Red Hot Chili Peppers – “The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie” [Song Review]

It may not seem like it, but it’s now over five years since the Red Hot Chili Peppers released their last album, Stadium Arcadium. Indeed, time flies when you’re having fun and it would be hard to suggest that the lack of new material from the Chilis has been sorely missed. Stadium Arcadium was just too much at the time. There were plenty of quality songs, especially the enthralling “Dani California”, but there was over two hours of material to dissect the brilliance from the mediocrity.

Thankfully it looks like the Chilis are going back to the norm with a new album in I’m With You which will contain fourteen songs, half of the total on Stadium Arcadium. The lead single is the lengthily named “The Adventures Of Rain Dance Maggie”, a song which draws out the funky side of the Chilis once again and despite the sharp verses it is a fairly laid-back effort.

Flea guides the song in with his usual funky, loud, deep bass along with Chad Smith’s rhythmic drumming, while former Warpaint guitarist Josh Klinghoffer steps into the departed shoes of John Frusciante by cutting some electric sounds into the mix. Anthony Kiedis brings an edgy vocal to the verse, but lightens up for what is sadly a little bit of a pedestrian chorus, albeit a catchy one. Another verse and chorus is followed by a neat bridge with Klinghoffer showing that he is a very decent replacement for Frusciante.

“The Adventures Of Rain Dance Maggie” is a good, if not unremarkable song. It lacks a spark or two and it speaks volumes that it is the outro which is the most interesting aspect of the track. It possesses some nice sounds, mostly held together by Flea and Chad’s sense of rhythm (especially a cracking inclusion of the cowbell). Overall, the Chilis have made an enjoyable, radio-worthy single, but it is hardly edge-of-the-seat stuff.

Run Time: 4:42
Release Date: July 18, 2011

Check out the song: ‘The Adventures Of Rain Dance Maggie’