New RHCP album "Stadium Arcadium" to be released May 9th!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[D]

Initially, Stadium Arcadium, the Red Hot Chili Peppers' forthcoming ninth studio album, was going to be released in three separate parts. Frontman Anthony Kiedis was keen on the idea ? and championed it ? until he realized the third installment of the trilogy wouldn't surface for almost two years.

"That notion, I couldn't handle," he said. "In a year and a half, I know we'll be writing new music and then it will be time for that. In the end, [these songs] seemed like a body of music that needed to be heard as one body."

So Kiedis and the Chilis suffered through the "heart-wrenching" process of cutting down the 38 tracks they'd recorded with longtime friend and producer Rick Rubin to the 25 featured on the Stadium Arcadium double LP. "Slow Cheetah," "Storm in a Tea Cup," "Hard to Concentrate," "C'mon Girl," "Ready Made" and "Desecration Smile" are just a handful of the tracks that survived the process and will make the record's track list.

"I think we always [approach the songwriting process] with this mindset that this time, we're going to write the perfect 11 songs and just put out 11 songs like they used to do in the days of Buddy Holly and the Beatles," Kiedis said. "Those early records were so short and sweet, and had this kind of lasting profound impact on the world because they're very memorable and digestible and, I don't know, maybe it just takes less energy or effort to connect with smaller collections. But as has been the case with every single time we've tried to do that, we end up with 30 some-odd songs. The difference this time was we ended up liking all of those songs and finishing all of those songs and it actually became a very difficult process to even just whittle it down to 25. I think it's sort of the best thing that we've ever done, and I just want to get it out there on the airwaves and in the earholes of the world."

Stadium Arcadium's first single will be "Danni California." Kiedis said the band plans to shoot a video for the track soon with Tony Kaye, who directed "American History X." The performance-based clip will boast an underlying story about a character that's appeared on the band's previous two discs.

"The spirit of Danni was evoked in the song 'Californication,' and it talks about a pregnant teenager. And then she sort of comes to fruition in a song called 'By the Way,' where she is actually mentioned by name," he said. "This song's the final chapter of Danni." Kiedis wouldn't elaborate further on the video's treatment, but did say Danni's "an amalgamation of lots of things and people ? she's not really based on one person but a collective of probably every girl I've ever met."

As for Stadium Arcadium's sound, Kiedis said the writing process was aided this time around by the fact that "everybody was in good moods. 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 where we write music, and everyone felt more comfortable than ever bringing in their ideas."

Every idea was used to create those 38 tracks. "There is a weird thread that connects back to our first three records," Kiedis added. "There's this weird kind of sublime, subliminal undercurrent that is suggestive, in a spirited way, of our earliest records. There's some retardedly painful funk on this record. There are a few songs that are just straight-up dirty funk, and beyond that, there's this ongoing progression of everything else that has been slowly happening between Californication and By the Way, with harmonies and textures. [Guitarist] John [Frusciante] has really fallen in love with the art of treating sounds. [The album's] layered, but not in a heavy-handed way. John's work is definitely of the masterpiece quality, as a guitar player and sound treatment-ist. He has certainly gone to some weird ?ber-level of hearing some Beethoven-sized symphony sh-- in his head. He really shines on this record."

The 13 tracks that didn't make it onto the final product might wind up surfacing commercially, after all, because "I'd be crushed if they didn't get heard," Kiedis said. But it won't be cheap for the truest of the band's fans to get them all. The singer said the idea is to release different versions of the album through different retail outlets, each with a unique bonus track. So fans who download Stadium Arcadium using iTunes would get one bonus track ? say "Especially in Michigan" ? while those who picked up their copy at Target would get a different bonus song ? like "Mercy, Mercy."

"We're going to try and do that with the independent record stores across America, and for all the monster chains," he explained. "We'll service everybody with a different bonus track, because we have them."

Stadium Arcadium is due May 9, according to the band's management.

[D]

FUCK YEAHHHHHHHHHHH


Go ahead and stick this on the "Greatest albums of 06 thread"

[metallex78]

Sounds like it it'll be a good record. But it must really bum you out if you're a Chilli's fan to have to buy 13 different albums to get all the bonus track huh?

[D]

ill buy the double album first thing May 9th, but i will be downloading the 13 bonus tracks.

[badapple81]

That's so fucked about the bonus tracks. They should put them online on their web site for free. That would be giving something back to the loyal fans who have bought all their albums 

[Timothy]

Defiantly be buying this May 9 th , But they should put the 13 left over track ass a bones disc for the first 500,000 copies .

[D]

They probably figure that 13 different chili fans will buy a different copy and then they will trade em out.

They will be available for download soon after the album release.

I will buy one copy of the album...well maybe 2.,

I cant fuckin wait.

CD also this year, Prince has a new CD 3121 this year, its gonna be an incredible fuckin year for music!!!!!!!!

[Eazy E]

A double album!... I hope that doesn't mean a bunch of average songs are thrown inbetween the great songs.

By The Way is my favourite Chilly Willy album, so it will be hard to top, but this is definetaly something to look forward to.   

[badapple81]

They probably figure that 13 different chili fans will buy a different copy and then they will trade em out.

They will be available for download soon after the album release.

I will buy one copy of the album...well maybe 2.,

I cant fuckin wait.

CD also this year, Prince has a new CD 3121 this year, its gonna be an incredible fuckin year for music!!!!!!!!

With copyright protection it will be impossible to trade them out.

[Jim]

I think that, with the 13 song dealio, the only real 'fair' way of doing it would be by region.

Just for, y'know, a little something. Like sometimes the Japenese get a bonus track...

Coma, what? Or, sometimes us Brits.

A bonus track for the Americans, a few scattered around Europe, one for the Asians, another one for the Aussies...

Otherwise, if you're going to end up with stores in the same town stocking different versions of the record...

I mean, I find having a 'special edition' is a bit exploitative, sometimes, if you're only going to be buying it because it will be a collectible. But when there are thirteen different version...

[Butch Français]

report from a few weeks back said that the first half of the double album will be released in May, and the second half in early 2007.
so you might not get the entire thing at once peeps!
but who knows, they might have changed their minds and decided to release it all at once since then.

[D]

No they are just doing a double album, I read it the other day.

They had planned on doing a trilogy releasing 3 seperate albums over 3 years but Anthony said that by 2007 or 2008 they'd be in a different place and have a whole lot more new stuff.

So its gonna be a double album.


This isnt gonna have any filler.

By The Way was 16 songs and fillerless.

No filler on that.

This album is gonna be amazing.


its gonna have everything.

hardcore funk but with their improved songwriting and harmonizing stuff.

I cant wait.

[Butch Français]

yeah but I read a few weeks back that they were gonna do the double album SOAD style.
Im waiting for another RHCP-head to confirm if they're still sticking with that or not, lol.

[Sakib]

fucking awesome!!! I love RHCP i CANT STOP listening to em

[D]

Either way though Hillell, It doesnt matter to me, as long as I get it.


Im just so intrigued at what they could have possibly came up with.

Every band usually says its the best they've ever done, so im tryin not to let that affect me but if it is, all i can say is HOLY SHIT.

[Butch Français]

seems your right D!
double album released May 8th in Europe and May 9th in USA, no splitting it up and releasing one part later which Kiedis reported a few weeks back!

oh yeah Im insanely excited about the album, John has discarded some of his "minimalist" attitude towards the guitar and have taken a bit of a rock approach it seems, with longer and more complicated solos than on the previous 2 albums.
he lost a lot of his technique during his drug period in the 90s, but has made up for that with an incredible creativity and a great minimalist way of playing (his amazing right hand technique has always been there).
he has since then taken a helluva lot of guitar lessons and have practised every day it seems, he has also promised there will be a lot of Hendrix-like solos on the album.
so I can't wait to hear how amazing this is gonna sound!

[Butch Français]

Spin Magazine

Chili Peppers are the lead band in this months' Spring Preview (page 38). Check it out:

Stadium Arcadium, May 9th

Supersize Flea: After more than a year of ridiculously prolific, collaborative songwriting, SoCal's funk punk stalwarts unleash a Rick Rubin helmed double album.

"The chemistry was in better order then in a long time," singer Anthony Kiedis says. "Everyone is frighteningly happy at the moment."

Page Dr. Phil: Kiedis says he's again exploring "the dark and nefarious side of Los Angeles, but not in a judgmental sense."

He adds that the personal songs are similarly about "dysfunction and lack of success in relationships, but it's an "it's okay, it's not the end of the world kind of thing."

Paging, un Marky Mark: While Arcadium still boasts the chilled out grooves of Californication and By The Way, Kiedis contends that "it's probably the funkiest of the bunch. There's one song, Charlie that is more profoundly funky than anything we've done in awhile."

[Markus Asraelius]

That's cool about the double-album but it's stupid that the're releasing the bonus tracks like that. Stupid.

[Butch Français]

yeah if they end up doing it that way with the bonus tracks, I agree, stupid.
an EP with half the songs, plus the other half scattered on singles, or a b-sides collection would be the best way IMO.

[Eazy E]

The Red Hot Chili Peppers have a lot of irons in the proverbial fire at the moment.

In addition to their May 9 double LP, Stadium Arcadium, there's the video the Peppers just shot with "American History X" director Tony Kaye for the

 

 
"If you don't like this [record], you don't like the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Period." ? Red Hot Chili Peppers' Flea
 
 
 
track "Danni California." According to bassist Flea, it explores "the tradition and the beauty of the history of rock and roll."

The funkmeisters have also been booked for a handful of European summer festivals, and Flea divulged that they've even agreed, in principal, to play Lollapalooza (see "Lollapalooza Returning As A Three-Day Festival"). Oh, and then there's that idea they're kicking around that involves them doing a U.S. arena tour with Kanye West, which, if all goes according to plan, would launch in late August with dates running through the winter.

"I think we'll be doing some legs with Kanye, but I don't know if that's confirmed yet or not," Flea said. "I think we're going to do a month or two with him. I think it's going to happen, and I hope it happens. He's a great artist ... and we always try to get the best people to play with that we can."

Last month, frontman Anthony Kiedis told MTV News that discussions had been initiated between the Chili Peppers and Kanye camps. "I'm a fan of him in general and I think his music is very good, and I just like his vibe and his energy," Kiedis said. "We've had good success with bringing bands [on the road with us] that aren't traditionally seen as going together, and the more we can kind of break the mold of a genre-specific bill, it's kind of good for us. It would be great. I hope it all works out. The channels have been opened."

A spokesperson for West had no comment.

But even if things don't end up working out with West, it doesn't look as if it'll dampen Flea's enthusiasm about the 25-track Stadium Arcadium. He said he hasn't been this excited about the band's music since "we first started in 1983." The songs, he said, "mean so much to me ? it's the best record we've ever made. I feel so important to share [this album] with the world. Making this record, I just feel like each one of us was at the best that we could be. This Stadium Arcadium, this is our grand statement ? this is the best that we can do. This is the best we're capable of. If you don't like this [record], you don't like the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Period."

Flea said that all the ingredients were in place for the band's "magnum opus": Producer Rick Rubin (Slayer, Jay-Z) was back on board to twist the knobs, and "we worked really well communally together. We really respected each others' opinions and didn't waste time arguing about stupid stuff. We really just got down and made some music."

This was not the case when the Peppers recorded 2002's By the Way. "It was an unpleasant experience for me," Flea explained. "There was definitely tension in the group, tension between [guitarist] John [Frusciante] and I, and I didn't feel comfortable creatively within the band. I didn't feel free to express myself. All of that [was] resolved [during the Stadium sessions], and we got to this place where we felt very free. We were all getting along and all working together well, and when we do that, that's when we're at our best ? that's when the real magic happens."

Arcadium, Flea said, is a funk-riddled rocker, which should be good news for the band's longtime fans. But the album has its tranquil, muted moments too.

"I've always loved being mellow," he said, smiling. "Love being intense too. I can't describe what effect [this music will have] on people and whether people [will] perceive it as being mellow or what. We keep rolling along and we learn stuff as we go, and the more that we learn, the more we keep adding. I think initially with us, the main thing we knew how to do was rock out. Just rock the f--- out ? to just go into animal mode and get into this primal thing. We've always loved that, and that's always the essence of what we do: complete surrendering to the groove and giving it up.

"But as you go, you learn other things," he continued. "You learn harmony and melody and how beautiful it is to love something as delicate as a flower petal. You deepen. To me, we've retained the intensity and used it in a lot of different ways. But I think people are going to be able to rock, and I think people will get their boogie shoes on and have a good time. I think that everybody likes to feel the power of life."