Track Listing

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
11. Warlocks
12. C'mon Girl
13. Wet Sand
14. Hey

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
11. Storm in a Teacup
12. We Believe
13. Turn It Again
14. Death of a Martian

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8026 in Music
• Released on: 2006-05-08
• Number of discs: 2

Amazon.co.uk Review
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

From the Label
The Red Hot Chili Peppers unleash a two-CD set, Stadium Arcadium--a 28 track double album with discs entitled "Jupiter" and "Mars".

The band--Anthony Kiedis, Flea, John Frusciante and Chad Smith--entered the studio last March with producer Rick Rubin (Beastie Boys, System Of A Down) to commence work upon the album in the same house in the Hollywood Hills where they recorded 1991’s groundbreaking, multi-platinum album BloodSugarSexMagik.

"We set out to write 13 songs," says Kiedis. "But as has been the case every time we've tried to do that, we ended up with 30-some-odd songs. The difference this time was we ended up liking all of those songs and finishing all of those songs, and it actually became a very difficult process to even whittle it down to 28."

"Every album we do, we try to have a concept and a sense of direction," Frusciante explains. "The most important idea for this album was movement." Smith elaborates, "Something new is constantly being introduced, in every chorus or verse, whether it's a backing vocal or a guitar part, a different rhythm or an unexpected style."

"The chemistry was in better order than in a long time," Kiedis told Spin earlier this year. "Everyone is frighteningly happy at the moment." Although he says he's again exploring "the dark and nefarious side of Los Angeles" in his lyrics, he clarifies, "but not in a judgmental sense," venturing, "It's all about the joy of dysfunction."

Kiedis says of the double album’s title: "I hope it means something different to everyone, but to me, in the chorus of the song Stadium Arcadium, I get the feeling of being off in the wilderness with a large group of people creating a huge light, playing music for those people and reflecting the love that's going on between us and them."

"I think we're aware that we're all vehicles of something much bigger than ourselves," Flea allows. "And we also know it's up to us to do the footwork to get in a position to receive all this energy flying around. Spirituality can be a pretty vague term, but each of us in our own way is interested in looking beyond what's directly in front of our face."

Stadium Arcadium is the ninth album from the Chili Peppers and the first since 2002's By The Way.

CD Description
Ninth studio album from phenomenally successful stadium funk-rockers is a sprawling two-disc affair. Leaving behind theboyish tomfoolery and hard-living excess of old for tasteful musicianship and a gloss of studio sheen, here they turn in more of the effortlessly slick songwriting they presented on their last couple of albums. Recorded with metal legend Rick Rubin, it includes the single 'Dani California'.

Customer Reviews

after initial euphoria...
i bought this album as soon as it came out. being an avid fan i counted down the hours till i could get, waiting patiently especially after there previous two offerings.

when i bought the album and played it. and i was hooked, the songs sounded great, flea and smith and frusciante were working there magic and keidis was keidis, with his own funkadelic style. and if i had written my review of the album then, i would have given it a 5 star easy and the review would end there.

but now, a couple of weeks on, it has been bumped down and i am playing californication and blood sex sugar magic more again. and the more i thought about it, the more i realised, yes, the songs are good, played well, sounds good and it is technically sound. but it just not unforgetable music i regret to say. all the other albums i knew the songs inside out after just a day, and would continuously sing them to myself even if i was not listening to them. but with this album, yes, when i listen to it i rock out, btu afterwards i forget it, cant recount how the songs sound. and this makes me very sad as a RHCP fan.

it is still a good album, worthy of a higher score if only it was a memorable as the others.

they are still my favourate band and july at earls court is going to be OFF THE HOOK!!!

Red Hot Chilling Peppers???
What can i say! The chili pepper's album, that few were sure would'nt be able to stand up to its previous greatness, but it sure has. Although the chili's are getting on, their music still remains as awesome as ever. I was surprised myself to find they still have got what it takes to make you jump up and shout. Chili's still remain loyal to their original roots with such funky songs as Dani California, Readymade and Tell Me Baby. There are also songs alot deeper and more thoughtful such as: If, Death of A Martian, and Made you feel better.
I have to admit there are a few songs on this album that at that the moment arn't really appealing to me, but i am so glad i bought it as a die-hard Chili fan although you don't need to be a die-hard fan to enjoy it.

My favourite songs on the album itself at the moment are Torture me, and Dani California (as im sure everybody is already familiar with.)

A bad bit, Im just abit sad to say there are 1 too many slow songs on this album for my liking, there really was nothing on-bar with such great hits as: Can't Stop, Otherside, Give It Away. But i may in time grow to like these tracks just as much who knows.

All in all hope you all enjoy this album as it still is great and is worth the money, so go on you know you want to buy it. :P

Well... it's pretty damn good!!
Ok, well it's a double album and of course theres always going to be problems with that. Having that many tracks theres always going to be stand-out songs and songs that you don't like very much. However out of the 28 songs on the album, all of them do sound very good.. so I think they've managed to pull it off!

Having this many songs has allowed them to really roam free with the amount of different styles of music on the album. Listen to all the songs and you'll find so many different influnces everywhere. Some songs sound like the old Chili's of the Mothers Milk era and others sound more like the modern chilis and some sound like something completely different entirely! And John has really gone to town on the guitar on this album. His more minimalistic style of guitar playing ont he last 2 albums (similar to his solo work) is still present but there is now some absolutely fantastic guitar solos!

I'll start with the 1st CD. Theres the obviously excelllent Dani California. This is then immediately followed up with the pop-tastic Snow (Hey Ho) which has a wonderful little guitar part by John and a very catchy chorus. Straight after this is the much more funky Charlie that really does sound a bit more like old chilis with a more modern poppy chorus and some more wonderful guitar work by John... and what an excellent song it is! Then theres Stadium Arcadium which is most likely going to be a new single.. very similar to the Otherside/Californication style of song. Other highlights on the 1st CD include Slow Cheetah, Especially In Michigan (wonderful guitar!) and the EXCELLENT C'Mon Girl with an excellent bassline from Flea (one of my favourites).

CD2 I would say from first impressions is better than the first.. I'd say this really only because Tell Me Baby is possibly one of the best RHCP songs I've heard.. and this is followed by my other most favourite track on the album Hard To Concentrate. This CD also has Storm in a Teacup which is EXTREMELY funky.. older fans will love this. Also worth spotting is John's 3 minute solo in Turn It Again.. which really is worth just putting on repeat!

Verdict: Amazing album, and theres probably something on this album for every chilis fan.. new and old!