Artist: John Frusciante
Album: The Will To Death
Label: Record Collection
Tracks: 12
Length: 42:31
Review by: Phil Nichols

When one hears the name John Frusciante one of two questions will come to mind. The first: "Hehe. Froo-shan-tay. Isn't that a silly name?" The second: "Hey isn't that the guitarist from the Red Hot Chili Peppers with flowing brown locks and a Colgate smile?" The answer to both of these queries is a resounding 'yes'. "The Will To Death" is the second in this Chili Pepper's line of solo releases, and on the album Frusciante attempts to create a sonic masterpiece of unfettered energy and raw musicianship.

Listen: To express the "unfettered energy" and "raw musicianship", John decided to do all of the tracks in one or two takes using absolutely no computers in the recording or mastering process. Frusciante wanted the music "to come alive as it did in the 50's and 60's" and "to let the music go where it pleased" (sounds a little bit like Jack White, no?).

Though his intentions are by all means noble, the result leaves much to be desired and ironically enough Frusciante's downfall comes in his means of achieving his ideal sound. John strives to let the music go where it pleases, but there are times where it seems that the music has a mind of it's own and he struggles to keep it under control. Frusciante also seems to welcome flaws into his recording in hopes that they might add character, but instead they do the opposite, distracting the listener from the things that are admirable on the disc.

As for the overall sound: There is evident talent present on the album. The same flowing guitar riffs that saturate each Chili Peppers disc pervade the tracks of "The Will To Death". But the unpolished (read: sloppy) production gives the album an unfinished feel. And though Frusciante's equal emphasis on the importance of cords, signal path, speakers, instruments, and people is august, the outcome is somewhat disreputable.

That is not to say that there are no decent tracks. In fact, the final-and coincidentally the best- three songs run together very smoothly and create a great ending to an otherwise disappointing album. It would be safe to say that these songs are probably what Frusciante intended the entire album to consist of: melody, musicianship, and energy.

If you have enjoyed John's past records, then you might be able to glean some enjoyable moments from this album. But be warned: This is a step back from Frusciante's recent offerings. Fans of the Red Hot Chili Peppers will probably find something that they like on "The Will To Death", but if you are new to Frusciante's solo material his 2003 release of "Shadows Collide With People" is probably a better place to begin.