NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 23: (L-R) Flea, Chad Smith, Anthony Kiedis and John Frusciante, of Red Hot Chili Peppers, perform onstage during Global Citizen Festival 2023 at Central Park on September 23, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Global Citizen)

Esteemed Red Hot Chili Peppers enthusiast Edward Norton has been spotted joyfully dancing in the wings during the band’s live performances, and his connection with the group extends to having Flea contribute to the soundtrack of his 2019 film, “Motherless Brooklyn.” Recently, the actor-director elaborated on his admiration for the band and asserted that their 2022 albums rank among their finest work.

Norton made a guest appearance on the latest episode of “Tetragrammaton,” the podcast hosted by RHCP producer Rick Rubin. Reflecting on his enthusiasm, Norton shared, “When I pulled up, I was playing the Chili Peppers’ track ‘White Braids & Pillow Chair,'” referring to a song from their 2022 release, “Unlimited Love.” He expressed a belief that it stands out as one of the band’s best creations. In particular, he highlighted tracks from the latter part of “Unlimited Love,” praising songs like ‘It’s Only Natural,’ ‘White Braids & Pillow Chair,’ ‘She’s a Lover,’ and ‘Let ‘Em Cry’ for their infectious groove. Norton likened his immersion in these tracks to the excitement he felt when first discovering albums by U2 or the Clash, stating that he played them repeatedly.

Norton went on to laud the Chili Peppers’ “level of musicianship,” drawing parallels to jazz musicians. He marveled at the band’s ability to maintain such high-quality collaboration for over three decades, emphasizing the rarity of such a feat. He also shared a theory, suggesting that guitarist John Frusciante’s intermittent breaks from the group played a role in preserving the freshness of their music. Rubin concurred with Norton, noting that the periodic absences of Frusciante contributed to a collective sense of gratitude among the band members and fans, making the music all the more precious.

Throughout the extensive three-hour interview, Norton continued to shower praise on the band. He described lead singer Anthony Kiedis as a “surrealist” and positioned Frusciante in the esteemed company of guitar legends like Jimi Hendrix and Prince.