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

4. I'm With You

Released in 2011, the Chilis were quick to point out that I'm With You marked a new chapter in the band's era. Indeed, it was a chapter that could easily not have been written - the band had been on a lengthy hiatus, Flea and Smith were tied up in various side projects and most importantly Frusciante had left for a second time. But there was still life in the old dog yet.

The band promoted touring guitarist Josh Klinghoffer to full-time member, and the RHCP machine roared on into another era of it's long history. So how does the album live up to the grandeur of its "new beginning" label? Well a lot of the songs are still unmistakably RHCP - the slap-funk of Factory Of Faith, Look Around and Adventures Of Rain Dance Maggie sounds reassuringly familiar to long-time fans. And really, Anthony Kiedis is the only singer in the planet who can (just about) get away with the lines "Tick tock/I want to/Rock you like the 80s/C*ck blockin' isn't allowed". There are also callbacks to their decorated past, with the doom metal riffs opening Monarchy Of Roses sounding like something off One Hot Minute, and the lyrics of Police Station capturing the wistful mood of Under The Bridge.

But I'm With You isn't all about a band reliving past glories. Considering Frusciante had been the crux of the band's sound for their previous couple of albums, his absence forces them to explore new musical territory, which makes for some awesome off-the-wall moments. Ethiopia brings Flea's experience in Africa to the fore with it's unique rhythm, Happiness Loves Company is built on a bouncy piano riff that could be off Exile On Main Street and Brendan's Death Song begins acoustic and folky, building towards a massive crescendo of defiant Kiedis chanting and pummelling drum-work by Smith - it's simply one of the greatest RHCP songs ever recorded.