Jerusalem post review of AW
01st February 2005, Jerusalem Post (Israel)
For someone whose band is supposed to be on hiatus, Red Hot Chili Pepper’s guitarist John Frusciante has been quite busy. Continuing with his endeavor to release six albums in six months, Frusciante brings us Automatic Writing.
“Ataxia” is the moniker for Frusciante’s collaborative projects with multi-instrumentalist Josh Klinghoffer and Fugazi bassist Joe Lally.
Automatic Writing may only feature five songs, but they average 10 minutes each – a far departure from the guitar-driven California pop of Frusciante’s day job.
The five songs were developed and recorded over three- week sessions. Improvisational pieces by the three musicians feature repetitive bass lines and exploratory guitar and drum work. Vocals were laid down afterward, and both the guitars and vocals were altered and manipulated by Frusciante’s coveted synthesizer.
Automatic Writing is innovative, experimental music, with songs that defy structure and most certainly cater to a required taste. Frusciante’s previous releases Shadows Collide with People, Will to Death and Inside of Emptiness were far more accessible. While Automatic Writing features some stellar guitar work and unique percussion, it’s only really redeemable as an “experiment in sound,” not as a linear album with structured songwriting.
Fans of Frusciante’s earlier work might want to skip this one. Let’s not forget that this prolific songwriter has two more albums to release before completing his ambitious project.
—-Harry Rubenstein
