Red Hot Chili Peppers

Stadium Arcadium

Written by: PP on 12/05/2006 12:04:10

During a time where bands put out a record each 1½ years with 11 to 12 songs included on average, Red Hot Chili Peppers' double album "Stadium Arcadium" comes as a refreshing change. The fans of the Chili's are melting around the world, as the album contains a whopping 28 songs, equalling to over two hours of new material from the band.

It gives little justice to the reviewers to receive the album only two weeks before the release, because there is simply too much material to get acquainted with in such a short period of time. Fortunately, The Red Hot's are no Tool, so the songs sink in already on the second or third listens. Without any purpose of insulting the band, lets face the facts. They aren't exactly "the band with depth" out there. Their simple variation of funk and alt rock can be classified under the easy-listening category, and would not be unsuitable during a casual dinner, while perfectly fitting for just chilling (pun intended) with your friends.

So what do the Chilis do with 28 opportunities to explore and refine their sound? They bring in the classic ultra-funky Red Hot Chili Peppers on "Warlocks", prog elements mixed with jazz and funk on "Turn It Again", the Californication-era melody-obsessed beauties back on "Desecration Smile", slower and quieter dinner music on "Hey", and everything you can possibly imagine the Chilis would be doing. Frusciante's guitar work is still as amazing as it's always been, and the same applies for the funky basslines. The band spends an exceptional amount of time exploring different aspects of their sound, with song-structures varying from the verse/chorus standard to chaotic funk with no transparent structure at all. In fact, all the elements on the album point towards an epic release, which will define the band's position in the modern music history, but unfortunately there is no way we are able to judge it before years have passed by.

A Red Hot Chili Pepper fan has everything he or she needs on this album. It features music from all phases of their career with a touch of new direction as well. And even though it's missing the straight-out 'stick to your mind foreverness' of "Californication" ("Dani California", for example, is definitely not a "Scar Tissue", "Otherside" or even "By The Way"), it's still of the standard you would expect from the band. As a last point I'd like to underline that the band has spent an incredible amount of time on this record. It's almost four-times the average length of a record these days, so don't be an idiot and download it. If you're going to listen to it, go and buy it. Bands who sacrifice this much time on a record shine of passion to the music they are making. They aren't in it for the money, and we should collectively show our support for this philosophy.


Download: Snow ((Hey Oh)), Desecration Smile, Warlocks
For the fans of: Led Zeppelin, The White Stripes, Jimi Hendrix
Listen: Myspace

Release date 09.05.2006
Warner Bros

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