The Beatles started it, then U2, and now Red Hot Chili Peppers have done it. The video for the Chili Peppers new single was released today showing the band playing to the good people of Venice Beach, California from the top of a building overlooking the promenade and the ocean. "The Adventures Of Rain Dance Maggie" is the first single from their first album in four years, "I'm With You", which will be released on the 29th August.
The band are once again without guitarist John Frusciante who left the band in 2009. He's replaced by the band's touring guitarist Josh Klinghoffer who was also a member of Frusciante's side project, Ataxia, along with Joe Lally of Fugazi. He does a decent enough job on this single but Frusciante's absence is noticeable by the fact that the drum and bass driven verses are the strongest part of the song.
It starts off like a vintage Chili Peppers tune with an extremely catchy bassline from Flea which is undoubtedly the hook in this song. Keidis then delivers his trademark choppy vocals and doesn't break from his signature style of bizarre and seemingly nonsensical lyrics. Chad Smith is as solid as ever on the drums and we even get to hear some cowbell throughout. On first hearing the chorus I thought it was pretty weak but it definitely does grow on you with each listen and I imagine it might become a bit of a sing-along crowd anthem at their stadium gigs.
All in all, it's great to hear the Chilis back again and I'm looking forward to hearing the rest of the album in a few weeks.
Watch the official video Here
