Real Be Easys live up to name

By Nate Adams
Collegian Editor
October 31, 2007

In 1984, a group of high school friends burst out of the L.A. music scene with tunes that combined funk, punk rock and hip hop with explosive live energy. The group of friends would go on to become one of the most beloved and influential rock bands of the ’90s, the Red Hot Chili Peppers. They created something new and exciting in the ’80s, and bands have been trying (and failing) to replicate that sound since. Some bands took the sound in a different direction (Sublime), some bands became inoffensive spin offs of the genre (311) and some bands just tried to replicate the sound verbatim, to massive failure. Sadly, the Real Be Easys fall into the third category.

To be fair, the band has more to its sound than just the slacker fuzz-funk that so many bands took from the Peppers. The Real Be Easys have a heavier tone that borrows more from early ’60s metal than ’70s funk, and their guitar work and jammy song structure is reminiscent of early Blues Traveler. However, even with these elements to vary their sound, their album Lost Paradise isn’t anything more than a mild distraction.

The album kicks off with some lo-fi guitar funk reminiscent of Dave Navarro-era Peppers. “Defunkt” finds the band mixing a funky little guitar riff with a more hard rock, distorted chug; it’s a neat trick that wears itself out over the course of the song, and unfortunately continues throughout the entire record. The song also sets another precedent throughout the album: The lead singer’s preoccupation with members of the fairer sex.

It’s common knowledge that pretty much all rock songs are about women, but the Real Be Easys are in no way covert about this. They make this obvious on “Defunkt,” “Maniac” and “Pop Bottles.” While some bands are able to balance their obvious woman-chasing with some subtle wording, the Real Be Easys opt to be as obvious as possible, resulting in some lyrical faux-pas like this gem found in “Maniac”: “Just cause you’re my friend/ don’t mean we can’t bone.” Charming.

The album isn’t without its strengths. The band members legitimately sound like they love to play together, and there is sincerity in their lyrics, as blundering and sophomoric as they may be at times. And the first few tracks aren’t bad listens, especially if one is in a Chili Peppers mood without actually wanting to listen to the Chili Peppers. However, because of the band’s inability to overcome its genre or advance beyond one-trick knocks, Lost Paradise isn’t much more than another album that’s about 10 years late to the funk-rock party.

adamsn1@lasalle.edu