Mr Bungle - California
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CD Details
Artist: Mr BungleBrand: MR. BUNGLE
Edition: Music CD
Audio: English (Unknown)
CD Release Date: 1999-07-13
Music Label: Warner Bros / Wea
Soundtracks:
- Sweet Charity
- None Of Them Knew They Were Robots
- Retrovertigo
- The Air-Conditioned Nightmare
- Ars Moriendi
- Pink Cigarette
- Golem II: The Bionic Vapour Boy
- The Holy Filament
- Vanity Fair
- Goodby Sober Day
Music reviews of California
Music Review: Pop Music From Another Dimension
Rating: 5 Stars
If black was white and up was down, Mr. Bungle's "California" would be regarded as the finest pop album of all time. Lush harmonies and brilliant, accesible guitar lace the album. However, there is something a little bit "different" about this collection. Amidst the pop perfection and outrageous melodies, there is an underlying sense of evil. Minor chords, bizarre instruments, unconventional song structures, and vurtuosic musicianship are the order of the day here. Equal parts Radiohead and Beach Boys smashed together with Slayer and the end of the world itself; Mr. Bungle's "California" is a complete contradiction. Unconvetnion has never sounded so conventional; Bungle finally found a way to channel their bizarre vision into digestible packages. This is not to say that I dislike "Mr. Bungle" or "Disco Volante" (I love both), but this is Patton's crowning achievement. He hadn't created anything this perfect before the album, and with the strange vocal direction he is seeming to be taking, he probably never will. Here is a rundown of the tracks:
1. 'Sweet Charity'- The sound of waves breaking on a beach and the low squawking of gulls marks the intro of the album's opener. Then, Patton unleashes one of the album's best melodies mixing lounge crooning with nonsensical lyrics. One of the best tracks.
2. 'None of Them Knew They Were Robots'- A clever tune with a clever title. The track is opened by manic drumming and strumming, which gives way to Patton's vocals and a horn section. This, in turn, is followed by some dark surf-rock for good measure. Great, catchy chorus in this one.
3. 'Retrovertigo'- An absolutely gorgeous, slow-paced pop gem that wouldn't sound out of place on Radiohead's "OK Computer".
4. 'Air Conditioned Nightmare'- One of the albums more "old-sounding" Bungle songs due to its more unconventional sound and rapid song structure changes. Possibly my favorite track. Great lyrics.
5. 'Ars Moriendi'- Another crazy song mixing middle eastern percussion with crazy bursts of grindcore and metal. However, even this dissonance cannot mask the beautiful melodies to be found here.
6. 'Pink Cigarette'- A "love song" with satirical, ironic lyrics and an over the top vocal performance from Patton. Very creative.
7. 'Golem II: The Bionic Vapour Boy'- A bizarre tune mixing strange, electronic vocal effects with synthesizers, funk, callypso, and strange computer noises. There are also passages where noise seems to be generated from children's toys, but I could be wrong.
8. 'The Holy Filament'- A really menacing tune punctuated by keyboard, some tambourine, and fantastic melodic arrangements from Patton. Another of the albums standouts; this one has a real "epic" sound to it.
9. 'Vanity Fair'- One of the most straightforward tracks on the album features a catchy du-wop melody and a nice chorus. At less than three minutes, this is "California"'s shortest cut.
10. 'Goodbye Sober Day'- A real surprise. I was totally thrown off by this one as it is THE craziest song Bungle has ever done despite being on the groups most "sane" album. Words cannot describe this song. My personal favorite.
If you are a fan of real music and you can appreciate music as an art form as opposed to music as a cash cow, you really owe it to yourself to check out "California" by Mr. Bungle. It is simply brilliant, and there may not be another album like this ever again.
Description of California
The third, and possibly final, album from Mike Patton's genre-hopping group was originally released in 1999. Arguably their most accessible and pop-oriented record they still manage to be beguiling and impressive in their range, covering territory as diverse as swing, rockabilly, country & western, bossa nova, Hawaiian and Middle Eastern music, jazz, Zappa-esque doo wop, arty-funk, post-rock, space-age pop, spaghetti-Western music, warped circus melodies, new age and heavy metal. Never before released on LP, Plain Recordings is proud to bring it to life on 180 gram vinyl for the very first time.Nobody ever accused Mr. Bungle of being suckers for a good melody. The syncopated blasts of cartoonish noise that fill 1991's Mr. Bungle and 1995's Disco Volante are one part speed metal and one part Speedy Gonzalez. Initially, the band served as a more aggressive outlet for singer Mike Patton, widely known for his work in Faith No More. But with Faith No More no more, Patton and Mr. Bungle decided to sweeten the Bungle batter with a little songcraft. California boasts harmonies (yes, harmonies!) that would make the Brothers Wilson proud. Opening with a chorus of seagulls and crashing waves that gives way to slide guitar, strings, and Patton singing (not screaming), the poppy yet symphonic "Sweet Charity" announces that this is not your bike messenger's Mr. Bungle album. Songs like the easy strummin' "Retrovertigo," the sultry Scott Walker-esque "Pink Cigarette," and the orchestral "Vanity Fair" make California 1999's golden-hair surprise. --Bill Crandall
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