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Track Listings
| Disc: 1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Dani California | |||
| 2. Snow (Hey Oh) | |||
| 3. Charlie | |||
| 4. Stadium Arcadium | |||
| 5. Hump De Bump | |||
| 6. She’s Only 18 | |||
| 7. Slow Cheetah | |||
| 8. Torture Me | |||
| 9. Strip My Mind | |||
| 10. Especially In Michigan | |||
See all 14 tracks on this disc
| |||
| Disc: 2 | |||
| 1. Desecration Smile | |||
| 2. Tell Me Baby | |||
| 3. Hard to Concentrate | |||
| 4. 21st Century | |||
| 5. She Looks To Me | |||
| 6. Readymade | |||
| 7. If | |||
| 8. Make You Feel Better | |||
| 9. Animal Bar | |||
| 10. So Much I | |||
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See all 14 tracks on this disc
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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Four-year career hiatuses followed by sprawling double-albums could spell trouble for a band of the Chili Peppers' stature: consider they'd originally recorded enough for three discs. The restless, trouble-plagued outfit that helped break alternative rock into the mainstream with a potent fusion of punk 'n' funk in the '80s finds itself two decades on almost completely devoid of the former's energetic abandon, while the latter's effusive rhythms are considerably subdued over the course of this two-hour, 28-track collection. It's not so much that the Peppers have lost their muscular, often uber-macho edge as they have willfully tamed it in service of mature reinvention here. The mellower, often introspective, if no less potent pop ethos that characterized the crossover hit "Under the Bridge" blossoms fully here on tracks like disc one's "Snow," "Wet Sand," and the jazz-cool of "Hey."
The title track, "Desecration Smile," and "She Looks To Me" finds them venturing further into laid back pop ballad territory, while the tricky rhythms of "Dani California," "Charlie," and "So Much I" eventually kick into familiar top gear on the pop-savvy "Tell Me Baby" and hip-hop seasoned "Storm in a Teacup." It's not that there's a paucity of musical adventure here ("If" and "Animal Bar" finds them wafting into Floydish neo-psychedelia while "Make You Feel Better" seems to channel no less than Joe Jackson) but that it's delivered with a subtlety--and dare we say it?--tasteful musical restraint that's a stark contrast to the band's early, overly overt nature. There's perhaps too much mid-tempo simmering and reflection going on; like most double-albums it could be focused into a much more compelling single disc. But that seems largely beside the Peppers' hooks-over-histrionics point here: an unlikely record to kick back to, and one that both challenges assumptions and eases the band into middle age with an oft languorous, if undeniably savory groove. --Jerry McCulley
Product Description
Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers calls the band's first new album in four years, Stadium Arcadi-um, the most-anticipated album of the spring, 'the best thing that we've ever done'. There's this weird kind of sublime, subliminal undercurrent that is suggestive, in a spirited way, of our earliest records. Exuding all the passion, energy and funked-up rock that have made the Red Hot Chili Peppers one of the most popular bands in history, the 2-CD Stadium Arcadium, simply put, will knock your socks off. Warner. 2006.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
91 of 98 people found the following review helpful
By R. Otero
Format:Audio CD
Wow. I see a lot of old fans complaining about the direction "their" Peppers have taken here. Well, if you don't like it go form your own band and write your own "perfect" music!
There are a few common fallacies being repeated here:
1) "This album is soft. Too many ballads. Boo hoo." Huh? Maybe you are not playing it loud enough, but I hear plenty of blistering guitar and slammin beats for my tastes. The bass tone is as good as it has been since BSSM and the drums are bright and present. There are quite a few mid-tempo pieces, but they usually resolve to scorching bridges of pure rock power.
2) "The Peppers have abandoned their roots! Boo hoo." Please. Just because they are not retreading their young punk vibe over and over again it does not mean they have lost their integrity. I personally think punk AND metal sound best when a young band has something to prove. If they keep at it, without maturing, it sounds pretty stale. So I appreciate that they have moved on. I still love the old records and they are not going anywhere. Bottom line, if you want a dangerous punk sound look underground, this band has grown up.
3) "They mailed it in. It's all about Frusciante now. Boo hoo." Nonsense. They bring it all to the table on this record. Yes, John's layered sounds are a huge part of the post-Californication sound, but I personally think this is Flea's best work. He is master of a ridiculous number of styles and still manages to sound like himself. No imitators possible. He practically invents a new style of bass on "Hard to Concentrate". I defy you to tell me you've heard anything like that stuttering little groove played on a bass guitar before (he seems to be pulling modern hip hop grooves into his own brand of upper register playing) and the next tune "21st Century" is a clinic on creative funk bass groove. Flea has reached a perfect balance of his relentless power and a "less is more" approach. If you have seen them play "Subway to Venus" at a billion beats per minute recently you know that neither he nor John have lost their chops, they just make different choices now. They are playing exactly what they think is beautiful and powerful and funky, no more no less. The reason I buy every album they make is because I trust them to make THEIR choices not MINE. I do that in my own band. I like where they are going as much as where they have been. Anthony Keidis has NEVER sounded better. His lyrics are on par with the other albums, equal parts sublime abstract genius and quirky Keidis nonsense delivered in his unique style. Again if you think the lyrics aren't good, then grab a mike and let us hear yours. Keidis is doing his thing well here.
4) "It's still not as good as Blood Sugar! Boo hoo." Of course not, but it is not trying to replace that album. That was 15 freaking years ago folks! That was the perfect album for that time. I was 19 at the time and it absolutely consumed me, but that was a young man's album. This is an album for the same man 15 years later. It may not be for everyone, but it's not the Pepper's problem if you haven't grown up or if you just don't care for the music they like to make.
5) "They only care about singles now! Boo hoo." More nonsense. They are making the best music they can in the style that they like which includes more flavors than almost any other band out there. It is an insult to them or any other band to tell them they are half-assing it. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to put together even a so-so band, so when a band like this goes in to make a double album of "over produced" material it is NOT because they are just trying to sell a few more albums. These guys are already independently wealthy. They are making music, period. If you don't like it...hey...there are more bands out there than ever before...good luck finding one that cares as much about their music as these guys.
Oh...the album... (hee hee)
It is twenty eight songs of pure "grown up" Peppers. If you like the last two albums there is plenty here to digest for the entire summer. If you just like the old "real" Peppers then go dig up your old albums, stay in your cave and dream about the "good old days" when you thought they were "your" band...or you could come out into the sunshine with the REAL living Peppers and enjoy the ride.
"If you don't like this album, then you don't like the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Period." - Flea
There are a few common fallacies being repeated here:
1) "This album is soft. Too many ballads. Boo hoo." Huh? Maybe you are not playing it loud enough, but I hear plenty of blistering guitar and slammin beats for my tastes. The bass tone is as good as it has been since BSSM and the drums are bright and present. There are quite a few mid-tempo pieces, but they usually resolve to scorching bridges of pure rock power.
2) "The Peppers have abandoned their roots! Boo hoo." Please. Just because they are not retreading their young punk vibe over and over again it does not mean they have lost their integrity. I personally think punk AND metal sound best when a young band has something to prove. If they keep at it, without maturing, it sounds pretty stale. So I appreciate that they have moved on. I still love the old records and they are not going anywhere. Bottom line, if you want a dangerous punk sound look underground, this band has grown up.
3) "They mailed it in. It's all about Frusciante now. Boo hoo." Nonsense. They bring it all to the table on this record. Yes, John's layered sounds are a huge part of the post-Californication sound, but I personally think this is Flea's best work. He is master of a ridiculous number of styles and still manages to sound like himself. No imitators possible. He practically invents a new style of bass on "Hard to Concentrate". I defy you to tell me you've heard anything like that stuttering little groove played on a bass guitar before (he seems to be pulling modern hip hop grooves into his own brand of upper register playing) and the next tune "21st Century" is a clinic on creative funk bass groove. Flea has reached a perfect balance of his relentless power and a "less is more" approach. If you have seen them play "Subway to Venus" at a billion beats per minute recently you know that neither he nor John have lost their chops, they just make different choices now. They are playing exactly what they think is beautiful and powerful and funky, no more no less. The reason I buy every album they make is because I trust them to make THEIR choices not MINE. I do that in my own band. I like where they are going as much as where they have been. Anthony Keidis has NEVER sounded better. His lyrics are on par with the other albums, equal parts sublime abstract genius and quirky Keidis nonsense delivered in his unique style. Again if you think the lyrics aren't good, then grab a mike and let us hear yours. Keidis is doing his thing well here.
4) "It's still not as good as Blood Sugar! Boo hoo." Of course not, but it is not trying to replace that album. That was 15 freaking years ago folks! That was the perfect album for that time. I was 19 at the time and it absolutely consumed me, but that was a young man's album. This is an album for the same man 15 years later. It may not be for everyone, but it's not the Pepper's problem if you haven't grown up or if you just don't care for the music they like to make.
5) "They only care about singles now! Boo hoo." More nonsense. They are making the best music they can in the style that they like which includes more flavors than almost any other band out there. It is an insult to them or any other band to tell them they are half-assing it. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to put together even a so-so band, so when a band like this goes in to make a double album of "over produced" material it is NOT because they are just trying to sell a few more albums. These guys are already independently wealthy. They are making music, period. If you don't like it...hey...there are more bands out there than ever before...good luck finding one that cares as much about their music as these guys.
Oh...the album... (hee hee)
It is twenty eight songs of pure "grown up" Peppers. If you like the last two albums there is plenty here to digest for the entire summer. If you just like the old "real" Peppers then go dig up your old albums, stay in your cave and dream about the "good old days" when you thought they were "your" band...or you could come out into the sunshine with the REAL living Peppers and enjoy the ride.
"If you don't like this album, then you don't like the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Period." - Flea
30 of 33 people found the following review helpful
By Pedro Sobota
Format:Audio CD
Like anyone at this point, I only got an initial impression of the record, albeit a strong one, since I gave it my full attention and listened on a good sound system, in a silent environment. To sum it up, it's a very well-writen, artistic, and enjoyable album.
It's a surprise. The more you know and have followed the band through its previous records, the more you'll be surprised at the level of songwriting they have reached (think Beatles-level). Originality (or the -successful- pursuing of it) is a constant. Where it isn't completely original, it is a stellar interpretation of existing structures.
It's an achievement. There is no price to be paid for all this creativity: it never sounds idiotic, pretentious, or aggressive - but free and humble. Even the most daring propositions (like Animal Bar) sound pleasing. Rick (the producer) and the recording guys are to be taken credit for this, alongside the band.
It's funky, in more than one defition. 'The funk is back', for whom it makes sense, is a true affirmation. Flea actually sounds fat for the first time since Blood Sugar Sex Magik (the band's reference funk record), due to a different choice of instrument. On the Mars half, Anthony is heard using his voice in ways that inevitably remind us of that record, and earlier ones. Where the music gets obviously funky, the mix also gets propositally old-school and rough, to further bring us memories of things as remote as 'American Ghost Dance'.
It's strange. I began my experience with the album by reading the lyrics and looking at the artwork. They communicate confusion, uncertainty, chaos. Anthony's writing suggests disenchantment with our world, alleviated by cheap pleasures and distractions. He never sounds actually sad like he does on By the Way, but true happiness is equally absent. The whole experience, music added, forms a landscape non-coincidentally reminescent of our real world.
It's a development. Chad today is the same musician as he has been since Californication (his big growth happened much earlier, beginning with One Hot Minute). He's the only estatic one though. Anthony shows a new level of control over his voice, enabling him to deliver the perfect beauty of 'Especially in Michigan'. Flea finally takes (or accepts, or reaches?) the liberty to take that intrincate, spontaneous approach, characteristic of his live jams, to the studio. John keeps the voice layering going, this time flawlessly throughout the record, and masters his guitar into new sounds that rocket-propel the music forwards.
It's too much for a jewel case. In my local Brazilian pressing exemplar, the fat booklet doesn't fit easily into the plastic, resulting in a damaged booklet. The plastic holding the discs also doesn't open smoothly, which caused one of my discs to fall music-side-down to the ground. Today's cases are real bad, this album deserves a better one.
A great album to have that is never going to bother you. A must have for Peppers fans.
It's a surprise. The more you know and have followed the band through its previous records, the more you'll be surprised at the level of songwriting they have reached (think Beatles-level). Originality (or the -successful- pursuing of it) is a constant. Where it isn't completely original, it is a stellar interpretation of existing structures.
It's an achievement. There is no price to be paid for all this creativity: it never sounds idiotic, pretentious, or aggressive - but free and humble. Even the most daring propositions (like Animal Bar) sound pleasing. Rick (the producer) and the recording guys are to be taken credit for this, alongside the band.
It's funky, in more than one defition. 'The funk is back', for whom it makes sense, is a true affirmation. Flea actually sounds fat for the first time since Blood Sugar Sex Magik (the band's reference funk record), due to a different choice of instrument. On the Mars half, Anthony is heard using his voice in ways that inevitably remind us of that record, and earlier ones. Where the music gets obviously funky, the mix also gets propositally old-school and rough, to further bring us memories of things as remote as 'American Ghost Dance'.
It's strange. I began my experience with the album by reading the lyrics and looking at the artwork. They communicate confusion, uncertainty, chaos. Anthony's writing suggests disenchantment with our world, alleviated by cheap pleasures and distractions. He never sounds actually sad like he does on By the Way, but true happiness is equally absent. The whole experience, music added, forms a landscape non-coincidentally reminescent of our real world.
It's a development. Chad today is the same musician as he has been since Californication (his big growth happened much earlier, beginning with One Hot Minute). He's the only estatic one though. Anthony shows a new level of control over his voice, enabling him to deliver the perfect beauty of 'Especially in Michigan'. Flea finally takes (or accepts, or reaches?) the liberty to take that intrincate, spontaneous approach, characteristic of his live jams, to the studio. John keeps the voice layering going, this time flawlessly throughout the record, and masters his guitar into new sounds that rocket-propel the music forwards.
It's too much for a jewel case. In my local Brazilian pressing exemplar, the fat booklet doesn't fit easily into the plastic, resulting in a damaged booklet. The plastic holding the discs also doesn't open smoothly, which caused one of my discs to fall music-side-down to the ground. Today's cases are real bad, this album deserves a better one.
A great album to have that is never going to bother you. A must have for Peppers fans.
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
By babydestro
Format:Audio CD
i have remained a hardcore frusciante fan since he left, yet found the peppers albums since his return more and more disapointing (not entirely, just mostly).
then..this album. WOW! if you have given up on them after bssm or even before, you must give them another chance! by far the best thing they have ever done. too many favorite songs to list, although slow cheetah is currently my fav.
now, about the expensive version...
i hate to say i feel ripped off because the music contained is worth every penny and then some, but, well...i feel ripped off.
an extra $30 or so for basically a dvd is what i feel like i got.
the packaging just makes getting to the cd's harder, the dvd is just ok, nothing great. another funky monks type documentary would have been pure magic, the album being recorded in the same mansion, etc. the "28 page booklet" is merely the lyrics and credits and some photos, basically what they probably added in a smaller version on the regular version of the cd. the "original artwork" also could've just been part of the cheaper versions booklet (and maybe it is). everything else is just junk trinckets not worth the extra mony. marbles, blank paper, and a wooden top.
anyways...i cant recommend the more than double price sticker for a crummy gimmick, but the actual album has got to be one of my all time top 5 albums already, and this coming from someone who basically gave up on them after bssm. buy the new cd without hesitation, but proceed with caution on throwing down your money for an overpriced box of junk is all im trying to say.
then..this album. WOW! if you have given up on them after bssm or even before, you must give them another chance! by far the best thing they have ever done. too many favorite songs to list, although slow cheetah is currently my fav.
now, about the expensive version...
i hate to say i feel ripped off because the music contained is worth every penny and then some, but, well...i feel ripped off.
an extra $30 or so for basically a dvd is what i feel like i got.
the packaging just makes getting to the cd's harder, the dvd is just ok, nothing great. another funky monks type documentary would have been pure magic, the album being recorded in the same mansion, etc. the "28 page booklet" is merely the lyrics and credits and some photos, basically what they probably added in a smaller version on the regular version of the cd. the "original artwork" also could've just been part of the cheaper versions booklet (and maybe it is). everything else is just junk trinckets not worth the extra mony. marbles, blank paper, and a wooden top.
anyways...i cant recommend the more than double price sticker for a crummy gimmick, but the actual album has got to be one of my all time top 5 albums already, and this coming from someone who basically gave up on them after bssm. buy the new cd without hesitation, but proceed with caution on throwing down your money for an overpriced box of junk is all im trying to say.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great buy!
My first ever vinyl and an awesome start to my vinyl collection. Records sound great, nice box, and nice holders for each lp.
Published 4 days ago by Raed
2.0 out of 5 stars
Sent me a double
There are suppose to be four seperate vinyls in it and when I unwrapped it, it had 3 and a repeat of the 3rd one. What kin of bogus production mistake is that? Read more
Published 5 days ago by Dominic
5.0 out of 5 stars
Last, Best Album I'll Ever Buy....
I bought this years ago, but it's probably one of my favorite albums I have. Also the last album I will buy, but well worth the buy. Especially since I saw them in concert.
Published 17 days ago by Jason Rojas
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great
Arguably one of the Red Hot Chili Pepper's best albums. Perfect balance of what makes each member unique. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mike
5.0 out of 5 stars
Chili Peppers at their finest
Didn't know what I was missing until I picked this CD up. I've always enjoyed the Red Hot Chili Peppers, but never actually listened to this album; huge mistake that has since been... Read more
Published 2 months ago by bhayes
5.0 out of 5 stars
Every song is a hit
I have never heard an album were I loved every song. So me saying that about this album is amazing because this is a two disc album. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Richard
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Double Album
This double album from RHCP is amazing. Frusciante and Flea tear it up and both discs are great. Good songs all over the place with these two discs and it is very much worth it if... Read more
Published 2 months ago by B. Dawson
5.0 out of 5 stars
SA Is really good.
As a bass player Flea is my idol, as an avid behind the steering wheel and in the shower vocalist I just dig these soulfull lyrics and tones. Read more
Published 3 months ago by sidence
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love this cd
The songs on this cd are the kind that get stuck in your head and won't come out until you listen to them over and over, luckily, they're good.
Published 3 months ago by Jaime Childers
5.0 out of 5 stars
i'm a pepper fan lol
very good (and long) album - i can't believe i waited this long to get it haha! dani california is of course a good song, but i gotta say, the reast of the album is killer!
Published 3 months ago by robert
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