He's not trashing Kiedis, he's just saying that Anthony isn't educated in music and seems more like he's talking highly of Anthony, showing how impressed he is of how he'll show him some written music and Kiedis will still add to it vocally without having the knowledge of what to write. He goes based off what sounds good to him.

“He’s grown into a very mature songwriter.” That would’ve been the title to choose for this video.

He’s not coming from a malicious point at all. Anthony even said it himself in the Scar Tissue book that he was the odd man out in the band cause he was with such musical intellectuals. Can’t wait to see them this upcoming year!

That was the coolest and honest interview. Never heard anyone talk about a band’s insight like this before.

You can tell there’s a lot of creativity stored in John’s head

John is guileless. Love listening to him in interviews. Frusciante is a genius with a pure heart. He's gifted the world so much already.

Let's just be honest, Anthony ain't the best singer in the world, but he is an amazing front man. I love this band

Honest interview and shows just how much more important a great ear is than knowledge of music theory. No doubt if Anthony studied music theory his writing would change. In a way, being ignorant of music theory creates the most authentic songs possible.

John strikes me as one of those people that says things that could (I guess if you wanted to) be taken as harsh but he didn't mean it that way. In his mind I'm sure he was just telling the truth and not trying to be hurtful.

Kideis is not in my top 50 singers. Yet they sold over 100 million album's. I was never a fan but in the early 2000's my wife took me to a RHCP concert and they blew my mind. Mad respect.

Although he doesn't know any technical standpoints in music, he does sing from the heart, raw energy and passion makes due for someone who started a band to rock and jump

What all the pedantic music theory nerds fail to realize and understand (and I say this as a musician who sings and plays guitar, bass, and drums; gives guitar and bass lessons, has played in gigging original bands for over 25 years and also knows quite a bit of theory) is that coming up with poetic lyrics that flow and memorable vocal melodies is one of the hardest things to do in music and Anthony is great at both. There are tens of thousands of skilled knowledgeable musicians who can't do it. And he also has a very distinct and recognizable vocal tone. So yeah, Anthony is a great singer/frontman.

That was exactly how my singer was. He approached song writing, to my pieces totally opposite of what I would've done and it always came out cool. R.I.P. Neal

He is so right, the beauty of this band.

It wouldn't sound like the Red Hot Chili Peppers without Anthony's voice, or Flea's Bass playing or John's Guitar playing or Chad's drumming. That's what makes them special. Even when others filled in at guitar, it either didn't sound right, or they basically had to mimic John's playing. Each member is equally iconic and distinguishable.

This dude is unique. You always know when he is playing.

Improvisation is the purest form, of any art...I love John's humble and honest take on this, I didn't take it as any kind of slight toward Anthony.

True musicians know that a gift is a gift, sometimes imperfection makes for perfection

I like singers who feel very comfortable improvising. It makes writing fun and songs can almost write themselves with the bouncing off of each other and seeing where it goes. Sometimes whole songs come right out. You listen back and go wow where did that come from? Nothing better when it just happens like that.

RHCP is a great band to see live. Definitely in my top 10. Definitely would go see them again.

What he says (imho) is that is somehow Anthony works by instinct, which for me is basic in a musician. There's plenty of well-trained conservatory musicians that are not capable of reflect their emotions on music, they just read the notes and play. Anthony for me is just the opposite, and that's nice.

Love John. His solo music and contribution to the band. It’s not RHCP without him.

he sings great melodies and write great songs. wouldnt be the same without anthony and anyone in the band for that matter. they have a great chemistry

I would like to see this genius succeed and live happily. He has much to offer the music Galaxy. Love ya John.

Anthony's voice IS his instrument and he is absolutely dedicated to it.

Anthony just vibes his flow. It's how he relates musically. He doesn't need to have the psyche of a classical virtuoso composer.

Anthony is the secret ingredient in the band like the spices in the KFC recipe. We all know he’s not the greatest singer in the world. BUT…the guy is a MASTER lead man. Unbelievable connection to the crowd and acts as a transformer for the band and the audience. Complete give and take between the two, there’s very few people who can rock the crowd like Anthony can. A showman on a very elite level!

Ohne Anthony gibt es keine RHCP . Ich bin 51 Jahre alt, seit meinem Jugend hat mich diese wunderbare Band begleitet. Und jetzt geht mein Sohn zu Konzert in Köln 😊👍 Ihr seid die beste 🥰!

Anthony’s voice is angelic melody’s and for sure he’s matured into a great song writer who has mastered his craft. People say he’s not a great singer but what does that mean? He’s not Whitney Houston thank God. Lol

I think he meant “music theory” , I don’t see this as a dig at all. He makes some solid points.

Nicely done, John. Thank you.

He's thoughtfully attempting to identify whatever positive contributions Kiedis brings to the songs. And, that contribution is as important to the sound of the band as the musical contributions. However, it is not a secret that Kiedis' personality and 'lead singer disease' has contributed to John leaving the band in the past. There are lots of guitar players out there that would prefer not having to work with a frontman but in many bands there is no way around it. lol

He joined the band because he loved them so much, including Anthony.

He's right rhcp has 3 of some very musically knowledgeable musicians and it mixes well with Anthony's lack of technical knowledge. Can't wait to see what they come up with now that John is back.

Facts don’t have feelings……..I love John’s honesty ……he is a purist…….he is art!

Love how he mentioned how kedis was coming from a rap type delivery because I've always been amazed at how he was before the wave of rap rock fusion of numeral but i never heard much talk about that and would always be hollering look man check this man he's pretty much rapping on some of this it's crazy

Well he's a front man. He does a great job at being Anthony Keidis

Anthony really did grow so much since he started and he has even created his own style of singing, which is awesome

If anyone knows anything about Anthony's musical abilities it's definitely John

This is where originality and genius comes from. The process is truly and unmistakably RHCP. Often imitated never duplicated. I love this band and really have no idea where it goes next but I am all in.

Anthony sings by ear. He has an innate sense of tone and how to blend his voice with the bass and the guitar. He’s just a natural and doesn’t need any formal training. Whatever he’s doing is working for him, obviously a successful rock singer. Many “pop” or “rock” musicians can’t tell the difference between an F sharp and a B flat on paper but they’ll sing or play in tune magically with their sense of rhythm and naturally good intonation. The boy was born with a singing heart!

I love john, he's such an amazing musician. RHCP wasn't the same when he left. He truly is the only guy that could have replaced helle.

The lighting in this clip is insane, you’d swear John’s face is melting the entire time

John is absolutely great and I love this band since I was a kid ...40 now 🙃

I remember over thirty years ago finding a Saigon Kick record, it was pretty simple songwriting but I liked the guitar and the melodies. Found a Guitar magazine that featured them and the guitar player basically said I don't know why you're interviewing me, I know nothing about music, I just play what sounds good to me. Lol that was me for a long time. Finally a few years ago I found Rick Beato and took a few lessons and realized there's mathematics involved, and these notes sound good together for a reason. And... I'm back to just playing what sounds good lol.

You don’t have the Red Hot Chili Peppers without Kiedis…. He was the inspiration for classics like under the bridge, soul to squeeze, other side, californication and many others.

Beautiful ❤️

Love this man.

I always thought everyone knew this, even Anthony has said it. Also if you don't play and dont know music theory it's going to be very hard for people to understand John

This is 100% how I work with my songwriting partner in my band. He doesn’t have a music theory background, but he has a killer voice. So, when we write music, we’ll get an idea and riff on it, and the melodies flow through him like it’s from the muse. It’s a great balance

JFs work on the song “Venice Queen” haunts me to this day. It’s beautiful.

I love John! ❤️❤️❤️

The fact both those guys are still alive is flat out amazing !!

Frusciante's a musician's musician - The kind that would be just as happy playing for 5 vs 5000. He's not a rockstar or politician, and is just being honest, not mean-spirited.

lol how sincere and polite

It's rock and roll baby!

“Anthony is totally a non-musician…he couldn’t find his way in a piano.” And yet he was able to shape his band to his own image and style. Amazing.

Don’t need to know all about music to be a great musician :)

John:”-I’m just gonna talk about my band for the whole interview-“ Interviewer:”okay cut!”

I think that Jhon Frusciante is the most talented of the band, but that being said, without Anthony I dont think the RHCP would have been what they are, I feel he is irreplaceble. The first time I hearded a RHCP song on a radio when I was a kid was Anthony's voice the thing that really caught me, then I looked up the band and felt in love

Anthony has been with the RHCP since their debut in 1983. He's primarily a singer/songwriter, especially in the lyric department. You'll most likely see Anthony with an instrument during their "jam sessions" in concert. There's nothing wrong with learning as you go on.

Kids, don’t do drugs. John is such a talent

I love listening to john

Anthony really did well on the Under the Bridge vocally. I least I thought so any way. I always thought he did that rap stuff because it was trendy :) Heck, if he did more of it now they would probably be a popular top 40 group again. He has definitely developed his ear well over the years.

He's a singer.. His instrument is his voice. He sings and with melody.... He knows about music!

The articles quoting this interview are taking some GROSS liberties with his words. He is definitely praising Kiedis here, going so far as to say that he continues to grow as a mature songwriter.

WORD!

that’s pure talent and a gift.

I highly respect John as an extraordinary guitar player. Anthony however IS Red Hot Chili Peppers. I like how John is giving him compliments even when pointing out Anthony's limitations as an artist.

John I love your mind and what a generous and accurate description of the magic that Anthony possesses. Thank you.

Eloquent, honest, deeply passionate musician. ❤

I love this guy.

Whoever named this video kinda inferred that it was an insult. It's more of a genuine observation, almost an appreciation that AK could make it happen. It's art and everybody swipes the paint differently

I swear this guy asked me for spare change

This guy always taking me back to red hot chilli. Dont let him go again!

That was actually brilliant

Somewhat click baity title, but good content. One major thing John could have mentioned is Anthony’s extreme charisma on top of his inventive lyrics. But John is focused always more on the musical aspect rather than the lyrical content it seems. Nature of the beast. Anthony is in fact a poet with a profound understanding of existence.

Anthony is a lyrical genius, and clearly someone who truly feels music. Which is really all it takes. Feeling the music is more important than understanding it. That isn't to say that understanding it isn't beneficial, or that if you do understand it, you can't feel it... it's just much, much, much more important. If you want to be a successful music artist, it's more important to feel the music than it is to understand. There are musicians who understand the formulas through and through, and they never make it, and there are musicians (apparently like Anthony) who have little to no understanding of the formula, and they make it big... That's waaaaaay more common... much more important to feel it.

Met John at a “!!!” concert in LA. He was about to leave after this band “Silver Dagger” was playing. My buddy and I were chopping it up with him and we pleaded with him to check out !!!. He stayed and I ran into him in the merch line and talked some more, he’d been dancing his ass off. Later that year !!! Was on tour with RHCP in Europe. It was pretty awesome.

Love.

Nikki Sixx was a shitty bassist on the early MC records but he was a pretty damn great songwriter. You dont have to be a flea or a jaco to make great music. Its all about compensation and chemistry.

Misleading title. John is actually praising Anthony for his musical instincts. There's electricity in that band and I think many like to try and break that but I think the band members already know the silliness of that.

Even though not singing melodically at the beginning with the 'rap' lyrics, there are very much rhythm, phrasing, flow to it that doesn't need melody. Perfect combo of instrument virtuosos and genius songwriting.

This interview is so much more beautiful than the title suggests

very misleading title

"But I'm just gonna talk about my own band for the whole interview and then..." *Gets cut off*

woah this explains everything

He's totally not trash talking. As a musician we have to keep music theory in mind especially when collaborating with another instrument. Thinking outside of the box.

Anthony is completely the opposite from a sheet music reader, you can play notes that go together because of music theory, but Anthony transcends that and does it through feeling it

Before i “learned” how to play the guitar, I used to sit down and just create. I had fun, I was off the wall, and didn’t know what I was doing wrong. After I learned how to play, I found I wasn’t as creative. The rules stifled me and once I knew the rules, I couldn’t go back to the freedom of ignorant creation.

Love AK 💜

Intellectual understanding and intuitive understanding synthesised xxx

He is the greatest. I love John he's a musical genius. He just let us know how unique Anthony is. Anthony is like m8cheal Jackson. No instrument ability but knew what he wanted to hear while singing. Combined balance makes chili peppers great

I hear Anthony say same shit about John with everyday living stuff that John doesn't know. Not as a put down but just that it's not important to John. It rolls both ways !

A very honest, precise and accurate description. If anyone would know, it's John.

He’s clearly speaking very highly of him. And no one can disagree with what he’s saying. He clearly comes from a place of “concise feelings” rather than technical training or knowledge. I think anyone can hear that and in fact is part of what makes RHCP cook.

Jim Morrison knew next to nothing about music as well. That turned out ok, too. Knowledge of scales and theory never hurt anyone, but that doesn’t necessarily make you a great musician.

Ughh. Total clickbait title: He is actually paying him incredible praise, especially considering who it is coming from. In context Frusciante is saying that Kiedis lacks a formal education in music and does not play an instrument but that his capacity for "feeling" music and how much he appreciates music has allowed him to become an excellent songwriter and performer. Further, John pays him mad respect for his intuition in writing great music and keying in on notes from chord progressions to work off of that someone without an education in music *shouldn't* be able to do...but Anthony can...such is his passion, ear, and love for music again despite having no formal training and playing zero instruments. This never really changed from inception to present day, though Kiedis has become a capable singer in his own right, moving on from his early rap-rock semi spoken word style (which was always in tune and on beat even if lacking in "technical" merit).

Very interesting

in simple term its a compliment to Anthony about his ability to adapt and bring a different approach, probably why so many none singers/musicians love his music, its relatable and different from the norm, backed with a musical god like Flea its a hit.