Niandra LaDes and Usually Just a T-Shirt is the first solo album from musician, John Frusciante. Primarily a guitarist who is very well known for his work with the alternative rock/funk rock band, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, as their lead guitarist. This started when he was 18 years old, back in 1988. That year, the band released their fourth album, Mother’s Milk. Following that, RHCP made a big breakthrough with their legendary album, Blood Sugar Sex Magik, often considered their best work. It’s my personal favorite album by the band, and Frusciante’s guitar riffs played an integral part into why me and so many other people love that album. However, after that album was released, John became incredibly overwhelmed by the newfound fame, and became severely depressed. On top of that, he developed a heroin addiction and isolated himself in his home, which is how Niandra LaDes and Usually Just a T-Shirt was made. Here are my thoughts.

    I think it’s very important to mention how young a lot of musicians are when they first make it big in the industry. It’s something that’s often not discussed enough which is how fame can really negatively impact one’s physical and mental health. Now on the musical side, this album is unlike anything I’ve ever heard in my entire life. The record is quite long at an hour and ten minutes with 25 tracks. However it amazes me that someone who was fighting so many personal demons was able to make such a fascinating, and somewhat cohesive album. Keep in mind, critics were extremely polarized when this album first came out. It sounded like nothing like the music he made with the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Tracks like “As Can Be,” and “My Smile is a Rifle,” have incredibly abrasive vocals, and it clearly sounds like Frusciante was on drugs while he was recording this album, as at times he’s just making noises and not really saying anything at all. While the vocals are certainly not the best, the guitar riffs and solos on this album are truly something. When I learned more about the backstory behind this album’s creation, I grew to appreciate it more. “Head (Beach Arab),” has this haunting quality to it, with schizophrenic guitars and deranged vocal passages. I genuinely say that not to be mean, but it feels as if it was almost intentional on Frusciante’s part. This album falls under so many different genres, some that are even unintentional at times. I love the exotic sounds of tracks like, “Big Takeover,” which is one of my favorites off the album. “Curtains,” is one of my least favorite tracks on the record, as I appreciate what John was going for, but it brings the album down. The whole piano ballad vibe of the track just feels like a half baked Paul McCartney impression. Some other songs I liked were “Your Pussy’s Glued To A Building On Fire,” “Untitled #2,” and “Untitled #8.”

    In conclusion, there’s a lot to like about this album, and there are many things about it that I appreciate, but at times it can be really hard to listen to, knowing what the man behind the record was going through at the time. It definitely sounds like an album made by someone high on heroin, for better or for worse. The guitar passages on this record are often amazing, as Frusciante, in my opinion is one of the greatest rock guitarists of all time. The singing is often off-key and jarring to listen to at times, but the experimental nature of the album makes the record a lot more bearable. After listening to this, I respect John Frusciante a lot more as an artist, and my respect for him before was already high. I’m happy that he’s in a better place now, and I’m looking forward to listening to more of his stuff.

Overall Score: 7/10

Favorite Tracks: “My Smile is a Rifle,” “Head (Beach Arab),” “Big Takeover,” “Your Pussy’s Glued To A Building On Fire,” “Untitled #2,” “Untitled #8,”

Least Favorite Tracks: “Curtains,” “Blood On My Neck From Success,”

Listen: https://youtu.be/tNnMg8LiOo4?si=wJLKslmuT5xz4cB4

Genres: Lo-Fi/Avant-Garde/Psychedelic Rock