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List Price: $8.98 | | Label: Warner Bros UK
Salesrank: 237347
Released: January 13, 2008 |
| Our Price: $3.51 |
| Used Price: $2.57 |
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| Media: Audio CD |
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Editorial Review:
First single lifted from their 2006 double-album, 'Stadium Arcadium' features two two non-album tracks, 'Whatever We Want' and 'Lately'. Warner.
Dani California Reviews:
Good title track, kind of dull b-sides. 
2006-12-22 - "Dani California" was the leadoff single to the Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Stadium Arcadium", released per standard operating procedure from Warner Bros. as a two part single.
The track itself is a great piece, with an odd lurching swing to its verses and an explosive chorus relying on a Pixie-like loud-soft formula. The song has drawn a lot of negative attention for its similarities to Tom Petty's "Last Dance With Mary Jane"-- I didn't note the similarity until it was pointed out to me, as such it really didn't do much to my opinion of the piece.
The first part of the single contains two b-sides-- "Whatever We Want" and "Lately". The former is driven by a chugging, distorted guitar riff and a pulsing, almost '70s rock rhythm. It bears little of the Chili Peppers' signature sound, with the band's trademark funk deeply recessed and Flea's bass almost invisible. Worst still is Anthony Kiedis' vocal, which sounds strained and reaching past its capabilities. The piece is redeemed somewhat by a great noisy guitar solo, but by and large is forgettable. The latter cut is driven by a pulsing acoustic guitar riff and is a decent enough piece, particularly hitting a nice stride in its chorus, but again doesn't feel like the Chili Peppers and is largely forgettable.
Bottom line-- there's not much here that anyone is going to want other than the title track unless you're a diehard, and if you're a diehard, you've already got this.
Dani California 
2006-12-21 - A great CD single by the Red Hot Chili Peppers...I do enjoy the video where they 'spoof' artists' from the past (such as Bootsy Collins, etc..)
Lots of great songs have been written before 
2006-08-01 - I'll start by saying I haven't been a huge fan of the RHCP. Just not my favorite musical style, but I've heard enough of their work to appreciate that they are truly one of the better bands to have emerged in the last decade.
That said, Dani California is an excellent song. The 2 extra songs are not bad either, just nothing special. Clearly, Dani California was influenced by Tom Petty's Mary Jane's Last Dance. Too much coincidence here. Does anyone really believe Rick Rubin would not have noticed the similarity? But, that is the essence of Rock n Roll. Beg, steal and borrow. Much of the great rock n roll from icons like the Stones and Led Zeppelin has borrowed heavily from old blues artists and old rock n roll artists such as Chuck Berry.
Not mentioned by the other reviewers, I think some of the references to the Petty song are intentional! Call it tongue in cheek. It works, its good and that's the way T Petty himself views it. Though Dani California is much more subtle and clever it somewhat reminds me of an old Neil Young song on "Tonights the Night" where he says something about stealing this song from the Rolling Stones right in the lyric.
Bottom line RHCP fans? Don't fret. I've been listening to Rock N Roll for over 40 years. There is nothing going on here that hasn't been done hundreds of times before. Just sit back and enjoy!
Homage
2006-07-26 - I don't yet have the single itself, but the song is great in my opinion. Just thought I'd mention that John Frusciante said himself (from the special edition Stadium Arcadium album DVD) that the main guitar riff is basically the main riff from Jimi Hendrix's 'Foxy Lady', just in a different key. And yes, I can see how it sounds similar to Tom Petty as well. But in the end, they're all excellent musicians who have obviously endured the test of time to be more popular and successful today than they were 15 years ago, after the release of their breakthrough 'Blood Sugar Sex Magic'. Only the best of the best bands in rock music (Tom Petty, for example) can reach out to as many people, if not more, almost a generation later. That said, can anyone really complain if one of their songs sounds kind of like another one?
Rip off? Eh!
2006-07-11 - I've been getting guff from people that the RHCP ripped off Tom Petty's Mary Jane's Last Dance. The RHCP are my favotite band, so I may have a personal bias, but I don't think they ripped anyone off. It's still a good tune. If it sounds good, then it is good. The Peppers have been around for close to 25 years and are still reinventing themselves which is evident on Stadium Arcadium. Petty has been around even longer and still puts out good stuff. Petty didn't sue them so therefore he doesn't think the song is a rip-off. Get over it. Jet ripped off Iggy and the Stooges with Are You Gonna Be Girl? Listen to The Stooge's Lust For Life. The opening drums are nearly identical, but they are both good songs in their own right. Get over it people.
