https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sure_Shot?wprov=sfti1#Release:

"Upon the release, Larry Flick from Billboard magazine wrote, "It's in there. The kooky trio rarely misfires, having become experts at their hybrid of frat-rap and rock. Ever aware of the old school, the Beasties shout, scratch, and sample a frantic masterpiece of twisted flutes, barking dogs, and juvenile lyrics. Ill and real."[3]Pan-European magazine Music & Media noted, "Coming to you with a screen saver for your PC, the Brooklyn scumbags have singled out one of the purest hip-hop tracks from their "media rehabilitation" album, III Communication."[4]

According to various publications, the song is noteworthy for including the verse:
“I want to say a little something that’s long overdue/The disrespect to women has got to be through/To all the mothers and sisters and wives and friends/I wanna offer my love and respect to the end.”
The verse is widely considered to be a contrition for the group's early lyrics and demeanor which are perceived by some as misogynous

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Da_Hool?wprov=sfti1#:

Frank Tomiczek (born 30 December 1968), better known as Da Hool, is a German [DJ](app://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disc_jockey) and [producer](app://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Record_producer). It was in Bottrop that he first honed his skills as a DJ, and by 1990 he was an acclaimed performer in his native country.[[1](app://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Da_Hool#cite_note-bio-1)

His early tracks include "B.O.T.T.R.O.P.", "It's a Dream Song", and "Rave Nation". In 1996, he released "[Meet Her at the Love Parade](app://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MeetHer_at_the_Love_Parade)", which (when re-released a year later on the German [label](app://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Record_label) Kosmo Records) became a worldwide [hit](app://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hit_song), selling over six million copies.[[1]](app://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Da_Hool#cite_note-bio-1) "Meet Her at the Love Parade" reached No. 15 on the [UK Singles Chart](app://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UK_singles_chart) in February 1998 (Germany #4, France #4, Netherlands #11, Ireland #7).[[2]](app://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Da_Hool#cite_note-British_Hit_Singles&_Albums-2) Further UK [charting](app://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Record_chart)singles included "Bora Bora" (UK #35, 1998) and "Meet Her at the Love Parade 2001" (UK #11, 2001).”

'Aeroplane' is one of my favourite examples of just how funky the Chili Peppers could sound during the One Hot Minute era.

Released on One Hot Minute in 1995 and later as a single in 1996, the track was produced by Rick Rubin, with Dave Sardy primarily handling the recording and mixing.

The song is essentially about music as escape, but like a lot of Anthony Kiedis' writing from this period, pleasure and addiction are tangled together. The line "I like pleasure spiked with pain" sums that up rather neatly. Admittedly, that lyric has always had another association for me as well 😅

There is also a nice little Mazzy Star reference buried in the lyrics, nodding to 'Into Dust' from So Tonight That I Might See.

Musically, Flea is obviously the star for me. He came up with the verse groove while playing a Treker Louis Johnson Signature four-string that its namesake had given him, strung with light strings that helped give it that sharp, percussive funk sound. He described the line as deliberately very '70s in character.

Ironically, Flea himself was far less convinced by the finished result than most listeners probably are. He later said 'Aeroplane' was the one bass part from the album he would go back and fix because the original live take had not recorded properly and the overdub felt too stiff. Rick Rubin apparently disagreed and told him it was fine. Considering how instantly recognisable that bassline became, I think Rubin may have won that argument.

The contrast between the verse and chorus works brilliantly too. The verses have a clipped slap-funk pulse, while the chorus opens up into something much more melodic and fluid, with those huge slides up the neck. By the time the bass solo arrives, the whole thing feels playful without ever becoming showy for its own sake.

Production-wise, One Hot Minute is also interesting because it lands right around the point when rock mastering was becoming noticeably louder and more compressed. The original 1995 US CD is listed at an overall DR6, dramatically lower than the much more dynamic Blood Sugar Sex Magik. Having learnt about the loudness wars at audio school, I find that sort of thing oddly fascinating 🤓

Despite all that density, 'Aeroplane' still breathes rhythmically. Chad Smith keeps everything grounded while Dave Navarro adds a harder, darker guitar character than the band had with John Frusciante, which gives the track a slightly stranger edge beneath all that funk.

It's such a good combination of pleasure, melancholy, addiction and escapism wrapped around one ridiculously catchy groove.

For a bassline its own creator wanted to redo, it turned out pretty well !

Ace Of Base - 1993 - Happy Nation - Happy Nation

Laudate omnes gentes laudate

Magnificat en secula

Et anima mea laudate

Magnificat en secula

Happy nation, living in a happy nation

Where the people understand

And dream of perfect man

A situation leading to sweet salvation

For the people, for the good

For mankind brotherhood

(We're traveling in time)

Ideas by man and only that will last

And over time we've learned from the past

That no man's fit to rule the world alone

A man will die but not his ideas

Happy nation, living in a happy nation

Where the people understand

And dream of perfect man

A situation leading to sweet salvation

For the people, for the good

For mankind brotherhood

(We're traveling in time)

(Traveling in time)

Tell them we've gone too far

Tell them we've gone too far (happy nation)

Come through and I will dance with you (happy nation)

Tell them we've gone too far (happy nation)

Come through and I will dance with you (happy nation)

Tell them we've gone too far

Come through and I will dance with you

Happy nation, living in a happy nation

Where the people understand

And dream of perfect man

A situation leading to sweet salvation

For the people, for the good

For mankind brotherhood

Happy nation, happy nation

Happy nation, happy nation

La, la, la 🎶🎶... la original 🎶🪩

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I can’t believe that I used to casually listen to this song as a kid when my parents played it, ignored most of it to only grow up to be 30 and now obsessed with the song entirely lol The beat is a masterpiece and then mark’s unique voice just adds a different kind of richness to this song imo.

On tik-tok I read a comment and it read:

“This song is a cookout song, a party song, a break up song, a vibe song, a spring cleaning song, a reception song all in one!”

I couldn’t imagine many people hearing this and just pleading for it to get skipped. I played it at work closing on my shift and the energy from the track itself gave me a second wind frfr. This is undeniably one of the 90s top 5 songs ever.

Describe what this song does for you musically when you play it? I can’t be the only one that feels this way 😅🤣