They are simply RED HOT in this album!

Although many people will disagree with me and say that Californication is the Red Hot Chili Peppers best album, I firmly believe that Blood Sugar Sex Magik is the best Red Hot Chili Peppers album out there. Why? Well, I'll start to tell you why.

First, before I go through the songs in this album, I would just like to talk about the diversity in the album. The use of different instruments and musical diversity are simply amazing (you might be thinking, what musical diversity?! I will explain that later in this review). Along with that, add 4 guys by the names of Anthony Kiedis (vocals), John Frusciante (guitar), Michael "Flea" Balzary (bass) and Chad Smith (drums), and you got yourself, not only one of the most dominant punk rock bands the world has ever seen, but also one of the most successful bands of the 90s.

Now I will list the songs that appear on the album:

1. Power of Equality
2. If You Have to Ask
3. Breaking the Girl
4. Funky Monks
5. Suck My Kiss
6. I Could Have Lied
7. Mellowship Slinky in B Major
8. The Righteous and The Wicked
9. Give it Away
10. Blood Sugar Sex Magik
11. Under the Bridge
12. Naked in the Rain
13. Apache Rose Peacock
14. The Greeting Song
15. My Lovely Man
16. Sir Psycho Sexy
17. They're Red Hot

As you can see, many songs for a 90s album. Although some of you might think that it's long and it gets repetitive after a while, I think that after listening to so many different musical styles, you won't get bored. So without further ado, I will review some of my favorite songs on this album.

Power of Equality - Not a very popular song, but a great way to start the album! This song starts off with mellow guitar riff from Frusciante's guitar, but this ends soon with Flea's powerful bass line entering in the background. This pumping rhythm lasts through the whole song. Flea's riff, in effect, brings Kiedis into the song. The song is about how discrimination still exists in the U.S. and Kiedis does (as usual) a fantastic job in portraying these lyrics by showing a lot of anger as he sings. Frusciante also has a few minor solos in the song, which are simple and effective for this song. Smith also has a prominent role in this song by sustaining steady and powerful drum beats, which completes the Red Hot Chili Peppers' sound. A great, yet underrated song.

Breaking the Girl - One of my favorite Red Hot Chili Peppers songs begins with Frusciante strumming away at his 12-string acoustic guitar. This creates a Celtic Rock (Scottish Rock) feel to the song. Flea's bass compliments Frusciante's strummed chords sound much fuller with his bass line. Kiedis' voice soon comes in, and instead of the fast, punk rock style he usually uses to portray his lyrics, he changes to a very mellow delivery of his lyrics. Although I am not entirely sure what the song is about, Kiedis' voice is very expressive and in my opinion, that is good enough for this song. Smith does not really have much to do, until the middle section of the song, when the whole band hit metal pots, pans and objects with metal sticks to create a unique percussion solo. A great song, and a song that shows that the Peppers can do more than punk rock.

I Could Have Lied - Another beautifully expressive song. Kiedis' presentation of his lyrics are beautifully conveyed, despite the fact this song seems to be about his girlfriend breaking up with him. Anyhow, the guitars are superb in this song. Frusciante's use of the acoustic guitar for the main riff creates a very relaxed feel to the song. However, Frusciante uses an electric guitar for his solos in this song and these are also expressive and relaxed. Flea and Smith take a backseat in this song, and are used to keep the rhythm throughout this slow song. A very mellow song, and one I truly enjoy at any time.

Under the Bridge - A 90s ballad and the Red Hot Chili Peppers' anthem to this very day. This song starts off with Frusciante's guitar ringing out a beautiful melody for the first 20-30 seconds of the song. As soon as Frusciante strums his first chord, Kiedis voice comes in. Kiedis realistically portrays his lyrics about his experiences as a drug addict and although it is done quietly, it is filled with a lot of soul and emotion. He frequently refers to angels and these "angels" (back-up vocals) sing the last part of the song, summarizing what it's done to Kiedis' life. Frusciante's guitar playing throughout the rest of the song is amazing and beautifully played. Flea does not come until halfway through the song, but his bass line, along with Frusciante's guitar, create a very serene ending. Smith is also a small role, but occasionally does some thrashing in the song, which is hard to do in a mellow song such as this one. This is, without a doubt, one of the greatest songs of the 1990s.

My Lovely Man - A great tribute to Hillel Slovak: the former Peppers' guitarist, who tragically passed away due to a drug overdose. Kiedis expresses his feelings about Slovak through his lyrics. Flea, the only other Pepper (along with Kiedis) while Slovak was in the band, is a powerful dominance in this song, helping support Frusciante's guitar riff. Frusciante's guitar solo brings out the best of his ability as a guitarist, which by all means, is fantastic. Smith has a prominent role in this song. His powerful thrashing in the verses and solo and his mellow bass drum beats in the chorus are wonderfully contrasted in this song. His drums also complete the full Red Hot Chili Peppers' sound, a sound that has brought them a lot of fame. As said earlier, this song is the best way to pay tribute to a great performer.

Sir Psycho Sexy - Some might say this is weird, but I say this is hilarious! Kiedis lyrics about a psychotic sex freak is funny and this is made even funnier by Flea and Frusciante singing as women during the prechorus and chorus. Frusciante has a little vocal solo as a woman during the bridge of the song and might sound a bit amateurish to some people. Anyway, besides that, the song presents more or less of what the album has presented: excellent guitar work from Frusciante, Flea's strong bass and Smith's flawless rhythms. Flea has the melody throughout the song and this is held together throughout the song perfectly. A great song to listen to at any time.

They're Red Hot - This might be the shortest song on the album, but this song is a great way to finish off 73 minutes of stellar music. Although this song is played in the outdoors, it seems like it's recorded indoors. Kiedis' lyrics about hot tamales are presented in his "fast rap" style, a style that was used frequently in previous albums like Mother's Milk. This is presented perfectly by Kiedis. Along with this is Smith's dominant presence on the drums. Smith uses his hands during the song, and I cannot tell the difference between using sticks on drums and using hands on the drums. Both sound as if he's thrashing the drums hard, which shows his amazing talent as a drummer. Frusciante and Flea hold up the melody and sustain the fast pace throughout the song very well. Nice way to finish an album.

Along with amazing songs like these, come some highlights that just fell short. Here are some of them:

Flea's bass lines in Funky Monks, The Righteous and The Wicked and Naked in the Rain
Frusciante's guitar solos in Blood Sugar Sex Magik, Funky Monks and Mellowship Slinky in B Major
Smith's drums in Give it Away and Suck My Kiss
Kiedis' vocals in The Righteous and The Wicked, Mellowship Slinky in B Major and Funky Monks
Flea's trumpet and keyboard in Apache Rose Peacock

As you can see, a presentation of pure musical excellence all fitted into one CD. A great album that I think is good for anyone to listen to. I hope this was helpful and I hope you enjoyed it.