Good Time Boys - Red Hot Chili Peppers, Red Hot Chili Peppe
Higher Ground - Red Hot Chili Peppers, Wonder, Stevie
Subway to Venus - Red Hot Chili Peppers, Red Hot Chili Peppe
Magic Johnson - Red Hot Chili Peppers, Red Hot Chili Peppe
Nobody Weird Like Me - Red Hot Chili Peppers, Flea [Bass]
Knock Me Down - Red Hot Chili Peppers, Flea [Bass]
Taste the Pain - Red Hot Chili Peppers, Flea [Bass]
Stone Cold Bush - Red Hot Chili Peppers, Peligro
Fire - Red Hot Chili Peppers, Hendrix, Jimi
Pretty Little Ditty - Red Hot Chili Peppers, Red Hot Chili Peppe
Punk Rock Classic - Red Hot Chili Peppers, Red Hot Chili Peppe
Sexy Mexican Maid - Red Hot Chili Peppers, Peligro
Johnny, Kick a Hole in the Sky - Red Hot Chili Peppers, Flea [Bass]
Song That Made Us What We Are Today [#][*][Demo Version] - Red Hot Chili Peppers, Red Hot Chili Peppe
Knock Me Down [Original Long Version][#][*] - Red Hot Chili Peppers, Flea [Bass]
Sexy Mexican Maid [Original Long Version][#][*] - Red Hot Chili Peppers, Peligro
Salute to Kareem [#][*][Demo Version] - Red Hot Chili Peppers, Red Hot Chili Peppe
Castles Made of Sand [Live][*] - Red Hot Chili Peppers, Hendrix, Jimi
Crosstown Traffic [Live][#][*] - Red Hot Chili Peppers, Hendrix, Jimi
The Chili Peppers finally hit their stride with Mother's Milk, for the first time making their breakneck mix of funk, rap, and metal smooth enough to attract the masses, while keeping it raw enough not to alienate old fans... more ». They've straddled that edge ever since. It didn't hurt that they offered a pretty mainstream cover of Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground" to introduce the album. That single though, and the rest of Mother's Milk (including "Knock Me Down" and the randy "Sexy Mexican Maid") is pure Pepper--from Anthony Kiedis's in-your-face vocals to Flea's chattering bass. Milk was also guitarist John Frusciante's debut with the group and he shines, especially on Jimi Hendrix's "Fire." --Michael Ruby« less
The Chili Peppers finally hit their stride with Mother's Milk, for the first time making their breakneck mix of funk, rap, and metal smooth enough to attract the masses, while keeping it raw enough not to alienate old fans. They've straddled that edge ever since. It didn't hurt that they offered a pretty mainstream cover of Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground" to introduce the album. That single though, and the rest of Mother's Milk (including "Knock Me Down" and the randy "Sexy Mexican Maid") is pure Pepper--from Anthony Kiedis's in-your-face vocals to Flea's chattering bass. Milk was also guitarist John Frusciante's debut with the group and he shines, especially on Jimi Hendrix's "Fire." --Michael Ruby
"Before "By the Way". Before "Californication". Even before "Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magik"; "Mother's Milk" was, and is, the definitive work of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Featuring the debut of guitarist John Frusciante, "Mother's Milk" finds the band at their funky best. Anthony Kiedis' vitrolic vocals are amazingly intense and in your face, while Flea's bass work must be heard to be believed. Opening track "Good Time Boys", the classic cover of Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground", "Magic Johnson", "Knock Me Down", the amazing cover of the Jimi Hendrix classic "Fire", and "Sexy Mexican Maid" are all time classics that longtime fans of the Peppers know and love. If you don't already own this album, now has never been a better time as it is now remastered (and sounding better than ever) and it includes a plethora of bonus live tracks."
A new beginning.
Michael Stack | North Chelmsford, MA USA | 09/26/2005
(3 out of 5 stars)
"The late 198os were a time of great difficulty for the Red Hot Chili Peppers-- guitarist Hillel Slovak died of a heroin overdose just as the band was on the cusp of a breakthrough and drummer Jack Irons decided this was no longer the path for him. But vocalist Anthony Kiedis and bassist Flea found a way to move forward as they did when Slovak and Irons quit the band years beforehand. At a jam session with Dead Kennedys drummer D.H. Peligro (then planned to be the drummer for the Peppers), Flea met guitarist John Frusciante-- a man who would step in admirably to the shoes of Hillel Slovak. After a long series of auditions, the band stumbled upon drummer Chad Smith to round out the quartet. The resulting album, "Mother's Milk", finds the band filled with a focus and a youthful energy that they had seemed to lack on previous releases, and while the album is far from perfect, it represents probably the pinnacle of the Chili Peppers' acheivement to this point.
The album really covers the breadth of experience of the Chili Peppers' previous work, running through the usual funk/punk stuff ("Good Time Boys") and the sounds they honed on "Uplift Mofo Party Plan" (the superb "Sexy Mexican Maid"). But the strength in the album lies in its diversity, whether successful or not-- instrumental "Pretty Little Ditty" (clean tone guitar, bass, drums, and Flea doubling on trumpet) shows off both the guitar work and (I suspect) the songwriting of John Frusciante, whose influence on the band would be clear, funk-drenched cover of Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground" features one of the most propulsive basslines in rock history (and thusly one of the most imitated in it's own way), and Slovak-tribute "Knock Me Down" finds the band experimenting with the directions they'd pursue on the next record. The sound's not there yet, but it's clear where this is going. And while much of hte record feels like the band is a bit unsure how to proceed ("Subway to Venus", the seemingly endles "Johnny, Kick a Hole in the Sky"), all in all, it's quite a brave effort given where the band's been.
The reissue includes several bonus tracks-- a couple demos, some unedited mixes, and a couple live tracks in addition to cleaning up the recording's sound. Flea contributed an essay to the liner notes.
The Chili Peppers would go on to bigger and better things, but by and large this was a new beginning for them. It's not as good as the records that followed, but it's definitely worth looking into."
Remastered? I'll say.
Matthew M. Miller | Wynantskill, NY | 08/26/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"One thing people have neglected to mention about this album is how great the remaster is. The original had a very flat 1980s rock equalization that did nothing for the guitar work or the outstanding rhythm section, as well as using WAY too much echo on Anthony's voice. The remaster has turned up the dynamics big time and the result is something more like Blood Sugar Sex Magic. It sounds SO much better. So much so, I'd consider buying a copy EVEN if you already have it on CD and VINYL like I do.
Somebody kidnap this album's producer and make him redo all the grunge albums from the late 80s and early 90s. I can only wonder what magic he could do with Ten, My Brother the Cow, Uncle Anesthesia or Louder than Love..."
A notch below BSSM
Ironman | VA | 04/05/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If you love the chili peppers or just happen to want to pick up one of their cds you can't go wrong with this one. How they play gives me a sense of freedom and you can tell they really love what they do. As opposed to Blood Sugar Sex Magik this cd isn't as "beautiful"; it doesn't have ballads like Sir Psycho Sexy, I Could have Lied, Under the Bridge, or Breaking the Girl, but that isn't what the chili peppers were at the time- it was all punk/funk and great tunes. Some of you may be turned off by its rather different sound (such as in Subway to Venus) but it will soon grow on you. Here are my grades for each individual song.Good Time Boys- really one of my personal favorites just because of its autobiography of the bands fun, and overall good times. It has a great tune and there is a part in the middle with rather intersting clips of songs that to this day I have no idea what they are.- A-Higher Ground- perhaps the most "popular" song on the album, it is a cover of Stevie Wonder's Higher Ground. It starts out with a great bass riff by Flea and then the whole song comes into place with Frusciante and Smith. The chorus is also good.- A-Subway to Venus- this song is nuts. Anthony's vocals are very different, and so is the overall sound. A lot of trumpet and to me this is pure genius.- AMagic Johnson- a funny song; its the whole band chanting about the L.A. Lakers and its full of crazy voices and a great riff toward the end.- BNobody Weird Like Me- starts off with a bass solo like Higher Ground, but even faster. Also nuts like Subway to Venus it sounds almost Arabian toward the end. Some intersting lyrics.- B+Knock Me Down- a song about the death and grievance of the band's previous guitarist Hillel Slovak. To me this is one of their absolute greats; it has a great tune, chorus, beat, and even has the background vocals of Vicki Calhoun who also appears in Higher Ground, and Johnny Kick a Hole in the Sky; a great song- ATaste the Pain- the most underrated. Flea is a master of the trumpet in the middle and the whole crazy sound adds to its greatness.- AStone Cold Bush- very fast and to me this shows who the chili peppers were. The middle could be considered disturbing at the solo but who really cares?- B+Fire- to me this isn't a great cover of Jimi Hendrix's version. I guess the vocals can get annoying but it is worth a listen or two.- CPretty Little Ditty- their total masterpiece, to me the best instrumental and song they have ever done. Once again Flea shows his skills on the trumpet and John Frusciante is great on the guitar. It has been stolen (I shouldn't say STOLEN) but used by other bands such as in Crazy Town's "Butterfly". So Great.- A+Punk Rock Classic- funny and fast. Uses Guns and Roses guitar solo from Child O Mime at the end. Only about a minute and thirty seconds but thats all that was needed.- B+Sexy Mexican Maid- its a shame this song is so overlooked. Very good with raunchy lyrics, better and more refined than Stone Cold Bush.- A-Johnny, Kick a Hole In the Sky- this and Knock Me Down were my first two favorites on the album. A great song with very powerful lyrics. My only problem with it is it is the same for 5 minutes; no guitar solo or anything but thats no trouble.- AI guess what I've been trying to say is that this album is the 2nd best of the bands older music. Some people say the second half of the album is repetitive and annoying, which I guess could dawn on people because tracks 9,10, and 11 are all under 2 minutes but this is still the most classic Chili pepper album in my book. A fan should definately pick it up but if you are a newcomer you may not adjust to the sound. Overall it loses out to BSSM because it is not as moving but a great effort and a good buy."
Editorial error
Mark Seabrook | 06/06/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"The amazon.com editorial review states "Milk was also guitarist John Frusciante's debut with the group and he shines, especially on Jimi Hendrix's "Fire." --Michael Ruby"
Frusciante does indeed shine, but not on "Fire" - that track features their previous guitarist, Hillel Slovack. Read the liner notes, Michael."