Helen Burns is Flea’s freshman EP, after working extensively with The Red Hot Chili Peppers and releasing I’m with You in 2011. This record is an expression of Love, Pain, and Understanding. In benefit of the Silverlake Conservatory of Music, this record has features and contributions from everyone like Chad Smith, Fleas friend and bandmate, Patti Smith on vocals, and even the Silverlake Conservatory children’s and adult choir.
Being recorded in 2007, this was a time for Flea to really express himself and his ideas. He worked with Chris Warren, a drum tech and touring keyboard player for the Chili Peppers. Not planning to settle down and release an independent record, this EP came from the learning and teachings for Warren to become a sound engineer.
Being a six track EP, it begins with 333, an eight minute fully instrumental track. Taking the listener through the pain and emotions that we get from the raw output of instruments. The sounds coming from the keyboard and trumpet really allow for the emotions to hit and even stay stuck to the listener. After “333” we transition into tracks like Pedestal of Infamy, and even A Little Bit of Sanity, tracks that cannot even be grouped together but need paragraphs to explain the emotions and interpretations for the music at hand.
Ultimately ending at Lovelovelove, a three-minute track beginning with an aggressive guitar sound and transitioning into more electronic and eventually bringing in a choir portion to close out the music. A perfect ending to an amazing form of expression through experimental jazz and other genres of music.