The Red Hot Chili Peppers are back after a four year hiatus. In their first release since 2002's By The Way, Anthony Kiedis and the gang bring you a double-disc effort titled Stadium Arcadium, which may at first sound like the name of a live album. This is far from what you will get. Two discs boasting 14 tracks each, for a grand total of 28 tunes for those of you too lazy to do the simple addition. \nStadium Arcadium is separated into two parts entitled Jupiter and Mars respectively. These titles really have nothing to do with the content of the album, but alas, they are there whether you like it or not. The first disc starts out with "Dani California," which sounds like it could be something from Tom Petty's archives. Jupiter swings back and forth between mellow, funky, and rockin'. "Hump de Bump," is a funky number that could be the brainchild of George Clinton. "Especially in Michigan," while trying to solicit the greatness of the 26th state in the Union, is a stand-out track, featuring a guitar solo from none other than Omar Rodriguez of Mars Volta fame. Jupiter has its slow parts as well, such as in the title track and the jazzy "Hey."\nMars is not much different from its counterpart. There tends to be more mellow tracks on this disc, but there's nothing exclusive to this disc that is left out on the previous one. "Desecration Smile" and "Hard To Concentrate" have a pop-ballad sound, but are still notable tracks. On "Readymade" guitar solos prevail from John Frusciante like something that Audioslave might put out, and "Storm in a Teacup" takes us back to something that you might find on Blood Sugar Sex Majik. This disc is softer in some areas, but there are still some pretty sweet Frusciante guitar solos to even out the mix.\nThe Red Hot Chili Peppers are extremely talented \nmusicians. This album does nothing less than showcase what they are capable of. Produced by Rick Rubin, it doesn't sound overproduced at all, which can be a downfall for popular bands like the Chili Peppers. Lyrically, the songs range from beautiful and poetic, to downright silly. I'm still trying to figure out what a rockapotomus is. Oh, and did I mention the artwork is cheesy?\nStadium Arcadium is a solid release. Twenty-eight tracks may be overwhelming, and there isn't any filler, so it's like you're getting two CDs, wait… actually you are. There is a little bit of overlap in material, but I didn't find myself bored at any time. This album collects the best elements of the Chili Peppers last four releases (Blood Sugar Sex Majik, One Hot Minute, Californication, and By The Way for those of you who have forgotten), puts them into a blender, and tosses them onto a lengthy, but rewarding set. This is possibly the best thing these guys have put out in the 23 years they have been a band. Definitely worth picking up this summer. Also, check out the Red Hot Chili Peppers at this year's Lollapolooza festival in Chicago.
-- Chris Green
