At the time of its release, One Hot Minute was viewed as the beginning of a new direction for the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Guitarist John Frusciante had departed and former Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro joined the ranks after some false starts with short-lived replacements. Band chemistry here isn't quite up to past standards. Navarro stretches out throughout the album, imbuing tunes with a heavy dose of hard rock and psychedelia and providing a stark contrast from Frusciante's dexterous noodling. Tracks such as "Warped" and "Aeroplane" display a band prone to exploring a less frenetic hard rock, while "Shallow Be Thy Game" sounds like the old band. Frusciante eventually returned to the fold, so this 1995 collection now stands as a curious intermission for the Peppers. --Rob O'Connor
