Despite being an official member of the Red Hot Chili Peppers since 2009, guitarist Josh Klinghoffer gets compared to the band’s former axe man John Frusciante on a regular basis. While Klinghoffer can appreciate being mentioned to the legend, it has gotten on his nerves at this point, as he told Metro Russia (via Ultimate Guitar), “Of course it gets annoying. On one hand, it’s an honor for me to be part of this band and be mentioned in the same breath as Frusciante.”
“But all these comparisons are simply absurd,” he says, before going on to describe those commentators as “idiots.”” “Because we are two totally different people. I have never tried to emulate his technique. And, of course, I was not trying to get him to leave the band.”
While comparisons will always be drawn when you replace such a touted member of any band, it can still be a tough pill to swallow for any artist, especially when it lasts for years and multiple albums. Last year’s Grateful Dead Fare Thee Well 50th Anniversary celebration drew some of the most ridiculous comparisons and arguments ever, when Phish’s Trey Anastasio took on Jerry Garcia‘s role. The true heir apparent to the jam scene throne (Anastasio), and people still found a way to be negative about it. Let’s look at some other “replacement” guitarists over the years:
– Ronnie Wood replaces Mick Taylor (Rolling Stones 1974)
– Jeff Beck replaces Eric Clapton (The Yardbirds 1965)
– Jimmy Crespo replaces Joe Perry (Aerosmith 1979)
– Vinny Vincent replaces Ace Frehley (Kiss 1982)
And let’s not forget that Frusciante replaced the irreplaceable Hillel Slovak after his unfortunate death from a heroin addiction and overdose. That was not only a huge loss for the band, but a major debate for fans of the Chili Peppers. And then Frusciante left, was replaced by Dave Navarro, only to return for Californication. But if you can sit there and genuinely say that Klinghoffer doesn’t make the cut, you’re not listening to the music.
Klinghoffer also played a major role in the writing, playing and recording on seven of Frusciante’s solo albums from 2004 to 2009 – check out A Sphere in the Heard of Silence and The Empyrean. You can bet that Frusciante himself wouldn’t work with him unless he was up to par. Unfortunately, the two haven’t worked together since he joined RHCP, “He tried as much as possible to distance himself from the band and I had to learn to live in it. We have not fought, our paths just diverged somehow. I think someday we can talk again.”
His solo to end “Dark Necessities” off the band’s latest effort The Getaway keeps very much in line with that classic RHCP sound, along with some beautiful melodies and distortion a la “Goodbye Angels,” while carving his own path at the same time. The dude has got some serious chops.
But, unfortunately, those comparisons will never end. That’s just the name of the game.
[via Ultimate Guitar]