Stadium Arcadium

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium
by: Kevin M Slusarz

Some would admit that the Red Hot Chili Peppers went down for a time in the mid-nineties while they swirled around a constantly changing guitarist, a sub-par One Hot Minute album, and recurring drug addictions. Through the muck they have landed back on target with an album that brings together funk and flavor dating back to the 80s meeting a melodic maturity that has yet been heard on any of their previous releases.

Track after track, whether it comes from the funk of the bass lines or the harmony of Kiedis' voice, you sit in awe, destroyed by what you hear. They bring the old school funk in tracks like Charlie and Hump de Bump but level you out with folk-like guitar melodies shown in Snow (Hey Oh).

It seems there is always in album in an artists career that will define them as if they will be remembered as a great of their time or a great of all time. RHCP has clearly displayed, not only with this album, but with 20 years of creating innovative ideas and sounds that they are truly one of the all-time greats.