Get Ready

The song Get Ready by Sublime sounds like a muffled scream between ska and punk, but with a rhythm that tangles with reggae and hip hop. The track kicks off with a bassline that seems to escape from an impromptu garage concert, and the drums hit like someone counting down the seconds before jumping into the street. There’s something in that mix of accelerated tempos and unexpected pauses that makes the body unable to stay still: it’s as if the song was made to be played live, with the energy of a night that refuses to end.

They recorded it in Austin, Texas, in sessions that lasted three months, amid chaotic rehearsals and parties that stretched until dawn. The engineer Stuart Sullivan and the producer Paul Leary —who also handled the mix— let the sound breathe without editing out mistakes, as if every note were a moment captured on the fly. Bradley Nowell, the singer, was already battling his addiction when they entered the studio, and though the album reflects that tension, there’s also room for lyrics that speak of love, chaos, and streets full of life. Get Ready lasts 4:51, but in those minutes, there’s more packed in than in many three-minute songs: a riff that repeats like a heartbeat, overlapping vocals, and a bass that won’t let the listener go.