My favorite ever band is back after four years!

This was RM99.90 at Victoria Music, on special offer.

The limited edition boxset has two audio CDs, one all-regions DVD, a 3D ‘layered’ cover, a bigger lyrics booklet, a notepad, a small wooden top with cardboard planets which can be put on it, artwork by each member, and…

The most interesting memento that came with it was… marbles! Unfortunately, the yellow one was already cracked.

This was probably the artsiest I could bother making the marbles look.

Of course, some of you might just go for the DVD, which is worth the price alone; it has the making of the Dani California video, the Dani California video itself, and a commentary of 25 songs. Interestingly, there is no interviewer during the commentary; Anthony and Flea are sitting on a sofa talking to each other about the songs, and Anthony tells Flea what each song is about, and Flea goes, “hmmm yeah that was what I was feeling, even before reading the lyrics“. They also talk about which songs they didn’t like at first. In the hall (I presume, the house they recorded Blood Sugar Sex Magik and Stadium Arcadium in) John and Chad talk about beats, grooves, and John occasionally picks up a guitar to show a riff. I wish they’d put a little sound clip for each song commentary, as I’d have to refer to the lyrics to see which song it was.

If you’re a fan of the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ later stuff, get the double CD album; a true fan would get the box set.

Funny how Incubus followed a similiar path; start heavy with funk rap metal, make a sober mainstream album (Californication or Make Yourself), make a melancholic sleeper (By The Way or Morning View) and hit everybody back with the best of their styles (Stadium Arcadium or A Crow Left Of The Murder). The boys have a new winner, with a double CD the price of one CD.

Click here for the review of the two CDs, on freshly fresh-looking Xfresh.

On a side note, check out what I found on Rick Rubin, producer extraordinaire! He is going to produce:

• Untitled – Justin Timberlake (2006), produced by Timbaland, Will.i.am and Rick Rubin (The Neptunes are not on the list, sadly… but Rick Rubin knows his rock and hip hop, so I’d expect something rather interesting from this tattoo-collecting bad-boy-becoming… boy.)
• Untitled – Linkin Park(2006) (Another very interesting prospect; he might steer them into credible nu-metal. I didn’t care for them much other than Hybrid Theory and Meteora.)
• Untitled – Slayer (supposed to launch 6–6–₂₀₀6)
• Untitled – Metallica (2006/2007) (Goodbye bass-playing Bob Rock. I reckon he’d let Kirk Hammett solo again.)
• Untitled – Kid Rock (2006/2007)
• Untitled – The Faint (2006/2007)
• American VI – Johnny Cash (possibly 2007)

Man oh man, am I excited.