Red Hot!
Was clearing junk from my computer a little while ago when I bumped into this Stadium Arcadium review I’d done some time back for our website. Since I’ve come to the [not so] devastating conclusion that the website won’t up any time soon – or may be not at all if my partners in crime and I keep deconstructing it at the rate we are going – I thought instead of letting it rot, why not post this thing up here and compare notes with other Red Hot Chili Pepper lovers even though the album's no longer on the 'new arrivals' list. So here it is.
THE FUNK IS BACK!
I think that would be an appropriate intro for Stadium Arcadium, Red Hot Chili Pepper’s ninth studio offering. The unmistakable funk style that has become RHCP’s trademark [which, by the way, was pretty much missing in their 2002 By The Way] is gloriously back in this double CD album. The CDs named ‘Jupiter’ and ‘Mars’ justify the arena-size album title – it’s got 28 catchy ear-candies, peppered with generous doses of funk.
The album kicks off with the very catchy Dani California, the first single off the album. It’s a song about the early death of Dani California [the same character from 2002’s By The Way], a small town girl who becomes a bank robber and lives a hard, fast and lonely life.
Before you are through savouring this one, the quartet hits you with Snow [Hey Oh], a slow ditty with some great melody, and Charlie that has guitarist John Frusciante lending singer Anthony Kiedis his falsetto harmonies and simultaneous guitar solos. The title track, Stadium Arcadium, is slow and melancholy, a sharp contrast, at least in terms of energy levels, to the next all out funk track Hump De Bump.
She’s Only 18 proves that even though on the wrong side of 40, Kiedis can still sing about undies, a la Blood Sugar Sex Magik days, and make it sound good. Torture Me starts off with Flea’s solid bass line and Kiedis sounds like he’s in a frenzy here. Flea delivers great bass line again in Especially In Michigan, another great song on the album. The funk is put back on the spotlight with Warlocks while C’mon Girl is one of the ditties with a catchy chorus.
Tell Me Baby, on Disk 2, is an interesting super-catchy Pepperisque song that starts funky and then goes melodic. Hard To Concentrate is a wedding proposal set to music, written by Kiedis for bandmate Flea and his new wife. A slow but interesting number that has muted bass, layered guitars and hand drums doing a perfect slow dance.
The first thing that you notice about 21st Century is Flea’s bouncing bass attack. It’s definitely Flea at his best. Another bouncy track is Make You Feel Better, a somewhat sixties influenced pop tune. An energetic track, So Much I has Frusciante going absolutely bonkers, and with good results. Another not-to-be-missed number is Storm In A Teacup, a full frontal funk attack. Fun and catchy, it’s undeniably old school.
Stadium Arcadium is definitely not for those looking for aggressive music and it requires a couple of listens before you can appreciate it. The feel is mellow throughout the album; it’s some good unpretentious music that gives you the feeling of being free. That description would sound ironic if you remind yourself that the band often communicates ideas of confusion and uncertainty, even chaos!
The Verdict: It’s not RHCP’s best album but still it’s damn good. Spend some quality time with this giant of an album. A good set of headphones recommended.
The album kicks off with the very catchy Dani California, the first single off the album. It’s a song about the early death of Dani California [the same character from 2002’s By The Way], a small town girl who becomes a bank robber and lives a hard, fast and lonely life.
Before you are through savouring this one, the quartet hits you with Snow [Hey Oh], a slow ditty with some great melody, and Charlie that has guitarist John Frusciante lending singer Anthony Kiedis his falsetto harmonies and simultaneous guitar solos. The title track, Stadium Arcadium, is slow and melancholy, a sharp contrast, at least in terms of energy levels, to the next all out funk track Hump De Bump.
She’s Only 18 proves that even though on the wrong side of 40, Kiedis can still sing about undies, a la Blood Sugar Sex Magik days, and make it sound good. Torture Me starts off with Flea’s solid bass line and Kiedis sounds like he’s in a frenzy here. Flea delivers great bass line again in Especially In Michigan, another great song on the album. The funk is put back on the spotlight with Warlocks while C’mon Girl is one of the ditties with a catchy chorus.
Tell Me Baby, on Disk 2, is an interesting super-catchy Pepperisque song that starts funky and then goes melodic. Hard To Concentrate is a wedding proposal set to music, written by Kiedis for bandmate Flea and his new wife. A slow but interesting number that has muted bass, layered guitars and hand drums doing a perfect slow dance.
The first thing that you notice about 21st Century is Flea’s bouncing bass attack. It’s definitely Flea at his best. Another bouncy track is Make You Feel Better, a somewhat sixties influenced pop tune. An energetic track, So Much I has Frusciante going absolutely bonkers, and with good results. Another not-to-be-missed number is Storm In A Teacup, a full frontal funk attack. Fun and catchy, it’s undeniably old school.
Stadium Arcadium is definitely not for those looking for aggressive music and it requires a couple of listens before you can appreciate it. The feel is mellow throughout the album; it’s some good unpretentious music that gives you the feeling of being free. That description would sound ironic if you remind yourself that the band often communicates ideas of confusion and uncertainty, even chaos!
The Verdict: It’s not RHCP’s best album but still it’s damn good. Spend some quality time with this giant of an album. A good set of headphones recommended.
posted by MockingBird at 9:40 PM
2 Comments:
I FEEL it's their best album so far. Californication was nice , but a bit mellow, this one heralds their comeback to their bloodsugarsexmagic'al days! anyways, got another sacco, shall pass it on. some mo' books coming, got a comic book for you too, it's all unfortunately in the transport.
good review.
You know what. I was completely put off their Californication title track after Nayuma television showed a bunch of TNSSS students playing that number on teacher’s day!! Jeez! Though a lot of people didn’t like One Hot Minute, I totally loved that album, especially numbers like Falling Into Grace, Walkabout, Tearjerker, and Shallow Be Thy Name. But, yeah, Bloodsugarsexmagic is like up there and I totally agree with you when you say “this one heralds their comeback to their bloodsugarsexmagic'al days”. And Flea is simply fantabulous in this album.
Thanks for reading and leaving your comment. Will thank you some mo’ when I get that comic book ;)
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