Red Hot Chili Peppers
Stadium Arcadium

THE REVIEW

The latest work by the Peppers, titled "Stadium Arcadium," has finally arrived and will be released on Friday, May 5th.

The album, a double album containing 28 tracks, is the result of a tough selection process that was initially conceived as a triple. After the terrible "By The Way" in 2002, where the band, in my opinion, truly hit rock bottom, and a subsequent "Greatest Hits" without backbone (driven by the single "Fortune Faded"), the Californian group returns in the year 2006 to make headlines again.

Now, I don't know if you noticed, but the release of this CD is a massive promotional operation by the record label, even before the release date [accompanied by a mini world tour (!)], appearances practically everywhere on television (and I was even expecting them to appear on Super Quark in the episode about dinosaurs), and in classic music magazines where they "splattered" the exact same information, which I can now summarize by heart:
"We don't make music like in 'Mother's Milk' anymore, if you want music like back then, go buy the old albums",
or "In this album, you can feel that we were all in love (I couldn't care less, I add, Note of the Editor), and to conclude the highlight 'This is the best album we've ever made'".

That is to say, after certain boasts by the members, the curiosity, of course, couldn't be higher. The album is composed of two discs. The first is 'Jupiter' and the second 'Mars'. Anticipated by the now heavily promoted "Dani California", which I can't stand anymore even though I'm a big fan of theirs, it's the album opener. Listening to the first part, the important presence of Flea's bass is noticeable (perhaps someone heard my prayers), which with "By The Way" had taken a back seat. The most beautiful thing about the Red Hot, in my opinion, has always been the bass and then, subsequently, the guitar. That's how the songs were always structured.
So, a point in favor of this album (even though it's not too early to sing praises). In my opinion, the series of disasters continues after "Californication." 'Jupiter' is a disc that can be used in my opinion as a frisbee (I have no idea if it's spelled that way, sorry). Something more boring than on a first listen seems to me a revisited "By The Way." Now. The album is called "Stadium Arcadium." I would expect, I don't know about you, songs that blow your eardrums, funk like in the old days, or at least a sound that makes me dance and move even up the walls. Instead, sadly, it's not like that.

The songs that are saved, so to speak, and for which I feel pity, are actually the first three, just because I'm pushed by the enthusiasm of the first listen, namely "Dani California", "Snow (Hey Oh)" a very beautiful, carefree song that gives an idea of summer, sun with its funk/country style. Catchy. Then we move on (and I'll mention those that particularly pleased me more) to "Stadium Arcadium", taking just this one as a sample among all the other mellow songs that I won't even mention because if you listen to one, you've listened to them all (that is, if you want to let yourself fall asleep, put on Jupiter). "Stadium Arcadium" is a song that makes you dream, let's say. I'd say an average of 3 at most 4 passable songs on a CD, given the musical times, fits the average.
Anyway, 'Jupiter' without neglecting the other songs, like "Hump De Bump" and others present clear signs of returns to funk. But nothing special.

Change CD. It's time for 'Mars'. And here comes the chills down the spine. The first song, "Desecretion Smile", is just a spit-out copy of the songs from the first disc. How to say? Long live imagination. Then you move to "Tell Me Baby", a song I found online in a live version, and it struck me from the start. A really beautiful song. Which unfortunately doesn't render as well as in the live version I downloaded (and let's hope the live versions make the others stand out too). Very beautiful is also "She Look's To Me" (just to mention a slow one) and "21st Century", which I repeat is funk. Sorry if I repeat myself, but as the album at my listening is a real repetition. "So Much I" and if by God's will (sorry) a powerful song in an album that was making my knees twinge. And hear, hear also "Storm In A Teacup"! Incredible, almost a miracle to shout about!
Two rock songs that woke me up! I reach the last and finally can say: this torment is over. An album to avoid, to discourage (as Flaminio Mapphia would say). And there's not much to joke about. But I love the Red Hot. I saw them at San Siro and fell in love. A band that made me pogo from start to finish, which in concerts doesn't play these sappy songs (and I hope they never find themselves all in love again, for God's sake!).

But the most shocking thing is the little backing vocals with John Frusciante. John, let's be honest. Play the guitar, you might only do that well. I'm sorry, but I give them the bare minimum passable (for me it's a 2, because they still put in their effort). And I also put it under the Pop genre, because "when it's needed, it's needed," damn it! It's pointless to still categorize the Red Hot as a rock band if then they produce such junk. Anyway. This is my opinion. I hope to receive many comments, serious ones, without insults, because here we talk about music, and we need to be honest. Also, while I'm here, I wanted to apologize for the horrible review on Metallica that I wrote as I needed to write, but with the way things are going, finding albums worth writing about is really rare, and in nervousness, in lack of inspiration, unfortunately, something really ugly came out (in fact I ask deBaser if he could delete it).

This is my opinion on "Stadium Arcadium," the latest effort. I'm sorry to have written so little about the songs, but it's not like, for example, a "Mellon Collie..." by the Smashing Pumpkins. In my opinion, this is absolute repetitiveness. And now, buy.