Released May 9, 2006 Length 4:30 | Genre Funk metal Label Warner Bros. Records | |
Recorded March - December 2005 at The Mansion in Los Angeles, California Writer(s) Michael Balzary, John Frusciante, Anthony Kiedis, Chad Smith | ||
Readymade is a song by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, originally released on the band's double album Stadium Arcadium on May 9, 2006.
On a DVD included in the Special Edition of Stadium Arcadium, Anthony Kiedis explains that this song is "much closer to the other three hearts in the band" and that it came from a place that he never had understood, and Flea agrees. This is mostly because of the intricate rhythms included in the drumbeat, and the heaviness of the bassline. John Frusciante also says that the main riff from the song was made by him while playing bass with his fingers. The band says that the chorus comes from a "face off".
The song starts with the heavy bass line the song is built upon, and goes on with guitarist John Frusciante playing the riff along on a 1969 Gibson Les Paul Custom (one of the few times he has used a Les Paul for recording), followed by a deceptively simplistic drumbeat from Chad Smith, which almost unnoticeably shifts the beat every 4 bars during the verse - the snare hit is changed from the third note to the fourth, creating an illusion of odd timing. What follows is one of the heaviest tracks on the album. The bassline for "Readymade" also carries similarities to the bassline for "Mountain Song", by the alternative band Jane's Addiction. However, it should be known, Flea can be heard on the track "Idiots Rule", from the same album, playing in the horn section, and Dave Navarro, guitarist for Jane's Addiction, is a former member of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, so this could just be creative influence.
Just before Frusciante sets in the song's solo, Kiedis shouts "Clean it up, Johnny!", which received much enjoyment in the band's fan base. According to an interview with Rolling Stone magazine in 2006 this song was inspired by Johnny Ramone.