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Kamis, 18 Februari 2010

Michael Balzary (flea)-RHCP


Michael Peter Balzary (born October 16, 1962), more commonly known by the stage name Flea, is an Australian-American bassist, trumpet player, and occasional actor. He is best known as the bassist and co-founding member of the alternative rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. His work with the band incorporates several musical styles, ranging from aggressive slap bass to more subdued and melodic techniques. Aside from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, he has collaborated with many artists, including Jane's Addiction, Thom Yorke, The Mars Volta, and Alanis Morissette. Drawing influences from funk music and punk rock, Flea centers his bass playing on simplicity and minimalism while viewing complexity as a device that should be used in moderation.

Originally a trumpet prodigy, Flea learned to play bass in high school from close friend and future Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Hillel Slovak, who required a bassist for his band Anthym. Flea joined the group, but quit several months later in order to play for the punk rock outfit Fear. He soon rejoined Slovak to form an intended one-off band along with fellow high school alumni Anthony Kiedis and Jack Irons; the impromptu collaboration would ultimately give birth to the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Flea has made numerous forays into acting, appearing in films that span many genres such as Back to the Future Part II (1989), My Own Private Idaho (1991), and The Big Lebowski (1998).Contents
1 Biography
1.1 Early life
1.2 1980–1984: Formation of the Red Hot Chili Peppers
1.3 1984–1990: First four albums
1.4 1990–1998: Mainstream success and side projects
1.5 1998–present: Californication, By the Way and Stadium Arcadium
2 Musical style
2.1 Technique
2.2 Influences
3 Film and television appearances
4 Discography
5 References
6 Notes
7 External links


Biography

Early life

Flea was born in Melbourne, Australia, on October 16, 1962. His father, Mick Balzary, was an avid fisherman who would often take him fishing.[1] When Flea was five, his family relocated to Rye, New York for his father's career.[2] In 1971, his parents divorced and his father returned to Australia. Flea and his siblings stayed with their mother Patricia, who soon remarried to a jazz musician.[2] Flea's stepfather frequently invited musicians to his house and jam sessions would often take place. The family relocated again to Los Angeles, California, and Flea became fascinated with the trumpet.[3][4] His teachers considered him to be a prodigy, paralleled only by musician Herb Alpert, who also attended Fairfax High.[5] Furthermore, he had no interest in rock music at the time and idolized jazz musicians like Miles Davis, Louis Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie.[3]

His stepfather was an "aggressive alcoholic" who eventually became involved in shoot-outs with police. "I was raised in a very violent, alcoholic household," Flea later said, "I grew up being terrified of my parents, particularly my father figures. It caused [me] a lot of trouble later in life."[6] In order to cope with this situation, Flea started to experiment heavily with cannabis at the age of thirteen, which he started smoking on a daily basis.[7]

Flea attended Fairfax High School, and was somewhat of an outcast due to his taste in music.[7] However, he soon met Anthony Kiedis, and after a brief confrontation, the two became best friends.[8] Kiedis recalled: "We were drawn to each other by the forces of mischief and love and we became virtually inseparable. We were both social outcasts. We found each other and it turned out to be the longest-lasting friendship of my life."[9] Kiedis became a significant influence on Flea, turning him on to rock music, particularly punk rock.[9] Flea soon adopted his nickname, given to him on a skiing trip in reference to his jumpy and capricious nature.[9]

1980–1984: Formation of the Red Hot Chili Peppers

Flea was also close friends with Hillel Slovak, the guitarist of a local band called Anthym. The band's original bassist was deemed unsatisfactory, so Slovak began teaching Flea to play bass.[10] Following several months of commitment to the instrument, Flea developed proficiency and joined the group as a full fledged member. Shortly thereafter, Anthym entered a local Battle of the Bands contest and won second place.[10] During his tenure with the group, Flea began to develop a style of slap bass that would become prominent in future Red Hot Chili Peppers songs. Anthym started to play at local nightclubs, despite the fact that the members were all underage. Flea, Slovak, and Kiedis became best friends and often partook in the recreational use of LSD, heroin, cocaine, and speed.[10]

The threesome became fans of the growing punk rock movement that was occurring in Los Angeles at the time. Flea went from despising the genre to listening to it exclusively: "The beautiful thing about punk rock was the intensity, the energy. And punk deflated the whole bloated rock-star thing. I think that musicians who don't pay attention to punk have a gap in their knowledge that makes it difficult to communicate in this day and age."[10] Anthym changed their name to What Is This?, and rapidly became a local club favorite—frequently attracting more than thirty people per show. The band was faltering internally however, and Flea left the group to play bass for a well-established L.A. punk rock group called Fear.[11] Although Fear was a thriving act, Flea was discontented in the band and left shortly after joining.[11] He then successfully auditioned for the role of bassist in the British post-punk group Public Image Ltd., but rejected the offer; he later admitted that the only reason he auditioned was to jam with the band's front man John Lydon.[11]

Slovak, Kiedis, and Flea began to create their own music after finding inspiration in a punk-funk fusion band called Defunkt.[12] Flea, Slovak, Kiedis and former Anthym-drummer Jack Irons formed a band called Tony Flow and the Miraculously Majestic Masters of Mayhem. The band had only one song, entitled "Out in L.A.", and was formed for the purpose of playing the song once.[13] Following the group's first show at The Rhythm Lounge, the owner of the bar asked them to return, but with two songs instead of one. After several more shows, and the addition of several songs to their repertoire, the band's name was changed to Red Hot Chili Peppers.[5][14]
[edit]
1984–1990: First four albums

The band's concert repertoire grew to nine songs as a result of months of playing local nightclubs and bars.[15] The Red Hot Chili Peppers entered Bijou Studios to record a demo tape and subsequently secured a record deal with EMI.[5] Irons and Slovak however, decided to leave the Red Hot Chili Peppers in order to pursue a "more serious" future with What Is This?.[16] Flea ultimately respected the decision, but felt the band would be lost without them. He and Kiedis hired drummer Cliff Martinez and guitarist Jack Sherman to fill Iron's and Slovak's places, respectively.[16] Andy Gill, formerly of Gang of Four, agreed to produce their first album. Gill and Sherman clashed with Flea and Kiedis; they continuously argued over music style, sound, and the album's production.[17] Flea himself felt that the album was stiff and "a big mistake", but also admitted "we [he and Kiedis] were just disrespectful and obnoxious".[12] The band's eponymous debut album, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, was released on August 10, 1984 to largely poor critical and commercial review.[18] After a relatively unfruitful tour, Sherman was fired in early 1985. Slovak, who had been contemplating a return to the Chili Peppers, rejoined the group after being encouraged by Flea.[19]

Funk musician George Clinton was hired to produce the band's second album, Freaky Styley. The strong chemistry between Clinton and the Chili Peppers was felt instantly. Flea later referred to Clinton as "the warmest, kindest man in the world".[20] When Freaky Styley was released in August 1985, however, it received only a bit more attention than The Red Hot Chili Peppers with roughly 75,000 copies sold by year's end.[12] Flea was somewhat indifferent to the poor album sales as he had recently proposed to girlfriend Loesha Zeviar, who was pregnant with their child.[21] The band hired Michael Beinhorn, their last resort among potential producers, to work on their next album.[22] What Is This? had finally disbanded, and Irons returned to the Chili Peppers in mid 1986 after Martinez was fired. Flea, Slovak and Kiedis especially were involved in heavy drug use and their relationships became strained. Flea recalled that "it began to seem ugly to me and not fun; our communication was not healthy".[22] Kiedis became dependent on heroin, leaving Flea and Slovak to work on much of the album's material by themselves. Flea and Zeviar married, and she gave birth to their daughter, Clara. Kiedis was briefly kicked out of the band, and given a month to rehabilitate. Kiedis completed the rehab and rejoined the Red Hot Chili Peppers in Los Angeles to record their third album The Uplift Mofo Party Plan.[22] Flea has referred to the album as "the 'rockingest' record" the band has ever made.[22] The Uplift Mofo Party Plan proved to be far more successful, commercially and critically, than the Chili Peppers' preceding albums; registering at number 148 on the Billboard 200.[23] Following the Uplift tour, Slovak's drug use dramatically increased. Flea's relationship with Slovak faded, and Slovak became isolated and depressed.[12] On June 28, 1988, Slovak was found dead of a heroin overdose. Flea reflected: "I didn't really know how to deal with that sadness, and I don't think [Kiedis] knew how to deal with it either."[12] Irons, who was taking Slovak's death particularly hard, left the group.[5]

Flea and Kiedis took some time to collect themselves, but decided to keep the band together. Guitarist DeWayne "Blackbyrd" McKnight and drummer D.H. Peligro were added, and the band entered the studio to record a new album. McKnight soon began to create tension within the group, as his style did not mesh with the rest of the band.[24] Peligro, the former drummer of the punk rock band Dead Kennedys, was a friend of John Frusciante, an eighteen year old guitarist and avid Red Hot Chili Peppers fan.[25] Peligro introduced Frusciante to Flea, and the three jammed together on several occasions.[26] Flea was impressed with Frusciante's skill, and astonished by his knowledge of the Chili Peppers' repertoire. Flea realized that Frusciante could provide the spark McKnight was lacking.[27] McKnight was fired, and Frusciante accepted an invitation to join the band.[24] Peligro was fired shortly thereafter; the Chili Peppers brought in drummer Chad Smith as his replacement.[28] Flea and Zeviar started to grow apart, and he began trying to recreate the memories of his adolescence by smoking marijuana on a daily basis.[26] The Chili Peppers entered the studio, and completed recording of their fourth album, Mother's Milk, in early 1989. Upon release, the album was met with mixed reactions from critics, but received far more commercial attention, peaking at number fifty-eight on the Billboard 200.[23] After this, Flea made appearances playing the trumpet on Jane's Addiction's 1988 album Nothing's Shocking,[29] and bass on the critically acclaimed 1989 Young MC album Stone Cold Rhymin'. He would also appear in the video for "Bust a Move", the hit single from the same album.[30]

1990–1998: Mainstream success and side projects

The ensuing Mother's Milk tour put a strain on Flea's marriage. In order to make money, he needed to tour, and therefore spend time away from his family.[31] Furthermore, he and Smith were arrested on charges of battery and sexual harassment after a performance on MTV's coverage of spring break;[12] charges were eventually dropped.[31] The band was, however, attracting over three thousand people per show; Mother's Milk had been certified as a gold record in early 1990.[32][33] By the time Red Hot Chili Peppers returned to Los Angeles, Flea and Zeviar agreed to a separation.[31] He tried to put the separation out of his mind by smoking marijuana and having sex with willing fans.[31]

When the tour was over, the Red Hot Chili Peppers severed ties with EMI and signed with Warner Bros. Records.[34] Rick Rubin, who had rejected an opportunity to produce The Uplift Mofo Party Plan, agreed to produce their next album.[35] Flea had largely used the principal slap bass technique on the band's preceding four albums, and decided to downplay this style in favor of more conventional, melodic bass lines.[36] To record the album, Rubin suggested a mansion that once belonged to magician Harry Houdini. Flea felt it was "a creatively fertile situation", and decided to bring his daughter Clara with him.[35] He and the rest of the band, excluding Smith, remained inside the house for the entire recording process. When not writing or recording the album, Flea spent a large portion of his time with Frusciante smoking large quantities of marijuana.[35] The emotions Flea felt during the album's recording were like nothing he had ever experienced:[12]“ When we [the band] made Blood Sugar Sex Magik we spent a lot of time jamming—every day, for hours and hours. I remember during that time Anthony went off and made a movie, and for a long time it was just me, John and Chad, and we'd just go in there and play. Me and John were hitting the bong and we just rocked and grooved forever. It was the first time we went in to make a record where there wasn't this feeling of being sort of intimidated by what was going to happen. ”


When Blood Sugar Sex Magik was released on September 24, 1991, it received an overwhelmingly positive critical response. The album peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 200, and went on to sell over seven million copies in the U.S. alone.[19][23] The album's ensuing tour was critically acclaimed—the Chili Peppers commonly performed shows with over twenty thousand in attendance.[37] Seattle-based grunge band Nirvana also toured with them during the West Coast leg of their United States tour.[37] The massive attention the Chili Peppers started receiving, however, caused Frusciante to feel extremely uncomfortable, and he abruptly quit the band during the Japanese leg of the album's tour.[38] The band hired guitarist Arik Marshall to complete the remaining tour dates.

Marshall was fired at the end of the tour, and the band added former Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro to record a new album. Kiedis was in the middle of a heroin relapse, which forced Flea to assume the role of lyricist, something he had not yet done. He wrote most of the song "Transcending", and the intro to "Deep Kick". Flea also wrote the lyrics to an entire song; "Pea", in which he both played bass and sang.[39] These three songs appeared on the Chili Peppers' sixth record One Hot Minute, which was released on September 12, 1995. The album received mixed reviews and was significantly less commercially successful than Blood Sugar Sex Magik.[19] The One Hot Minute tour was ultimately cut short due to various injuries Kiedis and Smith received, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers decided to go on hiatus.[40] Flea began to practice yoga, and slowly decreased his marijuana consumption.[40] Due to the Chili Peppers' inactivity, Flea joined Navarro in a Jane's Addiction reunion tour in 1997, filling in for ex-Jane's Addiction bassist Eric Avery. Rumors spread that the band was breaking up, until Navarro stated otherwise: "I want to clarify that the Chili Peppers are not breaking up ... Flea and I are more than happy to do both projects, time permitting."[40]

Flea also had plans to record a solo album. He asked Chili Peppers manager Lindy Goetz to help him promote the record and his future solo career.[40] Flea eventually abandoned the idea in favor of offering his bass services to other artists. He performed on over forty records from 1995 to 1998, ranging from Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill to former Minutemen bassist Mike Watt's debut solo album Ball-Hog or Tugboat?. He also worked with Tori Amos and Michael Stipe on a track for the soundtrack to the 1995 Johnny Depp film Don Juan DeMarco.[41] Navarro was fired from the Chili Peppers in 1998, and Flea questioned whether or not the Red Hot Chili Peppers would stay together: "... the only way I could imagine carrying on is if we got John [Frusciante] back in the band."[42] Frusciante had completed drug rehabilitation in 1997 after a severe addiction to heroin and crack cocaine left him on the brink of death.[43] Flea visited Frusciante in early 1998, inviting him back to the Chili Peppers; an emotional Frusciante readily accepted.[44]
[edit]
1998–present: Californication, By the Way and Stadium Arcadium

The band, with Frusciante back on guitar, began writing new songs during the summer of 1998 in Flea's garage.[12] He and Kiedis were less confident in writing the album, after the disappointing results of One Hot Minute.[12] Flea had also recently broken up with his girlfriend of two years, Marissa Pouw, causing him to enter a state of depression,[45] which was only lifted when his daughter, Clara, comforted him after several weeks of crying.[12]

Flea was heavily influenced by electronica during the writing and recording of Californication and he attempted to emulate this when writing bass lines for the album.[45] Californication took less than two weeks to record; by contrast, One Hot Minute took over a year. When Californication was released on June 8, 1999 it received overwhelmingly positive critical reviews and sold fifteen million copies worldwide—more than Blood Sugar Sex Magik.[12] The Chili Peppers played Woodstock 1999, with Flea playing completely naked—something he would do again at the Reading and Leeds Festivals the same year as well as several other Californication tour concerts.[45]

Flea felt like the public school system was seriously lacking in exposing children to music by drastically reducing, and sometimes eliminating, art related programs.[46] He founded the Silverlake Conservatory of Music, a school dedicated to help youth progress in music, because of this.[46][47] "I just wanted to fill the void that public education has cut from their curriculum. They've dropped the ball by cutting out music programs," Flea laments, "I grew up in LA public schools and was in the music department. It was really an important thing for my life, it gave me something to hold onto, and it was an important access for me. Without music I would've gotten into a lot of trouble and there are a lot of kids like me out there. I just wanted to try to provide something like what I got."[46]

Flea performing with Red Hot Chili Peppers at the 2006 Oxegen Festival.

Red Hot Chili Peppers spent most of 2001 writing their eighth studio album, By the Way. The entire band began listening to more melodic, textured music that would reflect heavily on the album.[12] Frusciante became the driving force behind By the Way, causing initial strife between him and Flea.[45] If the bassist introduced a funk rhythm into his bass lines, the guitarist would consequently disapprove.[45] By the Way was released on July 9, 2002 to positive critical reviews. Although not as successful as Californication or Blood Sugar Sex Magik, By the Way would go on to sell over nine million copies worldwide.[48] The ensuing tour, however, was extremely profitable; the Chili Peppers performed three concerts in London's Hyde Park to over 250,000 attendees and a total gross accumulation of $17.1 million.[49] It became the highest grossing concert at a single venue in history.[49]

After another two year world tour, the Chili Peppers wrote their ninth studio album Stadium Arcadium. In 2005, Flea became engaged to his girlfriend Frankie Rayder, and she bore his second daughter Sunny Bebop later the same year.[50] Unlike By the Way, both Flea and Frusciante were more musically conjoined when writing the record. They found inspiration in Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, and Eddie Van Halen among others.[51] The double album was ultimately released on May 9, 2006 to generally positive reviews, selling over seven million copies in less than two years.[52] In November 2007, Flea's $4.8 million Corral Canyon home in Malibu was burnt down by a wildfire.[53] The location was not, however, his primary residence and had been vacated pending sales.[53]

After the band announced a long hiatus due to exhaustion, Flea enrolled into music classes at the University of Southern California. Beginning in the fall of 2008, the bassist is studying music theory, composition and jazz trumpet. Flea attributes his interest in attending such courses to a newfound desire to widen his appreciation and understanding of music: "it’s so much fun to learn this stuff because I never knew anything. I played trumpet in the school bands. I learned things I liked to play on my trumpet but I didn’t learn why this note goes with this note and why it produces that sound. Or how to create tension in the composition [...] Knowing the structure is really fun."[54] Flea also revealed plans to release a mainly instrumental solo record that was being recorded in his home; guest musicians include Patti Smith and a choir from the Silverlake Conservatory.[54]

Flea was also a part of Radiohead lead singer, Thom Yorke's, live band with Joey Waronker, Mauro Refosco and Nigel Godrich. The band performed two shows in Los Angeles in early October 2009, including the entirety of Yorke's 2006 solo album, The Eraser.[55][56]

Musical style"Any instrument is just a vehicle to express who you are and your relationship to the world. No matter what level you’re doing it on, playing music is an opportunity to give something to the world."
——Flea, Bass Player, June 2006[57]


Flea has displayed a wide variety of techniques throughout the years, ranging from his initial use of slapping and popping to the more traditional methods he has employed since Blood Sugar Sex Magik. Greg Prato of Allmusic has noted that "by combining funk-style bass with psychedelic, punk, and hard rock, Flea created an original playing style that has been copied numerous times".[4] Flea has been considered as one of the greatest bassists of all time, with Greg Tate of Rolling Stone saying "if there were a Most Valuable Bass Player award given out in rock, Flea could have laid claim to that bitch ten years running".[58] The Smashing Pumpkins front man Billy Corgan recalls that when he first saw the Chili Peppers in 1984, "Flea was playing so aggressively that he had worn a hole in his thumb and he was literally screaming in pain in-between songs because it hurt so bad. Someone kept coming out and pouring crazy glue into the hole."[5] Flea's sound is also determined by what type of instrument he plays. Before Californication, he did not believe the actual bass held much significance: "what mattered was how you hit them [basses] and your emotional intent, and I still think that's the bottom line."[57] Flea owns a 1961 Fender Jazz Bass, treasuring it for its "old wood sound".[57] He has contributed to the Red Hot Chili Peppers' sound not only with the bass but by playing trumpet, as well; it can be heard on several songs, such as "Subway to Venus" and "Taste The Pain" from their fourth album Mother's Milk or "Torture Me" from their ninth album Stadium Arcadium.

Technique

Flea's bass playing has changed considerably throughout the years. When he joined Fear his technique centered largely around traditional punk rock bass lines,[59] however he was to change this style when the Red Hot Chili Peppers formed. He began to incorporate a "slap" bass style that drew influence largely from Bootsy Collins.[16] However, this technique caused Flea to receive attention from the music world and was often copied, and he therefore felt it necessary to completely remove slap-bass styles from his repertoire following Mother's Milk.[4] Consequently, Blood Sugar Sex Magik saw a notable shift in style as it featured none of his signature technique but rather styles that focused more on traditional and melodic roots.[60] His intellectual beliefs on how to play the instrument were also altered: "I was trying to play simply on Blood Sugar Sex Magik because I had been playing too much prior to that, so I thought, 'I've really got to chill out and play half as many notes'. When you play less, it's more exciting—there's more room for everything. If I do play something busy, it stands out, instead of the bass being a constant onslaught of notes. Space is good."[60] During the writing and recording of One Hot Minute, Flea integrated some use of slap-bass progressions, but continued to center his technique around the philosophy of "less is more" rather than complexity: "I can't even think of anything I played that was complex [on the record]; even the slapping stuff is simple. It's original-sounding, and I'm proud of that—but what I played was more a matter of aesthetic choice."[60] This led Flea to alter the way he wrote music by playing alone, instead of the jam sessions that would dictate how the band conceived songs: "[One Hot Minute] is the least jam-oriented record we've made. I mean, we definitely jammed on the ideas, but there's only one groove on the whole album that came from a jam, 'Deep Kick'. The rest of it came from my sitting down with a guitar or bass."[60]

Flea became interested in electronica during the Californication era and he attempted to emulate the same atmosphere given off by synthesizers into his bass playing: "I feel the most exciting music happening is electronica, without a doubt."[45] He ultimately decided against this, acknowledging that, aside from Frusciante, the band was not moving in the same direction.[45] Californication also saw him incorporate more funk-driven bass lines than he had on One Hot Minute. In By the Way, much of the bass-lines were entirely stripped of funk. Flea felt the chords Frusciante had written were not supportive of his typical technique; furthermore, he does not feel the musical direction of the record was specifically melodic, but instead "... a result of each one of us being who we are. The way we [the band] compose music is a very communal thing."[61]

Influences

Flea's stepfather was in a bebop band that frequently jammed in his presence; he, therefore, became fascinated with the trumpet soon after.[4][5][12] Flea credits his continued interest in music to jazz performers like Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Louis Armstrong, John Coltrane and Dizzy Gillespie.[3] After Kiedis introduced him to punk and rock, Flea became infatuated with artists such as The Germs, Styx, David Bowie and Defunkt.[9][12] Flea's early influences before Blood Sugar Sex Magik were mainly funk artists like Bootsy Collins, Parliament Funkadelic, Sly & the Family Stone, and The Meters.[62] They would become a notable aspect of the Red Hot Chili Peppers' sound up to Mother's Milk. Originally, Flea was given the impression by punk bands that one should play as hard and fast as they possibly could, but ultimately rejected this philosophy during Blood Sugar Sex Magik: "I was so into being raw [...] it was all bullshit."[57] On Californication and By the Way, Flea drew influence from electronica, gothic rock bands like The Cure, Joy Division and Siouxsie and the Banshees and New Wave music rather than funk.[47] During Stadium Arcadium he experienced another shift in interest. Instead of the melodic music he had listened to during the two previous albums, he enjoyed the work of "flashy" guitar players like Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen, and Jimmy Page, exclusively.[51]

Film and television appearances

Flea has pursued a minor acting career since the mid 1980s. His first role was as young punk Razzle in the Penelope Spheeris film Suburbia (1984). Shortly thereafter he starred alongside the Chili Peppers, who played themselves, in the skate drama Thrashin' (1986). He portrayed the character Needles in Back to the Future Part II (1989) and Back to the Future Part III (1990), though in an interview he referred to Part II as "a multi-million dollar piece of trash".[63] He played a minor role in the 1991 independent film My Own Private Idaho as the character Budd. He played a number of minor roles in films throughout the 1990s, including Son in Law (1993) as a tattoo artist, The Chase (1994) as a monster truck driver, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1997) as a hippie, and The Big Lebowski (1998) as a German nihilist. He has also lent his voice to the animated series The Wild Thornberrys as the character Donnie.

In 1991 the Red Hot Chili Peppers released a black and white film documenting the recording of Blood Sugar Sex Magik titled Funky Monks. They have released three video concerts, 'psychedelic sexfunk live from heaven' released in 1990, Off the Map in 2001 and Live at Slane Castle in 2003—the latter of which had over eighty thousand attendees.[64] Flea has also appeared in television broadcasts with Red Hot Chili Peppers on several occasions. Several months before Frusciante's departure in 1992, the band performed two songs on Saturday Night Live—Kiedis felt the show was an embarrassment due to the guitarist; he believed that Frusciante purposely played the song out of tune and incorrectly.[40][65] Later that year, the band appeared in the popular animated comedy The Simpsons on the episode "Krusty Gets Kancelled". At Woodstock 1994, Kiedis proposed the band perform the first few songs in metallic suits with giant light bulbs placed on their heads.[66] Flea was initially reluctant but eventually agreed: "... when we got to play, the energy of the whole thing took over."[67] In 1992, he guest starred on an episode of The Ben Stiller Show. On the episode, Flea beats Stiller in a game of basketball. For the 1999 Woodstock Festival, he played the concert naked.[45] The band has also performed on Late Night with David Letterman three times.

John Frusciante-RHCP


John Anthony Frusciante (pronounced [fruːˈʃɑːnteɪ] (help·info)) (born March 5, 1970) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as the former guitarist of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, with whom he recorded five studio albums. Frusciante has an active solo career, having released ten albums under his own name, as well as two with Josh Klinghoffer and Joe Lally, as Ataxia. His solo recordings include elements ranging from experimental rock and ambient music to New Wave and electronica. Influenced by guitarists of various genres, Frusciante emphasizes melody and emotion in his guitar playing, and favors vintage guitars and analog recording techniques.

Frusciante joined the Red Hot Chili Peppers at eighteen, first appearing on the band's 1989 album Mother's Milk. The group's follow-up album, Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991), was a breakthrough success. However, he was overwhelmed by the band's new popularity and quit in 1992. He became a recluse and entered a long period of heroin addiction, during which he released his first recordings: Niandra Lades and Usually Just a T-Shirt (1994) and Smile from the Streets You Hold (1997). In 1998, he successfully completed drug rehabilitation and rejoined the Red Hot Chili Peppers for their 1999 album Californication, recording two more albums with the band before departing again in 2009. Frusciante has received critical recognition for his guitar playing, ranking eighteenth on Rolling Stone's list of "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" in 2003.[1]Contents
1 Biography
1.1 1970-1987: Childhood and early life
1.2 1988–1992: Red Hot Chili Peppers
1.3 1992–1997: Drug addiction
1.4 1997–2002: Rehabilitation and return to the Chili Peppers
1.5 2002–2007: 2004 recordings and Stadium Arcadium
1.6 2007–present: Red Hot Chili Peppers departure, The Empyrean and further collaborations
2 Musical style
2.1 Technique
2.2 Influences
3 Discography
4 References
5 Notes
6 External links


Biography
[edit]
1970-1987: Childhood and early life

Frusciante was born in Queens, New York on March 5, 1970. His father, John Sr., is a Juilliard-trained pianist, and his mother Gail was a promising vocalist who gave up her career to be a stay-at-home mother.[2] Frusciante's family moved to Tucson, Arizona, and then Florida, where his father still serves as a Broward County judge. His parents separated, and he and his mother moved to Santa Monica, California.[2]

A year later, Frusciante and his mother moved to Mar Vista, Los Angeles with his new stepfather who, he says, "really supported me and made me feel good about being an artist."[2] Like many young people in the area, he became intimately involved in the L.A. punk rock scene. At nine he was infatuated with The Germs, wearing out several copies of their record (GI). By ten, he had taught himself how to play most of (GI)'s songs in a tuning that allowed him to play every chord with a single-finger barre.[2] Soon after, Frusciante began taking guitar lessons from an instructor who introduced him to the music of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.[3]

Frusciante began studying guitarists like Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix at eleven. After mastering the blues scale, he discovered Frank Zappa, whose work he would study for hours.[2] He dropped out of high school at sixteen with the permission of his parents and completion of a proficiency test. With their support, he moved to Los Angeles in order to develop his musical proficiency.[4] He began taking classes at the Guitar Institute of Technology, but turned to punching in without actually attending and left shortly thereafter.[2]

1988–1992: Red Hot Chili Peppers

Frusciante first attended a Red Hot Chili Peppers performance at fifteen and he rapidly became a devoted fan.[4] He idolized guitarist Hillel Slovak—familiarizing himself with virtually all the guitar and bass parts from the Chili Peppers' first three records. He became acquainted with Slovak; the two spoke months before Slovak's death and Frusciante's subsequent joining:[5]“ ...Hillel asked me, 'Would you still like the Chilis if they got so popular they played the Forum?' I said, 'No. It would ruin the whole thing. That's great about the band, the audience feels no different from the band at all.' There was this real kind of historical vibe at their shows, none of the frustration that runs through the audience when they jump around and can't get out of their seat. I didn't even watch the shows. I'd get so excited that I'd flip around the slam pit the whole time. I really felt like a part of the band, and all the sensitive people in the audience did too. ”


Frusciante became friends with former Dead Kennedys drummer D. H. Peligro in early 1988. They often jammed together, and Peligro invited his friend Flea (bassist of Red Hot Chili Peppers) to join. Frusciante and Flea developed a musical chemistry immediately, with Flea later acknowledging that might have been the day he first played the bass riff to "Nobody Weird Like Me".[6] Around the same time, Frusciante intended to audition for Frank Zappa's band, but changed his mind before the final try-out as Zappa strictly prohibited illegal drug use. Frusciante said, "I realized that I wanted to be a rock star, do drugs and get girls, and that I wouldn't be able to do that if I was in Zappa's band."[2]

Slovak died of a heroin overdose in 1988, and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Jack Irons, incapable of coping with Slovak's death, left the group. Remaining members Flea and vocalist Anthony Kiedis regrouped, determined to persevere. The pair added Peligro on drums and DeWayne "Blackbyrd" McKnight, formerly of P-Funk, on guitar.[7] McKnight, however, failed to connect musically within the group. Flea proposed auditioning Frusciante, whose intimate knowledge of the Chili Peppers' repertoire astonished him. Flea and Kiedis auditioned him and agreed that he would be a suitable replacement for McKnight, who was promptly fired.[8] When Flea called Frusciante with the news of his acceptance into the Chili Peppers, Frusciante was elated; he ran through his house screaming with joy, and jumped on a wall, leaving permanent boot marks.[9] He was in the midst of signing a contract[vague] with Thelonious Monster at the time—and had actually been playing with the act for two weeks—but his unanticipated reception into the Chili Peppers prompted him to change his plans.[10]

However, Frusciante was not familiar with the funk genre of Red Hot Chili Peppers' sound: "I wasn't really a funk player before I joined the band. I learned everything I needed to know about how to sound good with Flea by studying Hillel [Slovak's] playing and I just took it sideways from there."[11] Several weeks into the band's new lineup, Peligro, whose performance was suffering due to extreme drug abuse, was fired.[12] Soon after, Chad Smith was added as the group's new drummer and the new lineup began recording their first album, 1989's Mother's Milk. Frusciante focused on emulating Slovak's signature style, rather than imposing his own personal style on the group. Producer Michael Beinhorn disagreed, and wanted Frusciante to play with an uncharacteristic heavy metal tone, largely absent from the band's three preceding records.[13] Frusciante and Beinhorn fought frequently over guitar tone and layering, and Beinhorn's idea ultimately prevailed as Frusciante felt pressured by the producer's much greater knowledge of the studio.[13] Kiedis recalls that "[Beinhorn] wanted John to have a big, crunching, almost metal-sounding guitar tone whereas before we always had some interesting acid-rock guitar tones as well as a lot of slinky, sexy, funky guitar tones."[14]

Frusciante (right) and Kiedis (left) performing as the Red Hot Chili Peppers during the Blood Sugar Sex Magik tour in 1991

The Chili Peppers collaborated with producer Rick Rubin for their second record with Frusciante, Blood Sugar Sex Magik. Rubin felt that it was important to record the album in an unorthodox setting, so he suggested an old Hollywood Hills mansion, and the band agreed.[15] Frusciante, Kiedis and Flea isolated themselves there for the duration of the recording. Frusciante and Flea seldom went outside, and spent most of their time smoking marijuana.[16] Around this time, Frusciante started a side collaboration with Flea and Jane's Addiction drummer Stephen Perkins called The Three Amoebas. They recorded roughly ten to fifteen hours of material, none of which has ever been released.[5]

Blood Sugar Sex Magik was hugely successful upon its release on September 24, 1991. It peaked at number three on the Billboard charts, and went on to sell thirteen million copies worldwide.[17][18] The unexpected success instantly turned the Red Hot Chili Peppers into rock stars. Frusciante was blindsided by his newfound fame, and struggled to cope with it. Soon after the album's release, he began to develop a dislike for the band's popularity. Kiedis recalled that he and Frusciante used to get into heated discussions backstage after concerts: "John would say, 'We're too popular. I don't need to be at this level of success. I would just be proud to be playing this music in clubs like you guys were doing two years ago.'"[19] Frusciante later said that the band's rise to popularity was "too high, too far, too soon. Everything seemed to be happening at once and I just couldn't cope with it."[20] He also began to feel that destiny was leading him away from the band. When the Chili Peppers began their world tour, he started to hear voices in his head telling him "you won't make it during the tour, you have to go now."[21] Frusciante admitted to having once taken great pleasure in hedonism; however, "by the age of twenty, I started doing it right and looking at it as an artistic expression instead of a way of partying and screwing a bunch of girls. To balance it out, I had to be extra-humble, extra-anti-rock star."[22] He refused to take the stage during a performance at Tokyo's Club Quattro on May 7, 1992, telling his bandmates that he was leaving the band. He was persuaded to perform, but left for California the next morning;[9] according to the guitarist, "it was just impossible for me to stay in the band any longer. It had come to the point where even though they wanted me in the band, it felt like I was forced out of the band. Not by any members in particular or management in particular, but just the direction it was going."[23]
[edit]
1992–1997: Drug addiction

Frusciante developed serious drug habits while touring with the band during the previous four years. He said that when he "found out that Flea was stoned out of his mind at every show, that inspired me to be a pothead".[24] Not only was Frusciante smoking large amounts of marijuana, but he began to use heroin and was on the verge of full-scale addiction. Upon returning to California in the summer of 1992, Frusciante entered a deep depression, feeling that his life was over and that he could no longer write music or play guitar.[21] For a long time, he focused on painting, producing 4-track recordings he had made while recording Blood Sugar Sex Magik, and writing short stories and screenplays that dealt with a variety of motifs. To cope with his worsening depression, Frusciante increased his heroin use and spiraled into a life-threatening dependency.[25] His use of heroin to medicate his depression was a clear decision: "I was very sad, and I was always happy when I was on drugs; therefore, I should be on drugs all the time. I was never guilty—I was always really proud to be an addict."[26] Although he openly admitted to being a "junkie", his thinking had been fundamentally warped by the excessive drug use, believing drugs were the only way of "making sure you stay in touch with beauty instead of letting the ugliness of the world corrupt your soul."[27] "Your Pussy's Glued to a Building on Fire"

Sample of "Your Pussy's Glued to a Building on Fire", from Frusciante's first solo album, Niandra Lades and Usually Just a T-Shirt


Frusciante released his first solo album Niandra Lades and Usually Just a T-Shirt, on March 8, 1994. Despite the common belief that most of the tracks were recorded while he was strung out on heroin in his home in the Hollywood Hills,[28] Frusciante has said that "That album was not recorded when I was a heroin addict. It was released when I was a heroin addict.” [29]

The first half of Niandra Lades and Usually Just a T-Shirt was recorded shortly after the completion of Blood Sugar Sex Magik; the second half between late 1991 and early 1992, during the album's tour.[28] "Running Away Into You" is the only track recorded after he left the Chili Peppers. The album is a heavily experimental avant-garde composition whose initial purpose was spiritual and emotional expression: "I wrote [the record] because I was in a really big place in my head—it was a huge, spiritual place telling me what to do. As long as I'm obeying those forces, it's always going to be meaningful. I could be playing guitar and I could say 'Play something that sucks,' and if I'm in that place, it's gonna be great. And it has nothing to do with me, except in ways that can't be understood."[30] Frusciante further asserted that the album was meant to be experienced as a cohesive unit rather than separate entities or songs.[30] Niandra Lades and Usually Just a T-Shirt was released on Rick Rubin's label American Recordings. Warner Bros., the Chili Peppers' label, owned rights to the album because of the leaving-artist clause in Frusciante's Chili Peppers contract. However, because he was reclusive, the label gladly handed the rights over to Rubin, who released the album at the urging of Frusciante's friends.[31]

An article in the New Times LA described Frusciante as "a skeleton covered in thin skin" who at the nadir of his addictions nearly died from a blood infection.[31] His arms became fiercely scarred from improperly shooting heroin and cocaine, leaving permanent abscesses.[22] He spent the next three years holed up in his Hollywood Hills home, the walls of which were badly damaged and covered in graffiti.[32] During this time, his friends Johnny Depp and Gibby Haynes went to his house and filmed an unreleased documentary short called Stuff, depicting the squalor in which he was living.[32] The house was eventually destroyed by a fire that claimed his vintage guitar collection along with several recorded tapes of music and left him with serious burns after he narrowly escaped.[33]

Frusciante released his second solo album, Smile from the Streets You Hold, in 1997. The album's first track, "Enter a Uh", was largely characterized by cryptic lyrics and hysterical screeches. Frusciante also coughs throughout the track, showcasing his deteriorating health. By his own admission, the album was released in order to get "drug money"; he withdrew it from the market in 1999.[34] Yet Frusciante has stated that he believes the material on the record is of high quality and wishes to one day re-release it.[35]

1997–2002: Rehabilitation and return to the Chili Peppers

In late 1997, after more than five years of addiction to heroin, Frusciante quit it cold turkey.[36] However, months later he was still unable to break addictions to crack cocaine and alcohol.[36] In January 1998, urged by longtime friend Bob Forrest, Frusciante checked into Las Encinas, a drug rehabilitation clinic in Pasadena, to begin a full recovery.[36] Upon arrival, he was diagnosed with a potentially lethal oral infection, which could only be alleviated by removing all of his teeth and replacing them with dentures.[2] He also received skin grafts to help repair the abscesses on his ravaged arms.[32] About a month later, Frusciante checked out of Las Encinas and reentered society.[37]

Fully recovered and once again healthy, Frusciante began living a more spiritual, ascetic lifestyle. He changed his diet, becoming more health-conscious and eating mostly unprocessed foods.[21] Through regular practice of vipassana and yoga, he discovered the effect self-discipline has on the body.[33] To maintain his increased spiritual awareness and reduce distraction from his music, Frusciante decided to abstain from sexual activity stating: "I'm very well without it."[21] All of these changes in his life have led him to a complete change in his attitude toward drugs:[25]“ I don't need to take drugs. I feel so much more high all the time right now because of the type of momentum that a person can get going when you really dedicate yourself to something that you really love. I don't even consider doing them, they're completely silly. Between my dedication to trying to constantly be a better musician and eating my health foods and doing yoga, I feel so much more high than I did for the last few years of doing drugs.

At this point I'm the happiest person in the world. These things do not fuck with me at all, and I'm so proud of that—you don't know how proud I am. It's such a beautiful thing to be able to face life, to face yourself, without hiding behind drugs; without having to have anger towards people who love you. There are people who are scared of losing stuff, but you don't lose anything for any other reason than if you just give up on yourself. ”


Despite his experience as an addict, Frusciante does not view his drug use as a "dark period" in his life. He considers it a period of rebirth, during which he found himself and cleared his mind.[38] Frusciante has since stopped practicing yoga, due its effects on his back, but he still tries to meditate daily.[33]

In early 1998, the Red Hot Chili Peppers fired guitarist Dave Navarro and were on the verge of breaking up. Flea told Kiedis, "the only way I could imagine carrying on [with the Red Hot Chili Peppers] is if we got John back in the band."[39] With Frusciante free of his addictions and ailments, Kiedis and Flea thought it was an appropriate time to invite him back. When Flea visited him at his home and asked him to rejoin the band, Frusciante began sobbing and said "nothing would make me happier in the world."[37] With Frusciante back on guitar, the Chili Peppers began recording their next album, Californication, released in 1999. Frusciante's return restored a key component of the Chili Peppers' sound, as well as a healthy morale. He brought with him his deep devotion to music, which had an impact on the band's recording style during the album.[16] Frusciante has frequently stated that his work on Californication was his favorite.[16]

During the Californication world tour, Frusciante continued to write his own songs, many of which would be released in 2001 on his third solo album To Record Only Water for Ten Days. The album was stylistically unlike his previous records, less markedly stream-of-consciousness or avant-garde. However, the lyrics were still very cryptic and its sound was notably stripped down.[40] The songwriting and production of To Record Only Water for Ten Days were more efficient and straightforward than on his previous recordings.[40] The album strayed from the alternative rock he had just written with the Chili Peppers on Californication, focusing more on electronic and New Wave elements.[41] In addition to his guitar work, Frusciante experimented with a variety of synthesizers, a distinctive feature of the record.[41]

In 2001, Frusciante began recording his fourth album with Red Hot Chili Peppers, By the Way; he considered the time to be among the happiest in his life.[16] He relished the chance the album gave him to "keep writing better songs".[16] While working on By the Way, he also composed most of what would become Shadows Collide with People, as well as the songs created for the movie The Brown Bunny.[42] His goal to improve his guitar playing on the album was largely driven by a desire to emulate guitar players such as Andy Partridge, Johnny Marr and John McGeoch; or as he put it, "people who used good chords".[16] The album marked Frusciante's shift to a more group-minded mentality within the Chili Peppers, viewing the band as a cohesive unit rather than as four separate entities.[16] By the Way was released in the U.S. on July 9, 2002.
[edit]
2002–2007: 2004 recordings and Stadium Arcadium

Frusciante wrote and recorded a plethora of songs during and after the By the Way tour. In February 2004, he started a side project with Joe Lally of Fugazi and Josh Klinghoffer, called Ataxia. The group was together for about two weeks, during which they recorded about ninety minutes of material.[43][44] After two days in the recording studio, they played two shows at the Knitting Factory in Hollywood, and spent two more days in the studio before disbanding.[44] Later that year, five songs provided by Frusciante appeared on The Brown Bunny soundtrack.[45] "The Past Recedes"

"The Past Recedes", from Frusciante's 2005 album Curtains, is a return to musical convention from the experimental ideas of his first recordings, Niandra Lades and Usually Just a T-Shirt and Smile from the Streets You Hold.


Frusciante released his fourth full-length solo album Shadows Collide with People on February 24, 2004. This featured guest appearances from some of his friends, including Klinghoffer, and Chili Peppers bandmates Smith and Flea.[46] In June 2004, he announced that he would be releasing six records over six months:[47] The Will to Death, Ataxia's Automatic Writing, DC EP, Inside of Emptiness, A Sphere in the Heart of Silence and Curtains. With the release of Curtains Frusciante debuted his only music video of 2004, for the track "The Past Recedes". He wanted to produce these records quickly and inexpensively on analog tape, avoiding modern studio and computer-assisted recording processes.[48]

Frusciante at Madejski Stadium in Reading, England in July 2006

In early 2005, Frusciante entered the studio to work on his fifth studio album with the Chili Peppers, Stadium Arcadium. His guitar playing is dominant throughout the album, and he provides backing vocals on most of the tracks. Although usually following a "less is more" style of guitar playing,[49] he began using a full twenty-four track mixer for maximum effect.[50] In the arrangements, he incorporates a wide array of sounds and playing styles, from the funk-influenced Blood Sugar Sex Magik to the more melodic By the Way. He also changed his approach to his playing, opting to contribute solos and allow songs to be formed from jam sessions. Several reviews have stressed that the influence of Hendrix is evident in his solos on the album,[51] with Frusciante himself backing this up.[52] He also expanded the use of guitar effects throughout the album, and used various other instruments such as the synthesizer and mellotron. He worked continuously with Rubin over-dubbing guitar progressions, changing harmonies and using all his technical resources.[52]

Frusciante began a series of collaborations with friend Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and his band The Mars Volta, by contributing vocals and electronic instrumentation to their album De-Loused in the Comatorium.[53] He also contributed guitar solos on their 2005 album Frances the Mute.[54] In 2006, he helped The Mars Volta complete their third album Amputechture by playing guitar on seven of its eight tracks.[55] In return, Rodriguez-Lopez has played on several of Frusciante's solo albums, as well as made a guest appearance on Stadium Arcadium.[46][56][57]
[edit]
2007–present: Red Hot Chili Peppers departure, The Empyrean and further collaborations

After Ataxia released their second and final studio album, AW II, on May 29, 2007, Frusciante began a period of dormancy in respects to his solo career.[vague] Following the Stadium Arcadium tour (early May 2006 to late August 2007), the Red Hot Chili Peppers agreed to a hiatus of indefinite length.[58] In early 2008, Anthony Kiedis finally confirmed this, citing exhaustion from constant work since Californication as the main reason.[58] Frusciante quit the group during this period, but did not publicly announce his departure until December 2009.[59]

Frusciante's tenth solo album, The Empyrean, was released on January 20, 2009 through Record Collection.[60] The record—a concept album—was in production between December 2006 and March 2008.[60] The Empyrean features an array of musicians including Frusciante's Chili Peppers bandmate Flea, friends Josh Klinghoffer and former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, as well as guest musicians including Sonus Quartet and New Dimension Singers. Frusciante is "really happy with [the record] and I've listened to it a lot for the psychedelic experience it provides," suggesting the album "be played as loud as possible and it is suited to dark living rooms late at night."[60]

After the release of The Empyrean, Frusciante continued to collaborate with other artists. Along with continuing to provide guitar work to The Mars Volta's studio albums, The Bedlam In Goliath, and Octahedron, Frusciante also began an electronic duo with Aaron Funk under the name Speed Dealer Moms.[61][62] They were to play a "live 303 & 808 analogue" acid show at the Bang Face Weekender event[63] but were unable to, citing equipment malfunctions as the cause. They were later scheduled to play the event in August 2009, but the event was canceled due to circumstances unknown. Although they've yet to release any music commercially or play any live shows, they have written somewhere around 80 songs.[64]

Along with Speed Dealer Moms, Frusciante also provided guitar for Swahili Blonde, a project of percussionist/vocalist Nicole Turley.[65] The project released its debut digital single Elixor Flixor on Manimal Vinyl in November, 2009.[65] More recently, Frusciante has been announced as the executive producer for Omar Rodriguez-Lopez's directorial film debut[66], The Sentimental Engine Slayer.[67] The film is set to debut at the 2010 Rotterdam Film Festival in February.[66]

Musical styleWhen the intellectual part of guitar playing overrides the spiritual, you don't get to extreme heights.
—John Frusciante (Rolling Stone, February 2007)[68]


Frusciante's musical style has evolved. Although he previously received moderate recognition for his guitar work, it was not until recently that music critics and guitarists alike began to fully recognize it: in October 2003, he was ranked eighteenth in Rolling Stone's list of the "100 Greatest Guitarist of All Time".[1][68] Frusciante attributes this recent recognition to his shift in focus, stating that he chose an approach based on rhythmic patterns inspired by the complexity of material Jimi Hendrix and Eddie Van Halen produced.[69] On earlier records, however, much of his output was influenced by various underground punk and New Wave musicians.[16] In general, his sound is also defined by an affinity for vintage guitars. All the guitars that he owns, records, and tours with were made before 1970.[70] Frusciante will use the specific guitar that he finds appropriate for a certain song. All of the guitars he owned before quitting the band were destroyed when his house burned down in 1996.[71] The first guitar he bought after rejoining the Chili Peppers was a 1967 red Fender Jaguar.[71] His most-often used guitar, however, is a 1962 Sunburst Fender Stratocaster which he has played on every album since joining the Chili Peppers, and their ensuing tours.[71][72] Frusciante's most prized instrument is a 1957 Gretsch White Falcon, which he used twice per show during the By the Way tour. He has since stopped using it, saying there was "no room for it".[72] Virtually all of Frusciante's acoustic work is played with a 1950s Martin 0-15.[71][73]

Frusciante uses a variety of vocal styles on his solo albums, ranging from the distressed screeches on Niandra Lades and Usually Just a T-Shirt and Smile from the Streets You Hold to more conventional styles on later records.[74] With the Chili Peppers, Frusciante provided backing vocals in a falsetto tenor, a style he started on Blood Sugar Sex Magik. He thoroughly enjoyed his role in the Chili Peppers as backup singer, and said that backing vocals are a "real art form".[75] Despite his commitment to the Chili Peppers, he felt that his work with the band should remain separate from his solo projects. When he returned to the Chili Peppers in 1998, Kiedis wanted the band to record "Living in Hell", a song Frusciante had written several years before. Frusciante refused, feeling that the creative freedom he needs for his solo projects would conflict with his role in the band.[75]
[edit]
Technique

Frusciante's guitar playing employs melody and emotion rather than virtuosity. Although virtuoso influences can be heard throughout his career, he has said that he often minimizes this.[76] He feels that in general, guitar mastery has not evolved much since the 1960s and considers the greatest players of that decade unsurpassed.[76] When he was growing up in the 1980s, many mainstream guitarists focused on speed. Because of this, he thinks that the skills of many defiant New Wave and punk guitarists were largely overlooked.[16] Therefore he accentuates the melodically-driven technique of players such as Matthew Ashman of Bow Wow Wow and Bernard Sumner of Joy Division as much as possible because he thinks that their style has been overlooked and consequently underexplored.[16] Despite this, he considers himself a fan of technique-driven guitarists like Randy Rhoads and Steve Vai, but represses an urge to emulate their style: "People believe that by playing faster and creating new playing techniques you can progress forward, but then they realize that emotionally they don't progress at all. They transmit nothing to the people listening and they stay at where Hendrix was three decades ago. Something like that happened to Vai in the 80s."[76] Believing that focusing only on "clean tones" is negative[vague], Frusciante developed an interest in playing with what he calls a "grimy" sound. As a result, he considers it beneficial to "mistreat" his guitar and employ various forms of distortion when soloing.[76] He also tries to break as many "stylistic boundaries" as he can, in order to expand his musical horizons. He thinks that much of the output from today's guitarists is unoriginal, and that many of his contemporaries "follow the rules with no risk".[76]

Frusciante's approach to album composition has changed. On his early recordings, he welcomed sonic imperfections, noting that "even on [To Record Only Water for Ten Days] there are off-pitch vocals and out-of-tune guitars."[77] However, on later albums such as Shadows Collide With People, he pursued the opposite: "I just wanted everything to be perfect—I didn't want anything off pitch, or off time, or any unintentional this or that."[77] Frusciante views songwriting as taking time, and does not force it: "If a song wants to come to me, I'm always ready to receive it, but I don't work at it."[21] Much of his solo material is first written on an acoustic or unamplified electric guitar.[78] He cultivates an atmosphere conducive to songwriting by constantly listening to the music of others and absorbing its creative influence.[79] He also prefers to record his albums on analog tapes and other relatively primitive equipment.[80] This preference stems from his belief that older equipment can actually speed up the recording process, and that modern computerized recording technology gives only an illusion of efficiency.[48] Frusciante tries to streamline the recording process as much as possible, because he thinks "music comes alive when [you] are creating it fast". He also enjoys the challenge of having to record something in very few takes, and believes that when musicians are unable to handle the pressure of having to record something quickly they often get frustrated or bogged down by perfectionism.[80]

Influences

Although Hendrix was arguably Frusciante's most profound influence, he was also inspired by glam rock artists David Bowie and T.Rex as well as avant-garde acts like Captain Beefheart, The Residents, The Velvet Underground, Neu!, Frank Zappa and Kraftwerk.[2][3] He credits his inspiration for learning guitar to Greg Ginn, Pat Smear and Joe Strummer, among others.[68] As an adolescent, he began focusing on Hendrix and Led Zeppelin, as well as other bands like Public Image Ltd., Siouxsie and the Banshees and The Smiths.[3][16] During the recording of Blood Sugar Sex Magik, Captain Beefheart and the acoustic, one-man blues of Leadbelly and Robert Johnson, were among the most noteworthy influences.[81][82] On Californication and By the Way, Frusciante derived the technique of creating tonal texture through chord patterns from post-punk guitarist Vini Reilly of The Durutti Column, and bands such as Fugazi and The Cure.[16][81] He originally intended By the Way to be made up of "these punky, rough songs", drawing inspiration from early punk artists such as The Germs and The Damned. However, this was discouraged by producer Rick Rubin, and he instead built upon Californication's melodically-driven style.[83] During the recording of Stadium Arcadium, he moved away from his New Wave influences and concentrated on emulating flashier guitar players such as Hendrix and Van Halen.[69] With his recent solo work, he has cited electronic music—in which the guitar is often completely absent—as an influence. His electronic music influences include Depeche Mode, New Order, The Human League, Ekkehard Ehlers, Peter Rehberg and Christian Fennesz.[3] His interests are constantly changing, as he believes that without change he will no longer have any interest in playing: "I'm always drawing inspiration from different kinds of music and playing guitar along with records, and I go into each new album project with a preconceived idea of what styles I want to combine."

Iwan Fals the Legend


Iwan Fals yang bernama lengkap Virgiawan Listanto (lahir di Jakarta, 3 September 1961; umur 48 tahun) adalah seorang penyanyi beraliran balada yang menjadi salah satu legenda hidup di Indonesia.

Lewat lagu-lagunya, ia 'memotret' suasana sosial kehidupan Indonesia di akhir tahun 1970-an hingga sekarang, serta kehidupan dunia pada umumnya, dan kehidupan itu sendiri. Kritik atas perilaku sekelompok orang (seperti Wakil Rakyat, Tante Lisa), empati bagi kelompok marginal (misalnya Siang Seberang Istana, Lonteku), atau bencana besar yang melanda Indonesia (atau kadang-kadang di luar Indonesia, seperti Ethiopia) mendominasi tema lagu-lagu yang dibawakannya. Namun demikian, Iwan Fals tidak hanya menyanyikan lagu ciptaannya sendiri tetapi juga sejumlah pencipta lain.

Iwan yang juga sempat aktif di kegiatan olahraga, pernah meraih gelar Juara II Karate Tingkat Nasional, Juara IV Karate Tingkat Nasional 1989, sempat masuk pelatnas dan melatih karate di kampusnya, STP (Sekolah Tinggi Publisistik). Iwan juga sempat menjadi kolumnis di beberapa tabloid olah raga.

Kharisma seorang Iwan Fals sangat besar. Dia sangat dipuja oleh kaum 'akar rumput'. Kesederhanaannya menjadi panutan para penggemarnya yang tersebar diseluruh nusantara. Para penggemar fanatik Iwan Fals bahkan mendirikan sebuah yayasan pada tanggal 16 Agustus 1999 yang disebut Yayasan Orang Indonesia atau biasa dikenal dengan seruan Oi. Yayasan ini mewadahi aktivitas para penggemar Iwan Fals. Hingga sekarang kantor cabang OI dapat ditemui setiap penjuru nusantara dan beberapa bahkan sampai ke manca negara
*

Biografi

Masa kecil Iwan Fals dihabiskan di Bandung, kemudian ikut saudaranya di Jeddah, Arab Saudi selama 8 bulan. Bakat musiknya makin terasah ketika ia berusia 13 tahun, di mana Iwan banyak menghabiskan waktunya dengan mengamen di Bandung. Bermain gitar dilakukannya sejak masih muda bahkan ia mengamen untuk melatih kemampuannya bergitar dan mencipta lagu. Ketika di SMP, Iwan menjadi gitaris dalama paduan suara sekolah.

Selanjutnya, datang ajakan untuk mengadu nasib di Jakarta dari seorang produser. Ia lalu menjual sepeda motornya untuk biaya membuat master. Iwan rekaman album pertama bersama rekan-rekannya, Toto Gunarto, Helmi, Bambang Bule yang tergabung dalam Amburadul, namun album tersebut gagal di pasaran dan Iwan kembali menjalani profesi sebagai pengamen. Album ini sekarang menjadi buruan para kolektor serta fans fanatik Iwan Fals.

Setelah dapat juara di festival musik country, Iwan ikut festival lagu humor. Arwah Setiawan (almarhum), lagu-lagu humor milik Iwan sempat direkam bersama Pepeng, Krisna, Nana Krip dan diproduksi oleh ABC Records, tapi juga gagal dan hanya dikonsumsi oleh kalangan tertentu saja. Sampai akhirnya, perjalanan Iwan bekerja sama dengan Musica Studio. Sebelum ke Musica, Iwan sudah rekaman sekitar 4-5 album. Di Musica, barulah lagu-lagu Iwan digarap lebih serius. Album Sarjana Muda, misalnya, musiknya ditangani oleh Willy Soemantri.

Iwan tetap menjalani profesinya sebagai pengamen. Ia mengamen dengan mendatangi rumah ke rumah, kadang di Pasar Kaget atau Blok M. Album Sarjana Muda ternyata banyak diminati dan Iwan mulai mendapatkan berbagai tawaran untuk bernyanyi. Ia kemudian sempat masuk televisi setelah tahun 1987. Saat acara Manasuka Siaran Niaga disiarkan di TVRI, lagu Oemar Bakri sempat ditayangkan di TVRI. Ketika anak kedua Iwan, Cikal lahir tahun 1985, kegiatan mengamen langsung dihentikan.

Selama Orde Baru, banyak jadwal acara konser Iwan yang dilarang dan dibatalkan oleh aparat pemerintah, karena lirik-lirik lagunya dianggap dapat memancing kerusuhan. Pada awal karirnya, Iwan Fals banyak membuat lagu yang bertema kritikan pada pemerintah. Beberapa lagu itu bahkan bisa dikategorikan terlalu keras pada masanya, sehingga perusahaan rekaman yang memayungi Iwan Fals enggan atau lebih tepatnya tidak berani memasukkan lagu-lagu tersebut dalam album untuk dijual bebas. Belakangan Iwan Fals juga mengakui kalau pada saat itu dia sendiri juga tidak tertarik untuk memasukkan lagu-lagu ini ke dalam album.

Rekaman lagu-lagu yang tidak dipasarkan tersebut kemudian sempat diputar di sebuah stasiun radio yang sekarang sudah tidak mengudara lagi. Iwan Fals juga pernah menyanyikan lagu-lagu tersebut dalam beberapa konser musik, yang mengakibatkan dia berulang kali harus berurusan dengan pihak keamanan dengan alasan lirik lagu yang dinyanyikan dapat mengganggu stabilitas negara.[rujukan?] Beberapa konser musiknya pada tahun 80-an juga sempat disabotase dengan cara memadamkan aliran listrik dan pernah juga dibubarkan secara paksa hanya karena Iwan Fals membawakan lirik lagu yang menyindir penguasa saat itu.

Pada bulan April tahun 1984 Iwan Fals harus berurusan dengan aparat keamanan dan sempat ditahan dan diinterogasi selama 2 minggu gara-gara menyanyikan lirik lagu Demokrasi Nasi dan Pola Sederhana juga Mbak Tini pada sebuah konser di Pekanbaru. Sejak kejadian itu, Iwan Fals dan keluarganya sering mendapatkan teror.[rujukan?] Hanya segelintir fans fanatik Iwan Fals yang masih menyimpan rekaman lagu-lagu ini, dan sekarang menjadi koleksi yang sangat berharga.

Saat bergabung dengan kelompok SWAMI dan merilis album bertajuk SWAMI pada 1989, nama Iwan semakin meroket dengan mencetak hits Bento dan Bongkar yang sangat fenomenal. Perjalanan karir Iwan Fals terus menanjak ketika dia bergabung dengan Kantata Takwa pada 1990 yang didukung penuh oleh pengusaha Setiawan Djodi. Konser-konser Kantata Takwa saat itu sampai sekarang dianggap sebagai konser musik yang terbesar dan termegah sepanjang sejarah musik Indonesia.

Setelah kontrak dengan SWAMI yang menghasilkan dua album (SWAMI dan SWAMI II) berakhir, dan disela Kantata (yang menghasilkan Kantata Takwa dan Kantata Samsara), Iwan Fals masih meluncurkan album-album solo maupun bersama kelompok seperti album Dalbo yang dikerjakan bersama sebagian mantan personil SWAMI.

Sejak meluncurnya album Suara Hati pada 2002, Iwan Fals telah memiliki kelompok musisi pengiring yang tetap dan selalu menyertai dalam setiap pengerjaan album maupun konser. Menariknya, dalam seluruh alat musik yang digunakan baik oleh Iwan fals maupun bandnya pada setiap penampilan di depan publik tidak pernah terlihat merek maupun logo. Seluruh identitas tersebut selalu ditutupi atau dihilangkan. Pada panggung yang menjadi dunianya, Iwan Fals tidak pernah mengizinkan ada logo atau tulisan sponsor terpampang untuk menjaga idealismenya yang tidak mau dianggap menjadi wakil dari produk tertentu.
Keluarga

Iwan lahir dari Lies (ibu) dan mempunyai ayah Haryoso almarhum (kolonel Anumerta). Iwan menikahi Rosanna (Mbak Yos) dan mempunyai anak Galang Rambu Anarki (almarhum), Annisa Cikal Rambu Basae, dan Rayya Rambu Robbani.

Galang mengikuti jejak ayahnya terjun di bidang musik. Walaupun demikian, musik yang ia bawakan berbeda dengan yang telah menjadi trade mark ayahnya. Galang kemudian menjadi gitaris kelompok Bunga dan sempat merilis satu album perdana menjelang kematiannya.

Nama Galang juga dijadikan salah satu lagu Iwan, berjudul Galang Rambu Anarki pada album Opini, yang bercerita tentang kegelisahan orang tua menghadapi kenaikan harga-harga barang sebagai imbas dari kenaikan harga BBM pada awal tahun 1981 yaitu pada hari kelahiran Galang (1 Januari 1981).

Nama Cikal sebagai putri kedua juga diabadikan sebagai judul album dan judul lagu Iwan Fals yang terbit tahun 1991. Sebelumnya Cikal juga pernah dibuatkan lagu dengan judul Anissa pada tahun 1986. Rencananya lagu ini dimasukkan dalam album Aku Sayang Kamu, namun dibatalkan. Lirik lagu ini cukup kritis sehingga perusahaan rekaman batal menyertakannya. Pada cover album Aku Sayang Kamu terutama cetakan awal, pada bagian penata musik masih tertulis kata Anissa.

Galang Rambu Anarki meninggal pada bulan April 1997 secara mendadak yang membuat aktivitas bermusik Iwan Fals sempat vakum selama beberapa tahun. Galang dimakamkan di pekarangan rumah Iwan Fals di desa Leuwinanggung, Cimanggis, Depok Jawa Barat. Sepeninggal Galang, Iwan sering menyibukkan diri dengan melukis dan berlatih bela diri.

Pada tahun 2002 Iwan mulai aktif lagi membuat album setelah sekian lama menyendiri dengan munculnya album Suara Hati yang di dalamnya terdapat lagu Hadapi Saja yang bercerita tentang kematian Galang Rambu Anarki. Pada lagu ini istri Iwan Fals (Yos) juga ikut menyumbangkan suaranya.

Sejak meninggalnya Galang Rambu Anarki, warna dan gaya bermusik Iwan Fals terasa berbeda. Dia tidak segarang dan seliar dahulu. Lirik-lirik lagunya terkesan lebih dewasa dan puitis. Iwan Fals juga lebih banyak membawakan lagu-lagu bertema cinta baik karangannya sendiri maupun dari orang lain.

Pada tanggal 22 Januari 2003, Iwan Fals dianugrahi seorang anak lelaki yang diberi nama Rayya Rambu Robbani. Kelahiran putra ketiganya ini seakan menjadi pengganti almarhum Galang Rambu Anarki dan banyak memberi inspirasi dalam dunia musik seorang Iwan Fals.

Di luar musik dan lirik, penampilan Iwan Fals juga berubah total. Saat putra pertamanya meninggal dunia Iwan Fals mencukur habis rambut panjangnya hingga gundul. Sekarang dia berpenampilan lebih bersahaja, rambut berpotongan rapi disisir juga kumis dan jenggot yang dihilangkan. Dari sisi pakaian, dia lebih sering menggunakan kemeja yang dimasukkan pada setiap kesempatan tampil di depan publik, sangat jauh berbeda dengan penampilannya dahulu yang lebih sering memakai kaus oblong bahkan bertelanjang dada dengan rambut panjang tidak teratur dan kumis tebal.

Peranan istrinya juga menjadi penting sejak putra pertamanya tiada. Rossana menjadi manajer pribadi Iwan Fals yang mengatur segala jadwal kegiatan dan kontrak. Dengan adanya Iwan Fals Manajemen (IFM), Fals lebih profesional dalam berkarir.

KETIKA Galang lahir pada 1 Januari 1982 si bapak, yang perasaannya campur-aduk karena pertama kali merasakan diri jadi ayah—merasa harus bertanggung jawab, merasa mencintai, heran, bahagia, bangga punya keturunan dan sebagainya—menciptakan lagu berjudul Galang Rambu Anarki. Lagunya cukup terkenal dan masuk album Opini (1982).

Galang tumbuh jadi anak cerdas. Endi Aras sering main tembak-tembakan dengan Galang. Muhamad Ma’mun punya karakter rekaan yang sering diceritakannya pada Galang. Namanya “Gringgrong”—seorang jagoan “kayak Tarzan” yang bisa mengalahkan harimau, naik kuda, dan mengalahkan musuh. Tiap kali Ma’mun datang menginap, cerita Gringgong ditagih Galang. Di Condet hanya ada dua kamar, “Kalau saya nginep, Galang tidur sama bapaknya,” kata Ma’mun.

Ketika beranjak remaja, Ma’mun melihat Galang badannya bagus, berbentuk. Galang bukan tipe anak hura-hura. Kalau minta uang paling buat bayar taksi pergi ke sekolah. “Untuk beli-beli dia nggak punya uang,” kata Iwan. Galang juga besar tekadnya. Suatu saat Galang, yang belum bisa menyetir mobil dan tak punya surat izin mengemudi, ingin bisa mengendarai mobil. Solusinya? Galang mengendarai mobil sekaligus dari Jakarta ke Pulau Bali!

Tapi kekerasan Galang suatu hari membuat Iwan angkat tangan. Dia datang ke Ma’mun, “Mas gimana nih, Galang nggak mau sekolah lagi?” “Terus maunya apa?” “Embuh, main musik atau buka bengkel.”

Galang memutuskan keluar dari SMP Pembangunan Jaya di Bintaro, yang terletak dekat rumah dan termasuk salah satu sekolah mahal di Jakarta. Iwan sering pindah rumah dan waktu itu tinggal di Bintaro. Hingga Leuwinanggung ia sudah pindah rumah 12 kali. Usia Galang 14 tahun dan sedang memproduksi rekamannya yang pertama bersama kelompok Bunga. Iwan tak bisa berbuat banyak dan membiarkan Galang putus sekolah.

Galang pernah juga kabur meninggalkan rumah. Dalam pelarian, menurut Iwan, Galang melihat poster dan foto papanya di mana-mana. “Dia merasa diawasi,” kata Iwan. Galang merasa tak bisa lari dan kembali ke rumah. Suatu saat Iwan curiga. Iwan bertanya, “Lang, lu pakai ya?” “Mau apa tahu Pa?” kata Galang, ditirukan Iwan.

Iwan menganggap dirinya sudah insyaf. Kok Galang yang memakai? Iwan merasa Galang meniru papanya. Mula-mula rokok lalu obat. Endi Aras mengatakan Iwan agak teledor kalau menyimpan ganja atau merokok.

Galang menerangkan dia hanya mencoba. Rasanya pusing serta teler. “Ya udah, kalau sudah tahu ya udah,” kata Iwan. Kebetulan Galang punya pacar, seorang cewek gaul bernama Inne Febrianti, yang juga keberatan Galang memakai obat-obatan. Inne mendorong Galang tak memakai obat-obatan. “Dia bukan pemakai. Dia sangat cinta pada keluarganya. Kontrol diri sangat kuat,” kata Iwan.


Kamis malam 24 April 1997 sekitar pukul 11:00 malam Galang pulang ke rumah, setelah latihan main band. Dia makan lalu pamit pada papanya mau tidur. Mamanya lagi tak enak badan. Iwan masih mendengar Galang telepon-teleponan. Subuh sekitar 4:30 Kelly Bayu Saputra, sepupu Galang yang tinggal di sana, mau mengambil sisir di kamar Galang. Kelly memanggil Galang tapi tak bangun. Kelly mendekati Galang dan menggoyang-goyangkan badannya. Lemas. Kelly kaget. Dia mengetuk kamar Yos. Yos bangun dan menemukan Galang badannya dingin. “Saya turun ke bawah, panggil Iwan,” kata Yos.

Keluarga heboh. Iwan terpukul sekali. Pagi itu saudara-saudaranya datang. Mereka menghubungi semua kerabat dan teman. Leo Listianto, adik Iwan, menelepon Ma’mun di Karawaci. “Saya masih tidur, antara percaya, tidak percaya,” kata Ma’mun. Sepuluh menit kemudian, Ma’mun ditelepon Dyah Retno Wulan, adiknya Leo, biasa dipanggil Lala, juga memberitahu Galang meninggal. “Saya bengong,” kata Ma’mun. Dia segera menuju Bintaro.


Fidiana menerima telepon dari Ari Ayunir. Fidiana membangunkan Iwang Noorsaid, suaminya, “Wang, ini ada berita duka … Galang meninggal.” Mereka agak tak percaya karena beberapa hari sebelumnya pasangan ini bertamu ke Bintaro dan melihat Galang mondar-mandir. Mereka mencoba telepon ke Bintaro tapi nada sibuk. Mereka menelepon Herri Buchaeri, Endi Aras, dan beberapa rekan lain sebelum naik mobil ke Bintaro.

Endi Aras mengatakan, “Pagi-pagi aku dapat kabar. Iwang Noorsaid yang telepon.” Endi sampai di Bintaro sekitar pukul 5:30. “Aku ikut memandikan (jasad Galang),” kata Endi. Ketika Iwan memandikan jasad anaknya, dia berujar berkali-kali, “Galang, kamu sudah selesai, Papa yang belum ... Lang, kamu sudah selesai, Papa yang belum ..…” Kalimat itu diucapkan Iwan berkali-kali. Ma’mun dirangkul Iwan. “Jagain Mas, jagain anak-anak Mas,” kata Iwan, seakan-akan hendak mengatakan ia sendiri kurang menjaga anaknya dengan baik.

“Yos histeris, menangis ketika saya peluk. ‘Aduh, anak saya sudah meninggal mendahului saya,’” kata Fidiana. Iwan tak banyak bicara, menunduk, menangis, dan hanya bilang “terima kasih” kepada tamu-tamu. “Kepada kita dia nggak ngomong sama sekali,” kata Fidiana.

Galang dimakamkan di mana? Ada usul pemakaman Tanah Kusir dekat Bintaro. Iwan emosional, ingin memakamkan Galang di rumahnya. Bagaimana aturannya? Iwan pun memutuskan menelepon kyai Abdurrahman Wahid alias Gus Dur dari Nahdlatul Ulama. Saat itu Gus Dur belum jadi presiden Indonesia. Iwan menganggap Gus Dur “guru mengaji” yang terbuka, tempat orang bertanya. Gus Dur mengerti hukum Islam maupun hukum pemerintahan.

Gus Dur dalam telepon menjelaskan dalam aturan Islam diperbolehkan memakamkan jenazah di rumah. Pemakaman bergantung wasiat almarhum atau keinginan keluarga. Tapi di Jakarta tak bisa memakamkan orang di rumah sendiri karena keterbatasan lahan. “Di Jakarta nggak boleh … kalau Bogor boleh.”

Kata “Bogor” itu mengingatkan Iwan pada Leuwinanggung. Keluarga pun memutuskan Galang dimakamkan di Leuwinanggung.


Menurut Harun Zakaria, seorang tetangga Iwan di Leuwinanggung, yang juga menjaga kebun Iwan, dia dihubungi Lies Suudiyah, ibunda Iwan. “Bu Lies datang ke sini. Dia bilang, ‘Cucunda meninggal. Tolong di sini kuburannya,” kata Harun.

Jenazah disemayamkan dulu di masjid Bintaro. Sekitar 2.000 jamaah salat Jumat di masjid itu ikut menyembahyangkan Galang. Banyak seniman, tetangga, kenalan Iwan, dan Yos datang menyampaikan duka. Setiawan Djody, W.S. Rendra, Ayu Ayunir, Jalu, Totok Tewel, Jockie Suryoprayogo, juga tampak di sana. Spekulasi wartawan maupun pengunjung memunculkan gosip bahwa dada Galang kelihatan biru. Galang digosipkan overdosis. Ini merambat ke mana-mana karena tubuh Galang kurus ceking.

Orang sebenarnya tak tahu persis penyebab kematian Galang karena tak ada otopsi terhadap jenazahnya. Kawan-kawan Iwan memilih diam. Mereka merasa tak nyaman mengecek spekulasi overdosis kepada orangtua yang berduka. Kresnowati pernah diberitahu Yos bahwa penyebab kematian Galang penyakit asma. Fidiana mengatakan beberapa hari sebelum kematian, Yos mengatakan Galang lagi sakit-sakitan. Iwan mengatakan pada saya, fisik Galang “agak lemah” dan “Galang lemah di pencernaan.”

memang sampe saat nie kematian galang masih menjadi misteri,antara sakit dan obat2an terlarang.
Pendidikan

* SMPN 5 Bandung
* SMAK BPK Bandung
* STP (Sekolah Tinggi Publisistik, sekarang IISIP)
* Institut Kesenian Jakarta (IKJ)

Diskografi
Iwan Fals pada cover majalah Rolling Stone Mei 2007

Tidak seluruh album yang dikeluarkan Iwan Fals berisi lagu baru. Pada tahun-tahun terakhir, Iwan Fals sering mengeluarkan rilis ulang lagu-lagu lamanya, baik dengan aransemen asli maupun dengan aransemen ulang. Pada tahun-tahun terakhir ini pula Iwan Fals lebih banyak memilih berkolaborasi dengan musisi muda berbakat.

Banyak lagu Iwan Fals yang tidak dijual secara bebas. Lagu-lagu tersebut menjadi koleksi ekslusif para penggemarnya dan kebanyakan direkam secara live. Beberapa lagu Iwan Fals yang tidak dikomersialkan seperti lagu 'Pulanglah' yang didedikasikan khusus untuk almarhum Munir ternyata sangat digemari yang akhirnya direkam ulang dan dimasukkan ke dalam album "50:50" yang beredar di tahun 2007.
Album
In Collaboration with (2003)

* Canda Dalam Nada (1979)
* Canda Dalam Ronda (1979)
* Perjalanan (1979)
* 3 Bulan (1980)
* Sarjana Muda (1981)
* Opini (1982)
* Sumbang (1983)
* Barang Antik (1984)
* Sugali (1984)
* KPJ (Kelompok Penyanyi Jalanan) (1985)
* Sore Tugu Pancoran (1985)
* Aku Sayang Kamu (1986)
* Ethiopia (1986)
* Lancar (1987)
* Wakil Rakyat (1988)
* 1910 (1988)
* Antara Aku, Kau Dan Bekas Pacarmu (1988)
* Mata Dewa (1989)
* Swami I (1989)
* Kantata Takwa (1990)
* Cikal (1991)
* Swami II (1991)
* Belum Ada Judul (1992)
* Hijau (1992)
* Dalbo (1993)
* Anak Wayang (1994)
* Orang Gila (1994)
* Lagu Pemanjat (bersama Trahlor) (1996)
* Kantata Samsara (1998)
* Best Of The Best (2000)
* Suara Hati (2002)
* In Collaboration with (2003)
* Manusia Setengah Dewa (2004)
* Iwan Fals in Love (2005)
* 50:50 (2007)
* Untukmu Terkasih (2009) - mini album
* Keseimbangan - Iwan Fals (2010)

Singel

* Serenade (bersama Ritta Rubby) (1984)
* Kemesraan (bersama artis Musica) (1988)
* Percayalah Kasih (bersama Jockie Surjoprajogo dan Vina Panduwinata)
* Terminal (bersama Franky S.) (1994)
* Mata Hati (bersama Ian Antono) (1995)
* Orang Pinggiran (bersama Franky S.) (1995)
* Katakan Kita Rasakan (bersama artis Musica)
* Di Bawah Tiang Bendera (bersama artis Musica) (1996)
* Haruskah Pergi (bersama Indra Lesmana dan Import Musik) (2006)
* Selancar (bersama Indra Lesmana dan Import Musik) (2006)
* Tanam Tanam Siram Siram (Kampanye Indonesia Menanam) (2006)
* Marilah Kemari (Tribute to Titiek Puspa) (2006)
* Aku Milikmu (Original Soundtrack Lovers / Kekasih) (2008)

Single Hits yang dibawakan penyanyi lain

* Maaf (dibawakan oleh Ritta Rubby) (1986)
* Belailah (dibawakan oleh Ritta Rubby) (1986)
* Trauma (dibawakan oleh God Bless) (1988)
* Damai Yang Hilang (dibawakan oleh God Bless) (1988)
* Orang Dalam Kaca (dibawakan oleh God Bless) (1988)
* Pak Tua (dibawakan oleh grup band Elpamas) (1991)
* Oh (dibawakan oleh Fajar Budiman) (1994)
* Nyanyian laut ( dibawakan Nicky Astria )
* Menangis (dibawakan oleh Franky S.)
* Bunga Kehidupan (dibawakan oleh artis Musica)

Album kompilasi

* Tragedi
* Banjo & Harmonika
* Celoteh-celoteh
* Celoteh-celoteh 2
* Country
* Tembang Cinta (1990)
* Akustik
* Akustik Ke-2 (1997)
* Salam Reformasi (1998)
* Salam Reformasi 2 (1999)
* Prihatin (2000)

Film

* Damai Kami Sepanjang Hari (1985)
* Kantata Takwa (film) (1990)
* Kekasih (2008) - cameo

Lagu yang tidak beredar

* Demokrasi Nasi (1978)
* Semar Mendem (1978)
* Pola Sederhana (Anak Cendana) (1978)
* Mbak Tini (1978)
* Siti Sang Bidadari (1978)
* Kisah Sapi Malam (1978)
* Mince Makelar (1978)
* Luka Lama (1984)
* Anissa (1986)
* Biarkan Indonesia Tanpa Koran (1986)
* Oh Indonesia (1992)
* Imelda Mardun (1992)
* Maumere (1993)
* Joned (1993)
* Mesin Mesin Pembunuh (1994)
* Merdeka (1995)
* Suara Dari Jalanan (1996)
* Demokrasi Otoriter (1996)
* Pemandangan (1996)
* Jambore Wisata (1996)
* Suhu (1997)
* Aku Tak Punya Apa-Apa (1997)
* Cerita Lama Tiananmen (1998)
* Serdadu dan Kutil (1998)
* 15 Juta (1998)
* Mencari Kata Kata (1998)
* Malam Sunyi (1999)
* Sketsa Setan Yang Bisu (2000)
* Indonesiaku (2001)
* Kemarau (2003)
* Lagu Sedih (2003)
* Kembali Ke Masa Lalu (2003)
* Harapan Tak Boleh Mati (2004)
* Saat Minggu Masih Pagi (2004)
* Repot Nasi / Sami Mawon (2005)
* Hari Raya Bumi (2007)
* Perempuan Keumala / Laksamana Malahayati (2007)
* Hari Raya Bumi (2007)
* Berita Cuaca (2008)
* Jendral Tua (2008)
* Paman Zam
* Kapal Bau Pesing
* Makna Hidup Ini
* Selamat Tinggal Ramadhan
* Nyatakan Saja
* Berputar Putar
* Aku Menyayangimu
* Air dan Batu
* Lagu Pegangan
* Semut Api dan Cacing Kecil
* Kata-Kata
* Sepak Bola
* Pukul Dua Malam
* Penjara
* Belatung
* Nyanyian Sopir
* Bunga Kayu di Beranda
* Aku Bergelora
* Suara Dari Jalanan

Penghargaan

1. Juara harapan Lomba Musik Humor (1979).
2. Juara I Festival Musik Country (1980).
3. Gold record, lagu Oemar Bakri, PT. Musica Studio’s.
4. Silver record, penyanyi & pencipta lagu Ethiopia, PT. Musica Studio’s.
5. Penghargaan prestasi artis HDX 1987 – 1988, pencipta lagu Buku Ini Aku Pinjam.
6. Penyanyi pujaan, BASF, (1989).
7. The best selling, album Mata Dewa, BASF, 1988 – 1989.
8. Penyanyi rekaman pria terbaik, album Anak Wayang, BASF Award XI, 18 April 1996.
9. Penyanyi solo terbaik Country/Balada, Anugrah Musik Indonesia – 1999.
10. Presents This Certificate To Iwan Fals In Recognition Of The Contribution To Cultural Exchange Between Korea and Indonesia, 25 September 1999.
11. Penyanyi solo terbaik Country/Balada AMI Sharp Award (2000).
12. Video klip terbaik lagu Entah, Video Musik Indonesia periode VIII – 2000/2001.
13. Triple Platinum Award, Album Best Of The Best Iwan Fals, PT. Musica Studio’s – Juni 2002.
14. 6th AMI Sharp Award, album terbaik Country/Balada.
15. 6th AMI Sharp Award, artis solo/duo/grup terbaik Country/Balada.
16. Pemenang video klip terbaik edisi – Juli 2002, lagu Kupu-Kupu Hitam Putih, Video Musik Indonesia, periode I– 2002/2003.
17. Penghargaan album In Collaboration with, angka penjualan diatas 150.000 unit, PT. Musica Studio’s - Juni 2003.
18. Triple Platinum Award, album In Collaboration with, angka penjualan diatas 450.000 unit, PT. Musica Studio’s – November 2003.
19. 7th AMI Award 2003, Legend Awards.
20. 7th AMI Award 2003, Penyanyi Solo Pria Pop Terbaik.
21. Penghargaan MTV Indonesia 2003, Most Favourite Male.
22. SCTV Music Award 2004, album Ngetop! (pop) In Collaboration with.
23. SCTV Music Award 2004, Penyanyi Pop Ngetop.
24. Anugrah Planet Muzik 2004.
25. Generasi Biang Extra Joss – 2004.
26. 8th AMI Samsung Award, Karya Produksi Balada Terbaik.
27. SCTV Music Award 2005, album pop solo ngetop Iwan Fals In Love.
28. With The Compliment Of Metro TV.
29. Partisipasi dalam acara konser Salam Lebaran 2005, PT. Gudang Garam Indonesia.

Pranala luar

* (id) ( Official Site ) - Iwan Fals
* (id) ( Unofficial Site ) - Iwan Fals Online
* (id) ( Unofficial Site ) - Iwan Fals Mania
* (id) Lirik Lagu dan Gitar Kord-nya
* (en) Time Asia: Asian Heroes - Iwan Fals
* (id) Iwan Fals The Rolling Stone Interview
* (id) Dewa dari Leuwinanggung
* (id) Profil Iwan Fals di KapanLagi.com


l • b • s
Iwan Fals
Studio albums
Canda Dalam Nada • Canda Dalam Ronda • Perjalanan • 3 Bulan • Sarjana Muda • Opini • Sumbang • Barang Antik • Sugali • KPJ • Sore Tugu Pancoran • Aku Sayang Kamu • Ethiopia • Lancar • Wakil Rakyat • 1910 • Antara Aku, Kau Dan Bekas Pacarmu • Mata Dewa • Cikal • Belum Ada Judul • Hijau • Dalbo • Anak Wayang • Orang Gila • Suara Hati • In Collaboration with • Manusia Setengah Dewa • Iwan Fals in Love • 50:50 • Untukmu Terkasih •
Bersama Swami
Swami I • Swami II •
Bersama Kantata
Kantata Takwa • Kantata Samsara •
Album Kompilasi
Best Of The Best • Tragedi • Banjo & Harmonika • Celoteh-celoteh • Celoteh-celoteh 2 • Country • Tembang Cinta • Akustik • Akustik Ke 2 • Salam Reformasi • Salam Reformasi 2 • Prihatin •
Singel
Serenade • Kemesraan • Percayalah Kasih • Terminal • Mata Hati • Orang Pinggiran • Katakan Kita Rasakan • Di Bawah Tiang Bendera • Haruskah Pergi • Selancar • Tanam Tanam Siram Siram • Marilah Kemari • Aku Milikmu •
Filmografi
Damai Kami Sepanjang Hari • Kekasih • Kantata Takwa
Diperoleh dari "http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iwan_Fals"
Kategori: Orang hidup | Kelahiran 1961 | Iwan Fals | Alumni Institut Kesenian Jakarta | Pemeran Indonesia | Penyanyi Indonesia | Tokoh dari Jakarta | Pemenang BASF Award | Pemenang Anugerah Musik Indonesia