As some of you may recall, apart from the music you typically read about on this blog, I'm also a bit of a guitar nut. My worship of John Frusciante (of the Red Hot Chili Peppers) is somewhat well documented at this point, and he has a rather stunning new solo album out called The Empyrean. Though the record is occasionally indulgent, it sure has some wonderful music, guitar-centric and otherwise. Some would argue that his talents are more focused inside the confines of his band, but it's great to hear his ideas flow a bit freely in his solo work.
I realize it's a bit of a trap to believe that musicians - particularly those in massively popular rock bands - are in any way "pure" or whatever. But I love reading or listening to interviews with Frusciante because he just comes off as a student of music. Not only is his attitude refreshing and inspiring, but his thoughts are also educational. I've probably spent more time studying his playing than almost any other player, but there's so much to learn just in the way he thinks and speaks about music.
The latest buzz amongst the Chili Peppers' fanbase is that Frusciante seems indifferent about rejoining the group to record another album. This three-part podcast interview with Music Radar certainly added fuel to the fire. But, as always, I find Frusciante to be one of the most thoughtful and interesting guitarists out there.
