Happy #MethodMonday y'all! Hope you're all making the most of this time to know thyself and finding the inspiration to create accordingly. Today's methodical dive is John Frusciante's solo on C'mon Girl by RHCP (2:22-2:52). And not all of these dives will be guitar solos, but I chose this one for a different reason:
This piece is all about the world it creates. Sonically, the production is a masterpiece. It's truly an ethereal experience that supersedes space and time, offering a glimpse into the cosmic sphere, capturing the beauty of a minimalistic melody and allowing the emotion to do the work. It's a portrait of atmospheric liquidity, sublimating, evaporating, liquefying: shapeshifting and becoming all states of matter at the same time. By nature it is infinitely elusive and yet simultaneously sitting tightly in Flea's pocket. There are a lot of licks that build to this moment throughout the song, and this gorgeous musical segment is both the payoff and the catalyst. The euphoric explosion that follows is electrifying in a way that may not otherwise be without this elegance. Listen to it with a nice pair of phones and you'll thank me for it. And Johny, of course. Oh to be a fly on the wall during these sessions...
These 30 seconds blew my post-adolescent mind. It unlocked something for me and became a foundational ethos that I've been chasing since I first laid ears on it. I would sit in my Gold Mamba listening to this over and over again, contemplating the universe and wondering if I, too, could personify clouds through sound. I'll never look at them the same way again. And I'm glad. Years later when I made it into the studio, I knew early on where the bar had been set. I didn't quite know how or where exactly, but I knew that this was the opportunity. And so when we were recording it, I brought this in as our case study. Tonly Licker and I were in the studio preparing and I made him listen to it over and over again. I wanted him to hear what I was hearing so we could make it happen. After about the 4th time listening he emerges from his meditative spell. He looks to me and says: "Damn dude, that's a Rick Rubin miracle, bro." In the back of my mind, I knew I had to check expectations. We were recording this in his bedroom with a mattress propped over the door for sound. I checked nothing but my ego. The story demanded it from me and it was the only way I knew that She was certain to hear it. He had never seen so many guitars on a mix. There were doubts from both of us and I'm grateful that he trusted me. So we put it into the lakes, the trees, the mountains and off into whatever realm we go to next... and we did all we could. This is what we came up with:
Tallacappella (1:52-2:24) off the WheninRomeDome EP:
Produced by : Tony Licker @tlick.tv
Where does your mind go when you listen?
If it's the same place then I'll see you there...
Peace, Love & Infinite Inspiration 🚀✨