorded live on November 21, 1989, at Phantasy Theater, Cleveland, Ohio, US. • "Johnny, Kick a Hole in the Sky" features a fragment of The Star Spangled Banner in the beginning of the song. DVD • The Making of the Album • The Videos: Good Time Boys • Live Concerts ==Personnel==

Personnel taken from ''Mother's Milk'' CD booklet. Red Hot Chili Peppers • Anthony Kiedis – lead vocals • John Frusciante – guitar (all except "Fire"), co-lead vocals on "Knock Me Down" • Flea – bass, trumpet on "Subway to Venus", "Taste the Pain", and "Pretty Little Ditty" • Chad Smith – drums (all except "Taste the Pain" and "Fire") Additional musicians • Vicki Calhoun – backing vocals on "Good Time Boys", "Higher Ground", "Knock Me Down", and "Johnny, Kick a Hole in the Sky" • Wag – backing vocals on "Good Time Boys" and "Higher Ground" • Randy Ruff – backing vocals on "Good Time Boys" and "Higher Ground" • Aklia Chinn – backing vocals on "Good Time Boys", "Higher Ground", and "Johnny, Kick a Hole in the Sky" • Jack Sherman – backing vocals on "Good Time Boys" and "Higher Ground" • Joel Virgel Viergel – backing vocals on "Good Time Boys" and "Higher Ground" • Iris Parker – backing vocals on "Good Time Boys" and "Higher Ground" • Julie Ritter – backing vocals on "Good Time Boys" and "Higher Ground" • Gretchen Seager – backing vocals on "Good Time Boys" and "Higher Ground" • Laure Spinosa – backing vocals on "Good Time Boys" and "Higher Ground" • Sir Babs – backing vocals on "Good Time Boys" and "Higher Ground" • Merill Ward – backing vocals on "Good Time Boys" and "Higher Ground" • Bruno Deron – backing vocals on "Good Time Boys" and "Higher Ground" • Kristen Vigard – backing vocals on "Good Time Boys", "Higher Ground", and "Johnny, Kick a Hole in the Sky" • Patrick English – trumpet on "Subway to Venus" • Keith "The Tree" Barry – tenor saxophone on "Subway to Venus" • Lon – trombone on "Subway to Venus" • Dave Coleman – cello on "Taste The Pain" • Philip "Fish" Fisher – drums on "Taste the Pain" • Hillel Slovak – guitar on "Fire" • Jack Irons – drums on "Fire" Production • Michael Beinhorn – production, additional engineering • Dave Jerden – mixing • Garth Richardson – engineering (all except "Taste the Pain") • Eddie DeLena – engineering on "Taste the Pain" • George Marino – mastering Design • Henry Marquez, Peter Shea – art direction/design • Nels Israelson – photography • Anthony Kiedis – art concept • Hillel Slovak – back cover painting ==Charts==