CASHING in on the Chili revival, EMI has reissued Red Hot Chili Peppers, Freaky Styley, Mothers Milk and Uplift Mofo Party Plan, all digitally re-mastered.

Demos, mixes and live tracks are spread out across the four albums, which are packaged to look like the original vinyl releases. The Chilis are possibly the only one of the punk (American style)/funk fusion bands of the 1980s still in the charts, although they long ago gave up their trademark stage costumes of strategically placed tube socks. The albums are a great illustration of how their style developed, twisted, and changed yet still retained something essential. The eponymous album gained an underground following, after which came Freaky Styley, produced by funk legend George Clinton. The Uplift Mofo Party Plan, the first album to chart, introduced a heavier bass-line but is still funked up - they are almost the Chilis of today. The final album has their first big hit, a cover of Stevie Wonder's Higher Ground. Unfortunately, that's where the story ends, as the band's subsequent success came on a different record label. So we have the Chilis of yesterday, and we know the Chilis of today, what of the Chilis of tomorrow? Their next move is eagerly anticipated.

Updated: 08:43 Thursday, March 13, 2003