Bust A Move - Flea makes you itch
Hip Hop is an ever-evolving pop music form. Never was this clearer than in the 80′s when Run DMC got together with Aerosmith for their biggest hit. Another example of this merge of rock and Hip Hop was when Young MC brought Red Hot Chilli Peppers’ bass player, Flea into the studio to record the blistering bass for “Bust A Move”. Flea’s relentless 1/8 note walk, with trademark entrys and exits runs circles around the vocal, like a cowpoke roping a steer to the ground. In a reversal of form, the kick drum on the tune actually tracks to the bass – an inverse of the common relationship of the two elements, which takes a typically mechanical element (especially in early Hip Hop) and makes it organic and fresh. Once again, it’s not the complexity of the line that makes it rock – it’s the beautifully executed simplicity instead. Flea finds the pocket and doesn’t let go. This here’s a story for all the fellas who want to understand what it means to be “funky”. Revisit this great moment in bass today!
