Heralded by a tense intro, the funky, fists-in-the-air sound of "Can't Stop" cutting through the ether is one of those moments that make live albums so compelling for those who were there and those who weren't. The Peppers go on to play through 2 CDs' worth of favourites from By the Way and Californication plus newer material such as "Fortune Faded", "Rolling Sly Stone" and "Leverage of Space".

It's difficult to pick highlights, as the level of musicianship from the four was high as ever but unexpected, quirky numbers such as John and Flea's rendition of Donna Summer's "I Feel Love" stand out as memorable euphoric moments. Sadly, the only pre-Californication songs were old favourites "Under the Bridge" and "Give it Away", both sounding fresh despite being 13 years old.

Live in Hyde Park is definitely a worthy addition to any record collection. It's amazing that a band in their third deca...
One Word: Fantastic., 2007-01-03
The Red Hot Chili Peppers have now been going 27 years and they still sound fresh and new.

I copied this album of a freind of mine who went to the gig about 2 years ago and it is my most played album on Media Player, it is that good.

I saw the Chili Peppers at Portman Road, Ipswich, on the first night of their Stadium Arcadium tour and they were fantastic. Any venue, any time, and they are fantastic, which is why this is a fantastic album.

It starts with a catchy, funky intro from John, Flea and Chad. This follows into "Can't Stop" (just listen to the crowd cheering after the first couple of notes are played on John's guitar). Next are two classic tracks, "Scar Tissue" and "By The Way". Both are played to the highest standard. Flea's rythmic bass, Anthony's high-class vocals, combined with Chad's fast paced drumming and John's quality guitar riffs creates a sound that any funk fan would love to hear.

Next is "Fortune Faded" from Greatest Hits, and then a cover of Donna Summer's song "I Feel Love", sung by John (how he can sing so high-pitch and still sound good is astonishing). The next few tracks are a few of the not-so-famous ones: "Get on Top", "Easily", "Otherside", and "Universally Speaking". The last three tracks on Disk 1, a rendition of Looking Glass's "Brandy", a new song "Rolling Sly Stone" and then the classic "Don't Forget Me". The haunting bass riff and guitar solos in this song are truly memorable.

The next disc starts with a long bass solo, leading into Throw Away Your Television, the solo in which sounds great live. The outro is a song called "Don't You Ever Leave", as they are the only words sung. Next up is another new song, "Leverage of Space", which is quite average, with quite boring lyrics. The pop-style "Purple Stain" leads into "The Zephyr Song". It is one of my least favourite Chili songs, but at the end is a lovely jam between John and Flea. It lasts about two minutes (two minutes of musical harmony) and then the notes of "Californication" ripple through you. Next is two more "Californication" classics, "Right on Time" and "Parallel Universe", both which you can head-bang to. After a pretty pointless two minutes of Anthony playing the drums (quite poorly), one of the best songs ever "Under the Bridge" is played (an amazing moment in any Chili's fan's book). Then there is 45 Grave's "Black Cross" which isn't really suited to the Chilis, and then another quite pointless three minutes of Flea playing his trumpet.

The concert ends with possibly the Pepper's most famous track ever: "Give It Away" (the song they finish all concerts with). A five miunte-odd outro finishes the CD on a high-note. Twenty-six songs, and it is just as good everytime you play it. The second best way to capture the whole live-experience, without actually being there.

Sorry for the long review, I hope it was helpful.