inspiration and creativity.” The album received its share of negative criticism as well. Rolling Stone’s Christian Hoard, felt “Frusciante’s eccentricities run seriously amok”, and that ” [the album] sounds like a string of four-track demos. The first part of the album is slightly more tuneful than the more ambient, experimental second section[…] Mostly what you get are Frusciante’s acoustic-guitar scratchings and stream-of-conscious ramblings.”[16] The first Rolling Stone review of the record, however, was positive: “All in all, [the album is] a mess – but definitely a fascinating, often lovely mess. As one might expect of an album titled Niandra Lades and Usually Just a T-shirt this is twisted, cool stuff.”[22] The Boston Herald said that while the album was “a stark display of Frusciante’s acoustic guitar virtuosity” and “…eerily beautiful”, the singing was “terrible; his high notes will drive the neighborhood dogs into a frenzy.”
Frusciante’s drug addiction worsened as the years progressed. An article published by the New Times LA described him as “a skeleton covered in thin skin”.[18] He participated in an interview with Dutch public broadcast station VPRO—the first media appearance he made since leaving the Chili Peppers.[11] In the interview Frusciante speaks of the positive effects drugs have had on his mind and proudly admits to being a “junkie”. He went on to confess addictions to heroin and crack cocaine, but ultimately described himself as being in the best health of his life.[11] In 1997, Frusciante released his second solo album Smile From the Streets You Hold, primarily for drug money.Niandra Lades and Usually Just a T-Shirt was estimated to have sold only 45,000 copies when Frusciante ordered it out of print in