Stadium Arcadium ... #1

To be fair I've only listened to one quarter of the double cd, once, so this is initial reaction only...

1) I love the musicality of this album. The melodies and production values are just beautiful. Musically these guys are at the top of their form and its a pleasure to listen to.

2) Anthony's voice is better than ever. Really. Those singing lessons are definitely paying off.

3) I already love Hump de Bump. It's pure, gorgeous funk and a real time warp back to the 70s and very much at the root of Chili Peppers' music. No party mix would be complete without it.

4) Dani Californication is growing on me, obviously as it is the released single and I've already heard it many times. It's a shout-along-with anthem which works well on the radio. Not too sure what it's about...

5) ... which brings me to the main problem. See, it's the poetry which is problematic for me. Anthony's lyric writing is leaning more and more towards the abstract poetry side of things and it scares me. Listening to this album today I had a very worrying feeling of being back at uni and sitting in a poetry class and dreading the possibility of the lecturer turning towards me and saying "So what do you think Keidis is trying to say there?". My brain just does not work that way. While I love beautiful language and a well tuned sentence, poetry scares the bejesus out of me because quite honestly I haven't the foggiest clue about what they're trying to say. Generally I want to listen to a song and hear a story or get a feeling but when I'm struggling to put my finger on what the hell the gist of the song is I can't really relax and enjoy the song as a package.

Anthony's earlier lyrics, while always tending towards the poetic, have always told a story... at least a story I could easily follow..

I like pleasure spiked with pain
Music is my aeroplane
"Aeroplane" from One Hot Minute

I could have lied
I'm such a fool
My eyes could never never never keep their cool
Showed her and I told her how she struck me
But I'm fucked up now
"I could have lied" from Blood Sugar Sex Magik

I used to shout across the room to you
And you'd come dancin' like a fool
Shuffle step you funky mother
Come to me all warm as covers
Rest with me my lovely brother
For you see there is no other
Memory so sad and sweet
I'll see you soon
Save me a seat
"My lovely man" from Blood Sugar Sex Magik

If you see me getting mighty
If you see me getting high
Knock me down
I'm not bigger than life
"Knock me down" from Mother's Milk

...well, that's just an idea of what I'm talking about. Here's a sample of where we're at now...

The stadium arcadium
A mirror to the moon
I'm forming I'm warming
State of the art
Until the clouds come crashing
"Stadium Arcadium" from Stadium Arcadium

So what do you think Keidis is trying to say there?