10 Most Underrated Red Hot Chili Peppers Songs
2. Savior - Californication
You can't really bring up anything about the Red Hot Chili Peppers and not mention Hillel Slovak. Although he tragically died of an overdose before the band managed to get big, you can feel his aura and his spirit across everything they have ever done, whether it's back in the day or even more recently on albums like the Getaway. The Chilis can try to put his touch on their songs, but the best way to get in contact with him is to just sing about it.
Coming towards the end of the Californication, Savior almost feels like the closest thing to a funeral dirge for Hillel, as Anthony talks about how much of a savior his friend was to him at his lowest points. That's just the intro of the song though. Across its 5 minutes, you can feel the grief in each section of the song, from the grandiose opening to eventually slowing down to realize that you're never going to see this person again.
Just when everything seems to be reaching its height, John Frusciante's solo comes out of nowhere and brings the entire song to a different level, almost like he's channeling the ghost of Hillel through his instrument for a few seconds. While Hillel might not have been able to see his fame and fortune happen alongside his bandmates, this is the kind of tribute that's only reserved for the best of the best.