PF on RHCP, MD on PF, MD on RHCP

Just when you thought that Steve Colbert had the biggest nuts this side of the Euphrates...enter Rob "Hung Like a Bull" Mitchum, who gave the Red Hot Chili Peppers' STADIUM ARCADIUM a 4.7. Now, now, it doesn't come as a surprise, in fact, I predicted Pitchfork would hit them with a 5.3. My favorite line from this (shit) write-up, is:

"If the Red Hot Chili Peppers have pretty much mastered a marketable style, why bludgeon us with an unwieldy and inconsistent approach for 1/12th of a day, nagged by an annoying tendency to detour through affirmations of their technical talent and loyalty to funk-rock?"

I'm lost Rob, because at the end of the review you inform us that

"[b]y trying to incorporate all these personas, Stadium Arcadium can't help but grow as distended as the name suggests, revealing a band too proud to merely play the game they've already solved or use the added space to risk a less worn path."

Color me confused. What's the difference between the "technical talent detours" and using "the added space to risk a less worn path?" Also, I have heard of playing games. I have heard of solving puzzles. How does playing the game you've already solved work?

Am I wearing my heart on my sleeve? I'm sorry. Apparently, I'm the asshole, because Prefix gave it a 1.5 out of 5. Listen up, kids. I think this is a great album. Kiedis is Kiedis. He's going to play the rhyme game with the 50 states, but he doesn't get in the way as much as some reviews want you to think. There is a lot of energy on these 28 songs, coming in many different forms (everything from funk riffs to guitar solos to Kiedis' hip-hop tendencies to Frusciante's beautiful vocal harmonies). Beyond just vocal harmonies, John reigns supreme and his ability and power within numerous genres is beyond compare. Before I end, we can't forget the mind-wrenching solo from Omar Rodriguez-Lopez (of The Mars Volta) 2:30 into "Especially In Michigan." Holy. Fuck.

Well there it is, you have every side of the story. Check it out for yourself. I could be a disillusioned fan, and Rob Mitchum could be the next coming of Robert Christgau.