1. Happymonk

   10

   No. This isn't perfect, but so many of the songs on the album are genius. At least 18 out of the monumental 28 tracks are some of their best. But the rest are still great. There are a few Meh tracks, which are mostly found on the second half of the record, but this doesn't really detract from the overall feel and awesomeness of the album. I'd give the first half a 11/10 and the second an 8/10, but you have to understand that the first half is quite simply amazing. It's probably not even the best album they've created (that probably goes to Californication), but because so many of the songs are so excellent it deserves a 10.… Expand

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2. Funland

   5

   One theory as to why this album experienced such a positive reception: it took the sound that the RHCP fans hold dear (the distinctly "RHCP" sound) and made it dull enough for the mainstream. And since the "Chili Pepper sound" was not completely absent from the album (just devoid of authenticity), the mainstream crowd could claim credit for listening to something that is "different" and "unique." That way, the hardcore fans *and* the pop kids could both go home feeling smug about their embrace of the 2006-era Red Hot Chili Peppers. To the observer who is familiar with the music of RHCP, Stadium Arcadium is by and large not a move of genuine artistic expression, but of shrewd, vapid calculation and over-reliance on formula. Now, since slightly less than half the songs on the album are actually enjoyable and/or stimulating to varying degrees, I gave the album a score of slightly less than half of the highest possible number of points it could have earned, and rounded up to 5 since metacritic's scoring system doesn't allow for issuing tenths of a point. It's perfectly fair. For this album, the best thing to do is download the album's strongest tracks ("Dani California," "Stadium Arcadium," "She's Only 18," "Torture Me," "Tell Me Baby," "She Looks To Me," "Readymade," "Storm In A Teacup," and "Turn It Again") and forget the rest of the album, which lacks the spontaneity of albums like BloodSugerSexMagik and Californication and settles for going nowhere interesting.… Expand

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3. DougH

   3

   generic. irrellevant. not even fun.

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