The Red Hot Chili Peppers

“Dani California”

Dir. Tony Kaye

In their latest video, “Dani California,” the Red Hot Chili Peppers play rock and roll dress-up, mimicking famous televised performances, from Elvis Presley’s early network appearances to Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged session, reaching a climax when the band appears as—surprise!—themselves.

Unfortunately, all these changing costumes only remind us that the Chili Peppers have been stuck in the same musical-historical rut for the past 10 years. “Dani California” sounds like any of the flood of MTV-friendly, moderately funky, poppy singles that have come off of the band’s last three albums.

And it’s too bad that the song’s so lousy, because the video’s concept and execution are solid. The Chili Peppers ham it up with enough self-deprecation to avoid looking too hubristic, even when thrusting themselves into some of music’s most storied moments. Impersonating the Beatles is a bold move for any rock band, but lead singer Anthony Kiedis and the boys manage to pull off the physical comedy successfully. Plus, they look like they’re having as much fun as when they made the “Give it Away” video—unfortunately, this song is a sleeping pill by comparison.

Some of the video’s clips are throwaways, but there are more than a few highlights. Like when we find bassist Flea looking completely out of his element in a ’50s dark suit, playing an enormous double bass. The look on his face suggests that the two-piece is a bit more confining than his more typical strategically-placed tube sock, but the master of the funky electric bass looks like he’s having the time of his life playing the big old instrument.

The video for “Dani California” basically seems like a chance for the Chili Peppers to clown around expensively on camera, and the results are surprisingly entertaining. It’s just better if you watch it on mute.

—Tom C. Denison