Album Reviews

Cynics tired of the RHCP’s act say they’re running on fumes. Yes, well then what accounts for the remarkable success of this album, packed with the band’s usual rap/rock/funk mix? That’s an easy question to answer. It’s reliably hard, funky, powerful, spare and big. It goes down easy but still engages.

They manage to meld rap and soaring, multi-part harmonies and classic overdriven rock guitar, and through all of the macho athleticism and adolescent skateboard trappings, they project a vulnerable artistic esthetic that cuts through the surface swagger to connect with the inner adult.

Listening through these eight sides reveals a group that never pauses too long at any musical watering hole and understands the value of both musical textures and quality recorded sound.

Yes, the wild days of 1991’s Blood Sugar Sex Magik are over and these guys are pushing forty but they can still give it up all over the place. And of course, their musical limitations bind them to the same limited chord progressions, well-worn rhythmic patterns and rhyme schemes, but those very limitations lead the group to its most inventive highs as it struggles to break free of them.

The repetitive gestures are almost laughable in their simplicity (as on “Snow[Hey Oh] ), but the intense drive overcomes all reservations. At this point in their career RHCP might be tempted to veer off into experimentation as U2 did with some of it’s electronically driven albums, but smartly they chose to stick with what they did best, only with greater intensity and focus. Sure there’s some filler, and the more sensitive balladry doesn’t work as well as the hard stuff, but most of Stadium Arcadium gives fans what they want from the group.

This cleanly rendered, well recorded and craftily arranged and produced set allows all of the musical athleticism to shine. It’s analog ear candy, pure and simple. The boxed vinyl comes in two packages: a deluxe 180g box and a more simply presented, but still lavish (by CD standards) lighter weight pressing.

If you don’t think heavier pressings sound better, you need to compare these two, both sourced from the same Kevin Gray/Steve Hoffman mastered lacquer. The 180g edition offers greater bass weight and dynamic expressiveness, along with richer, fuller mids and greater overall sonic integration. The standard press sounds pretty good too though.

The deluxe package features a dramatic metallic foil covered box, with a 3D-like photo of the football helmeted quartet on the inside lid cover. Each 180g disc features one group member on its jacket on or near fire floating in air. Also included are two full-sized color booklets (“Jupiter” and “Mars”) containing more great photos and the lyrics in large enough print to actually read without a magnifying glass.

The standard pressings are housed in two double LP jackets inserted into a sturdy slip case that leaves the spines exposed. They’re both nice packages that will leave RHCP fans who don’t own turntables (and that includes producer Rick Rubin) wishing they had one. No doubt some fans will buy one or the other just for the packaging and photography. If they get a chance to hear these four slabs of wax, they might get hooked!

Have the Peppers cooled off? I first saw them in 1984 at a house party back when Hillel Slovak was the guitarist. Yes, they were younger and wilder and perhaps a few degrees hotter, but all these years later, the current incarnation of RHCP has definitely not cooled off!