Red Hot Chili Peppers: Ranking Their Albums From Worst To Best

5. By The Way

If Flea was the creative leader during the band's beginnings, by the time 2002 rolled around, guitarist Frusciante had undoubtedly taken that mantle from him. Make no mistake about it; By The Way is Frusciante's baby - the enigmatic axe-man is the brains behind the vast majority of the record's arrangements, melodies and yep, even the basslines.

His presence is constant throughout, with his guitar and backing vocals at the forefront of every tune. Because of his influence, this album is the sound of a band shedding their old skin. Apart from the throbbing Throw Away Your Television (where Flea takes centre-stage again), there is barely any sign of the band's classic funk rock. Instead, warm melodic guitar-lines and big Beach Boys-style harmonies are the order of the day. "Sellouts!" many old-school RHCP fans cried, and maybe they have a point - but there's no denying that many of the tracks here are genuinely beautiful.

Kiedis had perfected his clean style of singing by now, and his harmonising with Frusciante on Dosed is hypnotic. The Zephyr Song is a warm blast of California sunshine that wouldn't be out of place on Pet Sounds. Venice Queen is one of their best album closers, with mellow Frusicante strumming and Kiedis' haunting vocals giving way to a triumphant chorus. As pretty and melodic as everything is, the album's mid-tempo nature renders everything a bit similar. Listening to the album in one sitting, you start to pine for those chaotic funky rockers that the band made famous.

More energetic tracks like Throw Away Your Television and the spirited single Can't Stop are welcome diversions, but even they feel a little on the calculated and controlled side. Also, while there's no true stinkers on the album, it begins to drag towards the end - it's first half is much stronger than the second. Saying that, the highs of this album are very high indeed and edge the record into the top five of the list.