Niandra LaDes and Usually Just a T-Shirt

by John Frusciante

Overview

Upon leaving the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 1992, guitarist John Frusciante delved into home recording, eventually completing a 12-track album titled Niandra Lades that bore the influence of '60s oddballs like Syd Barrett and Captain Beefheart. Niandra Lades languished on the shelf for a while until it was paired with another 12-track collection of Frusciante's home-taping efforts; this one, titled Usually Just a T-Shirt, concentrated on pleasant psychedelic instrumentals with plenty of backward-guitar effects. While some might find the jump from bizarre vocal numbers to atmospheric instrumentals (and the resultant shift in mood) a bit jarring, the two halves do share certain characteristics. Frusciante's singing voice has a fragile, wispy quality that sits well next to the often delicate second half, and the sparse arrangements of the first half help set the stage for the gossamer guitar work later on. Because the whole project has a definite stream-of-consciousness feel, it does fall prey to underdeveloped ideas at times, but overall, Niandra Lades and Usually Just a T-Shirt is an intriguing and unexpected departure from Frusciante's work with the Chili Peppers. ~ Steve Huey

Product Details

Release Date:	07/12/2024
Label:	Superior Viaduct
UPC:	0855985006826
Rank:	131296

Album Credits

Performance Credits

John Frusciante   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals

Technical Credits

John Frusciante   Composer,Producer
Dirk Walter   Design
Martyn Atkins   Design,Art Direction
Bad Brains   Composer