By The Way // Red Hot Chili Peppers
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnfyjwChuNU]
The opening track to what I widely consider as ‘my favourite album ever’. As a full front-to-back album it is perfect and ‘By The Way’ is the instigator to all that. The album sees John Frusciante do what Stanley Kubrick did to The Shining. He takes a solid idea and takes it in his own direction – doo-wop harmonies and the most gorgeous melodies, mixed with a more reflective approach from Antony Kiedis, the album is perfect. ‘By The Way’ contrasts the new Frusciante direction with the frantic quality of classic RHCP for an absolute banger.
And for me, it’s just a song that just fixes everything. I can put it on anytime, anywhere, any mood and its just 3 and a half minutes of chaos that restores order. My favourite memories of the song come from long journeys, always back home and late at night in which screaming the mis-match of words…”Blood Bath”…”Rib Cage”…”Soft Tail”. Last week, in fact, making a 4-hour journey from Latitude to Liverpool in the middle of the night, it kept me more alert than any amount of Red Bull ever could.