John Frusciante is currently the guitarist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers. He was born in 1970 in New York City to John and Gail Frusciante. John, Sr. was a Julliard-trained pianist who became a lawyer and a judge. Gail was a gifted singer, who sung for her church (she also sung the background vocals on Under the Bridge). When Hillel Slovak, died from a heroin overdose in 1988, Frusciante, at the age of 17, joined the band. The band released “Mother’s Milk” soon thereafter in 1989. In 1991 they released their second album with Frusciante, “Blood Sugar Sex Magik. In May 1992, while in the middle of a world tour for “Blood Sugar Sex Magik,” Frusciante quit the band.

Frusciante has said frequently that he had never touched any drugs before joining the Chili Peppers. Frusciante soon fell into a heroin addiction. In 1996 an article appeared in the Los Angeles Times, entitled “John Frusciante’s Heroin Addiction.”

His upper teeth are nearly gone now; they have been replaced by tiny slivers of off-white that peek through rotten gums. His lower teeth, thin and brown, appear ready to fall out if he so much as coughs too hard. His lips are pale and dry, coated with spit so thick it looks like paste. His hair is shorn to the skull; his fingernails, or the Spaces where they used to be, are blackened by blood. His feet and ankles and legs are pocked with burns from unfiltered Camel cigarette ashes that have fallen unnoticed his flesh also bears bruises, scabs, and scars. He wears an old flannel shirt, only partially buttoned, and khaki pants. Drops of dried blood dot the pants. (LA Times, 1996)

Frusciante had quit playing guitar at this point and had turned to painting for his creative output (his paintings hang in galleries in the LA area, and sell for thousands of dollars). Frusciante recorded his solo album “Niandra Le Des and Usually Just A T-Shirt,” which was released in 1994. A few years later in 1997, Frusciante released another collection of his earlier recording entitled “Smile from the Streets You Hold,” in an admitted attempt to get more money for heroin. This album is much less clear than Frusciante’s first solo release, because it was made by a tortured delusional heroin junky.

During the five years that I really didn't do anything, what was taking place inside me was to me very significant," he says. "I didn't actually do anything in the physical sense, but there was a lot of inward life, but I was so scattered when it came to bringing these thoughts to the world . "Once I stopped taking drugs, I found I still believed the same things as when I was on drugs, but I realized that then I was capable of putting these thoughts in a coherent structure. I was actually able to make sense of them, unlike some people who stop doing drugs and think everything they did on drugs was worthless." (from “Pepper Alone" Los Angeles Times: November 12, 2000, By Steve Hochman)

Frusciante wrote a very odd biography for himself for the release of his newest solo album:

Between 1992 and 1997, John Frusciante had many periods where his main social activity was with spirits manifested as voices, thought waves, astral bodies and decay of physical matter. The things they taught him (often in non-Earth language, but often in English) are contained in this record's words. The feelings of this music is the feeling of the spirits John Frusciante is friends with. –John Frusciante

An interview with “Kerrang! Magazine,” on 2/10/01, Frusciante describes his creative inspiration in detail.

K: Where did you find the inspiration for the songs included on ”To Record Only Water for Ten Days”?

Frusciante: “I think my songs exist before I write them, in a place called the fourth dimension where sounds and shapes and colours are the land. They’re the air and the grass and the wood and they’re all these feelings. When a collection of those feelings is put into my head, because I’m tuned into that place, I have the skill technically to turn it into a song.”

K: Is it a simple process to translate these feelings into songs?

Frusciante: “Once I write the song I believe that it creates a new atmosphere in a place called the fifth dimension where it creates new life and energy and it makes things better and it makes new places to live for the spirits who frequent these places.”

K: Could you have made such a richly emotional and spiritual album without the dark experiences of your recent past?

Frusciante: “No, to make the album without the experience in my life would be impossible. It’s only because I’ve gone so deep inside myself and faced so many things that by nature I should be scared of. You know, being in a room and sitting there with a ghost, hearing their voice in your head and seeing them as clearly as I’m seeing you right now.” ("Kerrang! Magazine," on 2/10/01)

Note: All sources have been cited, (where appropriate), following the quotations.

John Frusciante is the current guitarist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers. John was born March 5, 1970 in New York City. John’s childhood consisted of playing guitar for hours on end everyday, so much that his guitar became his best friend throughout childhood.

While growing up John was greatly influenced by many different musicians. His influences include Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa, the Germs, Led Zeppelin, Lou Reed, Dave Bowie, and Captain Beefheart among others. However, the greatest influence in John’s guitar playing would come at the age of 15 when Frusciante was lucky enough to catch a Red Hot Chili Peppers show at the Variety Arts Center in LA and from that point on their music meant everything to John and he became an instant fan.

Shortly after this show at age 16 John ventured out one his own to find a job and an apartment. He continued to be an avid RHCP fan and attended many of their live shows in the LA area. John would eventually jam with Flea and be introduced to the band Thelonious Monster who was at that time looking for a guitarist. The band was of course impressed by the skill this young guitarist possessed; however, their decision was a little too late. Hillel Slovak died of a heroin overdose at about this time and the Chili Peppers turned to John to fill the void left by Hillel.

John was now aboard became the guitarist for the Chili Peppers at the ripe age of 18. The fan had joined the band. John went on to record Mother’s Milk with the Peppers in 1988 and then Blood Sugar Sex Magik in 1991. It was during Blood Sugar Sex Magik that Frusciante really started to get his own voice and style in guitar playing instead of just being a clone of Hillel. Following the release of BSSM the Peppers hit the road with a grueling tour schedule. On May 7, 1992 John decided he had had too much. He announced to the rest of the Chili Peppers that he was leaving the band because he just could not continue to do justice to the work they had created.

Following John’s departure from the band he would go into a long stint of heroin abuse and become a bit of a shut in. During this time he all but quit playing guitar until 6 years later when John would rejoin the band after quitting heroin and enter the studio to record the acclaimed album Californication.

A few years later the Chili Peppers went back into the studio with John to record By the Way an album that’s music was primarily written by Frusciante showing once again his brilliance in music.

This node already has some great biographies but there doesn't seem to be a discography. So I put one together, including all albums John Frusciante has a major role on but not including singles or albums where he's just a collaborator. Enjoy.

Mother's Milk (with the Red Hot Chili Peppers) Released August 1989 on EMI

At the tender age of 18 Johnny was shoved into the glare of spotlights and the life of a rock and roll star and while he dug it at first, over the next four years it would really heavily affect this quiet boy and, cause or not, he would eventually get into heroin and hole himself inside a little apartment (for a tour dig Johnny Depp's short film 'Stuff') and paint and write music (largely impromptu) and take a lot of junk. Currently, tho, he's still very new to the world of rock and roll stardom and very innocent and green. This album is like the watershed for the first period in the life of the band- now they have Johnny, and eventually their sound will depend more on John Frusciante's guitar than Flea's bass, as it once did. The album kicks ass like a lot of the better music from that period. They are slightly more mature than their days of punk-funk as heard on their first two albums, and Johnny, tho the green suit he had to fill was monstrous, remarkably, he managed to keep the Chilis going for a little while longer.

Tracklist: 1 Good Time Boys 2 Higher Ground 3 Subway To Venus 4 Magic Johnson 5 Nobody Weird Like Me 6 Knock Me Down 7 Taste The Pain 8 Stone Cold Bush 9 Fire 10 Pretty Little Ditty 11 Punk Rock Classic 12 Sexy Mexican Maid 13 Johnny Kick A Hole In The Sky 14 Song That Made Us What We Are Today (demo)* 15 Knock Me Down (original long version)* 16 Sexy Mexican Maid (original long version)* 17 Salute to Kareem (demo)* 18 Castles Made Of Sand (live)* 19 Crosstown Traffic (live)*

Credits: Vocals- Anthony Kiedis Bass- Flea (Michael Balzary) Guitar- John Frusciante Drums- Chad Smith

*Bonus tracks on the 2003 remastered re-release

Blood Sugar Sex Magik (With the Red Hot Chili Peppers) Released September 1991 on Warner Bros. Records

Widely regarded as the band's breakthrough album, this album saw the band soften their sound somewhat and become more melodic. Johnny contributed a lot to their new sound, with his sweet clean-tone guitar lines as on Under The Bridge.

Tracklist: 1 The Power Of Equality 2 If You Have To Ask 3 Breaking The Girl 4 Funky Monks 5 Suck My Kiss 6 I Could Have Lied 7 Mellowship Slinky In B Major 8 The Righteous And The Wicked 9 Give It Away 10 Blood Sugar Sex Magik 11 Under The Bridge 12 Naked In The Rain 13 Apache Rose Peacock 14 The Greeting Song 15 My Lovely Man 16 Sir Psycho Sexy 17 They're Red Hot

Credits: Vocals- Anthony Kiedis Bass- Flea (Michael Balzary) Guitar- John Frusciante Drums- Chad Smith

Niandra LaDes and Usually Just A T-shirt Released March 1994 on American Recordings

In 1992, while in Japan for the BSSM tour, Johnny suddenly decided that the glamorous life of a rockstar was too much for him and upped and quit. He agreed to play the show but he definetely wasn't the same. The Kurt Cobain effect had taken hold and sent him weird. Shortly after leaving the band, Johnny became addicted to heroin. His first solo album (really a double album) was written and recorded while in the depths of his junk sickness. While the songwriting is excellent (Johnny is a musician at the top of his game, the only guitarists I can name who rival him in skill are Jimi Hendrix and Rory Gallagher) but the songs themselves are difficult to listen to as you can hear the sickness in his voice. He really doesn't sound well at all. The first half of the album, Niandra LaDes, is bearable, and has some very good songs. As Can Be is quite nice. But the Usually Just A T-Shirt side, where none of the songs have names, is not pleasant to listen to at all. Except for #3, which is quite nice.

Tracklist: 1 As Can Be 2 My Smile Is A Rifle 3 Head (Beach Arab) 4 Big Takeover (Bad Brains cover) 5 Curtains 6 Running Away Into You 7 Mascara 8 Been Insane 9 Skin Blues 10 Your Pussy's Glued To A Building On Fire 11 Blood On My Neck From Success 12 Ten To Butter Blood Voodoo 13 Untitled #1 14 Untitled #2 15 Untitled #3 16 Untitled #4 17 Untitled #5 18 Untitled #6 19 Untitled #7 20 Untitled #8 21 Untitled #9 22 Untitled #10 23 Untitled #11 24 Untitled #12 25 Untitled #13

Credits: Vocals and guitar- John Frusciante

Smile From The Streets You Hold Released August 1997 on Birdman initially, then taken off the market at Johnny's insistence in 1999 Later re-released in 2007

After Johnny kicked and rejoined the Chilis, he asked his record label to take this album off the market. I guess he wasn't comfortable with the reminder of his former life. He has recently re-released the album however. This album is not a fun listen. The songs are creepy and Johnny has admitted that he only recorded the album so he would have money for heroin. Well that's implied anyway, but the album is very difficult to listen to. There is actually a video to the song Life's A Bath which is up on Youtube where Johnny is seen shooting heroin. Johnny's friend River Phoenix (who tragically died at the club Johnny was playing at one night) appears on Height Down.

Tracklist: 1 Enter A Uh 2 The Other 3 Life's A Bath 4 A Fall Thru The Ground 5 Poppy Man 6 I May Again Know John 7 I'm Always 8 Nigger Song 9 Femininity 10 Breathe 11 More 12 For Air 13 Height Down 14 Well, I've Been 15 Smile From The Streets You Hold 16 I Can't See Until I See Your Eyes 17 Estress

Credits: Vocals and guitar: John Frusciante

Californication (With the Red Hot Chili Peppers) Released June 1999 on Warner Bros. Records

The sound of this album is wildly different from any of Johnny's solo stuff and it is difficult to associate the guitarist on this album with the guitarist on Smile From The Streets You Hold. We've all heard and fell in love with Scar Tissue, the sweet, mellow summertime song. We've all rocked out to Around The World. On the whole, it's a kick-ass album, very similar to Blood Sugar Sex Magik and you can really hear the improvement in Johnny's state of mind after rehab.

Tracklist: 1 Around The World 2 Parallel Universe 3 Scar Tissue 4 Otherside 5 Get On Top 6 Californication 7 Easily 8 Porcelain 9 Emit Remmus 10 I Like Dirt 11 This Velvet Glove 12 Savior 13 Purple Stain 14 Right On Time 15 Road Trippin'

Credits: Vocals- Anthony Kiedis Bass- Flea (Michael Balzary) Guitar- John Frusciante Drums- Chad Smith

To Record Only Water For Ten Days Released February 2001 on Warner Bros. Records

This is Johnny's first solo release on Warner's and after becoming clean his sound is now a lot cleaner and some of the most beautiful music ever written and recorded by Johnny and perhaps by anybody, ever, can be found on this album (for example, 'Murderers'). You can feel the phoenix-from-the-ashes vibe of the album. He sounds like a man who has has been to hell and back and now appreciates all things beautiful so much more. There is a video for every song on this album, all directed by Vincent Gallo, and all very simple and low-budget. The video for Fallout has Johnny repeatedly running into a mattress propped against a wall. They will probably be on Youtube.

Tracklist: 1 Going Inside 2 Someone's 3 The First Season 4 Wind Up Space 5 Away And Anywhere 6 Remain 7 Fallout 8 Ramparts 9 With No One 10 Murderers 11 Invisible Movement 12 Representing 13 In Rime 14 Saturation 15 Moments Have You

Credits: vocals, guitar, synth: John Frusciante

Going Inside EP Released March 2001 on Warner Bros. Records

Tracks 2 and 4 are B-sides from TROWFTD. The other two songs can also be found on an album Johnny released to be downloaded only, From The Sounds Inside, a collection of unreleased songs, b-sides, demos &c.

Tracklist: 1 Going Inside 2 Time Is Nothing 3 So Would've I 4 Last Hymn 5 Beginning Again

By The Way (With the Red Hot Chili Peppers) Released July 2002 on Warner Bros. Records

There's something slightly unsettling about this album, I always think. Johnny seems to have pushed everybody to the background, and, altho there is amazing guitar work on here (Venice Queen, Cabron), it doesn't sound like a band. It's like another solo Johnny album.

Tracklist: 1 By The Way 2 Universally Speaking 3 This Is The Place 4 Dosed 5 Don't Forget Me 6 The Zephyr Song 7 Can't Stop 8 I Could Die For You 9 Midnight 10 Throw Away Your Television 11 Cabron 12 Tear 13 On Mercury 14 Minor Thing 15 Warm Tape 16 Venice Queen

Credits: Vocals- Anthony Kiedis Bass- Flea (Michael Balzary) Guitar- John Frusciante Drums- Chad Smith

Shadows Collide With People Released February 2004 on Warner Bros. Records

Johnny collaborated with Josh Klinghoffer for the first time on this album. He also moved away from simple guitar music into more complicated and dense compositions using a mixture of electronic and organic instruments. A few of these songs are pure instrumentals with no words. There is actually an acoustic version of this album which can be downloaded from www.johnfrusciante.com

Tracklist: 1 Carvel 2 Omission 3 Regret 4 Ricky 5 Second Walk 6 Every Person 7 -00Ghost27 8 Wednesday's Song 9 This Cold 10 Failure33 Object 11 Song To Sing When I'm Lonely 12 Time Goes Back 13 In Relief 14 Water 15 Cut-Out 16 Chances 17 23 Go In To End 18 The Slaughter

Credits: Vocals, guitar, bass, synth, keyboards- John Frusciante and Josh Klinghoffer Drums and percussion: Chad Smith Flea plays upright bass on 'The Slaughter' Omar Rodriguez-Lopez plays slide guitar on 'Chances' and '23 Go In To End'. Greg Kurstin plays Wuritzer piano on 'Of Before'

The Will To Death Released June 2004 on Warner Bros. Records

In 2004 and part of 2005 Johnny went wild with creativity, releasing 6 albums in as many months. He said that he would produce the albums himself and record them in a simple, bare-bones way. This is the first of those 6 albums.

Tracklist: 1 A Doubt 2 An Excersise 3 Time Runs Out 4 Loss 5 Unchanging 6 The Mirror 7 A Loop 8 Wishing 9 Far Away 10 The Days Have Turned 11 Helical 12 The Will To Death

Credits: John Frusciante: vocals, guitar, piano, synth and bass guitar on 'Far Away', 'Unchanging' and 'The Will To Death' Josh Klinghoffer: drums, bass, keyboards and guitar on 'Helical' and 'The Will To Death'.

Automatic Writing (with Ataxia) Released August 2004 on Record Collection

This album is the second of the sixth and was recorded with Johnny's other band, Ataxia, who existed for a brief period in 2004 to record 10 songs (half released in 2004, the rest in 2007) and to play two live shows.

Tracklist: 1 Dust 2 Another 3 The Sides 4 Addition 5 Montreal

Credits: Vocals, guitar, synth: John Frusciante Bass: Joe Lally Drums, synth: Josh Klinghoffer

DC EP Released September 2004 on Record Collection

Tracklist: 1 Dissolve 2 Goals 3 A Corner 4 Repeating

Credits: Vocals, guitar, bass: John Frusciante Drums: Jerry Busher

Inside Of Emptiness Released October 2004 on Record Collection

This is the fourth album in the Six. Here Johnny and his friends Josh Klinghoffer and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez (of The Mars Volta) go back to regular, old- fashioned rock and use very little electronics. There are some very hard songs on this album, for example, 666, where Omar Rodriguez plays lead guitar, and the album ends beautifully with Scratches.

Tracklist: 1 What I Saw 2 The World's Edge 3 Inside A Break 4 A Firm Kick 5 Look On 6 Emptiness 7 I'm Around 8 666 9 Interior Two 10 Scratches

Credits: John Frusciante- vocals, guitar, synth, keyboards, bass (on 'The World's Edge' and '666') Josh Klinghoffer- drums, bass, keyboard, backing vocals, guitar on 'I'm Around', guitar solos on 'Inside A Break' and 'Emptiness'. Omar Rodriguez-Lopez- Lead guitar on 666

A Sphere In The Heart Of Silence Released November 2004 on Record Collection

This album is mostly electronic-based, as opposed from its predecessor, the rock-based album. It is the fifth in the series of 6 and Johnny's only collaborator is Josh Klinghoffer, who sings on a half of the songs. There are also rumours about a sequel, to be released sometime in the near future.

Tracklist: 1 Sphere 2 The Afterglow 3 Walls 4 Communique 5 At Your Enemies 6 Surrogate People 7 My Life

Credits: John Frusciante- vocals on tracks 2, 3 and 7, guitar, synth, programming, bass, piano Josh Klinghoffer- vocals on tracks 4, 5 and 6, guitar, bass, synth, drums, piano.

Curtains Released February 2004 on Record Collection

The last in the 6, Johnny both musically branches out and strips his sound down. Johnny uses acoustic guitars on this album and as a result this album sounds much mellower than its predecessor. This album is also a lot more experimental than anything he has previously recorded- for example, on 'Control', he plays with volume knobs to create an interesting loud/quiet dynamic. There is also a greater variety of instruments on this album.

Tracklist: 1 The Past Recedes 2 Lever Pulled 3 Anne 4 The Real 5 A Name 6 Control 7 Your Warning 8 Hope 9 Ascension 10 Time Tonight 11 Leap Your Bar

Credits: Vocals, guitars, bass, melodica, piano, strings, mellotron, synth- John Frusciante Lead guitar on tracks 2 and 3- Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Drums- Carla Azar Upright bass-Ken Wild

Stadium Arcadium (With the Red Hot Chili Peppers) Released May 2006 on Warner Bros. Records

For a detailed look at this album dig the Stadium Arcadium node.

Tracklist: Disc one- 1 Dani California 2 Snow ((Hey Oh)) 3 Charlie 4 Stadium Arcadium 5 Hump de Bump 6 She's Only 18 7 Slow Cheetah 8 Torture Me 9 Strip My Mind 10 Especially in Michigan 11 Warlocks 12 C'mon Girl 13 Wet Sand 14 Hey

Disc two- 1 Desecration Smile 2 Tell Me Baby 3 Hard to Concentrate 4 21st Century 5 She Looks to Me 6 Readymade 7 If 8 Make You Feel Better 9 Animal Bar 10 So Much I 11 Storm in a Teacup 12 We Believe 13 Turn It Again 14 Death of a Martian

Credits: Vocals- Anthony Kiedis Bass- Michael Balzary (Flea) Guitar- John Frusciante Drums- Chad Smith

AWII (with Ataxia) Released May 2007 on Record Collection

This is almost a sequel but not quite- the songs had been recorded at the same time as the rest of them, but the album was split into 2 halves to be released seperately. This is the rest of those sessions.

Tracklist: 1 Attention 2 Union 3 Hands 4 The Soldier 5 The Empty's Response

Credits: Vocals, guitar, synth- John Frusciante Bass- Joe Lally Drums, synth, vocals on track 5- Josh Klinghoffer

There are also stories about a 10th album (dubbed 'album X' for now), and a sequel to A Sphere In The Heart Of Silence- watch this space. Sources: www.johnfrusciante.com, my itunes, my memory, and wikipedia.

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