Why former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Josh Klinghoffer thought Rick Rubin “got in the way”
Guitarist Josh Klinghoffer was a part of the Red Hot Chili Peppers for a decade between 2009 and 2019. Deputised initially as a touring guitarist, Klinghoffer replaced his friend John Frusciante as the band’s axeman. During that time, Klinghoffer recorded two albums, 2011’s I’m With You and 2016’s The Getaway and was inducted with his bandmates into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Not bad for a man that initially got pegged as simply a Frusciante clone.
Klinghoffer agreed to step aside when it became clear that Frusciante wanted to return to the band in 2019. In the time since, Klinghoffer has offered his insights into what it was like to be a Chili Pepper for a decade, largely remaining kind and deferential to his former bandmates. That gracious doesn’t extend to everybody in the RHCP camp, however. Most notably, Klinghoffer wasn’t taken with frequent producer Rick Rubin and his unique method.
“I like almost all of the songs that we wrote together, but seldom did we capture them in the best way,” Klinghoffer shared in a recent interview with VWMusic. “I will say that in the case of I’m With You, I feel Rick Rubin was way more a hindrance than a help. He told me once, ‘I just want to help the songs be the best they can be’. I should’ve said, ‘Well, then get your driver to come and get you’”.
“I’m incredibly conflicted about my output with that band because I feel like, in both circumstances, producers got in the way of us truly making great music or a great record,” Klinghoffer added. While he chose to call out Rubin directly, Klinghoffer also appeared to take a swipe at Gnarles Barkley member Danger Mouse, who produced The Getaway.
Despite being legendary, Rubin’s production style has had its share of detractors over the years. Rubin’s philosophical approach to recording music isn’t everybody’s cup of tea, with Slipknot’s Corey Taylor or Muse’s Matt Bellamy criticising his approach on multiple occasions. Klinghoffer is another name added to the list of sharp critics who have come away dissatisfied with working with Rubin.
Check out one of Rubin’s productions with RHCP and Klinghoffer, ‘The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie’, below.
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