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List Price: $21.98 | | Label: Warner Bros / Wea
Salesrank: 1028
Released: May 9, 2006 |
| Our Price: $11.99 |
| Used Price: $5.49 |
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| Media: Audio CD |
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Editorial Review:
Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers calls the band’s first new album in four years, Stadium Arcadium, 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.
Description of Stadium Arcadium:
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
Stadium Arcadium Reviews:
getting your moneys worth 
2009-11-22 - I'm not a die-hard fan of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and was a bit skeptical at first to buy a 2 disc cd set. I just had to have the song "Snow" and after listening to the music sampler I decided to give "Stadium Arcadium" a chance. Sure am glad I did!!! I'll listen to both cd's without skipping a song. I highly recommend adding this cd to your collection.
excellent album
2009-09-09 - The Red Hot Chili Peppers are again creating compelling music with a good beat, sharp catchy lyrics and involving structures. While nothing comes close to their 1994 Blood Sugar Sex Magic record (one of the best rock albums of all time IMHO), this is another winner from the band. Along with "by the way", their previous release, RHCP have shown they are back in top form. a Must have
Back to the Funk again, thank God!
2009-08-27 - After the woeful disappointment that was "By The Way" an album so terrible that Flea almost left the band because of it, RHCP returned triumphantly with enough truly rocking tunes to make any open-minded (as in not resigned to "Blood Sugar" is the best-ever-period-no-matter-what-before-i-even-listen-to-this-album) Peppers' fan jump for joy. I would list all the great tracks here, but it's easier to list the not great ones in this 28-track blistering CLASSIC.
"Dani California" sucks, "Snow" is ultra-repetitive, "Animal Bar" is slow and lame. "Tell me Baby" is just ok, funky yes, but plug-and-chug repetitive. But really, that's about it, and you have to expect a couple of less-than-stellar tracks following an album as awful as "By the Way." The other 24 tracks pretty much rock, and some of them are among the Chili Peppers' greatest. As far as this RHCP fan is concerned this is a RHCP CLASSIC. It's definelty up there with "Freaky Styley," "Mother's Milk," "Blood Sugar Sex Magic," and my personal fav "Californication." In fact, after "By the Way" was not the successor to "Californication" I'd hoped it would be, "Stadium Arcadium" is. If you're an RHCP fan who just can't let go of "they haven't done anything as-good-as BSSM since 1991" my response would be that the Chili Peppers have grown up, and you should too.
The ultimate album
2009-06-06 - This is the ultimate album. Almost every song is great. Even my little niece loves this album and won't go in the car without it. Play this and then "Shine on Me" by Freesound and you'll be in heaven!
Ewwww 
2009-05-01 - This was one of the most boring albums I've ever listened to, if not THE most boring. All the songs were so dry, weak, tame and bland that I felt like jumping off a cliff about half way through. It was extremely mediocre with almost nothing redeeming about it, except for the song Dani California, which was actually pretty good. Sorry if I offended anyone, but really, if I had to listen to it again I would probably die of boredom.
