(Credits: Far Out / Album Cover)
While John Frusciante is best known as the lead guitarist with Red Hot Chili Peppers, his contributions to the world of music extend far beyond the funk-rock-inspired licks he has provided for the band over the last three decades. A formidable performer and prolific recording artist, his extracurricular activities are far removed from what one may expect of the California group, and his tastes are far-reaching in fascinating ways.
His solo records are often of a more experimental and avant-garde persuasion, and he has collaborated with a number of artists who one might not instantly link with his regular band. His credits include playing alongside country legend Johnny Cash, illustrious rap collective Wu-Tang Clan, trip-hop pioneer Tricky and electronic madcap Venetian Snares, to name but a few of his other ventures, but one of his most frequent favourites to work alongside is the progressive rock group, The Mars Volta.
By his own admission, The Mars Volta are his favourite band of all time, and his close friendship with guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez has led to him featuring on five of their albums as a guest musician, as well as on several collaborative records with his counterpart. Formed in El Paso, Texas, in 2001, their heady psychedelic sound and complex compositions were considered to be far removed from anything else happening in the world of rock at the time, and they were hailed as saviours of the progressive rock movement.
Rodriguez-Lopez and frontman Cedric Bixler-Zavala had previously been founding members of post-hardcore group At The Drive-In, and after they disbanded, the duo chose to explore the outer realms of their influences, pushing themselves towards making a string of outlandish concept albums in the 2000s. Their debut album, De-Loused in the Comatorium, was characterised by Rodriguez-Lopez’s knotty guitar playing and Bixler-Zavala’s vocal acrobatics that supposedly stretch across five to six octaves, and Frusciante frankly couldn’t get enough of it.
Not only had he performed on their debut album, but he’d convinced bandmate Flea to be a part of the project, playing bass and trumpet on the record. However, it would appear that Frusciante had more extravagant ideas about who to recruit to work on their second album, Frances the Mute, and while they were putting the finishing touches on the record in 2004, Frusciante chose to write a letter to persuade rock royalty to feature on the album, although it would appear it was sadly never posted.
It wasn’t until years later that former Red Hot Chili Peppers’ tour manager Louie Mathieu came across the handwritten letter from Frusciante that he realised he’d been desperate for Jimmy Page to collaborate with The Mars Volta.
The unsent letter read: “My best friend Omar is the guitarist/leader of The Mars Volta. They are my favourite band in the world. Their music comes from punk, salsa, progressive rock and Led Zeppelin, and their singer, Cedric, is an extraordinary singer. They are making a new record right now, and it would be Omar’s dream to have you, Omar and myself simultaneously soloing on one song. Omar and I have done a lot of simultaneous soloing with great results, and it would mean the world to us if you joined us.”
Later in the letter, Frusciante even detailed the proposed logistics of having his guitar playing on the album, suggesting that he could even record remotely onto a computer and send it back to the group. However, Frusciante’s own logistics have to be called into question, as had he sent the letter to Page in the first place, then Frances The Mute could’ve been blessed with the Led Zeppelin guitarist performing in a three-way solo with him and Rodriguez-Lopez, which would have been a mind-bending concoction to say the least.
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