05th March 2004, from ultimate-guitar.com

Sound: This is the fourth solo album from the man best known as the lead guitarist in the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The sound of this album is very fresh and creative (like all John Frusciante albums) and whenever you think it’s about to get boring, up comes another great song. The creative sound is especially with such tracks as ‘Carvel’, ‘Omission’, ‘Wednesday’s Song’ and ‘Song To Sing When I’m Lonely’. This is unlike any of his other album’s sounds and is the start of something special. [5]

Lyrics: John Frusciante has never been one to stick with regular lyrics, as this album clearly shows, with such lyrics as “driving to eat a carvel cake” and “a blower of hot flesh is a baby/that was the last white stuff I sucked”. The lyrics in this album are John’s creativity to it’s highest standard, and will impress anybody who listens. [5]

Overall Impression: This album is clearly, without a doubt John Frusciante’s best solo album, and if he keeps churning out records of this quality, he will soon be one of the biggest names in the music industry. He has gone through hard times and people didn’t think he’d make it out. Well thank god he did, and is still producing top quality music/records like this. [5] [POSTED: 2004-06-28 by Unregistered]

Sound: When I first listened to this album, it totally blew me away! I have been a fan of both John Frusciante’s solo work and his work with the Red Hot Chili Peppers (as well as RHCP work from before the days of Frusciante), but the amount of emotion that I got from “Shadows Collide With People” was not expected. John’s first solo album “Niandra LaDes & Usually Just A T-shirt” was a emotionally trip into the mixed up and confused life of Frusciante, using very powerful songs that would only match the tastes of true Frusciante fans. This album however contains just as much emotion and thought that his first album did, but this time he’s managed to work it into music that fits the taste of a wider range of rock listeners. John’s love for 80’s synth rock groups is exposed in this album through more experimental tracks such as “-00ghost27” and “23gointoend”, which sound more like something you except to hear on David Bowie’s “All Saints” record. Instead of using power solos that just use as many high notes as possible, John manages to create very simple and melodic riffs that can capture the hearts of many and live in their memories. Whether you’ve heard John’s previous work before doesn’t matter as it has just the slightest touch of RHCP’s new style to pull in their fans (not to mention both Chad Smith and Flea lend their skills to this record). [5]

Lyrics: One word… awesome! Very thoughtful lyrics that get right into the hearts, minds and souls of every living person, exposing the pains and highs that John has experienced, but they are pains and highs that just about everyone can relate to. The only song where the lyrics are let down is in a song titled “Regret” where he only uses two lines of lyrics, but thet are used in such a way that makes them the most powerful on the album. John’s singing has improved in heaps and bounds, and the use of many vocal harmonies are definitely something to impress any vocalist. [5]

Overall Impression: This album retains the emotion of “Niandra LaDes” and the melodic tunes of “To Record Only Water For Ten Days”, but all is intensified, making one hell of a record that I’m sure a lot will be able to appreciate. [5] [POSTED: 2004-03-09 by jimmyzkeleton]

Sound: Until this album release guitarist Red Hot Chili Pepper John Frusciante’s solo projects have been like a bad acid trip. Surprisingly, on his fourth solo release, he pretty much hits the mark. Most songs heard on Shadows Collide with People, are more structured and confident than those that have come before them, as is Frusciante’s voice. In other words, they make more sense. There are exceptions, of course, like “Negative OO Ghost” and “Failure 33 Object,” but what’s a John Frusciante solo project without a little silliness and misunderstood weirdness? The musicality on most of the 18 (yes, 18) tracks are immense with everything from fuzzy electronic intros and clever keyboards to impressive harmonies and a solid, yet subtle, rhythm section. [5]

Lyrics: Lyrics stem from a thinking man’s land, many still speak of alienation. Yet overall, John Frusciante is much more accessible on this album. These songs allow you to relate to him less as a strung out drug addict crying for help (as revealed in his previous solo work), but this time around more as a friend or brother. [5]

Overall Impression: The opening track, “Carvel” and “Wednesday’s Song” could easily be Chili Pepper tracks if Anthony Kiedis were singing them, and that’s not a bad thing, but Frusciante sounds just fine as the singer. Technically they are Chili Pepper songs considering Flea plays bass on the album, while Chad Smith drums (yet there is no posturing). Frusciante adds creative direction, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, lyrics and keyboards to songs. The one that best displays his raw talent is on the simple yet sweet “Song To Sing When I’m Lonely.” There are lots of textures heard here with the haunting and beautiful “In Relief” standing up to the very different yet rocking “Water.” [5] [POSTED: 2004-03-05 by UG Team]

Sound: To put it lightly this album is great. I especially like the way that he uses different sound effects, expecially on the track “Negattive 00 Ghost 27” to create a sense of enormous atmosphere. [5]

Lyrics: The lyrics are reflective and fit well with the music, he has been through a lot in his life, and he sums it up at the end of “chances” that “i’m not here any more” to the heroin addiction he has suffered. [5]

Overall Impression: I think this album mainly attracted to me because of the fact that John Frusciante is in the Red Hot Chili Peppers, had it not been for that fact, I probably would not have got hold of it. I loved the first song I heard, which was “song to sing when i’m lonely” and then “Water” which has the most catchy bassline, which i am attempting to play. I would say go any buy it, even if you do not like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, because it is entirely inspiring and amzing just to listen to the atmosphere created by the smallest of things in the recording process. [5]

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January 2005, Ultimate Guitar

Curtains, thankfully the last record in the six record series that John Frusciante recorded in 2004, is in stores now, reports press release. It was recorded on an Ampex 8-track tape machine from 1970 and was recorded at his house. He sat on his living room floor and played and sang his songs and then did overdubs.

The overdubs were assisted by Carla Azar of Autolux on drums, Ken Wylde on upright bass and Omar Rodriguez of The Mars Volta, who played lead guitar on two songs.

It is a very warm album. It is also very sad, with additional doses of happiness, strength and humor for good measure.

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