Red Hot Chili Peppers: Freaky Styley [CAPITOL]

Why you'll love it

This limited Capitol Record Vault edition puts Freaky Styley on 180g vinyl. It's the album where the Peppers went straight to the source, with George Clinton producing and singing backing vocals.

This edition

• 180g vinyl
• Limited edition
• Capitol Record Vault series

About the album

Most young bands send a demo to their heroes. The Red Hot Chili Peppers got theirs to produce the record, heading to Detroit to make their second album with George Clinton, and with founding guitarist Hillel Slovak back in the line-up alongside Anthony Kiedis, Flea and drummer Cliff Martinez.

Clinton brought in Maceo Parker and Fred Wesley from James Brown's band, and the album is all slap bass, horn stabs and party chants. Flea and Slovak lock in tight on "Jungle Man" and "American Ghost Dance," the band covers Sly and the Family Stone's "If You Want Me to Stay," and "Hollywood (Africa)" reworks the Meters' "Africa" with plenty of swagger. The title track is a loose, chanting jam, and "Yertle the Turtle" turns Dr. Seuss into funk.

It's the bridge between the punk-funk of their debut and the big records that followed, and you can hear the band falling hard for funk in real time. George Clinton on backing vocals is a fine thing to have on your second album; most of us can't get him to return a phone call.

Also at Kops: more Red Hot Chili Peppers on vinyl · browse Alternative

Tracklist

Listen

On EMI America / Capitol, a reissue of the 1985 album.