The vinyl release of this album(much delayed) is so vastly sonically superior to the cd edition that it is just not funny. Unless you are already a vinyl lover that is.

Warner have graciously released the album in two editions, each of four discs each. This accommodates the massive 28 songs and 2 hours or so of running time. The standard release costs around 40 dollars and comes in a slipcase with two gatefold double albums in the middle. Each record is pressed on 150grm vinyl. The deluxe edition comes in a box, withe extra posters and a shiny booklet. the records are pressed on 180grm vinyl and come with better protective inner sleeves. This edition costs around 100 dollars,

This review is of the standard edition.

Both sets are equivalently mastered by Steve Hoffman and sound simply stunning. At last we have a modern highly successful rock band who have recorded completely in the analogue domain and have ensured all the way that sound quality is important. No compression, and virgin vinyl pressings at RTI. As Warner say...'Because sound matters'.

What then of the music? Well this album is such a sprawling set that it is difficult to come to grips with. Some tracks and indeed sides jump out at you immediately. Singles, Dani California and the excellent, and slower, Snow (Hey Oh) open the album. This latter was a big hit with an ex of mine last summer, and now that I can finally hear it on vinyl as opposed to aac I can understand her. The drumbeat introducing dani California is most impressive sounding having incredibly air around it and space to breathe. But again on snow (hey oh) we have an incredibly rich, deep and impressive bass sound. This is felt on both bass and percussion. It really sounds gorgeous. And snow (hey oh) is romantic. In a funky rocky kind of way. The next track, Charlie, lowers the emotion and increases the funk quotient.

Stadium arcadium is another slower track full seemingly full on meaning, It sounds wonderful with echoey guitar effects and the subtle harmonies that are throughout the album. Again voices and guitars can breathe. 'hump de bump' and 'she's only 18' are mostly funky with some fancy wah wah guitars on the latter. We slow down again for a 'slow cheetah', more reminiscent for some of their biggest hits(Under the bridge) without perhaps being so memorable.

'Tortue me' is rockier and noisy as hell, while 'strip my mind' is slow loud. 'Especially in Michigan' is another slow burner which is catchy but not world class. 'Warlocks' is another rap-funk workout for Anthony Kiedis. You will be shaking your booty though! Hopefully they'll be playing some of this stuff at the local indie glitterball haven.

Side four, and the last of Jupiter, starts with the fancy fretwork of 'C'mon girl' before ending in a shout along with me chorus. 'Wet sand' seems to go on for quite a while pleasant but inessential until it climaxes near the end, again with the chorus, and what seems like a harpsichord. really, its a great ending. 'Hey' is reminding me of Durutti column, well almost. Its a mellow end to the first album, Jupiter.

Mars starts off with a mellow but interesting track, 'Desecration smile'. I don't know why they have two album names. The two albums don't sound very different. Mars is possibly a bit more adventurous in style. But each have their slower, rockier and funkier moments. And of course a mix of all three. You'll probably know 'Tell me baby'. Its all over the radio here and is classic RHCP. Guitar licks galore, the rap funk we all love and some more soulful singing from Kliedis. A great track. 'Hard to concentrate' is another of my favourites off the album. Romance actually rears its pretty head on this track. The sound off this track, with lighter instrumentation than most others, is a joy. Its really one to sit back and enjoy.

'21st Century' sounds a bit like the Clash due to its mixing of rock with a reggae beat. Some great electric guitar solo. There's a real noisy wigout at the end which you'll be shaking your head, not your booty, to. Hmm, what's that, oh there goes 'She looks to me'. Its gone. Hardly noticed it, but it was noisy. 'Readymade' is rap again with some metal guitar riffs. Not quite Run DMC, more like, well Anthony Kiedis with Deep Purple backing him. Not great either. 'If' reminds me of Cat Stevens. Oh dear oh dear.

Really catchy choruses and soaring guitar make up 'Make you feel better'. Brilliant song. 'Animal bar' starts off mellow, wistful and catchy. It gets poppy and wistful. Another of my favourites. It does then get a bit rockier. 'So much I' and 'Storm in a teacup' are faster and rockier and not really my cup of tea. Although the latter does have some great guitar work on it.

Sadly the last side of the album fails to grab me, but maybe its a grower. 'We believe', 'Turn it again' pass me by without much of an impact. 'Death of a martian' stands out for its spoken outro, sounding a bit like the intro to Frankie goes to Hollywood's 'power of Love'. Maybe that's just me.

Overall impressions. This is a massive album. Anthony Kiedis describes it as “the best thing that we’ve ever done…. There’s this weird kind of sublime,subliminal undercurrent that is suggestive, in a spirited way, of our earliest records.” After the massive success of Californication and By the way its hard to agree with him. There are many great tracks throughout this two hour album. The musicianship, particularly the wonderful John Frusciante, is excellent and is really allowed to shine through on this all analogue/analog, uncompressed, unmanipulated, 'hear the master tape as it is' vinyl release. If you are at all a fan of the RHCP you therefore have to get this album to hear them more revealingly than ever before or anywhere else. Particularly at what is quite a low price of $40 for four high quality discs. What we have to hope for now is that a single 'de-mastering' job can be done on previous releases. Particularly 'By the way'.