Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
Indulgence has long been a way of life for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, yet they resisted the siren's call of the double album until 2006's Stadium Arcadium. Sure, 1991's breakthrough Blood Sugar Sex Magik was as long as a classic double LP, but such distinctions mattered little in the era when vinyl gave way to CD, and they matter less now, as the CD gradually gives way to digital-only releases. In fact, like how Blood Sugar was the tipping point when the LPs ceded ground to CDs, Stadium Arcadium could be seen as the point when albums were seen as a collection of digital playlists. Yes, it's pressed up as a two-disc set -- including an extravagant but pointless special edition housed in a clunky box that includes a make-yer-own-spinning-top -- but this is an album that's designed for you to mix and match, create your own playlist, rip and burn on your own. It's designed for you to sequence its 28 songs in some kind of cohesive manner, since the band sure didn't take the time to do that here; it's the first major album by a major band that makes as much sense on random as it does in its proper sequencing. Well, that's not entirely true: the official 28-song album does begin with "Dani California," the clearest single here, the one thing that truly grabs attention upon first listen and worms its way into your subconscious, where it just won't let go, as so much of Anthony Kiedis' catchiest melodies do. After that, it's a long, winding path of alternately spacey and sunny pop, ballads, and the occasional funk workout that used to be the Chili Peppers' signature but now functions as a way to break up the monotony. And there needs to be something to break up the monotony, not because the music is bad but because it all exists at the same level and is given a flat, colorless production that has become the signature of Rick Rubin as of late.
Rubin may be able to create the right atmosphere for Flea and John Frusciante to run wild creatively -- an opportunity that they seize here, which is indeed a pleasure to hear -- but he does nothing to encourage them to brighten the finished recording up with some different textures, or even a greater variety of guitar tones. As such, the bare-bone production combined with the relentless march of songs gives Stadium Arcadium the undeniable feel of wading through the demos for a promising project instead of a sprawling statement of purpose; there's not enough purpose here for it to be a statement. That fault is down to the band not forming the raw material into something palatable for the listener, but there's also the problem that as a lyricist Anthony Kiedis just isn't that deep or clever enough to provide cohesive themes for an album of this length; he tackles no new themes here, nor does he provide new insight to familiar topics. To his credit, he does display a greater versatility as a vocalist, cutting back on the hambone rapping that used to be his signature and crooning throughout the bulk of this album, usually on key. That said, he still has enough goofy tics to undercut his attempts at sincerity, and he tends to be a bit of a liability to the band as a whole; with a different singer, who could help shape and deliver these songs, this album might not seem as formless and gormless. But there is a fair amount of pleasures here, all down to the interplay between Flea and Frusciante. While drummer Chad Smith does prove himself quite versatile here, gracefully following the eccentric turns and meanderings of the bassist and guitarist, the string instruments are the reason to listen to Stadium Arcadium. That's always been the case to a certain extent with the Chili Peppers, but here it's especially true, as they push and pull, rave and rumble, lie back and rock out -- pretty much spit out anything they can do on their instruments over the course of 28 songs. As good as much of this is, there is a little bit of monotony here, since they're working variations on their signature themes, and they haven't found a way to make these variations either transcendent or new; they're just very good renditions on familiar themes. These tracks rarely betray their origins as studio jams -- more than ever, it's possible to hear that the track came first, then the song -- and while that can result in some good listening, it all does kind of drift together. That said, there are no bad tracks here -- it's all of a relatively high quality -- but there are no standouts either, so it takes a very dedicated fan to start sorting out the subtleties between the tracks (not the wheat from the chaff, since it's all wheat). And while those hardcore fans may certainly enjoy the make-your-own-adventure spirit of Stadium Arcadium, it's hard not to feel that it's the band's responsibility to take this very good repetitive album and mold it into something sharper and more effective. So call it the rock version of Peter Jackson's King Kong: there's something pretty great and lean buried beneath the excess, but it's so indulgent, it's a work that only a fanboy could truly love.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From 12.49€/month
Rick Rubin, Producer - Chris Holmes, AdditionalEngineer - Lenny Castro, Additional Percussion - Vlado Meller, Engineer, Masterer - Red Hot Chili Peppers, MainArtist - Flea, Guitar, Writer, Bass - Mark Santangelo, AssistantEngineer - Jason Lader, AdditionalEngineer - Andrew Scheps, Mixer, Engineer, Recorded by - Dana Nielsen, Engineer - Ryan Hewitt, Engineer, Recorded by - Anthony Kiedis, Vocals, Writer - Chad Smith, Drums, Writer - John Frusciante, Guitar, Writer - Brad Warnaar, French Horn - Jason Gossman, Assistant Mixing Engineer - Anthony Zamora, AssistantEngineer - Dana Nielson, AdditionalEngineer - Mark Linette, Recorded by - Paulinho de Costa, Additional Percussion - Phillip Broussard, AssistantEngineer
© 2006 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2006 Warner Records Inc. for the U.S. and WEA International Inc. for the world outside the U.S.
Rick Rubin, Producer - Chris Holmes, AdditionalEngineer - Lenny Castro, Additional Percussion - Paulinho Da Costa, Percussion - Vlado Meller, Engineer, Masterer - Red Hot Chili Peppers, MainArtist - Flea, Guitar, Writer, Bass - Mark Santangelo, AssistantEngineer - Jason Lader, AdditionalEngineer - Andrew Scheps, Mixer, Engineer, Recorded by - Ryan Hewitt, Engineer, Recorded by - Anthony Kiedis, Vocals, Writer - Chad Smith, Drums, Writer - John Frusciante, Guitar, Vocals, Writer - Jason Gossman, Assistant Mixing Engineer - Anthony Zamora, AssistantEngineer - Dana Nielson, AdditionalEngineer - Mark Linette, Engineer, Recorded by - Paulinho de Costa, Additional Percussion - Phillip Broussard, AssistantEngineer
© 2006 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2006 Warner Records Inc. for the U.S. and WEA International Inc. for the world outside the U.S.
Rick Rubin, Producer - Chris Holmes, AdditionalEngineer - Lenny Castro, Additional Percussion - Paulinho Da Costa, Percussion - Vlado Meller, Engineer, Masterer - Red Hot Chili Peppers, MainArtist - Flea, Guitar, Writer, Bass - Mark Santangelo, AssistantEngineer - Jason Lader, AdditionalEngineer - Andrew Scheps, Engineer, Recorded by - Ryan Hewitt, Mixer, Engineer, Recorded by - Anthony Kiedis, Vocals, Writer - Chad Smith, Drums, Writer - John Frusciante, Guitar, Writer - Anthony Zamora, AssistantEngineer - Dana Nielson, AdditionalEngineer - Mark Linette, Engineer, Recorded by - Paulinho de Costa, Additional Percussion - Phillip Broussard, AssistantEngineer - Sara Killion, Assistant Mixing Engineer
© 2006 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2006 Warner Records Inc. for the U.S. and WEA International Inc. for the world outside the U.S.
Rick Rubin, Producer - Lenny Castro, Additional Percussion - Paulinho Da Costa, Percussion - Vlado Meller, MasteringEngineer - Red Hot Chili Peppers, MainArtist - Flea, Bass Guitar, Writer - Andrew Scheps, RecordingEngineer - Ryan Hewitt, MixingEngineer, RecordingEngineer - Anthony Kiedis, Vocals, Writer - Chad Smith, Drums, Writer - John Frusciante, Guitar, Writer - Brad Warnaar, French Horn - Mark Linette, RecordingEngineer - Sara Killion, MixingEngineer
© 2006 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2006 Warner Records Inc.
Rick Rubin, Producer - Chris Holmes, AdditionalEngineer - Lenny Castro, Additional Percussion - Paulinho Da Costa, Percussion - Vlado Meller, Engineer, Masterer - Red Hot Chili Peppers, MainArtist - Flea, Guitar, Writer, Bass - Mark Santangelo, AssistantEngineer - Jason Lader, AdditionalEngineer - Andrew Scheps, Engineer, Recorded by - Ryan Hewitt, Mixer, Engineer, Recorded by - Anthony Kiedis, Vocals, Writer - Chad Smith, Drums, Writer - John Frusciante, Guitar, Writer - Anthony Zamora, AssistantEngineer - Dana Nielson, AdditionalEngineer - Mark Linette, Engineer, Recorded by - Paulinho de Costa, Additional Percussion - Phillip Broussard, AssistantEngineer - Sara Killion, Assistant Mixing Engineer
© 2006 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2006 Warner Records Inc. for the U.S. and WEA International Inc. for the world outside the U.S.
Rick Rubin, Producer - Lenny Castro, Additional Percussion - Paulinho Da Costa, Percussion - Vlado Meller, MasteringEngineer - Red Hot Chili Peppers, MainArtist - Flea, Bass Guitar, Writer - Andrew Scheps, RecordingEngineer - Ryan Hewitt, RecordingEngineer - Anthony Kiedis, Vocals, Writer - Chad Smith, Drums, Writer - John Frusciante, Guitar, Writer - Mark Linette, RecordingEngineer
© 2006 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2006 Warner Records Inc.
Rick Rubin, Producer - Vlado Meller, MasteringEngineer - Red Hot Chili Peppers, MainArtist - Flea, Bass Guitar, Writer - Andrew Scheps, MixingEngineer, RecordingEngineer - Ryan Hewitt, RecordingEngineer - Anthony Kiedis, Vocals, Writer - Chad Smith, Drums, Writer - John Frusciante, Guitar, Writer - Jason Gossman, Assistant Mixing Engineer - Mark Linette, RecordingEngineer
© 2006 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2006 Warner Records Inc. for the U.S. and WEA International Inc. for the world outside the U.S.
Rick Rubin, Producer - Vlado Meller, MasteringEngineer - Red Hot Chili Peppers, MainArtist - Flea, Bass Guitar, Writer - Andrew Scheps, MixingEngineer, RecordingEngineer - Ryan Hewitt, RecordingEngineer - Anthony Kiedis, Vocals, Writer - Chad Smith, Drums, Writer - John Frusciante, Guitar, Writer - Jason Gossman, Assistant Mixing Engineer - Mark Linette, RecordingEngineer
© 2006 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2006 Warner Records Inc. for the U.S. and WEA International Inc. for the world outside the U.S.
Rick Rubin, Producer - Vlado Meller, MasteringEngineer - Red Hot Chili Peppers, MainArtist - Flea, Bass Guitar, Writer - Andrew Scheps, RecordingEngineer - Ryan Hewitt, MixingEngineer, RecordingEngineer - Anthony Kiedis, Vocals, Writer - Chad Smith, Drums, Writer - John Frusciante, Guitar, Writer - Mark Linette, RecordingEngineer - Sara Killion, Assistant Mixing Engineer
© 2006 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2006 Warner Records Inc.
Rick Rubin, Producer - Vlado Meller, MasteringEngineer - Red Hot Chili Peppers, MainArtist - Flea, Bass Guitar, Writer - Andrew Scheps, MixingEngineer, RecordingEngineer - Ryan Hewitt, RecordingEngineer - Anthony Kiedis, Vocals, Writer - Chad Smith, Drums, Writer - John Frusciante, Guitar, Writer - Jason Gossman, Assistant Mixing Engineer - Mark Linette, RecordingEngineer
© 2006 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2006 Warner Records Inc. for the U.S. and WEA International Inc. for the world outside the U.S.
Rick Rubin, Producer - Vlado Meller, MasteringEngineer - Red Hot Chili Peppers, MainArtist - Flea, Bass Guitar, Writer - Andrew Scheps, MixingEngineer, RecordingEngineer - Ryan Hewitt, RecordingEngineer - Anthony Kiedis, Vocals, Writer - Chad Smith, Drums, Writer - John Frusciante, Guitar, Writer - Jason Gossman, Assistant Mixing Engineer - Mark Linette, RecordingEngineer
© 2006 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2006 Warner Records Inc.
Rick Rubin, Producer - Vlado Meller, MasteringEngineer - Red Hot Chili Peppers, MainArtist - Flea, Bass Guitar, Writer - Andrew Scheps, RecordingEngineer - Ryan Hewitt, Recording, MixingEngineer - Anthony Kiedis, Vocals, Writer - Chad Smith, Drums, Writer - John Frusciante, Guitar, Writer - Mark Linette, RecordingEngineer - Sara Killion, Assistant Mixing Engineer
© 2006 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2006 Warner Records Inc. for the U.S. and WEA International Inc. for the world outside the U.S.
Rick Rubin, Producer - Vlado Meller, MasteringEngineer - Red Hot Chili Peppers, MainArtist - Flea, Bass Guitar, Writer - Andrew Scheps, RecordingEngineer - Ryan Hewitt, MixingEngineer, RecordingEngineer - Anthony Kiedis, Vocals, Writer - Chad Smith, Drums, Writer - John Frusciante, Guitar, Writer - Mark Linette, RecordingEngineer - Sara Killion, Assistant Mixing Engineer
© 2006 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2006 Warner Records Inc.
Rick Rubin, Producer - Vlado Meller, MasteringEngineer - Red Hot Chili Peppers, MainArtist - Flea, Bass Guitar, Writer - Andrew Scheps, MixingEngineer, RecordingEngineer - Ryan Hewitt, RecordingEngineer - Anthony Kiedis, Vocals, Writer - Chad Smith, Drums, Writer - John Frusciante, Guitar, Writer - Jason Gossman, Assistant Mixing Engineer - Mark Linette, RecordingEngineer
© 2006 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2006 Warner Records Inc. for the U.S. and WEA International Inc. for the world outside the U.S.
DISC 2
Rick Rubin, Producer - Vlado Meller, MasteringEngineer - Red Hot Chili Peppers, MainArtist - Flea, Bass Guitar, Writer - Andrew Scheps, RecordingEngineer - Ryan Hewitt, MixingEngineer, RecordingEngineer - Anthony Kiedis, Vocals, Writer - Chad Smith, Drums, Writer - John Frusciante, Guitar, Writer - Mark Linette, RecordingEngineer - Sara Killion, Assistant Mixing Engineer - Emily Kokal, Vocals
© 2006 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2006 Warner Records Inc. for the U.S. and WEA International Inc. for the world outside the U.S.
Rick Rubin, Producer - Lenny Castro, Additional Percussion - Paulinho Da Costa, Percussion - Vlado Meller, MasteringEngineer - Red Hot Chili Peppers, MainArtist - Flea, Bass Guitar, Writer - Andrew Scheps, RecordingEngineer - Ryan Hewitt, MixingEngineer, RecordingEngineer - Anthony Kiedis, Vocals, Writer - Chad Smith, Drums, Writer - John Frusciante, Guitar, Writer - Mark Linette, RecordingEngineer - Sara Killion, Assistant Mixing Engineer
© 2006 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2006 Warner Records Inc. for the U.S. and WEA International Inc. for the world outside the U.S.
Rick Rubin, Producer - Lenny Castro, Additional Percussion - Paulinho Da Costa, Percussion - Vlado Meller, MasteringEngineer - Red Hot Chili Peppers, MainArtist - Flea, Bass Guitar, Writer - Andrew Scheps, MixingEngineer, RecordingEngineer - Ryan Hewitt, RecordingEngineer - Anthony Kiedis, Vocals, Writer - Chad Smith, Drums, Writer - John Frusciante, Guitar, Writer - Jason Gossman, Assistant Mixing Engineer - Mark Linette, RecordingEngineer
© 2006 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2006 Warner Records Inc.
Rick Rubin, Producer - Lenny Castro, Additional Percussion - Paulinho Da Costa, Percussion - Vlado Meller, MasteringEngineer - Red Hot Chili Peppers, MainArtist - Flea, Bass Guitar, Writer - Andrew Scheps, RecordingEngineer - Ryan Hewitt, MixingEngineer, RecordingEngineer - Anthony Kiedis, Vocals, Writer - Chad Smith, Drums, Writer - John Frusciante, Guitar, Writer - Mark Linette, RecordingEngineer - Sara Killion, Assistant Mixing Engineer
© 2006 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2006 Warner Records Inc. for the U.S. and WEA International Inc. for the world outside the U.S.
Lenny Castro, Additional Percussion - Paulinho Da Costa, Percussion - Red Hot Chili Peppers, MainArtist - Flea, Bass Guitar, Writer - Richard Dodd, Cello - Ryan Hewitt, MixingEngineer - Anthony Kiedis, Vocals, Writer - Chad Smith, Drums, Writer - John Frusciante, Guitar, Writer - Sara Killion, Assistant Mixing Engineer
© 2006 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2006 Warner Records Inc. for the U.S. and WEA International Inc. for the world outside the U.S.
Rick Rubin, Producer - Lenny Castro, Additional Percussion - Paulinho Da Costa, Percussion - Vlado Meller, MasteringEngineer - Red Hot Chili Peppers, MainArtist - Flea, Bass Guitar, Writer - Andrew Scheps, RecordingEngineer - Ryan Hewitt, MixingEngineer, RecordingEngineer - Anthony Kiedis, Vocals, Writer - Chad Smith, Drums, Writer - John Frusciante, Guitar, Writer - Mark Linette, RecordingEngineer - Sara Killion, Assistant Mixing Engineer
© 2006 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2006 Warner Records Inc.
Rick Rubin, Producer - Lenny Castro, Additional Percussion - Paulinho Da Costa, Percussion - Vlado Meller, MasteringEngineer - Red Hot Chili Peppers, MainArtist - Flea, Bass Guitar, Writer - Andrew Scheps, MixingEngineer, RecordingEngineer - Ryan Hewitt, RecordingEngineer - Anthony Kiedis, Vocals, Writer - Chad Smith, Drums, Writer - John Frusciante, Guitar, Writer - Jason Gossman, Assistant Mixing Engineer - Mark Linette, RecordingEngineer
© 2006 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2006 Warner Records Inc. for the U.S. and WEA International Inc. for the world outside the U.S.
Rick Rubin, Producer - Lenny Castro, Additional Percussion - Paulinho Da Costa, Percussion - Vlado Meller, MasteringEngineer - Red Hot Chili Peppers, MainArtist - Flea, Bass Guitar, Writer - Andrew Scheps, RecordingEngineer - Ryan Hewitt, MixingEngineer, RecordingEngineer - Anthony Kiedis, Vocals, Writer - Chad Smith, Drums, Writer - John Frusciante, Guitar, Writer - Mark Linette, RecordingEngineer - Sara Killion, Assistant Mixing Engineer
© 2006 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2006 Warner Records Inc. for the U.S. and WEA International Inc. for the world outside the U.S.
Rick Rubin, Producer - Lenny Castro, Additional Percussion - Paulinho Da Costa, Percussion - Vlado Meller, MasteringEngineer - Red Hot Chili Peppers, MainArtist - Flea, Bass Guitar, Writer - Andrew Scheps, RecordingEngineer - Ryan Hewitt, MixingEngineer, RecordingEngineer - Anthony Kiedis, Vocals, Writer - Chad Smith, Drums, Writer - John Frusciante, Guitar, Writer - Mark Linette, RecordingEngineer - Sara Killion, Assistant Mixing Engineer
© 2006 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2006 Warner Records Inc.
Rick Rubin, Producer - Lenny Castro, Additional Percussion - Paulinho Da Costa, Percussion - Vlado Meller, MasteringEngineer - Red Hot Chili Peppers, MainArtist - Flea, Bass Guitar, Writer - Andrew Scheps, MixingEngineer, RecordingEngineer - Ryan Hewitt, RecordingEngineer - Anthony Kiedis, Vocals, Writer - Chad Smith, Drums, Writer - John Frusciante, Guitar, Writer - Jason Gossman, Assistant Mixing Engineer - Mark Linette, RecordingEngineer
© 2006 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2006 Warner Records Inc.
Rick Rubin, Producer - Lenny Castro, Additional Percussion - Paulinho Da Costa, Percussion - Vlado Meller, MasteringEngineer - Red Hot Chili Peppers, MainArtist - Flea, Bass Guitar, Writer - Andrew Scheps, RecordingEngineer - Ryan Hewitt, MixingEngineer, RecordingEngineer - Anthony Kiedis, Vocals, Writer - Chad Smith, Drums, Writer - John Frusciante, Guitar, Writer - Mark Linette, RecordingEngineer - Sara Killion, Assistant Mixing Engineer
© 2006 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2006 Warner Records Inc. for the U.S. and WEA International Inc. for the world outside the U.S.
Rick Rubin, Producer - Lenny Castro, Additional Percussion - Paulinho Da Costa, Percussion - Vlado Meller, MasteringEngineer - Red Hot Chili Peppers, MainArtist - Flea, Bass Guitar, Writer - Andrew Scheps, MixingEngineer, RecordingEngineer - Ryan Hewitt, RecordingEngineer - Anthony Kiedis, Vocals, Writer - Chad Smith, Drums, Writer - John Frusciante, Guitar, Writer - Jason Gossman, Assistant Mixing Engineer - Mark Linette, RecordingEngineer - Alexis Izenstark, Backing Vocals - Dylan Lerner, Backing Vocals - Gabrielle Mosbe, Backing Vocals - Isabella Shmelev, Backing Vocals - Kyle Lerner, Backing Vocals - Monique Mosbe, Backing Vocals - Mylissa Hoffman, Backing Vocals - Natalie Baber, Backing Vocals - Sophia Mosbe, Backing Vocals - Spencer Izenstark, Backing Vocals - Wyatt Starkman, Backing Vocals - Landen Starman, Backing Vocals
© 2006 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2006 Warner Records Inc. for the U.S. and WEA International Inc. for the world outside the U.S.
Rick Rubin, Producer - Lenny Castro, Additional Percussion - Paulinho Da Costa, Percussion - Vlado Meller, MasteringEngineer - Red Hot Chili Peppers, MainArtist - Flea, Bass Guitar, Writer - Andrew Scheps, MixingEngineer, RecordingEngineer - Ryan Hewitt, RecordingEngineer - Anthony Kiedis, Vocals, Writer - Chad Smith, Drums, Writer - John Frusciante, Guitar, Writer - Jason Gossman, Assistant Mixing Engineer - Mark Linette, RecordingEngineer - Mike Bolger, Trombone
© 2006 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2006 Warner Records Inc. for the U.S. and WEA International Inc. for the world outside the U.S.
Rick Rubin, Producer - Lenny Castro, Additional Percussion - Paulinho Da Costa, Percussion - Vlado Meller, MasteringEngineer - Red Hot Chili Peppers, MainArtist - Flea, Bass Guitar, Writer - Andrew Scheps, MixingEngineer, RecordingEngineer - Ryan Hewitt, RecordingEngineer - Anthony Kiedis, Vocals, Writer - Chad Smith, Drums, Writer - John Frusciante, Guitar, Writer - Jason Gossman, Assistant Mixing Engineer - Mark Linette, RecordingEngineer
© 2006 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2006 Warner Records Inc. for the U.S. and WEA International Inc. for the world outside the U.S.
Dave Lee, Writer - Red Hot Chili Peppers, MainArtist - Bo Gardner, Writer - Gage Freeman, Writer - Jon Cohan, Writer
© 2006 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2006 Warner Records Inc.
Album review
Indulgence has long been a way of life for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, yet they resisted the siren's call of the double album until 2006's Stadium Arcadium. Sure, 1991's breakthrough Blood Sugar Sex Magik was as long as a classic double LP, but such distinctions mattered little in the era when vinyl gave way to CD, and they matter less now, as the CD gradually gives way to digital-only releases. In fact, like how Blood Sugar was the tipping point when the LPs ceded ground to CDs, Stadium Arcadium could be seen as the point when albums were seen as a collection of digital playlists. Yes, it's pressed up as a two-disc set -- including an extravagant but pointless special edition housed in a clunky box that includes a make-yer-own-spinning-top -- but this is an album that's designed for you to mix and match, create your own playlist, rip and burn on your own. It's designed for you to sequence its 28 songs in some kind of cohesive manner, since the band sure didn't take the time to do that here; it's the first major album by a major band that makes as much sense on random as it does in its proper sequencing. Well, that's not entirely true: the official 28-song album does begin with "Dani California," the clearest single here, the one thing that truly grabs attention upon first listen and worms its way into your subconscious, where it just won't let go, as so much of Anthony Kiedis' catchiest melodies do. After that, it's a long, winding path of alternately spacey and sunny pop, ballads, and the occasional funk workout that used to be the Chili Peppers' signature but now functions as a way to break up the monotony. And there needs to be something to break up the monotony, not because the music is bad but because it all exists at the same level and is given a flat, colorless production that has become the signature of Rick Rubin as of late.
Rubin may be able to create the right atmosphere for Flea and John Frusciante to run wild creatively -- an opportunity that they seize here, which is indeed a pleasure to hear -- but he does nothing to encourage them to brighten the finished recording up with some different textures, or even a greater variety of guitar tones. As such, the bare-bone production combined with the relentless march of songs gives Stadium Arcadium the undeniable feel of wading through the demos for a promising project instead of a sprawling statement of purpose; there's not enough purpose here for it to be a statement. That fault is down to the band not forming the raw material into something palatable for the listener, but there's also the problem that as a lyricist Anthony Kiedis just isn't that deep or clever enough to provide cohesive themes for an album of this length; he tackles no new themes here, nor does he provide new insight to familiar topics. To his credit, he does display a greater versatility as a vocalist, cutting back on the hambone rapping that used to be his signature and crooning throughout the bulk of this album, usually on key. That said, he still has enough goofy tics to undercut his attempts at sincerity, and he tends to be a bit of a liability to the band as a whole; with a different singer, who could help shape and deliver these songs, this album might not seem as formless and gormless. But there is a fair amount of pleasures here, all down to the interplay between Flea and Frusciante. While drummer Chad Smith does prove himself quite versatile here, gracefully following the eccentric turns and meanderings of the bassist and guitarist, the string instruments are the reason to listen to Stadium Arcadium. That's always been the case to a certain extent with the Chili Peppers, but here it's especially true, as they push and pull, rave and rumble, lie back and rock out -- pretty much spit out anything they can do on their instruments over the course of 28 songs. As good as much of this is, there is a little bit of monotony here, since they're working variations on their signature themes, and they haven't found a way to make these variations either transcendent or new; they're just very good renditions on familiar themes. These tracks rarely betray their origins as studio jams -- more than ever, it's possible to hear that the track came first, then the song -- and while that can result in some good listening, it all does kind of drift together. That said, there are no bad tracks here -- it's all of a relatively high quality -- but there are no standouts either, so it takes a very dedicated fan to start sorting out the subtleties between the tracks (not the wheat from the chaff, since it's all wheat). And while those hardcore fans may certainly enjoy the make-your-own-adventure spirit of Stadium Arcadium, it's hard not to feel that it's the band's responsibility to take this very good repetitive album and mold it into something sharper and more effective. So call it the rock version of Peter Jackson's King Kong: there's something pretty great and lean buried beneath the excess, but it's so indulgent, it's a work that only a fanboy could truly love.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
About the album
- 2 disc(s) - 29 track(s)
- Total length: 02:31:26
- Main artists: Red Hot Chili Peppers
- Label: Warner Records
- Genre: Pop/Rock Rock Alternative & Indie
© 2006 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2006 Warner Records Inc.
Improve album informationWhy buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.