Plattentest.de
2005, Plattentest.de
thanks to Chris Moll for the translation
Last Reminder
A look at the record. John Frusciante produced, including Ataxia, six records in the past 12 months. 4 hours,17 minutes and 28 seconds of music spread across 67 songs and a whole bunch of wild stylesplits from Indie- over Kraut- to post- and new- rock. Along with that he introduced his fellow Josh Klinghoffer as a talented songwriter and worthy sidekick, saved some record stores from going bankrupt and wrote a hand full of good songs, one never wants to let go of again. He didnt get done in time anyway.
The temporary finish-line of Frusciante’s run was intentionally planned to be in December. Maybe because anyone but him wanted to have some christmas holidays that didnt quite work out. So “Curtains” has been moved to the new year and by the way didnt turn out to be quite the unplugged-album it had been anounced to be. Very unobtrusive some synthesizers can be found in the progress of the songs. And of course he couldnt keep his hands from playing the loose guitar solos that have long ago become typical for his style.
The record, with its squeking guitar strings, counting in, caughing and yelling in between, does sound like a relaxed living room session anyway. Time to get into a celebration mood.
The Opener “The past recedes” already shows the general songwriter-direction of the record and changes, in between two fragmental chords, to a mouth organ and is mindblowing and beautiful. “Your warning” has some classic as well as electronic keys and there are some weird sounds, god knows where those came from, making their way through “Time tonight”. When you are John Frusciante you can even fit some lil weird something in the tightest song-gap.
Yet again it is noticable how little those songs need all this, be it time, instruments or notes. Backing drums were left out most of the time. Acoustic- guitar and bass are mostly what one gets. So there is lots of room for Frusciantes amazingly matured voice, loose picking and even more stories about life and death, god and the world. “Life is so sad” he complains shortly before the end this time, supported only by a piano. We should thank him for making that past year a whole bit more bearable.
websites rating 7/10
users’ rating 8/10
by Daniel Gerhardt
