(Cover) - EN Showbiz - Flea thinks composer Bach is the "pinnacle of human achievement".

The bassist with rock group Red Hot Chili Peppers spent time studying at the University of Southern California while the band were taking a break before recording new record I'm With You. He took lessons in Music Theory and Composition and was stunned when he realised just how talented German composer Johann Sebastian Bach, who died in 1750, was.

"The main thing I did was to analyse Bach; what he did is the pinnacle of human achievement," he told Q magazine. "Having, like, five different complex melodies all going at the same time, each one itself the most amazing thing you've heard and all working together. The genius of it boggles the f**king mind. I liked being in a place where I didn't have to feel guilty about picking someone's brain."

Flea only stayed at the university for two semesters as he had many other projects on the go. In time the 48-year-old hopes to return as feels it's something he's missed out on.

"I love it, and, honestly, I'd love to go back for years. I barely squeaked through high school. I was never an educated person outside of my own personal growth process," he said. (C) Cover Media