Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

What It Takes to Stay Hot Thirty Years Later

Most people have one or two personal heroes — people that they look up to as figures to admire and emulate. Up until a year ago, this was the case for me, too; however, now I can safely say I have at least seven heroes — five of whom are musicians, the other two being Theodore Geisel and my grandfather. Now, this may seem strange because I myself am not a musician at all (unless I’m alone in the car) but these artists have been able to speak to me through their music and inspire me in so many ways. All five — Thom York of Radiohead, Björk and the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Anthony Kiedis, Michael Balzary (better known as Flea) and John Frusciante — have been transformative in both my musical taste and larger world view, but the latter three figures have had huge impacts on my life, not only through their music but also through their personas and life stories.

I’ve been a Red Hot Chili Peppers fan for as long as I can remember. While I was too young to remember the release of One Hot Minute in 1995, their mega-blockbuster album Californication, in 1999, is one of my earliest memories of enjoying music made for adults and not the under-10 population. (Although let’s be real: “Hit Me Baby One More Time” was great.) I didn’t have the wits to really understand how the music scene worked when I was seven (I was behind, I know), so when they released the highly successful By the Way three years later, my feeble 10-year-old mind didn’t quite make all the connections that this was the same band — even though my dad had purchased their greatest hits album. However, there was a turning point in my life in 2006, when the band’s first number-one album, Stadium Arcadium, dropped and its lead single, “Dani California,” took over the world. I fell in love with the song and, now able to actually appreciate bands, rediscovered all of the older RHCP material I used to love so much. A few years later, after having toned down my RHCPfandom for a few years, I decided to revisit this band that had such a large role in my childhood. I went back through their discography and read Scar Tissue, Anthony Kiedis’ 2004 autobiography.

This decision was one of the more important ones of my life. Through reading it, I truly gained a grasp of the deep and meaningful music these guys were producing. Knowing the ins and outs of their formation and lineup over the years, of Kiedis and Flea’s shared childhood and of the struggles and problems they all faced throughout their careers really connected me to the band on a deep level. Instead of just hearing some random kids screaming and jumping around in their early years, I hear the crazy, wild lives they lived. I hear the pain of their losses and also their struggles with both love and addiction. Knowing real stories and emotions that put their music in context really opened up my eyes to the incredible power it has to affect me.

These three men have lived such incredible lives and produced such potent music for the past 30 years. From their earlier, punk style to their melodic funk tracks, this is a band that has really made an impact. Through their music and their private lives, they’ve advocated for a freeness of living and an enjoyment of life — something I think everyone can agree with. Picking 15 songs to define this band kills me a little inside, but if I had to choose, I’d narrow down my choices to this selection.

“Around the World”

“Give it Away”

“Power of Equality”

“Fight Like a Brave”

“Johnny, Kick a Hole in the Sky”

“Funky Monks”

“Scar Tissue”

“Quixoticelixer”

“Dosed”

“Can’t Stop”

“Minor Thing”

“Charlie”

“21st Century”

“Desecration Smile”

“Did I Let You Know”

Zach Gordon is a sophomore in the College. LIFE PLUGGED IN appears every other Friday in the guide.

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