Album review: Red Hot Chili Peppers - The Getaway

4/5

This was a troubled album for the clothing-optional 1990s funkateers. Singer Anthony Kiedis came down with a nasty bout of intestinal flu during the recording, while bass player Flea broke his arm snowboarding (a very Chili Peppers-esque way to come a-cropper).

Back in the studio, things weren’t going any more smoothly. Working without producer Rick Rubin for the first time in more than a decade, the band shelved several records worth of material and for a while it seemed an open question whether the Chili Peppers would find the direction they were looking for. It all worked out in the end, however, with producer Danger Mouse refining rather than overhauling their signature blending of irascible funk and alpha-dude ennui (only the Chili Peppers could make being shirtless and sad a thing).