‘Dance, Dance, Dance’: Everything wrong with Red Hot Chili Peppers in one song
Even the most legendary rock bands will have at least one song that falls flat. When an artist puts out a record, anywhere from six to 16 songs might be featured, and while it’s evident that not every song will be an instant fan favourite, some tracks in an artist’s catalogue will stand out for their lows rather than their highs.
In 2011, Red Hot Chili Peppers knew they had a lot to measure up to with the release of I’m With You. Standing as their tenth studio album, the record arrived following a five-year hiatus from the band and would be the first to feature guitarist Josh Klinghoffer, who replaced John Frusciante. After their 2006 Stadium Arcadium World Tour, Red Hot Chili Peppers took an extended break so band members could relax from the extensive tour and focus on their individual solo musical endeavours.
I’m With You marked a new artistic era for the group, who decided to experiment on this record and make a slight departure from their signature funk rock sound. Upon release, the album received mixed reviews. Many praised the album for its new sound and Klinghoffer’s musical contributions, while others said the album lacked direction and did not match up to the band’s previous material with Frusciante.
It would be fair enough to argue that the album’s — or even the band’s — lowest point would be the track ‘Dance, Dance, Dance’. The closing song on the record, it is often hidden by the shadow of the album’s more standout tracks like ‘Police Station’ and ‘Even You Brutus’. For a closing track on somewhat of a comeback record, ‘Dance, Dance, Dance’ stands as a generic filler track rather than a thrilling closing number. Additionally, for a band that surely knows how to make an impact both on stage and in a recording studio, one might expect them to know how to round out an album with considerably high expectations.
Following the departure of Frusciante, Red Hot Chili Peppers knew that the addition of Klinghoffer would lead to a new direction in the band’s sound. Klinghoffer’s artistic methods, combined with bassist Flea’s recent studying and teaching of musical theory, led to a more experimental approach previously unseen in the band’s signature jam style.
However, while a song like ‘The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie’ maintains poetic lyrical content, an addictive bass line, and a love from fans all across the board, ‘Dance, Dance, Dance’ does not maintain this same level of artistic expression or energy. ‘Dance, Dance, Dance’ delivers the album’s newly explored sonic identity, but without delivering anything memorable, thus resulting in one Red Hot Chili Peppers’ poorest songs to be found within their discography.
The song’s overall lackluster energy couldn’t even be saved by the punchy bridge (one that kind of seems to be tossed in for fun) found towards the end of the song, and for a band who is able to flaunt that they hold one of rock’s best drummers and bassists of all time, their skills don’t even seem to necessarily shine through within the track.
Red Hot Chili Peppers have one of the most distinct sonic identities in rock music, and their fusion of funk, rock, and hip-hop has cemented them as a band where, within a few seconds of a song, even casual listeners would be able to tell who it is right away. However, on ‘Dance, Dance, Dance’, if it weren’t for Anthony Kiedis’ easily-identifiable vocals, the song would easily get lost in the endless sea of Y2K indie rock.
