Has anyone heard this yet? This review is not so favourable, it got 1.5 stars but i might still check it out...

by Ian McCarthy
In the last twenty-two years, the Red Hot Chili Peppers have only managed to release eight albums -- less than seven hours in total. So let's get this straight: A band that has given us an average of nineteen minutes of new music a year all of a sudden has more than two hours of shit to tell us? Let's hear it.

To be sure, interest in a new Chili Peppers album is not what it once was. Maybe that's why early press for the double-disc, twenty-eight-song Stadium Arcadium seemed to focus on the band being back in the same studio (a spooky house in Laurel Canyon) with the same producer (Rick Rubin) as it was when Blood Sugar Sex Magik was recorded in 1991. And according to their current recording engineer, they plan on "bringing back the funk." As it turns out, the band is having a hard time reclaiming the "magik."

As suspected, Anthony Kiedis still has nothing to say. Sure, the Chili Peppers' brand of funk has usually relied less on meaningful lyrical content and more on interesting alliteration and sunny odd-ball imagery. But the lyrics are especially vapid here in the Stadium Arcadium. "I gave you major, you gave me minor/ Don't fade away like an ocean liner" is a couplet from "She Looks to Me." Kiedis described the album as "retardedly painful funk" to MTV News. Thanks, Anthony.

Drummer Chad Smith and bassist Flea continue to command their crafts, but they stay firmly in their place as a strong if lackluster rhythm section. For a lesser band, this would not be a distraction, but precedent has been set, and Flea, especially, fails to hold up his end of the bargain.

Luckily for the rest of the band and the discerning listener, John Frusciante has become a monster guitar player in the last few years, perhaps partly due to a wildly prolific solo career that produced a slew of releases in 2004, just before recording for Stadium Arcadium began. There is a lot of room to fill in the two hours of cookie-cutter funk presented here, but in Frusciante's able hands there is a new texture, tone or technique at every turn. The guitar is the star on both discs, titled "Jupiter" and "Mars."

Although an outer-space theme is hinted at by the cover art (think Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy movie posters) and the planet-inspired disc monikers, there is no concept or theme that helps explain the gaudy presentation of Stadium Arcadium. It's as if Rubin and the band members slid all of their ideas into a generic template and hoped for the best. The album is no more than a high-volume singles campaign -- an arsenal of potential radio and video hits packaged as a concept and touted as a grand return to form, just in case anyone is still paying attention to these things.

I've heard around 6 tracks from it. KROQ played them at midnight. The cuts sound cool. I've always been into the Peppers. Seen them play live 3 times. I think it's very cool that their releasing a double album. I'll definately be getting this.

rolling stone liked it. but they like everything.

I skimmed through the album and nothing really grabbed me so far. Some of the songs sound predicatble, others sound kinda dull. It kind of reminded me of In Your Honor, a band kind of spinning it's wheels, not really going anywhere new.

Listening now. There are 28 songs on this album so Im sure it'll take a minute to digest it all. In my opinion, it does seem like peppers by the numbers until track 7. Then things get really good. Omar Rodriguez(The Mars Volta) is credtited with the solo on track 10, so I'm very psyched to hear that one.

These guys still owe me $15 for that piece of shit Californication, fool me twice, I'm the jackass

I have only read good reviews except this one.

Charlie, Hump De Bump, Torture Me, Warlocks, Tell Me Baby, 21st Century, Readymade and Storm In A Teacup are the best songs on the album.

Anx said:

so true

so is it worth buying?

oldpurple said:

Definately. Stadium Arcadium is their second best album IMHO (the first being BSSM).

oldpurple said:

Well, that's a decision you have to make.

Basically, if your are a Chili fan than I see no reason why you shouldn't get it.
If you live in the US, Best Buy has it for $11.99. That's a great deal for a double album and it is worth that. I'm still digesting it, c'mon now it's 28 songs! Do I think it's great? Don't no yet. Do I think it's bad? No, I don't. Like I said it's gonna take awhile to absorb.

I don't think I've enjoyed any Chili Peppers album this much ever. It's getting non-stop plays in the Jeep. Too many favorites really. I really like all of them and I'm surprised by the high quality of all the trax considering it's a double. If I had to pick maybe, "Strip My Mind." and track 2 on disc 1

Bfunkthe1 said:

Yeah, a girl bought me a copy from there yesterday cuz she knew I'm a Pepper fan. I've heard some of the tracks already but some of the others are cool. It's classic Peppers as far as I'm concerned. Haven't heard anything that made me run out into the street, but I'm not having a fit saying it sucks either. Gotta listen to the rest. I've heard around 16 cuts so far. I just dig it that they released damn near 3 albums worth of material. That's some old school shit. The music world needs more of that kind of ambition.

Pretty good reviews so far according to Metacritic: http://www.metacritic.com...umarcadium

blackguitaristz said:

Exactly! Plus they're gonna have like 10 or so B-sides. There's already 3 from the Dani Cailfornia CD-singles. Like you said that's old school shit this is much needed in today's musical climate. Ambition, not pretension.

As with most Chili Peppers albums, the music is virtually flawless rock/funk. I love Frusciante's guitar playing.

The lyrics and vocals? Um, no. Anthony Kiedis is always telling you where he is, geographically speaking.

He's in the Swiss mountains. No, now he's in California! Something about Indiana. The dude has no ideas. None.

I still like the new album, though.

THe more i listen to it, the more stuff I like. Steal My Mind has background vocals that sound just like Paul Stanley THey tend to redo a lot of Ideas from previous songs on this one. The stacato bass from Parallel Universe shows up in variations a couple of times, but its cool. Def. a good purchase.

Bfunkthe1 said:

indeed. Its shows when cats live to make music. I've got mad respect for these guys approach to this whole music thang

I really loving this album. This beats 3121 as my favourite album of 06 so far.

There's a cool article on the Chili Peppers in USA Today's Weekend Section. Might be online. Just shows how the vibes were really good and everything.

Wanted to not like it. I love it. yeah a few songs are a little weak.

But Keidis vocally has not sounded better in years. Musically it's good stuff.

Flea is no more slap happy hero but great melodic lines. Drums are par for the course. Rock steady.

Frusciante is the monster here. He hits you with unbelievable emotion in every turn and great solo's. Tone wise this album should be regarded in the highest.
Some of the stuff would not be out of place on curtains or inside of emptiness.

Most of the songs require several listens to get all the little nuances.

Make sure you listen to the full track as most of the slow ones get going about half way through.
[Edited 5/12/06 8:45am]

Anx said:

CAUSE IF MOST MUSIC SUCK

WHY READ ABOUT IT?

aalloca said:

[Edited 5/12/06 9:39am]


not sure whats going on with my post
[Edited 5/12/06 9:39am]

POOK said:

Silly monkey, so we don't waste out time listening/buying to music that sucks.

Rolling Stone has been bought and paid for since the 80's, in the 70's the trashed Zeppelin albums and now EVERYTHING gets at least 3 stars and milk toast reviews.

If having a negative opinion about music is so bad why do movie reviewers who trash films have jobs? Rolling Stone to me has 1000 issues that represent a timeline from independence to corporate ass lickers.

Do monkeys lick their ass Pook?

Slave2daGroove said:

Dammnn!
Stadium Arcadium IS good regardless of what Rolling Stone said. And isn't that really the issue here?

Bfunkthe1 said:

I know that I'll have to buy this just to find out because yes, that is the issue

have 2 agree w Diana, it's a great album, been listening constantly since it came out.

I'm liking it.

I'm liking this album. It's a bit too long (typical), but it has a lot to offer, despite Anthony's mediocre contribution (how about Disc 2 track 1 being a complete rip off melodically of Dosed, from By The Way?).

It combines the old funkier style with the lush melodic style, and in a good way.

The guitar really is the star, though; the review got that part right. And it's the star in a very subtle way. Not flashy in the least, but it carries the record.

The other thing I think John contributes (and has for the past three albums) is badly needed vocal harmonies. He can bring a lot of dynamics to an otherwise bland vocal.