Best John Frusciante Albums

For all of those rhcp fans out there + his solo work fans like me... This is for you guys!
The Top Ten
1 Niandra Lades & Usually Just a T-Shirt

Very dark, he was high out of his mind when he made this obviously. This was the album that introduced me to John's solo music... There is just something about his artistic expression in the songs from this album that sticks to you even though some of the singing is kind of eccentric.

I've been a RHCP fan for a while now and knew John had an amazing solo career. So I listened to this album and WOW. To this day it remains my favorite John Frusciante solo album and it's among my top 10 favorite albums of all time. It's dark, yes, but the fact that Frusciante wrote it while deep in depression and drug addiction is just, wow. It makes you feel sad, but also open, and imaginative. And that's what most of these songs are. They aren't accessible to just any Chili Peppers fan, or even a fan of John's later work. Once you know that backstory of this album, which I consider to be just as important as the album itself, this one speaks to you deeper. If you're depressed or just in a bad mood and throw on this one, you'll feel- heard, if not better. It's like grunge, or rock as a whole, in that way. The lack of raunchy guitars or much distortion is a great choice on John's part, and his broken, depressing vocals are one of the best parts of this album. Niandra LaDes houses all my favorite songs from John, including My Smile is A Rifle, Untitled #2, Untitled #6 and #7, You're P*ssy's Glued to A Building on Fire, and my personal favorite, Mascara. I will never grow tired of this masterpiece. F John's later work (not really). If it came down to it, I'd pick Niandra LaDes every time.

2 The Will to Death

A calm, relaxing album, while still proving to be fun, The Will to Death fully deserves its spot at #2. The title track is a holy masterpiece, The Days Have Turned is a quiet tune, and An Exercise is under appreciated. Go to bed listening to this album, it will put your mind at rest.

A very chill album still capturing his guitar skills, certainly less electronic. A very pleasant listen for the longest time. The most RCHP-ish, I think. Almost at level with "Inside of Emptiness".

3 The Empyrean

Sadly his last guitar-driven album, The Empyrean to me captures Frusciante at his absolute peak. Every song is composed intricately and yet focused music-wise, and John manages to create such strong and vibrant moods that his lyrics on this album, though cryptic and often infused with high-brow metaphysical themes, are nothing short of visionary. I am usually a sucker for quotations -- with The Empyrean, quoting lyrics proves tricky: Taken out of context, they might seem weird or even hokey at times, but within the context of the songs, they are among the most beautiful and touching pieces of writing I've come across in recent years. The Empyrean is definitely Frusciante's best and most accomplished album, hands down.

4 Shadows Collide With People

This album has had a profound on my outlook on life, living and dying. Frusciante's mind and time bending lyrics remind me of poems from American writer and poet Khalil Gibran, and they are accompanied by rich warm sounds and guitar solos masterfully crafted for reverse looping (Time Goes Back), a combination that creates a place that is time-less, leaving nothing but love and hope. Reverence.

When someone you love passes away or you are having an existential crisis, I direct you to Shadows Collide With People for comfort. One of many Frusciante albums I will have my children and my children's children grow up listening to.

5 Curtains

This album deserves its place amongst the greatest acoustic albums of all time.

"It was just me sitting on a pillow, on my living room floor, with my back leaning against the couch."... awesome acoustic album. Meaningful and emotionally in parallel with every song. This is amazingly expressive and underrated

6 To Record Only Water for Ten Days

A brilliant mix of his electronic music ability and guitar skills.

A few good tracks, favs are Going Inside, Murderers and Ramparts. Def deserves to be higher.

Fabulous, nothing quite like it...

7 Inside of Emptiness

A very commendable set of tunes! Instrumentals are definitely great and his music directly expresses an effective objectification of 'eeriness'. Nice interpretation of emotion through guitars and lyrics.

8 A Sphere in the Heart of Silence

A beautiful experimental album that shows off the pure musical talents of John Frusciante and Josh Klinghoffer.

9 Smile from the Streets You Hold

If people had good taste, this would be up there with Niandra Lades. Yeah, he released it for drug money. Does that make the songs any less amazing. Tracks like Femininity, the title track, I Can't See Until I See Your Eyes and I'm Always are constantly overshadowed by the bigger hits.

10 DC Ep

A balance of trance-like music and meaningfulness. Great guitars and considering it only has four songs... it's a nice listen to identify John's music style.

The Contenders
11 Maya
12 From the Sounds Inside
13 PBX Funicular Intaglio Zone

Experimental, bluesy and electro. A very interesting listen.

14 Foregrow
15 Enclosure
16 Outsides
17 Renoise Tracks 2009 - 2011
18 Letur-Lefr

Only an EP, but I love it from front to back.

19 4-Track Guitar Music
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