When they were young men, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, like most young men, were obsessed with pleasures of the flesh: Sex, drugs, sex, dancing with their shirts off, sex, sports and oh, yeah, sex.

As they have grown older, however, like most older men, they have become more concerned with matters of a spiritual nature: Love, honour, friendship, salvation, regret and redemption.

The band's slow but steady transition from tattooed love-boy funketeers into middle-aged soul men -- a process begun in 1991 on Blood Sugar Sex Magik's Under the Bridge and Breaking the Girl -- is nearly complete on By the Way, the eighth and most refined album of their 20-year career.

The tube-sock funk-metal of their first decade is all but banished from these 16 cuts, which aim to subliminally sock it to your head and heartstrings instead of your feet and fanny. Flea's bass lines have gone from a full boil to a quiet percolation; Chad Smith's drum beats are mixed further in the background; and Anthony Kiedis' lyrics to tracks like Universally Speaking, Don't Forget Me and I Could Die For You are less about giving it away now than they are about realizing what's important to hold on to forever.

The band's secret weapon these days, though, is prodigal guitarist John Frusciante, who takes the musical reins on By the Way, reportedly contributing not only his increasingly idiosyncratic and experimental fretwork but also all the keyboards and backup vocals. It's his exploding abilities that take the Chili Peppers to new places like the flamenco folk-hop of Cabron and the punchy ska of On Mercury. They haven't totally severed their ties with their freaky-styley past -- the nostalgic neck-snapping workout of the title cut and Throw Away Your Television, along with the slow-rolling Can't Stop, should satisfy the faithful for now.

At any rate, they'll have to do. Because at this point, there's no question the Red Hot Chili Peppers have more important matters on their minds than getting you to shake your butt. (More on Red Hot Chili Peppers)

Track Listing
1. By The Way
2. Universally Speaking
3. This Is The Place
4. Dosed
5. Don't Forget Me
6. The Zephyr Song
7. Can't Stop
8. I Could Die For You
9. Midnight
10. Throw Away Your Television
11. Cabron
12. Tear
13. On Mercury
14. Minor Thing
15. Warm Tape
16. Venice Queen