Jupiter; Song 1: Dani California

Inspired by the pre-dominant drum beat of the Wu Tang Clan’s first album “36 Chambers”, the Chili Peppers latest album opener is once again heavily dependent on the band’s favourite chord progression F, C, Dm ala Scar Tissue (as I emphasised in my cover), By the Way, Soul to Squeeze and more, and yet of course melodically sounds nothing like any of those songs. Indeed if the old saying is true, that people only remember three things about someone when they die, the Chili Peppers legacy will no doubt be as pioneers of rap rock (inspiring classic acts such as Linkin Park and Limp Bizkit), wearing socks on their cocks at their live gigs, and their ability to extract infinite possibilities and songs from the F, C, Dm chord progression.

The song serves to continue and indeed conclude the story of Dani, the girl from By The Way who likes singing songs beneath marquees. Because, like, didn’t you want to learn where she was born and whether she was really a bank robber when you first heard By The Way?! No? Well Fuck You.

Interestingly, it has been brought up that although the chorus of Dani California is pure Chili Peppers (as mentioned before) the verse structure of Dani California shares many similarities with a song by Tom Petty called “Mary’s Last Dance,” regarding chord progression, vocal style and lyrical approach. (Hear for yourself here http://www.jared-morris.com/blog/petty.mp3) My bandmate Bucky put it down to “great minds thinking alike.” The obvious endpoint for this logic is that Anthony Kiedis and Tom Petty are the greatest geniuses to ever embark on this planet’s surface. Ever.

Nevertheless, there’s much to like on this song, the opening drum riff will no doubt drive everyone insane when Red Hot Chili Peppers inevitably tour Adelaide, and the entire guitar work, from the interesting mix throughout to the sweet, sweet solo in the end is better than anything John played on the entire By The Way record, inspiring me to take up guitar lessons until can play it note for note, and beyond. Time will tell if it’s the classic I thought it was when I heard it the second to 300th times I initially heard this song, or whether it was the ok Chili Pepper song I think it is now and the first time I heard it. Either way as an opener for an album it definitely works, and sets the scene for some great fireworks to follow. Oh, and welcome back Flea.