It's hard to pinpoint exactly what LA's Red Hot Chili Peppers are trying to achieve with their 9th studio album, the gloriously expansive "Stadium Arcadium". For a band that have been away from the limelight since 2002's hugely successful "By The Way" album - apparently 1 in every 34 Britons own a copy - the release of a double disc, 28-track comeback is potentially a huge risk for the band (made even moreso by Anthony Keidis' revelation that the idea was originally for a 3-disc package spanning 18 months of release time).
In fact, Anthony Keidis and Co could do far worse than look at the Foo Fighters ambitious double album of 2005, "In Your Honour". Dave Grohl's push to see his band compete for double album awards with The Who, saw the former Nirvana stickman do nothing other than run square into a brick wall - creatively, the album had nothing - and that very same reality lay evidently in the lap of Keidis and his bandmates.
Stadium Arcadium's problem is, that regardless of how good it's individual tracks are - first disc 'Jupiter' is a mainstream lovers wet dream - there's an all to evident lack of cohesiveness flowing through the discs shiny-as-hell centre. Taken as they are, the 14 slices that make up Stadium Arcadium's first disc are as pleasing
as anything released in the past year - but an eerie sense of 'cut and paste' leads to Jupiter being a mish mash of mainstream perfection, pleasing on there own….but a different story when reeled off in standard fashion.
Lead single "Dani California" speaks volumes for the first disc - a typically mainstream pop-rocker, it's accompanying video (which sees the band pay homage to the likes of Nirvana and The Beatles) is the sole thing that really gives the track that Chilis stamp of approval. Lyrically, the song's about as bog-standard as they come - written about the very same Dani that was "singing songs to me" on the bands uber hit, "By The Way" - it's a pretty fair representation of what the albums first disc has to offer…mainstream pop-rock, by the bucket load.
"She's Only 18" allows guitarist John Frusciante to flex his recovering muscles, ripping off a solo that'd make many of his peers proud. In fact, recovery seems to be the name of the game as far as Stadium Arcadium's concerned. Vocally, Keidis offers up a peppy to-the-point performance - and when considering the extensive myriad of material on offer here, that's some achievement. On the same note, bassist Flea gets back to basics - past the problems that toiled the band so much in their early days, musically this is easily the bands best since 99's defining "Californication" album.
That said, Frusciante is the saviour of so many of the albums tracks - time and time again does a song appear consigned to the 'bog standard' bin - until that is, Mr Frusciante steps in and delivers a severe kick in the nuts. "Wet Sand" sees the band at their undeniable best - whilst Frusciante and Flea play off each other like Ying and Yang, Keidis delivers a stripped down vocal performance that flows so effortlessly, yet so effectively - "I'm motivated by the lack of doubt" sings Keidis, and without festering on it too long…he's got every right to be.
"Desecration Smile" sees the Chilis frontman pen his most earnest of rhymes - "all alone, I'm by myself. love a girl bad for my health, seen it all through someone else" - anyone that's read Keidis' brilliant "Scar Tissue" autobiography will know that's just about as on the button as lyrics come. In fact, it bares semblance to Keidis' lyrics as a whole on Stadium Arcadium. Whilst touching on very little new ground (in fact, everything here's been written a dozen times over the past 23 years), the frontman manages to keep enough in the locker to fill a good portion of the albums 28 tracks with something remotely insightful.
The packages latter disc is the more Chili themed, funk filled, fun ride….aptly titled (actually, scrap that), "Mars". "Tell Me Baby" smacks of Give It Away, funking along over Flea's simple yet superb bassline, it sees Keidis giving one of his more 'out there' vocal performances ("tell me baby, what's your story. Where you come from? And where you wanna go this time?").
"Hard To Concentrate" - a written proposition penned via Keidis for bassist Flea's wedding - is simply beautiful…. "all I want is for you to be happy, and take this woman and make you my family. Finally you have found something perfect, and finally you have found…yourself" - more than anything, it blows any lingering rumours of band indecision out of the water, and in particular, strengthens the relationship between the two long-time friends.
The remainder of the second disc is a veritable mix of gleaming quality and glowing potential. "21st Century" is straight up funk fun, whilst "She Looks To Me" is potentially the albums finest moment as a whole - "who's gonna take you home and hold you when things aren't so bright?" - although typically Keidis, Fleas simplistic bass line gives the song a certain punch, and coupled with the excellent drumming of one Chad Smith (a man who plays out of skin throughout the discs 2 hours), the song's as close to the beauty of "Under The Bridge" as they've come since.
Known moreso for being 'the band with socks on their c***s' (apologies, but not my words), "Stadium Arcadium" sees the Red Hot Chili Peppers sticking to what they know best - funky basslines, effortless solos - courtesy of the reinvigorated legend that is John Frusciante - and Keidis' funk warblings….all seems good in the Chili Pepper camp.
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I have to say, I really liked this album, or at least 1/2 of it, I dont think Ive even listened to most of the tracks on disc 2 - oooooooooops!
Hannah xxx
snowbaby69 18.09.2006 16:52
I agree with you that most of the tracks on this album are "saved" by the guitar - and that many songs on their own are great - but it doesn't gel as an album and while it's growing on me, I still don't love it as much as By the Way. You know your stuff I enjoyed reading this.
bengar 17.09.2006 22:40
Too much on this album for me to take in. Besides, i'm becoming more and more despondent about the chili's their latest songs (which i've heard) i haven't like that much. A pity, since their early stuff kicks ass eg. Californication, Blood Sugar Sex Magic...and all that jazzz...Good review though, Ben
Four-year career hiatuses followed by sprawling double-albums could spell trouble for a ... more
band of the Chili Peppers' stature: consider they'd originally recorded enough for three discs. The restless, trouble-plagued outfit that helped break alternative r...
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Disc 1 Dani California Snow (Hey Oh) Charlie Stadium Arcadium Hump De Bump She's Only 18 ... more
Slow Cheetah Torture Me Strip My Mind Especially In Michigan Warlocks C'mon Girl Wet Sand Hey Disc 2 Desecration Smile Tell Me Baby Hard To Concentrate 21st Centur...
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The two CDs included with this awesome book/CD pack feature isolated recordings of Flea's ... more
actual bass lines (and John Frusciante's searing guitar parts) straight from the Peppers' smash-hit double album Follow along with the exact note-for-note transc...
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Advantages: long, lots of great songs, wonderful guitar work and strong performances all round Disadvantages: very diverse and lacks cohesion, some of the songs just don't hit the mark
Advantages: long, lots of great songs, wonderful guitar work and strong performances all round Disadvantages: very diverse and lacks cohesion, some of the songs just don't hit the mark
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May 8th, 2006
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