Red Hot Chili Peppers – Punk Rock Classic

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  General Comment:Fairly self-explanatory. A sarcastic mockery of sell-out punk bands who are more interested in gaining money and publicity than what punk originally stood for - loud & unrestrained grassroots rebellion. Verses take first-person perspective of one of these sell-outs, making them appear pathetic and desperate. 'Punk Rock Classic' is obviously a sarcastic title, and the Guns 'n Roses riff reflects on how unoriginal and lifeless said sell-outs are (or it could be a knock at GnR themselves; I can't say I know enough about GnR to say).
  
  Of course, when Mother's Milk was recorded, the Chili Peppers were a rather unknown L.A.-centric band best known locally for wild live gigs and generally not giving a fuck about what other people thought of them. And at the time, MTV was actually pretty vital to mainstream success - unlike today, where Youtube's successfully knocked it out of the picture. RHCP have huge punk influences despite never being a true punk band themselves, and were arguably funk-punk until BSSM came out, which dropped the gritty speed in favour of cleaner, slicker production. And in the result, landed huge success.
  
  Ironically enough, RHCP have pretty much lost all of the relentless noisy punk-funk which first defined them in favour of a more mainstream-accepted alt-rock. It's possible to argue that RHCP themselves have sold out. I'd be fine, for instance, with By The Way being a short detour in playing with warm-pop sounds (and By The Way is a decent record by itself and does experiment with some beautiful guitar playing - unlike the more generic but heavier SA), but since the release of Stadium Arcadium and I'm With You, I doubt they'll ever stray from generic alternative-rock (god, what a fucking mockery of a term). RHCP garnered huge play time on MTV over the years, have appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone, have had several of their albums reach platinum, have made several songs each album very conscious of them becoming hit singles - they've done everything they've mocked here... by softening their sound. It's really suspicious.
  
  Just goes to show - don't write an rip-roaring beast of a song taking the piss of sell-outs if you intend on selling out yourselves.

  Flag Krautfunkoon March 30, 2012   Link

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  General Comment:Flea's awesome punky bass playing in this song reminds me of my second favourite bassist Matt Freeman of Rancid. So glad I bought this album

  Flag RedBloodHotSugaron May 09, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:hm, the comment I agreed with (responded with "Amen") has disappeared. oh well ;D anyhoo. I see Stadium Arcadium as a really good album :)

  Flag screamason May 22, 2007   Link

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  General Comment:this is a good fast song to follow up the slow and sweet Pretty Little Ditty on The Mother's Milk album. i liked it from the first time i heard it. i guess it's just a fun song that A.K. wrote one day to express how he felt at that time. Since RHCP weren't getting much publicity outside of L.A. at that time, i guess the way to get some exposure was to get put on MTV, i guess now 20+ years later MTV is begging RHCP to let them play their videos!!! take that MTV!!! And I love that the RHCP are very diverse and dont stick to the same shit everytime they make a new record, they always create new and creative songs, but since they've matured, so has their sound, and there is nothing wrong with that. I love you Anthony Kiedis, keep making your Peppers Magik!!!!!

  Flag mrs.sideikon April 25, 2007   Link

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  General Comment:oh yeah, john does realize that slash played that part in sweet child of mine... lol

  Flag ANTWANmyMANon April 21, 2007   Link

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  General Comment:Amen.

  Flag screamason October 26, 2006   Link

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  General Comment:Honestly, Stadium Arcadium is my least favorite Chili Peppers album. I am obsessed with every album before it. Pff. I definitely like the RHCP. I enjoyed when they were funk-punk-rock, now I just kind of see them more pop-rock/alternative. Hey, but that's just my opinion.

  Flag beefwellingtonon July 29, 2006   Link

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  General Comment:voice of baloo, I'm sorry, maybe I misunderstand you, but your last comment seems kinda dubious :) at first you're saying SA is brilliant, then in the end you're calling it pish... what a hell man, make up your mind.
  
  Personally I don't see RHCP as sellouts. Damn, times change, and it would be pretty boring to see the Peppers spawn the same ol' funkish albums without experimenting, throwing out something different. That's what they actually did throughout their career, they always changed and tried different styles until they formed into what they are now, having unique style of their own. I agree with Avatar-rock, this wild crazing with socks on their dicks is long gone, they're grown-ups and if you don't like them more mature, go on and listen to their old albums. Selling out? What a tired phrase. Maybe sometimes I'm too tolerant to different bands but I'm just not really into dissing. Music is there to listen to and enjoy, not to label people sellouts. They are one of the few bands that have been out for more than two decades, they enjoy making music together. SA is like summary of their career, it's different from BTW and has some harder stuff, some mellow stuff as well as the funky stuff. I think this album actually defines RHCP and I agree with Flea's words 100%. You don't like the Peppers if you don't like this album. I don't know, everyone's got an opinion, but selling out... Music business today is full of mindless crap, no question, but these folks aren't the ones producing it.

  Flag screamason June 04, 2006   Link

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  General Comment:Stadium Arcadium is brilliant so much better than By the way which is a sell out record. The chili's have done what so many bands have done, they become a household name and so change their styley to suit the masses, thus selling out. but it seems now they have gone back to their funk roots. but this doen't stop the last album being pish

  Flag voiceofbalooon May 04, 2006   Link

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  General Comment:put us on mtv
  all we really need
  begging on our knees
  please, please, please, please, please

  Flag voiceofbalooon May 04, 2006   Link

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