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Overall, the album leans more toward the melodic end of their oeuvre, but they have grown into this kinder, gentler mode organically, progressively working toward this groove little by little, album by album.
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By the Way is orchestral, taunting, sinister, beatific, rousing, jocular, nervy, ethereal, and dare I say it, mature.
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This is one beautiful record.
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Sonically, this is the most diverse and intriguing work of their careers.... A welcome surprise.
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Underpinned throughout by the kind of melancholic edge discovered on radio friendly ode to smack 'Under The Bridge', and punctuated by a spontaneous, back-to-basics feel, it's an album that sees the Chilis revitalised.
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A majority of By the Way features astoundingly wise steps in new, mature directions.
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For every successful foray... there's a less satisfying track; the album is less focused and has a mushier center than ''Californication.''
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Daring and inventive, it takes the kind of stylistic chances and creative leaps that were once the property of the heavies of '60s rock and pop.
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MojoThe strongest Chili's album since 1991's Blood Sugar Sex Magik.
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By god is it ever long (it's 16 tracks), but on the whole it showcases enough of what makes the Chili Peppers a very good rock group chief among these are John Frusciante's excellent, inventive guitar playing, and the fact that it is with tremendous conviction that Anthony Kiedis belts out even the most ridiculous words.
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'By The Way' is pretty much 'Californication' part two with a deeper exploration of the nu melodic Peppers, a classic LA record that somehow combines the melodic rush of the Beach Boys and Mamas and Papas and hints at the dark underbelly of the city of angels just like Love did way back in the late sixties.
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Certainly the most absorbing rock album of 2002, if not the best.
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Q MagazineA fantastic record, full of wonder. [Aug. 2002, p.118]
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A near-perfect balance of gutter grime and high-art aspiration, the Rick Rubin-produced By the Way continues the Peppers' slow-motion makeover.
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By The Way inevitably suffers for its familiarity: Had it followed 1995's so-so One Hot Minute instead of Californication, it would qualify as a revelation instead of a worthy retread.
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It's not enough for Anthony Keidis to get all mature--he's supposed to say something interesting about maturity. And he's never had thing one to say about anything else.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 249 out of 269
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Mixed: 12 out of 269
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Negative: 8 out of 269
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Aug 2, 2011
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Apr 15, 2021
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Oct 22, 2010