The Will To Death

[left_side]

[/left_side] [right_side] Recorded in 2 phases each of which lasted only two days, using the simple recording technique practiced in the ’70s.

[loop the_query=”post_type=song&albumtype=thewill&order=ASC&showposts=-1″]

[/right_side] [clear] [iva_only]

[loop the_query=”post_type=press&albumtype=thewill&presstype=review&order=ASC&showposts=-1″]

“The Will To Death” might scare a stereotype music listener with its rather pessimistic title, but the whole album is much more complexed than what you would expect. Although recorded in 2 phases each of which lasted only two days and although John himself mentioned that he and Josh were using the simple recording technique which was practiced in the 70s, the album reveals even more from the book of the musician’s sensitive soul, it’s showing thoughts of someone who’s not afraid of what may come next, who’s in some way a fatalist, who is not afraid to love and live. Only one of the songs is an instrumental, in the 11 remaining ones, judging by the lyrics, it looks like John is using the subject of death in some kind of a transitional relation to the other important things in one’s life, such as love, doubts, time and life itself. This album is, compared to Shadows Collide With People much more homogenic, all the songs are either slow or mid-tempo, with melancholic electric guitars (the acoustic guitar can be heard only on “Wishing”) and two of the songs have amazing piano solos, which is a fair proof that John has grown into a very mature multi-instrumentalist. And many people have noticed that. For an example, one reviewer called “The Mirror” a piano opera. However, it’s wrong to think that all the songs on the album are discussing the same matters. From “Far Away” which is describing a sad end to a relationship to a philosophical title track, there’s something to describe all those tiny moments which may or may not be part of everyone’s lives and John did his best to write them down and strum the pain, love, life and death with his own ten fingers. The album may require a few listens to be or not to be understood properly, but it’s definitely worth the attention and it’s extremely beautiful in every sense of that word. (© 2004)

Trivia

Cover photo for this album and all the ones that followed was taken by Lola Montes, who’s the sister of John’s ex-fiancé Stella Schnabel and daughter of the artist Julian Schnabel. In 2004, Lola published her first artist’s book, titled Remember Me, which is a limited edition of 1,000 signed and numbered hardcover copies put out by Perceval Press of Santa Monica. This particular photo shows Italian artist Luigi Ontani in a cemetery.

On a couple of tracks, you can hear John and Josh turning the pages of what was probably the lyrics book. Close to the end of the last song, if you listen closely, you will hear some whispering as well.

Useful links

Get the CD and/or vinyl from John’s official site; or, if unable to do it that way buy this album at amazon.com
Go to recordcollection.com to see TWTD promo photos of John
Go to John’s official site to see hand-written TWTD notes
Go to songmeanings.net to see other how other people understood what John had to say

Credits

Release date: 21st June 2004
Released: Worldwide
Publisher: Record Collection Music
Duration: 42 minutes, 29 seconds
John plays: Guitar, piano, synthesizer and bass on “Far Away”, “Unchanging” and “The Will To Death”
Other musicians: As expected, Josh Klinghoffer. He plays drums, bass, keyboards, and guitar on two last songs. He sings some of the backing/harmony vocals as well and he co-wrote “Helical”
Produced by: John Frusciante
Engineered by: Ryan Hewitt
Mixed by: Ryan Hewitt
Assisted by: Rafael Serrano, Jeff Moses
Recorded/mixed at/when: Mad Dog Studios (18-19.12.2003), Larrabee East Studios (8-10.1.2004)
Mastered by/where: Bernie Grundman/Bernie Grundman Mastering Hollywood, CA, USA
Designed by: Mike Piscitelli, John Frusciante
Cover photograph by: Lola Montes
Equipment by: Dave Lee
Management: Q-Prime Inc.

Album Artwork

[/iva_only]