By the Way

By the Way is the eighth studio album by American alternative rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, released on July 9, 2002 on Warner Bros. Records. It sold over 282,000 copies in the first week, and peaked at number two on the Billboard 200. The singles from the album included “By the Way”, “The Zephyr Song”, “Can’t Stop”, “Dosed” and “Universally Speaking”. The lyrical subject matter vocalist Anthony Kiedis addresses in By the Way is a divergence from previous Chili Peppers albums, with Kiedis taking a more candid and reflective approach to his lyricism.

By the Way was applauded by critics as a departure from the band’s previous styles, and is recognized for the melodic and subdued emotions given by the Chili Peppers. Guitarist John Frusciante is credited with writing most of the album’s melodies, bass lines, and guitar progressions, therefore changing the direction of the recording dramatically: “his warm, understated guitar work and his doo-wop style vocal harmonies are king this time around.” By the Way contained virtually none of the signature punk-funk fusion the band had become known for playing. Frusciante considered that writing “By the Way one of the happiest times in my life.”

Following a life threatening drug addiction that caused him to leave the Chili Peppers in 1992, Frusciante made a full recovery after a month of drug rehabilitation in the early months of 1998. Shortly thereafter he was asked to rejoin the Red Hot Chili Peppers.