Stadium Arcadium - Red Hot Chili Peppers Album Review

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Album Review

Two names - Stadium Arcadium - two CDs - Jupiter / Mars, 28 tracks, over two hours long. Week commencing May 15 it's already topped the UK charts. As we all know a 'double album' can be tricky business: Led Zeppelin's 1975 Physical Graffiti was a massive commercial and critical success. Others have proverbial filler tracks, such as Fleetwood Mac's Tusk (1980). So how have the Chili's faired?

Firstly, it's not been rushed, with four years since the brilliant By The Way. Then there's the supposed Midas touch of Rick Rubin who re-invented Johnny Cash and Neil Diamond's sound. Commentators reckon guitarist John Frusciante's hijacked the album by venturing into pro-rock territory, much to Flea's consternation, even to the point of quitting the band. After all, it was Frusciante's reconnection with the band for 1999's Californication that revived their flagging career. Actually, Flea's workouts do surface, in particular ultra-funky get down and boogie Hump de Bump, and steady rolling basslines of C'mon Girl .Certain elements work, allowing the band to be more expressive (and a bit more expansive), especially Frusciante's continuing development. Overall they sound more assured than ever, though that might be down to middle-age. Predictably, 'fillers' do pop up, such as She's Only 18, Warlocks and Hey. The acoustic - led Slow Cheetah shows a less edgy side, plodding carefully with pristine lead vocals and chorus: it's a classy break amongst the power-decibels. Disc 1 highlight deviates from the Chili's template: Wet Sand possesses all the elements of a great rock track, gradual crescendo, superb guitar solo, and not a funky baseline in sight, making it the best constructed song on the album.

Following disc 1's mellow end, Desecration Smile rolls along complete with a funky riff, sing-along chorus, and wailing guitar, but its back to a safe and familiar template, as is the later Storm In A Teacup. The next five are nothing more than average, broken by a bluesy-Americana gem, If. Make You Feel Better is a very strong follow-up, guaranteed to become a concert favourite. Sadly, mediocrity ensues on Animal Bar, So Much I, We Believe, Turn It Again, finishing on the eventually cacophonous Death Of A Martian.

Apart from the occasional strong song, and Frusciante's more subtle guitar workouts, it lacks By The Way's magic.

Would it have made a better single album? Most definitely.

Elly Roberts