Red Hot Chili Peppers: Flea , John Frusciante, Anthony Kiedis, Chad Smith .
Personnel: Omar Rodrguez-Lpez (guitar); Richard Dodd (cello); Brad Warnaar (French horn); Michael Bolger (trombone); Billy Preston (tambourine); Lenny Castro, Paulinho Da Costa (percussion).
Audio Mixers: Andrew Scheps; Ryan Hewitt.
Recording information: Akademie Mathematique Of Philosophical Research; Little Kicker Sound; The Center For The Cultivation Of The Invisible; The Mansion Of Laurel Canyon.
Photographers: Michael Muller; Gus Van Sant.
An ambitious double album, STADIUM ARCADIUM finds the Red Hot Chili Peppers building on their more mature, latter-day approach, while also acknowledging their lighthearted, youthful sound. The Los Angeles-based funk-rock quartet's third studio outing since John Frusciante returned to the fold, this 2006 release once again reinforces how crucial the guitarist is to the Peppers' aesthetic, with his mix of swirling, psychedelic leads and heavy riffs providing the perfect foil to Flea's bold bass heroics. (Instrumentally, the record also benefits from guest appearances by Mars Volta guitarist Omar Rodriguez, percussionists Paulinho Da Costa and Lenny Castro, and the legendary Billy Preston on clavinet.)
Remarkably consistent for a two-disc, 28-song offering, STADIUM ARCADIUM kicks off with "Dani California," an energetic track that hints at a Beatles influence, while showcasing vocalist Anthony Kiedis's neo-rap delivery and the tight rhythmic interplay of Flea and drummer Chad Smith. Other highlights of this collection include the emotive "Wet Sand" and the frenetic "Torture Me," which provide nice counterpoints to loose, limber tunes such as the funk workouts "Hump De Bump" and "C'mon Girl." In many ways a culmination of the Chili Peppers' decades-spanning musical evolution, STADIUM ARCADIUM stands as one of the group's most impressive efforts.
Professional Reviews
Rolling Stone (pp.225-226) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[Flea] finally cuts loose again here, reasserting himself as the best non-hip-hop reason to buy a subwoofer."
Rolling Stone (p.102) - Ranked #2 in Rolling Stone's "The Top 50 Albums Of 2006" -- "[A] confessional and creative triumph."
Entertainment Weekly (p.79) - "John Frusciante lays down his sledgehammer riffs, Kiedis begins to actually sing the elegiac chorus, the golden harmonies of the bridge kick in, and by the end, you're blindsided by how great it all sounds." -- Grade: B+
Q (p.126) - Ranked #4 in Q Magazine's "100 Greatest Albums of 2006" -- "[With] funk-rock rhythms, Californian harmonies and bittersweet themes."
Kerrang (Magazine) (p.47) - "There are hidden depths here, melodies that become more insistent and subtleties that reveal themselves from where they sit modestly beneath the surface."
Q (Magazine) (p.106) - 5 stars out of 5 -- "[Frusciante] has brought a sense of experimentation to a band not renowned for dabbling with the unorthodox. It's testament to his new-found vocabulary that no two songs sound the same."
Mojo (Publisher) (p.110) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "It's the sound of a band on a roll....The unbridled creativity here is a cause for celebration."
It took me ages to get this chili peppers album, but i am so glad i did i actually really love it and the second cd is just as good i was worried there would be a cd full of good songs then a cd with av- crap songs but there isnt its all good! which is fantastic, now i only wish i got the box set!!!
I recon this album is alright, there's a lot of great music on the two discs and I only really disliked one or two tracks. As for claims that it isn't as good as blood sugar sex magick, well, I think they're right but not by much. Anyone who likes the music that the chilis have put out in the past won't be disappointed by Stadium Arcadium.
I love this album, there's alot of great music on the two discs and I only really disliked one or two tracks. As for claims that it isn't as good as blood sugar sex magick, well, I think they're right but not by much. Anyone who likes the music that the chilis have put out in the past won't be disappointed by Stadium Arcadium.
A great double cd by rock legends The Red Hot Chili Peppers. this album is quite recent and shows some change in sound from the red Hot Chili Peppers but they still retain their old attitude. This double cd is similar in sound to californication and has many great songs like "Snow (Hey Oh)" and "Dani California". A must have for all Red Hot chilli Pepprs fans and a great buy.
