10 More Perfect 1980s Hard Rock Albums With No Bad Songs
6. Mother's Milk - Red Hot Chili Peppers (1989)
Mother's Milk might not have enjoyed the same success as Blood Sugar Sex Magik, but it was an important album for the developing sound of the Chili Peppers.
Their early music was a fusion of rap and funk, smothered in a punk attitude. It was wild and erratic. But, although the band developed a reputation as the best live act on the scene, their sound hadn't translated all that well to an album. They knew what they loved, and they had the energy and skill to play it, but the fusion of sounds was bizarre and, at times, jarring. Although they were one of the earlier bands to pioneer the rap rock cross over, it wasn't a sound they would stick with for long.
Enter the young but focused talents of John Frusciante. He brought a new writing dynamic to the table, which helped the band create more melody driven tracks, as opposed to relying on raw energy alone. Mother's Milk saw the band adopt a rockier and less funky approach to their sound. Although the tracks on this record quiver under the shadow of Blood Sugar, they still pack a damn hard punch.