Link: Red Hot Chili Peppers’ HomePage.
The Inside Pulse: Who ever imagined that one of the many adjectives you could use to describe the Red Hot Chili Peppers would be venerable? Yet here they are, 25 years and still standing, as the funky white boys from La-La Land who used to only want to “Party On Your P*ssy” are now all grown up and, dare we say it, mellow? And if any band’s earned the right to chill, it’s the Chilis, who have survived the death of one founding band member and the defection of another, withstood losing a beloved replacement to the ravages of heroin, turned Dave Navarro from irrelevant ex-Jane’s Addiction member to reality show host and potential parent of the Antichrist, and come back full circle with the return of John Frusciante, who survived enough drugs to fell a dozen humans and came back almost impossibly a better musician for his ordeal. The Chilis have gone from skate park faves to megastars, from tragedy to triumph, and now, with their ninth studio album, Stadium Arcadium, they’re serving up a double CD of music for their fans. Is it worth the cash?
Positives: The Chilis still know how to make great songs. From the opening track and first single, “Dani California”, they Chilis hit a solid groove and never let up. Most of the songs are in the vein of their post-One Hot Minute catalogue, with tracks like “Torture Me”, “Desecration Smile”, and “If” slotting in well with “Scar Tissue” and “Californication”. But the boys can still bring the funk, with tracks like “Hump De Bump” and “Storm in a Teacup” strong reminders of the band George Clinton once called the funkiest alive.
Negatives: It’s a double album; as such, there’s a lot of material on here that feels repetitive. It will take a true Chilis fan to make it through both CDs. Not to say that anything here sucks, but it’s just too much. Plus, the balance of the songs definitely lean more towards the softer, “Soul to Squeeze” side of the Chilis. They would have definitely been better served with some more funk to counterbalance the ballads.
Cross-breed: Californication-era Chilis with a few dashes of Blood Sugar Sex Magik and One Hot Minute for a bit of caliente spice.
Reason to buy: Because you’re a RHCP fan. If you’re more of a casual listener, then this will probably be a bit too much for you.
