Faith No More - Angel Dust

[Thenop]

In continuation of my previous post: the '90s, I realized I simply forgot one of my favourite albums of all time.
 

1992 – Faith no More – Angel Dust

Let's see, how did I get here? My wife and I got together in 1990. We had known (of) each other for years through a common hide out, the local place we called 'de Beuk' (birch tree) named after the huge tree that leaned against an old church adjacent building.  Plus we lived very close to each other. I played drums at home, huge Rogers kit in the attic, and apparently everytime she walked by thought to her: 'what if you'd live next to that?'

Fast forward a couple of years and through a mutual acquaintance we got together to make young sparks fly.
We quickly learned we had common musical interests: Guns 'n' Roses, The Almighty (!) and most to the point: Faith no More. We both held 'The Real Thing' very dear, the flopping goldfish was an image on everyone's retina those days. Even though "Epic' was a fantastic song, it was the less easy sounding songs I was intrigued by most. And so when in '92 'Angel Dust' was released onto the world, I was overjoyed. You may not believe it now, but it was quite daunting at the time. It still is one of the weirdest million seller follow up albums to have been released on a major label, and probably any other band would have been dumped right then & there. FNM however, had a trump: they had a knack for writing catchy tunes that sparked record industry executives' interest just enough to keep them going. I am not sure whether they listened well enough to the albums first hit single's lyrics though spouting:
"Go on and wring my neck, Like when a rag gets wet" and "Your menstruating heart, It ain't bleedin' enough for two". Yes, 'Midlife Crisis' was catchy with one hell of a drumbeat, but it was not exactly middle of the road that's-how-the-powers-that-be- like it material.
I mean, nearly 4 minutes mumbling on about being locked in an 'RV' wasting away, contemplating how your parents fucked you up, that's no mainstream material! Lovely concept though...
Some lighter material, musically, 'Everything's Ruined' dealing with the miserable rise and fall of (what seems to be) the Soviet Union. In a similar way 'Love Like Blood' is about the Spanish civil war, never direct. Lovely tune though.
But a song like 'Malpractice' on a major hit album release? Clearly Mike Patton wanted to pave the way for his various musical personas after his Mr. Bungle vehicle took off.
The one sounding most like it belonged on 'The Real Thing' (next to Midlife Crisis) is perhaps 'Kindergarten' but starting the lyrics with: "Return to my own vomit like a dog' must've raised a few eyebrows upon first listen. I would have given an arm and a leg to be in that room when the band played the album for the execs for the first time. Or a pinky for sure then. Especially because it is followed by 'Be Aggressive':
"Malnutrition, my submission
You're the master
And I take it on my knees
Ejaculation
Tribulation
I SWALLOW, I SWALLOW, I SWALLOW, I SWALLOW
Be aggressive
B-e aggressive"
Cheerleaders touting pom-poms while shouting:
B-E-A-G-G-R-E-S-S-I-V-E.
Fantastic, I loved it, still do. Tough scatting about taking it all, picking up what others leave, swallowing it all intertwined with a cute organ sound and a funky metal sound. And then the church organ, Munsters style.
'A Small Victory' sounding like a welcome piece of easy going music before 'Crack Hitler' (yes that IS the title bursts into the ether. Wah wah intro, funk plucking bassguitar, telephone voice and a throbbing, thriving chorus fist pumping 'Hey Hey!' it is a weird tune all together.
It's almost like I am listening to a soundtrack of the absurd, Patton finding every corner of the immense vocal ability he has. Near operatic, to screamo and like the aforementioned 'RV', crooning. The music meanwhile from what was expected as a follow up to a hit album (opener 'Land of Sunshine' could be a companion piece to 'From out of Nowhere'), to weirder and weirder only to close out with a cover of John Barry's 'Midnight Cowboy' from the movie of the same name. FNM always had a knack for doing great covers though: subsequent pressings of this album had a great version of 'I'm Easy' and just recently when they reunited for a tour, they started proceedings with Peaches & Herb's 'Reunited'. Just to show the bands tongue is firmly in cheek.
Did I miss other album highlights? Well yes, the entire album is a highlight. I have always loved it, but most people I forced it upon have expressed mixed opinions...it's not an easy album to take in 1 go. That's for sure. But it is rewarding, there's so much to discover upon repeated listen that you really should give it a try or tries.
Wikipedia tells me the album has sold over 2,5 million copies...I wonder how many people actually heard the entire album..

Oh and my wife and I?
Still together after 33 years. See? Music is the most important thing ever.

[Matt2112]

Great reviews these, really enjoying reading them.

I love Land Of Sunshine - it takes me back to a particular (very good) time of my life; a bunch of rock music-loving school buddies on the cusp of venturing out into the real world.

The cover of I'm Easy is so great also - the feedback on Jim Martin's guitar after the first couple of passages in the solo is somehow so...satisfying!

[The Picnic Wasp]

I think I'm a bit of a musical lightweight. Found the review quite fascinating, but I think I would have wimped out in the record store back in the day.

[captainkurtz]

I think Angel Dust is their best record - and I have VERY fond memories of an INCENDIARY performance sandwiched between Soundgarden and Guns n Roses on a scorching day in June 1992 in Gateshead.  What a bill...and as fantastic as both Soundgarden and a top of their game GNR were, FNM wee the band of the day.  Caffeine opened their set, Easy closed it.  Fantastic.

[The Picnic Wasp]

I think I'm a bit of a musical lightweight. Found the review quite fascinating, but I think I would have wimped out in the record store back in the day.

I think I might have been a bit harsh with myself here. Thinking about it, my formative record buying years coincided with a tough period for my family financially. Buying an album was a bit of an event for me so it had to be right. Experimentation wasn't an option and unfortunately I wasn't in a group of friends who listened to wide ranging musical types, so taping wasn't really possible either. Poor me! 😂

[Thenop]

I think I'm a bit of a musical lightweight. Found the review quite fascinating, but I think I would have wimped out in the record store back in the day.

I think I might have been a bit harsh with myself here. Thinking about it, my formative record buying years coincided with a tough period for my family financially. Buying an album was a bit of an event for me so it had to be right. Experimentation wasn't an option and unfortunately I wasn't in a group of friends who listened to wide ranging musical types, so taping wasn't really possible either. Poor me! 😂

I am sure we've all been there, most of us anyway. When I started buying records I was 9, money was tight for sure. I saved up for every album I really wanted. In that time I had no group of friend even remotely interested in buying albums, everyone bought singles. I never really did, never sqw the point. Those were 6 guilders, an LP  could be had for around 18 guilders and had at least 5 times the number of songs. I could never work out why no one got that. Until I figured out no one was interested in the music itself arther making sure you had the same thing as your friends. Never appealed to me.