By The Way
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''By the Way'' is the eighth studio album by the American rock band
Red Hot Chili Peppers Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983, comprising vocalist Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea (musician), Flea, drummer Chad Smith, and guitarist John Frusciante. Their music incorporates element ...
, released July 9, 2002, on
Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (formerly Warner Bros. Records Inc.) is an American record label. A subsidiary of the Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division of the ...
. It sold more than 286,000 copies in its first week, and peaked at number two on the ''Billboard'' 200. Singles included "
By the Way ''By the Way'' is the eighth studio album by the American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, released July 9, 2002, on Warner Bros. Records. It sold more than 286,000 copies in its first week, and peaked at number two on the ''Billboard'' 200. Si ...
", "
The Zephyr Song "The Zephyr Song" is a song by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, released as the second single released from their eighth studio album, ''By the Way'' (2002), on August 17, 2002. The song, as a single, was released in two parts. Both edi ...
", " Can't Stop", "
Dosed "Dosed" is a song by the Red Hot Chili Peppers from their 2002 album, ''By the Way''. It was released as a promotional single in the United States and Canada only. It peaked at number 13 on the U.S. Modern Rock Tracks chart in 2003. No music vid ...
", and "
Universally Speaking "Universally Speaking" is a song by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers from their eighth studio album, ''By the Way'' (2002). It was the fourth and final single from the album and was released solely in Europe and Australia in mid-2003. The ...
". The lyrical subject matter vocalist
Anthony Kiedis Anthony Kiedis ( ; born November 1, 1962) is an American singer and songwriter. He is a founding member and lead vocalist of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. Kiedis and his fellow band members were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fa ...
addresses in ''By the Way'' is a divergence from previous Red Hot Chili Peppers albums, with Kiedis taking a more candid and reflective approach to his lyrics. ''By the Way'' was lauded by critics as a departure from the band's previous styles, and is recognized for the melodic and subdued emotions given by the Chili Peppers. Guitarist
John Frusciante John Anthony Frusciante (; born March 5, 1970) is an American musician, best known as the guitarist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers across three stints since 1988. He has released 11 solo albums and 7 EPs, ranging in style from acoustic guitar to e ...
is credited with writing most of the album's melodies, backing vocal arrangements, bass lines, and guitar progressions, therefore changing the direction of the recording dramatically: "his warm, understated guitar work and his
doo-wop Doo-wop (also spelled doowop and doo wop) is a genre of rhythm and blues music that originated in African-American communities during the 1940s, mainly in the large cities of the United States, including New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Chica ...
style vocal harmonies are king this time around." ''By the Way'' contained very little of the signature punk-funk
fusion Fusion, or synthesis, is the process of combining two or more distinct entities into a new whole. Fusion may also refer to: Science and technology Physics *Nuclear fusion, multiple atomic nuclei combining to form one or more different atomic nucl ...
the band had become known for playing. Frusciante has stated that writing "''By the Way'' asone of the happiest times in my life." The album went on to sell more than eight million copies worldwide.


Background

The writing and formation of ''By the Way'' began immediately following the culmination of ''Californication's'' world tour, in the spring of 2001. As with ''Californication'', much of the creation took place in the band members' homes and other practice locations, such as a recording studio stage.Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 456 Kiedis recalled of the situation: "We started finding some magic and some music and some riffs and some rhythms and some jams and some grooves, and we added to it and subtracted from it and pushed it around and put melodies to it." Frusciante and Kiedis would collaborate for days straight, discussing guitar progressions and sharing lyrics. For Kiedis, "writing ''By the Way''... was a whole different experience from ''Californication''. John was back to himself and brimming with confidence." Prior to recording ''By the Way'', the Red Hot Chili Peppers decided that they would again have
Rick Rubin Frederick Jay Rubin (; born March 10, 1963) is an American record producer. He is the co-founder (alongside Russell Simmons) of Def Jam Recordings, founder of American Recordings, and former co-president of Columbia Records. Rubin helped popula ...
produce the album.Kiedis, Sloman, 2004. p. 420 Rubin had, in the past, granted the band creative freedom on their recording material; this was something they thought essential for the album to be unique, and could only occur with his return.


Writing and composition

According to the 2010 book, ''The Red Hot Chili Peppers: An Oral/Visual History'', Frusciante had originally intended for the album to be very different from how it was eventually completed. Frusciante wanted an album of two different types of songs: songs that were more "English-sounding" and melodic, and songs that were more influenced by punk rock. Frusciante's punk inspiration came from listening to music by The Damned and Discharge, among others.RHCP, Mullen 2010. p. 210 Rick Rubin was not familiar with the latter bands and sound and thought that the melodic songs were original and more exciting, causing the band to focus mostly on the melodic material. However, one punk rock-influenced song was recorded during these sessions, "Body of Water", but did not make the final cut and was instead included on "
The Zephyr Song "The Zephyr Song" is a song by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, released as the second single released from their eighth studio album, ''By the Way'' (2002), on August 17, 2002. The song, as a single, was released in two parts. Both edi ...
" single. Many of the more melodic inspired songs came from Frusciante listening to
The Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American Rock music, rock band that formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian Wilson, Brian, Dennis Wilson, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and frie ...
and
The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
, along with
doo-wop Doo-wop (also spelled doowop and doo wop) is a genre of rhythm and blues music that originated in African-American communities during the 1940s, mainly in the large cities of the United States, including New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Chica ...
groups and their harmonies. Frusciante said he listened to
Emerson, Lake & Palmer Emerson, Lake & Palmer (informally known as ELP) were an English progressive rock supergroup formed in London in 1970. The band consisted of Keith Emerson (keyboards), Greg Lake (vocals, bass, guitar, producer) and Carl Palmer (drums, percus ...
every day during the recording of ''By the Way''. These new styles as well as Frusciante being especially prolific during this era came to alienate bassist
Flea Flea, the common name for the order Siphonaptera, includes 2,500 species of small flightless insects that live as external parasites of mammals and birds. Fleas live by ingesting the blood of their hosts. Adult fleas grow to about long, a ...
, who had wanted the band to return to its earlier funk-influenced sound. Frusciante felt the band had already thoroughly explored funk and was more interested in creating something new for the band. According to Kiedis, Flea felt his voice wasn't being heard, and there was a point where he considered leaving the band. While speaking to Swedish newspaper ''
Aftonbladet ''Aftonbladet'' (, lit. "The evening paper") is a Swedish daily newspaper published in Stockholm, Sweden. It is one of the largest daily newspapers in the Nordic countries. History and profile The newspaper was founded by Lars Johan H ...
'', Frusciante mentioned that he listened to guitarists such as
John McGeoch John Alexander McGeoch (25 August 1955 – 4 March 2004) was a Scottish musician and songwriter. He is best known as the guitarist of the rock bands Magazine (1977-1980) and Siouxsie and the Banshees (1980-1982). He has been described as one o ...
for his work on the
Magazine A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combinatio ...
's and
Siouxsie and the Banshees Siouxsie and the Banshees were a British rock band formed in London in 1976 by vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and bass guitarist Steven Severin. They have been widely influential, both over their contemporaries and with later acts. ''Q'' magazine in ...
' albums including '' Juju'', Adrian Fisher of Sparks for ''
Kimono My House ''Kimono My House'' is the third studio album by American rock band Sparks, released on May 1, 1974 by Island Records. The album is considered to be their commercial breakthrough, and was met with widespread acclaim. Preceded by the single " ...
'',
Johnny Marr Johnny Marr (born John Martin Maher, 31 October 1963) is an English musician, songwriter and singer. He first achieved fame as the guitarist and co-songwriter of the Smiths, who were active from 1982 to 1987. He has since performed with numerous ...
of
the Smiths The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982. They comprised the singer Morrissey, the guitarist Johnny Marr, the bassist Andy Rourke and the drummer Mike Joyce. They are regarded as one of the most important acts to emerg ...
,
Vini Reilly Vincent Gerard "Vini" Reilly (born 4 August 1953) is an English musician and leader of the post-punk group the Durutti Column. He is known for his distinctively clean, fluid guitar style, which stood out from his punk-era contemporaries in its ...
of
the Durutti Column The Durutti Column are an English post-punk band formed in 1978 in Manchester, England.Strong, Martin C. (1999) "The Great Alternative & Indie Discography", Canongate, The band is a project of guitarist and occasional pianist Vini Reilly who ...
and
Keith Levene Julian Keith Levene (18 July 1957 – 11 November 2022) was an English musician who was a founding member of both the Clash and Public Image Ltd (PiL). While Levene was in PiL, their 1978 debut album '' Public Image: First Issue'' reached No 22 ...
of
Public Image Limited In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichk ...
. He also credits
XTC XTC were an English rock band formed in Swindon in 1972. Fronted by songwriters Andy Partridge (guitars, vocals) and Colin Moulding (bass, vocals), the band gained popularity during the rise of punk and new wave in the 1970s, later playing in ...
singer/guitarist
Andy Partridge Andrew John Partridge (born 11 November 1953) is an English guitarist, singer, songwriter, and record producer who founded the rock music, rock band XTC. He and Colin Moulding each acted as a songwriter and frontman for XTC, with Partridge writi ...
in the 2002 issue of ''
Total Guitar ''Total Guitar'' is a monthly music magazine based in Bath, the United Kingdom, that has been in circulation since 1994. The magazine is owned by Future plc, who publish many other magazines ranging from drums and video games to technology mag ...
'' for being an influence on his guitar work for the album. The album's guitar and bass ensemble was primarily dictated by Frusciante, rather than a collaborative effort between him and Flea. Therefore, the record took a different direction than any previous Chili Peppers' album. Frusciante sought to create an emotional and poignant
soundscape A soundscape is the acoustic environment as perceived by humans, in context. The term was originally coined by Michael Southworth, and popularised by R. Murray Schafer. There is a varied history of the use of soundscape depending on discipline, ...
throughout the recording. Drawing influences from musicians such as Reilly and McGeoch, Frusciante made use of textured and multilayered guitar progressions on ''By the Way'', using tools such as the
mellotron The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical musical instrument developed in Birmingham, England, in 1963. It is played by pressing its keys, each of which pushes a length of magnetic tape against a capstan, which pulls it across a playback head. A ...
and various
effects pedal An effects unit or effects pedal is an electronic device that alters the sound of a musical instrument or other audio source through audio signal processing. Common effects include distortion/overdrive, often used with electric guitar in ele ...
s throughout. In 2006, while promoting the band's subsequent studio album, ''
Stadium Arcadium ''Stadium Arcadium'' is the ninth studio album by American rock music, rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. It was a double-album released on May 5, 2006, on Warner Bros. Records. It produced five singles: "Dani California", "Tell Me Baby", "Snow (He ...
'', Flea reflected on the composition of ''By the Way'', stating: "John went to this whole level of artistry. But he made me feel like I had nothing to offer, like I knew shit." Q, May 2006, issue 238, p. 85. Kiedis was lyrically influenced by love, his girlfriend, and the emotions expressed when one fell in love. Songs written for the album such as "By the Way", "I Could Die for You", "Dosed", "Warm Tape" and non-album tracks "Someone" and "Body of Water" all digressed into the many sides of love. Drugs also played an integral part in Kiedis' writings, as he'd only been sober since December 2000. Tracks like "This Is the Place" and "Don't Forget Me" expressed his intense relationship with narcotics, the harmful physical and emotional effects they caused him, and the ever-present danger of relapse (as Kiedis has suffered chronic relapse into drug addiction). He referenced the late Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist
Hillel Slovak Hillel Slovak ( he, הלל סלובק; April 13, 1962 – June 25, 1988) was an Israeli-American musician best known as the founding guitarist of the Los Angeles rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, with whom he recorded two albums. His guitar wor ...
, who died of a
heroin Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a potent opioid mainly used as a recreational drug for its euphoric effects. Medical grade diamorphine is used as a pure hydrochloride salt. Various white and brow ...
overdose in 1988, in "This Is the Place", and describes how he was so intoxicated at the time that he missed Slovak's funeral: "On the day my best friend died/I could not get my copper clean." "Venice Queen" was written as an ode to Kiedis' drug rehabilitation therapist, Gloria Scott, who died shortly after he purchased her a home on California's
Venice Beach Venice is a neighborhood of the city of Los Angeles within the Westside region of Los Angeles County, California. Venice was founded by Abbot Kinney in 1905 as a seaside resort town. It was an independent city until 1926, when it was annexed by ...
. It mourned her death as a painful loss: "We all want to tell her/Tell her that we love her/Venice gets a queen/Best I've ever seen." ''By the Way'' diverged from the band's previous styles, containing a few funk-driven songs. "Can't Stop" and the title track were the only songs that revisited their once trademark style of short, rapped verses. "Throw Away Your Television", while not having any rapidly sung lyrics, also contained a funk-oriented bass line, though hinted at experimental rock due to the heavy use of distortion throughout the verse and chorus. Other "experimental" tracks include the
melodica The melodica is a handheld free-reed instrument similar to a pump organ or harmonica. It features a musical keyboard on top, and is played by blowing air through a mouthpiece that fits into a hole in the side of the instrument. The keyboard usual ...
-based "On Mercury". "Cabron", the only track to be played entirely acoustic, has distinctive Latin influences. Frusciante has stated that the guitar parts for Cabron were influenced by
Martin Barre Martin Lancelot Barre (; born 17 November 1946) is an English guitarist best known for his longtime role as lead guitarist of British rock band Jethro Tull, with whom he recorded and toured from 1968 until the band's initial dissolution in 201 ...
's playing on Jethro Tull's album Aqualung, with Anthony and Chad's parts contributing to the Latin, or Mexican, influence. "Tear" and "Warm Tape" were keyboard based more so than guitar or bass, the latter being completely written on the instrument. Technically, ''By the Way'' saw the Red Hot Chili Peppers employing several devices to distort and alter guitar and vocal sequences. "Don't Forget Me" utilizes a mellotron,
wah pedal A wah-wah pedal, or simply wah pedal, is a type of electric guitar effects pedal that alters the tone and frequencies of the guitar signal to create a distinctive sound, mimicking the human voice saying the onomatopoeic name "wah-wah". The ped ...
, and echoing techniques to convey an emotive atmosphere, while Frusciante uses a
Big Muff The Big Muff Pi (π), often known simply as the Big Muff, is a fuzzbox produced in New York City by the Electro-Harmonix company, along with their Russian sister company Sovtek, primarily for use with the electric guitar. It is used by bassists a ...
for the solos on "Minor Thing".


Outtakes

Many outtakes from the album have been released or exist. "Time" and a cover version of
Dion and the Belmonts Dion and the Belmonts were an American vocal trio prominent throughout the 1950s. All of its members were from the Bronx, New York City. In 1957, Dion DiMucci joined the vocal group the Belmonts. The established trio of Angelo D'Aleo, Carlo M ...
' "
Teenager in Love "A Teenager in Love" is a song written by Doc Pomus and partner Mort Shuman. It was originally recorded by Dion and the Belmonts, and released in March 1959. It appeared on their album ''Presenting Dion and the Belmonts'' (1959). It reached num ...
" were released on the single "By the Way". "Body of Water", "Out of Range", "Someone" and "Rivers of Avalon" were all released on the single "The Zephyr Song". "Slowly Deeply", which was featured on the single "Universally Speaking", is an outtake from the ''Californication'' sessions. "
Fortune Faded "Fortune Faded" is a song by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. It was released in 2003 as a single, to coincide with the release of their ''Greatest Hits'' album. The song, along with "Save the Population" (another song from their ''Greatest Hits''), w ...
", a song originally recorded during the album sessions was later re-recorded in 2003 and released as a single along with the B-side, "Eskimo", another ''By the Way'' outtake. A cover version of the
Ramones The Ramones were an American punk rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first true punk rock group. Despite achieving a limited commercial appeal in the United ...
' "
Havana Affair ''Ramones'' is the debut studio album by American punk rock band The Ramones, released on April 23, 1976, by Sire Records. After ''Hit Parader'' editor Lisa Robinson saw the band at a gig in New York City, she wrote about them in an article ...
" was also recorded and later released in 2003 on '' We're a Happy Family: A Tribute to Ramones''. The single for "Can't Stop" also features an alternate mix of the song with higher harmonies and a clearer bass line. In 2003, the band re-entered the studio to work on its ''
Greatest Hits A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be crea ...
'' album. The sessions produced enough songs for a new album, many of which have gone unreleased. Of the songs released, "Bicycle Song" and "Runaway" were released in 2006 as bonus tracks on the
iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
release of ''By the Way''. In August 2014, unreleased tracks from the album's recording sessions were leaked to the Internet. Many of the album's released songs and outtakes are in their earliest forms and feature improvised lyrics by Kiedis. The leak included three songs never heard before, including "Goldmine", "Fall Water" and "Rock & Roll", along with the original version of "Fortune Faded". Many of the songs are featured under their working titles (which prior to release were also mentioned in various interviews): Soul Train ("By the Way"), Coltraine ("The Zephyr Song"), I Would Die ("I Could Die For You"), Drone ("This is the Place"), Throw Away ("Throw Away Your Television"), Epic ("Venice Queen") and New Wave ("Rivers Of Avalon"). To date, "Strumming in Don J", a song assumed to be an instrumental jam and that Frusciante mentioned during pre-album release interviews, has never been released.


Artwork

All paintings, photography and art direction is credited to
Julian Schnabel Julian Schnabel (born October 26, 1951) is an American painter and filmmaker. In the 1980s, he received international attention for his "plate paintings" — with broken ceramic plates set onto large-scale paintings. Since the 1990s, he has been ...
and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The woman featured on the cover of ''By the Way'' is Stella Schnabel, Julian Schnabel's daughter and Frusciante's then-girlfriend.''By the Way'' booklet, and liner notes Regarding the artwork, Frusciante noted: "My girlfriend's father offered to do the album art, so we sent him rough mixes of eight songs, and he just got the vibe of the album from that. He said that he wouldn't be offended if we didn't like it, but we loved what he did. He's also given us great covers for all the singles. He's a true artist." Several pages of the album's booklet, and single for "By the Way" contain paintings of a goat head. A somewhat blurry, black and white photograph of the band in a desolate field, and each band member individually, is also present. The majority of the booklet's artwork are various scenes of replica grass and plants, stars and indistinguishable objects, which appears to be a miniature pole, placed in dirt. Single covers for "The Zephyr Song" and "Can't Stop" both feature this same background, although angled slightly differently. The lyrics for ''By the Way'' are placed on top of the landscape, hand written by Kiedis in pink lettering.


Release

Feeling extremely confident in the album, the Red Hot Chili Peppers issued the statement, "Greetings from the dimensions of invisible shapes and colors. The music on this record has expanded our space and made us bigger. Thank you for listening and being exactly where and who you are."Apter, 2004. p. 343 Drummer
Chad Smith Chad Gaylord Smith (born October 25, 1961) is an American musician who has been the drummer of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers since 1988. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012. Smith is also the drummer of the ...
commented that ''By the Way'' is "very honest, raw, emotional music. It's a very dynamic, rich and lush album. Probably the best collection of Chili Peppers songs we've ever put out."Apter, 2004. p. 346
Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (formerly Warner Bros. Records Inc.) is an American record label. A subsidiary of the Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division of the ...
promoted the album heavily in the months prior to the record's 2002 release, especially targeting the online market in order to steer customers away from illegal downloads. The record label implemented a campaign they colloquially titled "A Song a Day". This program, initiated on June 21, was aimed at leaking one song per day until the album was released. Over 150 radio stations participated in broadcasting the band's new daily material, along with
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
, VH1, and digital music retailers like iTunes, as well as cell phone companies.
AOL AOL (stylized as Aol., formerly a company known as AOL Inc. and originally known as America Online) is an American web portal and online service provider based in New York City. It is a brand marketed by the current incarnation of Yahoo (2017 ...
featured the Chili Peppers as their "Artist of the Month" in June, streaming interviews and live performances of the band free of charge; they also sold an MP3 of "By the Way", the record's first single, for ninety-nine cents and raffled off tickets that gave fans a chance to see the band in Japan in November. ''By the Way'' was released on CD and LP on July 9, 2002, under the Warner Bros. label, selling 281,948 copies in the United States in its first week and 1.8 million worldwide.Apter, 2004. p. 347 It was certified
gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...
just a few months later on October 26, 2002. Five singles were released from the album; of these, the title track was the most successful, peaking at No.2 on the UK charts and No.1 on the ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' rock charts. Although the album sold fewer copies than ''Californication'', ''By the Way'' managed to peak at No.2 on the ''Billboard'' 200, one spot higher than ''Californication''. Around the world, the album debuted at number one in the UK, Switzerland, New Zealand, Austria, and Sweden; and number two in France. In March 2006, all Red Hot Chili Peppers' albums were made available for download from the
iTunes Music Store The iTunes Store is a digital media store operated by Apple Inc. It opened on April 28, 2003, as a result of Steve Jobs' push to open a digital marketplace for music. As of April 2020, iTunes offered 60 million songs, 2.2 million apps, 25,000 ...
and other online retailers.


Critical reception

The album received a positive reaction from critics, who praised ''By the Way'' for its melodic, multilayer and textured styles.
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
's Zac Johnson said that the album was "sophisticated... the Peppers have not sacrificed any of their trademark energy or passions for life, universal love, and (of course) lust". ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' called the album "insanely melodic" and a "near-perfect balance of gutter grime and high-art aspiration", comparing it to other works, such as the Beach Boys' album ''
Pet Sounds ''Pet Sounds'' is the 11th studio album by American rock band the Beach Boys, released on May 16, 1966, by Capitol Records. It was initially met with a lukewarm critical and commercial response in the United States, peaking at number 10 on th ...
''. ''
Mojo Mojo may refer to: * Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in voodoo Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * MOJO HD, an American television network * ''Mojo'' (play), by Jez Butterworth, made into a 1997 film * ' ...
'' applauded the recording, and considered it to be "the strongest Chili's album since 1991's ''Blood Sugar Sex Magik''". Giving the album 5stars out of 5, '' Q'' called ''By the Way'' "A fantastic record; full of wonder." Kimberly Mack of ''
PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...
'' commented on how the album "...showcases a more sophisticated, lush sound that only today's Peppers could have conceived", and that "Anthony Kiedis' lyrics are more personal than ever." Frusciante was, in his eyes, "a musical talent to be reckoned with and is the undeniable X factor in the Red Hot Chili Peppers' sound." However, the praise was balanced by certain critics. ''
Blender A blender (sometimes called a mixer or liquidiser in British English) is a kitchen appliance, kitchen and laboratory appliance used to mix, crush, purée or emulsion, emulsify food and other substances. A stationary blender consists of a blender ...
'' considered ''By the Way'' to be an indistinguishable sequel to ''Californication'', calling it "Californication 2". It further criticized the Chili Peppers for not varying their style and remaining extremely similar in sound. Jaime Lowe of ''
The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the crea ...
'' panned Kiedis' lyrics as "absolutely baffling" and commented that "it's as if he picked up a rhyming dictionary and arbitrarily strung some phrases together." The newspaper's
Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and ...
was also critical of Kiedis' songwriting, writing that "it's not enough for Anthony Kiedis to get all mature—he's supposed to say something interesting about maturity." ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' praised ''By the Way'' for being well refined and a superb collaboration, but criticized the Chili Peppers for playing it safe and keeping the album's energy mild; for being "more fascinating for what it symbolizes than what it is." AllMusic considered the song "By the Way" to combine "fiery Hollywood funk, gentle harmonies, a little bit of singing about girls, nda little bit of hanging out in the streets in the summertime." ''Rolling Stone'' commented on "how close this band has come to conjuring pure California sunshine" in "The Zephyr Song". "Midnight" was highly regarded by several sources. It was chosen as one of ''By the Way''s "Allmusic Track Picks". Kimberly Mack of ''PopMatters'' considered it to have "
hippie A hippie, also spelled hippy, especially in British English, is someone associated with the counterculture of the 1960s, originally a youth movement that began in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to different countries around ...
-friendly lyrics" and to "evoke images of tie-dyed T-shirts and AM radio." Mack also regarded "Venice Queen" as "a masterpiece... Frusciante's backing vocals are hauntingly beautiful." In 2005, ''By the Way'' was ranked number 375 in ''
Rock Hard "Rock Hard" is a single by the Beastie Boys, released by Def Jam Records on 12" in 1984. The track contains samples from the AC/DC song "Back in Black", which was used without obtaining legal permission, causing the record to be withdraw ...
'' magazine's book ''The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time''.


Accolades

The information regarding accolades attributed to ''By the Way'' is adapted from AcclaimedMusic.net.


Other accolades


Tour

Flea decided that he would finish the album and then quit the band. He was still upset over disputes with Frusciante, who he thought was trying to take over the band.RHCP, Mullen 2010. p. 211 According to Smith, Flea and Frusciante eventually had a sit-down meeting with each other to air out their differences. Frusciante had no idea how Flea was feeling and had no intentions of taking over. Flea also credited practicing
Vipassanā ''Samatha'' (Pāli; sa, शमथ ''śamatha''; ), "calm," "serenity," "tranquillity of awareness," and ''vipassanā'' (Pāli; Sanskrit ''vipaśyanā''), literally "special, super (''vi-''), seeing (''-passanā'')", are two qualities of the ...
meditation along with Frusciante for helping the two repair their musical relationship. With their problems worked out, the band launched their promo tour to support the album on New York City's
Ellis Island Ellis Island is a federally owned island in New York Harbor, situated within the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, that was the busiest immigrant inspection and processing station in the United States. From 1892 to 1954, nearly 12 mi ...
. Sponsored by the rock radio station K-Rock, the event was titled the "Pep Rally". The band performed eight songs from ''By the Way'', as well as tracks from ''Californication'' and ''Blood Sugar Sex Magik'' in front of 900 contest winners. The ''
New York Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com. It was established ...
'' declared the show "one of the top concerts of the year." The location was chosen in order to reinvigorate lower
Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
after the
September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercia ...
and all proceeds were donated to pertinent charity organizations. Immediately following this, the Red Hot Chili Peppers embarked on a world tour to support the album. Beginning in Europe, they also played at events such as the
Fuji Rock Festival is an annual rock festival held in Naeba Ski Resort, in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. The three-day event, organized by Smash Japan, features more than 200 Japanese and international musicians, making it the largest outdoor music event in Japan. ...
and
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (commonly called the Coachella Festival or simply Coachella) is an annual music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valley in the Colorado Desert. ...
in between. The band eventually culminated their Europe leg of the tour in February 2003, and commenced the United States leg on May 1. The Red Hot Chili Peppers played at
Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylva ...
in New York City on June 3, 2003, to a sold-out crowd and an enthusiastic response from critics. Kelefa Sanneh of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' reported that "on Tuesday night, the ed Hot Chili Pepperscame to Madison Square Garden for an extraordinary two-hour performance... On 'Don't Forget Me',
lea Lea or LEA may refer to: Places Australia * Lea River, Tasmania, Australia * Lake Lea, Tasmania, from which the Lea River flows * RAAF Base Learmonth, IATA airport code "LEA" England * Lea, Cheshire, a civil parish * Lea, Derbyshire, a set ...
strummed chords, while Mr. Frusciante contributed a gorgeous guitar line that bubbled and hissed like some sort of chemical reaction." The US leg ended on June 21; the band took a small hiatus before performing at
Slane Castle Slane Castle (Irish ''Cáisleán Bhaile Shláine'') is located in the village of Slane, within the Boyne Valley of County Meath, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The castle has been the family seat of the Marquess Conyngham, Conyngham family since i ...
in
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
on August 23, to a crowd of over 80,000. '' Live at Slane Castle'', the result of the concert, would become the Chili Peppers' second live DVD, after '' Off the Map''. Following several Japanese and Australian performances, the Red Hot Chili Peppers planned three nights at London's
Hyde Park Hyde Park may refer to: Places England * Hyde Park, London, a Royal Park in Central London * Hyde Park, Leeds, an inner-city area of north-west Leeds * Hyde Park, Sheffield, district of Sheffield * Hyde Park, in Hyde, Greater Manchester Austra ...
. Over 240,000 tickets were sold within hours, with roughly 80,000 people attending each show on June 19, 20, and 25, respectively. It became the highest-grossing concert at a single venue in history, accumulating an estimated $17 million gross revenue. Due to the success of the three shows, the band released their first live album, ''
Red Hot Chili Peppers Live in Hyde Park ''Live in Hyde Park'' is the first live album released by American band Red Hot Chili Peppers, recorded over three record-breaking nights at Hyde Park, in London on June 19, 20 and 25, 2004 during the band's Roll on the Red Tour. These three co ...
'', in Europe, Australia, Japan and New Zealand, excluding the United States. Later that year, the band played for the 2004
Democratic National Convention The Democratic National Convention (DNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 ...
. In 2006, Flea revealed that he once again considered leaving the band while touring in support of the album, stating that "throughout the ''By the Way'' tour I would play a show and then go and sit on the end of my bed staring into space." He planned to teach full-time at the
Silverlake Conservatory of Music Silverlake Conservatory of Music is a nonprofit educational organization formed in California. It was founded in 2001 by Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea and Chili Peppers collaborator Tree to foster music education. Chili Peppers vocalist Anth ...
, but ultimately decided to remain with the band. Flea later stated that "the most painful part of quitting, and the thing that stopped me, was the idea of telling Anthony."


Track listing


Personnel

Credits adapted from AllMusic. Red Hot Chili Peppers *
Anthony Kiedis Anthony Kiedis ( ; born November 1, 1962) is an American singer and songwriter. He is a founding member and lead vocalist of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. Kiedis and his fellow band members were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fa ...
 – lead vocals *
John Frusciante John Anthony Frusciante (; born March 5, 1970) is an American musician, best known as the guitarist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers across three stints since 1988. He has released 11 solo albums and 7 EPs, ranging in style from acoustic guitar to e ...
 – guitar, backing vocals, piano, keyboards,
modular synthesizer Modular synthesizers are synthesizers composed of separate modules for different functions. The modules can be connected together by the user to create a patch. The outputs from the modules may include audio signals, analog control voltages, o ...
, Mellotron, melodica on "On Mercury", additional bass on "Don't Forget Me" *
Flea Flea, the common name for the order Siphonaptera, includes 2,500 species of small flightless insects that live as external parasites of mammals and birds. Fleas live by ingesting the blood of their hosts. Adult fleas grow to about long, a ...
 – bass, guitar on "Dosed", trumpet on "Tear" *
Chad Smith Chad Gaylord Smith (born October 25, 1961) is an American musician who has been the drummer of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers since 1988. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012. Smith is also the drummer of the ...
 – drums, percussion, tambourine Production * Lindsay Chase – production coordination * David Campbell – string arrangement * Suzie Katayama – contractor and cello * Joel Derouin – concertmaster * Evan Wilson – viola * Larry Corbett – cello * Charlie Bisharat, Gerry Hilera, Peter Kent – violins *Matt Funes – viola *Ryan Hewitt – engineer *
Marc Mann Marc Mann is an American keyboardist, guitarist, programmer, arranger and conductor. He has a Master's Degree in Music from UCLA. Mann is known for his work with Oingo Boingo, Jeff Lynne and the Electric Light Orchestra. Mann is credited as perf ...
 – arranger *Ethan Mates – recording engineer *
Vlado Meller Vlado Meller is a Slovak audio mastering engineer, currently with Vlado Meller Mastering in Charleston, South Carolina. Meller works across many genres of music, with credits on rock, hip-hop, pop, jazz, metal, dance, opera, Broadway, and classica ...
 – mastering *
Rick Rubin Frederick Jay Rubin (; born March 10, 1963) is an American record producer. He is the co-founder (alongside Russell Simmons) of Def Jam Recordings, founder of American Recordings, and former co-president of Columbia Records. Rubin helped popula ...
 – production and
engineering Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...
*Jim Scott – mix engineer, recording engineer *Jason Wormer – recording engineer Design *
Julian Schnabel Julian Schnabel (born October 26, 1951) is an American painter and filmmaker. In the 1980s, he received international attention for his "plate paintings" — with broken ceramic plates set onto large-scale paintings. Since the 1990s, he has been ...
 –
art direction Art director is the title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supervise and unify the visi ...
*Red Hot Chili Peppers – art direction


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts

{, class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"{, class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" , - ! scope="col", Chart (2003) ! scope="col", Position , - !scope="row", Australian Albums (ARIA) , 21 , - !scope="row", Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) , 100 , - !scope="row", Belgian Alternative Albums (Ultratop Flanders) , 39 , - !scope="row", French Albums (SNEP) , 125 , - !scope="row", German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) , 58 , - !scope="row", Irish Albums (IRMA) , 19 , - ! scope="row", UK Albums (OCC) , 18 , - !scope="row", US ''Billboard'' 200 , 89 {, class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"{, class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" , - ! scope="col", Chart (2004) ! scope="col", Position , - !scope="row", UK Albums (OCC) , 197


Decade-end charts

{, class="wikitable plainrowheaders" , +Decade-end chart performance for ''By the Way'' !scope="col", Chart (2000–09) !scope="col", Position , - !scope="row", Australian Albums (ARIA) , align="center", 53 , - !scope="row", UK Albums (OCC) , style="text-align:center;", 28 , -


Certifications


References


Bibliography

* *


External links

*
''By the Way''
at
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Music * {{Authority control 2002 albums Albums produced by Rick Rubin Red Hot Chili Peppers albums Warner Records albums