Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication

The album that saved the band and became their masterpiece. Released on June 8, 1999 and produced by Rick Rubin, Californication marked the triumphant return of guitarist John Frusciante and the beginning of what many fans consider the Red Hot Chili Peppers' golden era. When Anthony Kiedis heard Frusciante hit that first chord at their initial rehearsal back together, he later recalled thinking it was absolutely perfect, like a little kid trying to set up a Christmas tree. The chemistry was immediately, obviously, undeniable.

Recorded at Cello Studios on Sunset Boulevard in just five weeks, the album represented a significant shift in the band's sound, trading some of the raw funk energy of their earlier records for something more melodic, more restrained, and more emotionally resonant. Rolling Stone called it "spiritual and epiphanic." Flea himself called it the best record the Chili Peppers had ever made. The world agreed, sending it to number three on the Billboard 200, where it remained for 101 weeks, eventually achieving seven-times platinum certification in the US and selling over 15 million copies worldwide.

The singles speak for themselves. Grammy Award-winning "Scar Tissue," the moody and magnificent "Otherside," the hard-charging "Around the World," and the iconic title track, which topped both the Mainstream Rock and Modern Rock charts and has since been named the greatest Red Hot Chili Peppers song of all time by multiple publications. Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums list ranks it at number 286. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame named it one of the 200 greatest albums of all time.

To mark the album's 25th anniversary, this limited edition double vinyl pressing is spread across one red LP and one ocean blue LP, a pairing as bold and beautiful as the music itself.