VIDZ (From Kerrang!)

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS

‘Positive Mental Octopus’

(PMI)

AS IN ‘Negative Sensible Stick Insect’: yeah, right, I can dig it. Eight tracks spanning from the latest LP ‘Mother’s Milk’ back through the infamous dick-sock era to the debut album- all in just 30 minutes. Whew.. what the hell am I writin’ here: a goddamned commercial?

‘Taste The Pain’, ‘Higher Ground’ and ‘Knock Me Down’ (complete with poignant references to their heroin-departed guitarist Hillel Slovak) are almost slick in comparison to the earlier, wackier, Dick Rude-directed (yeah, sure) effort ‘Catholic School Girls Rule’ —but there’s nothing straight about any of these promos. The only relief is the live version of Hendrix’s ‘Fire’ from an outdoor festival somewhere in Finland…

But that aside, this is an explosion of lip-stretchin’, funk-quenchin’, taste-smashin’ hyperspeed editing — bodypaint, male pubic hair, a couple of girlie nipples flash by in a mysteriously 18 certificate blink-an’-you’ll-miss-it  visual riot. Not necessarily the kind of thing to watch with a Saturday morning hangover, but given the three-way choice of: (a) watch  ‘Positive Mental Octopus’, (b) scan MTV for the Trixter promo, Or (C) gargle with baby-sick… it’s the one I’d plump for. (Although if the hangover was real bad, baby-sick has its advantages.)

NEIL JEFFRIES

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS

‘Positive Mental Octopus’

(PMI— £9.99)
LEAVING THE worst to last this not so immaculate collection of eight Chili Peppers videos starts with the most recent single ‘Taste The Pain’ and works back. Both that and the very visual ‘Higher Ground’ are undoubtedly the best here, trashy action-packed with Anthony Keidis [sic] and bassist Flea providing a comic partnership that translates well on screen. Closely followed by the more sensitive ‘Knock Me Down’ this promo’s concept, if there is one is lost, but Keidis’ [sic] erratic span-dance performance remains spellbinding.

But after’Fight Like A Braves’ idiotic jumble, things start to plummet downhill rapidly. A live version of Hendrix’s ‘Fire’ provides footage of the famous socks on the willies event, but is crudely unerotic. Rough quality and only, one suspects, included for sensationalism.

The very worst and most offensive video is ‘Catholic Schoolgirls Rule’. Dear me, how outrageous! Schoolgirls stripping off and blowjobs in the loos. The Chili Peppers might be brilliant on vinyl and stunning live, but episodes like this leave you not only questioning their values but also their puerile sense of humour. Pathetic.

Finishing on another one from the vaults of old, ‘True Men Don’t Kill Coyote’ runs like a wacky psychedelic three-minutes of Wizard Of Oz-style imagery. Again, it lacks any understandable concept, providing a mish mash of imagery that lacks fluency.

Overall, worthwhile for the archive footage, but the few dodgy moments put the band in a very questionable position.
Trish Jaega