Greatest Hits Herndon VA

Greatest Hits

Red Hot Chili Peppers

Warner Bros, 2003

REVIEW BY: Benjamin Ray

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 01/25/2005

Had this been called the "Best Of," it would be inaccurate, butfor those looking for the radio hits that made the Chili Peppers ahousehold name, this is the perfect collection.

This release brings together everything John Frusciante did withthe band, as well as two new songs, one song from One Hot Minute and the soundtrack single/fan favorite "Soulto Squeeze." Because RHCP albums work well on their own, one maywonder how this album flows; the answer is very well. Even if youdon't like every song the band did, in this context it's easy tosee why they are so popular.

From Mother's Milk we get the Stevie Wonder cover "Higher Ground"-- and that's it. The usual four suspects from Blood Sugar Sex Magik are present, although if one onlyowned a single RHCP album, that would be the one. From 1995's One Hot Minute we get "My Friends," which is odd because Idon't remember that one being a hit. I would have preferred "CoffeeShop" or "Aeroplane" -- but since the album was a critical flop, myopinion doesn't matter, since this is a hits collection.

No less than five songs are included from the abysmal Californication, although I question why "Parallel Universe"and "Road Trippin'" made the cut while the superior "Around theWorld" did not. The selections from By The Way are just as odd; I'm sure "The Zephyr Song" and"Can't Stop" were hits, but they are not here, while the titletrack and "Universally Speaking" are.