10 Legendary Hard Rock Bands That Have Terrible Debut Albums

If you ever listened to the Red Hot Chili Peppers for more than a few minutes, you probably know what it's like to be an honorary Californian. The idea of these funk rock gods writing about their home state has become such a meme among the music community that they practically have the state flag tattooed across their chest. Though Californication and By the Way may hold their own, their eponymous record might just be something you had to be there to truly appreciate.

Arriving at the dawn of glam metal in the mid '80s, this really feels like amateur hour compared to what the Peppers would be doing later down the line. While not even having founding member Hillel Slovak in the mix, most of the batshit insanity of the songs have to rely solely on Flea and Anthony Kiedis, who aren't exactly in prime form. From the sounds of it, Kiedis is clearly finding his niche as a songwriter on True Men Don't Kill COyotes, while Flea's manic approach to bass is all over the place depending on which song you're in.

Also, the idea of the Peppers covering Hank Williams is the kind of idea that's just crazy enough to work, only to fall flat with Kiedis' frat bro flow. It's a flawed record for sure, but even the legends of the genre don't bat 1000 every time.