I’m going to start off by saying that the Red Hot Chili Peppers is one of my favorite “modern” bands. If that isn’t kosher with you, you should probably stop reading this article.

Chili Peppers guitarist and musical madman, John Frusciante has quit the band. After releasing the double album, Stadium Arcadium in 2006 and the accompanying world tour that followed for the next 2 years, the band took a much needed hiatus. RHCP are now back in the studio recording their follow up album, but it was announced a few weeks ago that Frusciante had quit during the band’s time off over a year ago.

Frusciante has had a turbulent relationship with the band from the get go. Joining the band as guitar player for 1989’s Mother’s Milk replacing his idol, Hillel Slovak after he died of a heroin overdose. In 1991, the band finally broke through with the stunning masterpiece Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magick. An incredible amalgam of funk, punk, rock, sex, rap and classic rock. It became their commercial break through due in no small part to Frusciante’s blistering guitar aptitude.

Midway through the successful tour for this album, Frusciante abruptly quit. Not liking what came along with being an international celebrity he retreated from the lime light, becoming a recluse of almost J.D. Salinger proportions. This eventually brought him into grips with severe heroin addiction. Meanwhile, the Chili Peppers decided to solider on with a guitarist who was a punk/funk alumnus, Dave Navarro from Jane’s Addiction. They recorded One Hot Minute in 1995, a middle of the road release that while was well received was stylistically stagnant.

In 1998, Flea convinced Frusciante to get clean and return to RHCP, saving him from almost certain death as well as the band. They recorded Californication and mounted both a huge commercial and artistic comeback as modern rock radio welcomed them back with open arms. They followed this newly found success with another critically heralded album, By The Way. Where the funk took a back seat to song craft, resulting in more melodic and relaxed compositions.

This leads us back to 2006, when the band who had recorded enough for a triple album, released the double disced, Stadium Arcadium. The resulting cd was a mixed bag that acted as a summation of every style the band play since Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magick, while simultaneously cranking up the commercial appeal. The band toured extensively and than took an indefinite hiatus which saw Frusciante release his tenth solo album.

When the Red Hot Chili Peppers did return to the studio in the fall of ‘09, Frusciante announced on his blog he had quit the band during the hiatus. Josh Klinghoffer was named as the band’s in studio replacement (it hasn’t been announced whether he will tour with them as well, but it seems likely). Klinghoffer is kind of a young apprentice of sorts to Frusciante. On many of John’s solo albums, Klinghoffer and himself were a two man band, playing all the instruments. For the Chili Peppers’ Stadium Arcadium tour, Klinghoffer was included as a 2nd guitarist to allow Frusciante greater technical freedom on stage. So his joining the band seems like a natural choice.

Many fans are skeptical. While no doubt, Klinghoffer is a talented guitarist and musician, their was a certain synergy Frusciante brought to the band as well as complex backing vocals. This captain has his reservations, but he’s willing to watch as it plays out to see if the Red Hot Chili Peppers can reinvent themselves one more time.