A religious experience - As I sit here listening to this album for the first time, I find myself completely enthralled. It truly has been a religious experience. 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..... - First off, Alot of reviews stated that if you love music you have to like this, which is not true at all. 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. 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 - This album is very misunderstood. I could say that I found a deeper meaning to his lyrics, but some of you might find that to be naive. 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 - The music on this album is(without compare) the most pure expression of emotion through and instrument and through words. Every sound is either pure joy or complete agony, this is what the art of music really is at it s heart. 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.
As intensive as it can get! - Very different from RHCP, but a least as intensive as the Peppers! A musical caleidoscope, very interesting songs! John s songs are at least as good as RHCP. The low-fi sound may confuse some listeners at start though, but I find it all refreshing. I wonder why he s not writing more this kind of stuff for the group? For anybody who s not heard John s solo stuff: try to imagine something like young David Bowie screaming his lungs out in a most dyranged mental state, his room filled with random sounding guitars, mandolins, u-name-it-instruments. John s singing voice is just something else! Songs start and end in suprising ways. He plays with daring lyrics and vocal delays & effects that keep the listener on his/her toes. Very emotionally touching! I ve had good fun watching my friends feaces (RHCP fans) listen to this the fist time.. ,-DAll in all VERY impressive songs that few artist or group would dare to put out.Hope to get this one available soon again, I d very much like to buy copies of it for some of my good friends as a present!