Guest Written by my 10 year old daughter, Leora

On June 8^th, 1999, the Red Hot Chili Peppers released their 7^th studio album, Californication. It was produced by Rick Rubin and written by Anthony Kiedis, John Frusciante, Flea and Chad Smith. The record sold over 16 million copies and remains their most successful album to date. Anthony Kiedis’s main point behind this album was to, “Tell tales of wandering souls who've lost their way searching for the American dream in California.”

I’m a dancer and when listening to this album I pull out some of my best dance moves. It has so many unique beats and rhythms, I often find myself singing songs from it randomly. The lyrics are so catchy, it’s hard not to sing along and have them stuck in your head. All of the songs on this album make me happy and I love listening to them.

In addition to working with countless well-known musicians, Lawrence Azerrad created the now iconic album art for the Californication album. While artists derive their passion from a variety of sources, Azerrad focuses on key industries that he has a passion for, namely music, culture and education. The album cover depicts a pool overlooking mountains with the color of the sky and the water switched. The Red Hot Chili Peppers are very creative as well as Lawrence and that is one of the reasons why millions of people and me love this album.

My personal favorite song on Californication is Parallel Universe. It has a line that I absolutely love. It goes, “You could die but you're never dead, spider web, take a look at the stars in your head, fields of space kid.” This line means to think as hard as you can and try as hard as you can, which I always try to do. My dad has over 1,200 records in our collection, and this album would be in my top 10 records for sure. If you're ever having a good time one night pull out the Red Hot Chili Peppers Californication album and you will probably have the best night ever!

Recommended Album and Food Pairing

Californication pairs well with funky dance moves and a bowl of ice cream because everything goes well with ice cream.