Stadium Arcadium

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Stadium Arcadium
Stadium Arcadium cover
Studio album by Red Hot Chili Peppers
Released May 5, 2006
Recorded March–December 2005, at The Mansion, Los Angeles, California, United States
Genre Alternative rock, funk rock
Length 122:34
Language English
Label Warner Bros.
Producer Rick Rubin
Professional reviews
Red Hot Chili Peppers chronology
By the Way
(2002)		 Stadium Arcadium
(2006)
Singles from Stadium Arcadium
  1. "Dani California"
    Released: April 4, 2006
  2. "Tell Me Baby"
    Released: July 18, 2006
  3. "Snow ((Hey Oh))"
    Released: November 20, 2006
  4. "Desecration Smile"
    Released: February 12, 2007
  5. "Hump de Bump"
    Released: April 7, 2007

Stadium Arcadium is the ninth studio album by alternative rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, released on May 5, 2006, on Warner Bros. Records in Europe and May 9 in the United States. It sold 442,000 copies in the U.S. in the first week and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.[1] The album produced five singles: "Dani California", "Snow ((Hey Oh))", "Desecration Smile", "Hump De Bump", and "Tell Me Baby". According to the band's vocalist Anthony Kiedis, Stadium Arcadium was originally scheduled to be a trilogy of albums each released six months apart, but was eventually condensed into a double album.[2]

The record was critically praised for integrating musical styles from several aspects of the band's career.[3][4] The album gained the band seven Grammy Award nominations in 2007 including an award for Best Rock Album. It was the most nominations that the band had garnered in their 25-year career. Kiedis attributed the album's success to less abrasive dynamics within the band, saying that the band's "chemistry, when it comes to writing, is better than ever. There was always a struggle to dominate lyrically. But we are now confident enough in who we are, so everybody feels more comfortable contributing more and more valuable, quality stuff".[5]

Contents

[edit] Background

After the release of their previous album, By the Way, the Red Hot Chili Peppers embarked on a world tour, which lasted from July 2002 to a mid-June 2004 date at London's Hyde Park.[6] The band later appeared at the 2004 Democratic National Convention[7] and at Rock am Ring to tie up their tour in support of By the Way. The band then settled down to begin recording their next album in September 2004 with producer Rick Rubin, with whom they had recorded four albums previously.[8]

The formation and recording of Stadium Arcadium took place at "The Mansion," the former home of Harry Houdini where the Chili Peppers had recorded their 1991 breakthrough Blood Sugar Sex Magik.[9] Given the house's reputation for being "haunted," guitarist John Frusciante recalled that he felt "there were beings of higher intelligence controlling what I was doing, and I didn’t know how to talk about it or explain it...it was very clear to me that the music was coming from somewhere other than me.[10] However, Kiedis noted that during the recording process of the album "everybody was in a good mood. There was very little tension, very little anxiety, very little weirdness going on and every day we showed up to this funky room in the Valley, and everyone felt more comfortable than ever bringing in their ideas."[11] The band originally wanted to create an "old-fashioned Meet the Beatles-like record," and to keep the number of songs down to about 13, to make "a small, digestible piece of art."[8] They ended up writing 38 new songs with Rubin, recording them all.

The musical style of the album combines many aspects of music from throughout the band's career, with many fans and critics welcoming the return of the band's signature funk sound after its significant absence from By the Way. It is also noted that John's playing style had changed from his signature 'less is more' style, inspired by punk and new wave guitarists, to a more flashy approach, drawing influence from guitarists such as Eddie Van Halen, Jimi Hendrix and Steve Vai. While he received moderate acclaim before Stadium Arcadium, this change in style gained him far more recognition than before. John also began utilizing layering in his guitar playing, which is something he had not done before (many layered guitar parts appeared on Mother's Milk, but this was mostly because of the insistence of the producer, although it was against John's will) and also used a modular synthesizer on many songs after doing so on his 2004 album Shadows Collide with People. While John was pleased to have used the modular synthesizer on the album, he admitted that when the band began rehearsing for the tour, it was very frustrating because many of the songs sounded very empty without it. This meant the band had to rework many of the songs in order to perform them live.

Kiedis recalled that the band "wanted to [release all 38 songs] on three separate discs that [would] be released in installments...something about those songs made us really like each one. However, by the time we planned to release the third installment in two years, we’ll be writing new music."[8] This was the impetus for the band to pare those songs down to 28, a process Kiedis described as "heartwrenching."[8] Nine of the 10 unused songs have been released as B-sides (see section on B-sides below). He explained the reasoning behind the decision to name the album "Stadium Arcadium" by saying that it had more "variety and verve compared to its predecessors [and] we each have things we do best and it’s all in there. Everybody played their part and expressed their creativity to the max."[8]

[edit] Critical reaction

Stadium Arcadium has been met with generally favorable reviews, with Rolling Stone stating it was the band's best album yet and giving it a rating 4/5. Rolling Stone also declared it to be the second best album released in 2006, behind Modern Times by Bob Dylan. Q magazine said it was one of the year's best albums and rated it at 5/5 whilst Allmusic called it over-produced and self-indulgent and thus gave it 3.5/5. It has sold over 7 million copies worldwide to date, and its first three singles reached #1 (and stayed there for at least 4 weeks) on the US Modern Rock chart.

Waveform of the song "Snow ((Hey Oh))", comparing the CD and LP releases.

A problem often pointed by audiophiles is Vlado Meller's mastering for the CD release. It can be regarded as a product of the loudness war, with heavy use of dynamic range compression, and suffering of frequent clipping.[12] In contrast, Steve Hoffman's mastering for the vinyl release was praised for its quality.

[edit] Tour

Main article: Stadium Arcadium Tour

In May 2006 the Chili Peppers announced that they would be touring Europe in May through July, followed by 26 dates in the USA and Canada from August to November. Josh Klinghoffer, friend of John Frusciante, and multi-instrumentalist joined the band on tour.[13][13] Rolling Stone named it "Most Anticipated Summer Tour" in an online poll.[13] The Mars Volta were the opening act. The band also headlined the Voodoo Music Festival in New Orleans.[13]

[edit] Track listing

All songs written by Red Hot Chili Peppers.

[edit] CD release

Jupiter
# Title Length
1. "Dani California"   4:42
2. "Snow ((Hey Oh))"   5:34
3. "Charlie"   4:37
4. "Stadium Arcadium"   5:15
5. "Hump de Bump"   3:33
6. "She's Only 18"   3:25
7. "Slow Cheetah"   5:19
8. "Torture Me"   3:44
9. "Strip My Mind"   4:19
10. "Especially in Michigan"   4:00
11. "Warlocks"   3:25
12. "C'mon Girl"   3:48
13. "Wet Sand"   5:09
14. "Hey"   5:39
Mars
# Title Length
1. "Desecration Smile"   5:02
2. "Tell Me Baby"   4:07
3. "Hard to Concentrate"   4:02
4. "21st Century"   4:22
5. "She Looks to Me"   4:06
6. "Readymade"   4:30
7. "If"   2:52
8. "Make You Feel Better"   3:52
9. "Animal Bar"   5:26
10. "So Much I"   3:44
11. "Storm in a Teacup"   3:45
12. "We Believe"   3:36
13. "Turn It Again"   6:06
14. "Death of a Martian"   4:24

[edit] Vinyl release

Side one
# Title Length
1. "Dani California"   4:42
2. "Snow ((Hey Oh))"   5:34
3. "Charlie"   4:37
Side two
# Title Length
1. "Stadium Arcadium"   5:15
2. "Hump de Bump"   3:33
3. "She's Only 18"    
4. "Slow Cheetah"   5:19
Side three
# Title Length
1. "Torture Me"   3:44
2. "Strip My Mind"   4:19
3. "Especially in Michigan"   4:00
4. "Warlocks"   3:25
Side four
# Title Length
1. "C'mon Girl"   3:48
2. "Wet Sand"   5:09
3. "Hey"   5:39
Side five
# Title Length
1. "Desecration Smile"   5:02
2. "Tell Me Baby"   4:07
3. "Hard to Concentrate"   4:02
Side six
# Title Length
1. "21st Century"   4:22
2. "She Looks to Me"   4:06
3. "Readymade"   4:30
4. "If"   2:52
Side seven
# Title Length
1. "Make You Feel Better"   3:52
2. "Animal Bar"   5:26
3. "So Much I"   3:44
4. "Storm in a Teacup"   3:45
Side eight
# Title Length
1. "We Believe"   3:36
2. "Turn It Again"   6:06
3. "Death of a Martian"   4:24

[edit] B-sides

In the style of Jupiter and Mars, the compilation of B-sides is often referred to as Venus.

Song Length Release(s)
"Million Miles of Water" 4:06 B-side of "Dani California"
"Whatever We Want" 4:48
"Lately" 2:55
"A Certain Someone" 2:25 B-side of "Tell Me Baby"
"Mercy Mercy" 4:01
"Funny Face" 4:46
"I'll Be Your Domino" 3:57 B-side of "Snow ((Hey Oh))"
"Joe" 3:54 B-side of "Desecration Smile" and "Hump de Bump"
"Save This Lady" 4:17

[edit] Personnel

Red Hot Chili Peppers
Additional musicians
  • Natalie Baber, Mylissa Hoffman, Alexis Izenstark, Spencer Izenstark, Dylan Lerner, Kyle Lerner, Gabrielle Mosbe, Monique Mosbe, Sophia Mosbe, Isabella Shmelev, Landen Starman, Wyatt Starkman – background vocals on "We Believe"
  • Michael Bolger – trombone on "Turn It Again"
  • Lenny Castro – percussion
  • Paulinho Da Costa – percussion
  • Richard Dodd – cello on "She Looks to Me"
  • Emily Kokal – chorus vocals on "Desecration Smile"
  • Billy Preston – clavinet on "Warlocks"
  • Omar Rodríguez-López – guitar solo on "Especially in Michigan"
  • Brad Warnaar – French horn on "Stadium Arcadium"
Production

[edit] Peak positions and certifications

Chart (2006) Peak
position[14]		 Certification
Australia 1
Austria 1
Canada 1
Danish top 20 1
European albums 1
Finland 1
France 1
Germany 1
Italy 1
Japan 1
Netherlands 1
New Zealand 1 3× Platinum[15]
Poland 1
Portugal 5
Spain 2
Sweden 1
Switzerland 1
United Kingdom 1
United States Billboard 200 1 2× Platinum

[edit] References

  1. ^ Hasty, Katie (2006-05-17). "Chili Peppers Post 'Stadium' At No. 1". Billboard. billboard.com. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002537772. Retrieved on 2007-08-07. 
  2. ^ "Red Hot Chili Peppers back at the double". http://www.nme.com/news/red-hot-chili-peppers/21865. 
  3. ^ Hiatt, Brian (2006-05-03). "Stadium Arcadium". Rolling Stone. rs.com. http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/redhotchilipeppers/albums/album/10193413/review/10203828/stadium_arcadium. Retrieved on 2007-08-07. 
  4. ^ Endelman, Michael (2006-05-05). "Stadium Arcadium". Entertainment Weekly. ew.com. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1191005,00.html. Retrieved on 2007-08-07. 
  5. ^ Cohen, Jonathan (2006-01-19). "Peppers Double The Pleasure With 'Stadium Arcadium'". Billboard. billboard.com. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001881276. Retrieved on 2007-08-07. 
  6. ^ "Red Hot Chili Peppers Set World Record at London Hyde Park". RHCPnews.com. 2004-07-14. http://www.rhcp-news.com/news.php?id=67. Retrieved on 2007-07-21. 
  7. ^ "Chili Peppers Spice Up Convention". RHCPnews.com. 2004-07-30. http://www.rhcp-news.com/news.php?id=70. Retrieved on 2007-07-21. 
  8. ^ a b c d e Ramly, Adly. "Stadium Arcadium". Malay Mail (mmail.com). http://www.mmail.com.my/Current_News/mm/Buzz/BFeature/20060706145552/Article/index.html. Retrieved on 2007-08-07. 
  9. ^ Tousignant, Isa (2006-05-18). "Stadium Arcadium". Ottawa XPress. http://www.ottawaxpress.ca/music/spin.aspx?iIDDisque=3645. Retrieved on 2007-08-07. 
  10. ^ Ascott, Phil (2006-07). "Total Guitar, July 2006 interview". Total Guitar (Invisible-Movement.net). http://www.invisible-movement.net/articles/2006/07-totalguitar/2/. Retrieved on 2007-08-07. 
  11. ^ "Red Hot Chili Peppers' Stadium Arcadium Has Some 'Retardedly Painful Funk'". MTV News (VH1). 2006-01-18. http://www.vh1.com/news/articles/1520634/20060112/red_hot_chili_peppers.jhtml. Retrieved on 2007-08-07. 
  12. ^ http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=42376&view=findpost&p=389625 hydrogenaudio.org
  13. ^ a b c d "Red Hot Chili Peppers Reveal Stadium Arcadium Tour Dates". MTV. 2006-05-02. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1529939/20060502/red_hot_chili_peppers.jhtml. Retrieved on 2008-09-12. 
  14. ^ Peak positions
  15. ^ NZ certification

[edit] External links

Preceded by
10,000 Days by Tool		 Billboard 200 number-one album
May 21 – June 3, 2006		 Succeeded by
Taking the Long Way by Dixie Chicks
Preceded by
Eyes Open by Snow Patrol		 UK number one album
May 14 – June 3, 2006		 Succeeded by
Bright Idea by Orson
Preceded by
10,000 Days by Tool		 Australian ARIA Albums Chart number-one album
May 22 – June 11, 2006		 Succeeded by
Best of Chris Isaak by Chris Isaak
v • d • e
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Flea · John Frusciante · Anthony Kiedis · Chad Smith
Jack Irons · Arik Marshall · Cliff Martinez · DeWayne "Blackbyrd" McKnight · Dave Navarro · D. H. Peligro · Jack Sherman · Hillel Slovak · Jesse Tobias
Studio albums
Other releases
Compilations
Videography
Singles
"True Men Don't Kill Coyotes" · "Get Up and Jump" · "Jungle Man" · "American Ghost Dance" · "Catholic School Girls Rule" · "Hollywood (Africa)" · "Fight Like a Brave" · "Me & My Friends" · "Knock Me Down" · "Higher Ground" · "Taste the Pain" · "Show Me Your Soul" · "Give It Away" · "Under the Bridge" · "Suck My Kiss" · "Breaking the Girl" · "Behind the Sun" · "If You Have to Ask" · "Soul to Squeeze" · "Warped" · "My Friends" · "Aeroplane" · "Coffee Shop" · "Shallow Be Thy Game" · "Love Rollercoaster" · "Scar Tissue" · "Around the World" · "Otherside" · "Californication" · "Road Trippin'" · "Parallel Universe" · "By the Way" · "The Zephyr Song" · "Can't Stop" · "Dosed" · "Universally Speaking" · "Fortune Faded" · "Dani California" · "Tell Me Baby" · "Snow ((Hey Oh))" · "Desecration Smile" · "Hump de Bump"
Tours
Related articles
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