Californication (Warner Bros. 47386)
Given their randy reputation, it's easy to assume that if the Red Hot Chili Peppers have decided to call an album "Californication," the songs are likely to be totally sex-obsessed. Indeed, the album boasts numerous R-rated references and even a few NC-17 lyrics.
But on the whole, the emphasis in "Californication" is on romance, not sex. In fact, the album is bursting with heart-on-sleeve declarations, from the transcontinental courtship of "Emit Remmus" to the playful infatuation of "Around the World." It's as if singer Anthony Kiedis is drunk on love, so eager to leap into matrimony that he opens "Easily" with the couplet, "Easily let's get carried away/Easily let's get married today."
Being in the mood for marriage may have made the lyrics more sentimental than usual, but it hasn't softened the band's sound any. "Around the World" opens the album with a full-on Flea attack, with the bassist leading the band in a short thrash sequence before settling down into a muscular funk groove. And there's more aural aggression in store after that, from the testosteronal wallop of "Get On Top" to the breathless pace of "Right On Time."
But no matter how much energy the band exerts, the musical tension is always followed by blissful release. So even though "Right On Time" starts with a breathless burst of high-octane funk, the band balances the edgy staccato of the verse with a soft, semi-sweet chorus.
Most songs don't go to such extremes, though, opting instead for a smoother, more consistent sound. Still, there's a strong sense of drama to these songs. For instance, even though the rhythm arrangement beneath "Other Side" generally keeps the music at a steady simmer, the vocals vary in intensity, adding enough emphasis to the "How long will I slide?" chorus to make the heavy guitar in the bridge seem just an extension of the song's mood.
Then there's the title tune, a meditation on Hollywood's empty promises that seems almost an indictment of California dreamin'. As Kiedis sketches the various ways in which movies and TV seduce the unwary, the music builds slowly and steadily until the band punches home the hook: "Dream of Californication." It may not be Woody Guthrie, exactly, but it's a surprisingly serious statement, and the Chili Peppers deliver with impressive gravity.
Ambitious? Sure. But that doesn't keep the Peppers from tossing off songs that are just silly, salacious fun, like "Get on Top" or "I Like Dirt."
That "Californication" finds the band at home with both party fare and reflective, moody material is impressive. Could it be that the Chili Peppers are only just entering their prime? ***
Pop/rock
Smash Mouth
Astro Lounge (Interscope 80316)
In the '70s, new wave started when young rockers tried to recapture the honesty of the music they grew up on. Two decades later, alt-rockers like Smash Mouth are trying for the same effect with the music of their youth -- '70s new wave. Not only is "Astro Lounge" chockablock with vintage effects, like the surf guitar and Vox organ on "Diggin' Your Scene," but the songwriting seems to draw directly from some new wave oldies. So even though "All Star" boasts both dancehall rhythms and hip-hop slang, it's easy to hear an undercurrent of Joe Jackson in the verse, while the sing-song chorus to "I Just Wanna See" owes more than a little to Madness. ** 1/2
Def Leppard
Euphoria (Mercury 314 546 212)
On a certain level, Def Leppard's latest album, "Euphoria," is a giant step backward. But frankly, that's the best thing about it. Rather than try to rethink their sound to fit contemporary rock trends, the Leps go back to basics -- big, crunchy guitars, thickly harmonized choruses and ultra-catchy melodies. Even without the input of producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange (the man who shepherded the band though its biggest albums), the Leps have no trouble evoking the glory of the past, from the airy romance of "It's Only Love" to the punchy, sing-along refrain of "Demolition Man." Even the fist-pumping "Back In Your Face" works well, despite the fact that it included virtually every Gary Glitter cliche on record. Who says you can't go home again? ***
Various artists
Profilin' the Hits (Profile 16404)
Unless you're a true hip-hop aficionado, the name Profile Records is not likely to ring a bell. But if you were a rap fan in the '80s, Profile probably released some of your favorite singles. "Profilin' the Hits" compiles most of the label's deffest jams, from Run-D.M.C.'s groundbreaking "It's Like That" to Rob Base & D.J. E-Z Rock's inimitable "It Takes Two." But there are also tracks here that will seem like undiscovered gems to casual fans -- raps like Poor Righteous Teachers' "Rock This Funky Joint," for instance, or Dana Dane's insanely inspired "Cinderfella Dana Dane." Granted, some selections, like Kartoon Krew's "Inspector Gadget," flirt with novelty-tune status, but on the whole, the album offers a vivid and vital portrait of Reagan-era rap. *** 1/2
Soundtracks
Notting Hill
Music from the Motion Picture (Island 314 546 196)
Quick -- what do Elvis Costello, 98 Degrees, Shania Twain and Al Green have in common? Not a lot, on the face of it, but as the soundtrack to "Notting Hill" reminds us, each has a way with a love song. And in a weird way, shared subject matter is all these songs really need to stand as a consistent and coherent album. Twain's "You've Got a Way" has been tarted up with a special, synth-heavy "Notting Hill Mix," but that doesn't diminish the song's charm, any more than the fact that Elvis Costello didn't write "She," yet still pours his heart into it. Add in a smattering of pleasant surprises, like the Lighthouse Family's reggae-style remake of "Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone," and "Notting Hill" seems an eminently inviting soundtrack. ***
* = poor ** = fair
*** = good **** = excellent