Blood Sugar Sex Magik

Rick Rubin's production gives Blood Sugar Sex Magik more room around the Red Hot Chili Peppers' tightly interlocking parts. Flea's bass and Chad Smith's drums provide a firm centre while John Frusciante's guitar moves between clipped rhythm work and much more open melodic passages.

“Give It Away” turns repetition into momentum; “Under the Bridge” begins from a far more exposed place. The distance between them is part of the album's appeal. Across its long running order, the band's funk attack and quieter songwriting become equally important.