The Album Review Club - Week #196 (page 1316) - Aja - Steely Dan

As much as I didn't like this album when it came out, repeated listens did help a bit this time around.

I realized (again) that my biggest turn-off was the vocals, I don't think I've ever been a fan of Mike Patton's delivery. Even though wiki classifies this as a mix of alternative metal, funk metal, and rap metal, it didn't make me think of Metallica or Megadeth, though I realize it is a bit more on the metal side than a Bon Jovi or Poison and the like. My 2nd biggest complaint probably is the overplaying of "Epic" at the time. "What is it?, indeed" said in what sounded like an old man with an electrolarynx. My favourite part of that song was the piano playing at the end by itself.

The bass is featured very heavily on this album, and probably the best part of the songs.

Musically, "Zombie Eaters" worked for me this go-round, as the restrained and hushed vocals sounded better than on other songs. Mike Patton sounded almost Anthony Kiedis (RHCP) at times here, which also worked better in those instances.

"Underwater Love" also had a nice bass sound and musically worked too. At the start of "The Morning After", I could have sworn that bass sound was the same as Duran Duran's "A View To A Kill". Maybe it was just me. "Woodpecker From Mars" was a nice instrumental ending to the album on a positive note. Just a nice heavy guitar and bass driven tune.

Overall, this has landed better than I thought it would, so it's an improved 6/10 over my prior memories and second-hand listens from another room when this was overly blared in its heyday. I'm not sure which of the cassettes got the most airplay from BimboBob on that excursion, but either Hysteria and The Lexicon of Love alone would get more listens from me.
 
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Repeated listens have made some of the music hear more palatable but I can't get past the vocals which are some of the most unpleasant I think I've ever heard. And I'm the man who recently brought you Mark E Smith and will happily listen to the likes of Lou Reed and Neil Young. It's obviously all in the ears of the beholder.

I say the music has become more palatable. It's possible with different vocals I might have found more to enjoy but despite what I think are attempts to introduce differing styles the core of it is generally a grind.

Would be tempted to minus a point from my eventual score for the attempt at a rap at the start of Epic. It's gone down well with some so fair enough but it's an epic fail for me.

To be fair songs like Surpise! You're Dead and Zombie Eaters are humorous. But not in a Neil Innes sort of way.

A band I've always been aware of but never listened to. I obviously had no idea because I thought they might have been some sort of hard edged indie. But they aren't and they aren't for me. It's a 5
 
journolud said:
Repeated listens have made some of the music hear more palatable but I can't get past the vocals which are some of the most unpleasant I think I've ever heard. And I'm the man who recently brought you Mark E Smith and will happily listen to the likes of Lou Reed and Neil Young. It's obviously all in the ears of the beholder.

I say the music has become more palatable. It's possible with different vocals I might have found more to enjoy but despite what I think are attempts to introduce differing styles the core of it is generally a grind.

Would be tempted to minus a point from my eventual score for the attempt at a rap at the start of Epic. It's gone down well with some so fair enough but it's an epic fail for me.

To be fair songs like Surpise! You're Dead and Zombie Eaters are humorous. But not in a Neil Innes sort of way.

A band I've always been aware of but never listened to. I obviously had no idea because I thought they might have been some sort of hard edged indie. But they aren't and they aren't for me. It's a 5
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The vocals are an interesting comment, and I am yet to have my own say on that. Agree on this particular album they have an unpleasant tone. But over the length of his carrer, Patton has proved to be an incredible singer.
 
Coatigan said:
The vocals are an interesting comment, and I am yet to have my own say on that. Agree on this particular album they have an unpleasant tone. But over the length of his carrer, Patton has proved to be an incredible singer.
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Two reviews in a row noting the vocals. Hmm.

I admittedly haven't listened to MP after this either, but there were only a few instances where they weren't grating to me.
 
I was looking forward to this. Faith No More — should be an extra point just for the band name — is from my beloved hometown. I always thought of them (just based on their hits) as The Tubes with muscle. “Epic” has been a top 200 song for me for a long, long while. And “We Care A Lot” — which has such a lovely sense of humo(u)r — is another I adore. Even “Caffeine” from Angel Dust rings my chimes.

But after a truly appetite-whetting opener in “From Out of Nowhere”, and then the epic “Epic” we have . . . a decent, even kinda good record, but one that can’t match their best hits. We’re back to ABC and Waterboys where the big tunes we all know are the big tunes we all know for a reason.

There are solid moments — crunchy riffs, Kiedisean screams, funked-out bass — but the songs just don’t hang together as well. And despite the stylistic mix between keybs and metal and near pop, sometimes this sounds pretty pedestrian and kind of mushy. After “Epic”, I have to wait til a quite credible cover of Black Sabbath to really get truly re-engaged — and also doesn’t sound much like the rest of the record.

Not to say there aren’t bright spots — “Falling To Pieces” and “Surprise! You’re Dead” and the closer all have their charms — they just don’t have much whimsy or IMO much originality. I know this band is better than this. And records that get weaker as they go are hard to really love.

I mean, I could almost throw a baseball into the studio where this was recorded from my house. And they’re all local boys. I used to go to the I-Beam. And Slim’s. Hell, I WORKED at Slim’s one summer. I saw Tool and Failure and Helmet and System of a Down there (I think) and Superchunk and X (I think) and Poi Dog Pondering (not exactly the same genre, admittedly) and probably these guys and now I’m wandering.

I should love this — I WANT to — but it’s missing too much that makes them so distinct in their best tunes.

A disappointing 6/10. I want to give it a 7 like a Mancunian would give a James record. I just can’t do it.

However, some good news: I do have EVERY San Franciscan’s answer to the question “What is it?”

IMG_0163.jpeg
 
journolud said:
Repeated listens have made some of the music hear more palatable but I can't get past the vocals which are some of the most unpleasant I think I've ever heard. And I'm the man who recently brought you Mark E Smith and will happily listen to the likes of Lou Reed and Neil Young. It's obviously all in the ears of the beholder.

I say the music has become more palatable. It's possible with different vocals I might have found more to enjoy but despite what I think are attempts to introduce differing styles the core of it is generally a grind.

Would be tempted to minus a point from my eventual score for the attempt at a rap at the start of Epic. It's gone down well with some so fair enough but it's an epic fail for me.

To be fair songs like Surpise! You're Dead and Zombie Eaters are humorous. But not in a Neil Innes sort of way.

A band I've always been aware of but never listened to. I obviously had no idea because I thought they might have been some sort of hard edged indie. But they aren't and they aren't for me. It's a 5
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I should have just quoted your review. It's exactly what i thought lol.
 
Black&White&BlueMoon Town said:
Two reviews in a row noting the vocals. Hmm.

I admittedly haven't listened to MP after this either, but there were only a few instances where they weren't grating to me.
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I noted them (disapproving) as well.
I actually thought they had changed singer after this album because the later singles popping up in my YT feed sounded much better vocally.
 
FogBlueInSanFran said:
I was looking forward to this. Faith No More — should be an extra point just for the band name — is from my beloved hometown. I always thought of them (just based on their hits) as The Tubes with muscle. “Epic” has been a top 200 song for me for a long, long while. And “We Care A Lot” — which has such a lovely sense of humo(u)r — is another I adore. Even “Caffeine” from Angel Dust rings my chimes.

But after a truly appetite-whetting opener in “From Out of Nowhere”, and then the epic “Epic” we have . . . a decent, even kinda good record, but one that can’t match their best hits. We’re back to ABC and Waterboys where the big tunes we all know are the big tunes we all know for a reason.

There are solid moments — crunchy riffs, Kiedisean screams, funked-out bass — but the songs just don’t hang together as well. And despite the stylistic mix between keybs and metal and near pop, sometimes this sounds pretty pedestrian and kind of mushy. After “Epic”, I have to wait til a quite credible cover of Black Sabbath to really get truly re-engaged — and also doesn’t sound much like the rest of the record.

Not to say there aren’t bright spots — “Falling To Pieces” and “Surprise! You’re Dead” and the closer all have their charms — they just don’t have much whimsy or IMO much originality. I know this band is better than this. And records that get weaker as they go are hard to really love.

I mean, I could almost throw a baseball into the studio where this was recorded from my house. And they’re all local boys. I used to go to the I-Beam. And Slim’s. Hell, I WORKED at Slim’s one summer. I saw Tool and Failure and Helmet and System of a Down there (I think) and Superchunk and X (I think) and Poi Dog Pondering (not exactly the same genre, admittedly) and probably these guys and now I’m wandering.

I should love this — I WANT to — but it’s missing too much that makes them so distinct in their best tunes.

A disappointing 6/10. I want to give it a 7 like a Mancunian would give a James record. I just can’t do it.

However, some good news: I do have EVERY San Franciscan’s answer to the question “What is it?”

View attachment 148692
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The War pigs cover was a low spot for me.
Yes, musically, it was on point but only in the way a good copy of something is just a good copy.
They didn't do anything with it. They could have just chucked on the Black Sabbath original on the album tbh. It's lazy and unimaginative, pub-band territory.
 
Mr Grumpy said:
The War pigs cover was a low spot for me.
Yes, musically, it was on point but only in the way a good copy of something is just a good copy.
They didn't do anything with it. They could have just chucked on the Black Sabbath original on the album tbh. It's lazy and unimaginative, pub-band territory.
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That track wasn't on the original release (much less on a cassette roaming around Europe, I'd reckon), so when given the choice, and I felt like at that point I was, I didn't go further.

Rewarded again by the right executive decision in skipping the "bonus track".
 
Black&White&BlueMoon Town said:
That track wasn't on the original release (much less on a cassette roaming around Europe, I'd reckon), so when given the choice, and I felt like at that point I was, I didn't go further.

Rewarded again by the right executive decision in skipping the "bonus track".
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Best sticking to the vinyl version but as I said, you do get War Pigs with the cassette release. Plus another track.
 
THE REAL THING FAITH NO MORE



This was a pleasant surprise from a band I’d only heard the single ‘Epic’ as
Rob has noted a nice return to a more audience friendly band.Listening to the album I’m not quite sure what genre they’re in, there’s a liberal mix of Rock, Pop,Rap , Metal et al.’It had ‘a little bit of everything’ so pile on those mash potatoes’Although there’s a few songs that didn’t appeal and the singers voice wasn’t my favourite, Lenny Kravitz anyone? ,I enjoyed the instrumental track too.I it was a good listen all in all with songs that had a little bit of tongue in cheek humour which I like.

Good pick from a band I might investigate further and another nostalgic write up from Bimbo which are always a good read.

7.5/10
 
RobMCFC said:
@Mancitydoogle won't be nominating this week as he continues to move house (I think?)

Anyway, the next three cabs off the rank are:-

@southamptonblue
@Black&White&BlueMoon Town
@shackattack

I know B & W is ready to roll, what about the others?
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I’ve actually moved house now , into a rental so much to do before the final move later this year.Work is manic at the moment ,so thanks for the few weeks break after which I’ll get into my Uber and inflict another country album on y’all.
 
Another listen on the way in to work this morning and enjoyable it was.
I think I preferred the funk angle in this the bass being enjoyable throughout. As others have stated, I'm not quite sure that I enjoy Mike Patton's vocals, but then I suppose it fits with the style of the record.
What was interesting when this album had finished I went on to others buy them and particularly enjoyed Just A man from King for a Day.
Enjoyable, inoffensive and a welcome selection. Something that actually got me tapping the steering wheel after last week.... so a big thank you and a 6.5 from the Derry jury
 
A shame about the singers voice because apart from that i liked the album.
Had heard Epic before but nothing else.
Bass,guitar and drums all good but the voice spoilt it all for me.
Thought about a 5 but because of the quality of the band especially the bass playing i will give it a 6.Shame about the voice.
 
This album has some virtues but also one thing that stops me enjoying more than I would otherwise do. First the good stuff..

Sometimes when you try and fuse styles it can either sound like a mess or pretentious but here I think it's neither of those two things. They just sound like they are having fun which is good. One of the reasons I think they get away with it is because despite immediate appearances the playing is restrained enough that it doesn't descend into pastiche. It's a fine line because there are times when that restraint means it doesn't have quite as much bite as some might want but the danger is that tips over into sonic silliness and I think they avoid that.

I suspect some of the tempo's are a bit pedestrian for some but across the album I rather like them and overall there's pleasing level of variety without it being confusing. There are a few hooks and though not massively original the melodies are pretty enjoyable.

Things like the production and the bass treatment are of their era but in this instance really didn't bother me. Unfortunately though I do have an issue with Patton's vocals, where less would really be more. He actually has a decent range and it's a versatile voice too but how he chooses to use it (and it is a choice I think) reduces the quality which is frustrating to me.

My issue is probably best summed up by something he did away from this album: his role as the last of GLaDOS's cores in Portal. He plays the Emotion/Anger Core which is basically a deranged robotic sphere that spews out a load of random angry, incoherent, gibbering sounds. He's really good at it (so much so I think they used him in other games) and I'm not sure there's that many other people could have managed to create such a fantastic sound, its a short but genuinely cool voice performance. But despite the sounds seemingly being random, I imagine he was directed/channelled to make sounds that are exactly what is needed for the performance. On this album he also shows he's capable of making a wide range of noises but without any restraint/direction he's all over the shop. Now I know the point of rock music isn't to be restrained and I quite like a bit of wild abandon but that's not we are talking about; he can barely keep to the same style and tone within a single line, let alone for a whole song. I don't doubt this is a deliberate choice and he's definitely a restless guy who wants to explore everything but for me it's too much and ends up detracting rather than adding. No doubt Patton would tell me to F*** off and go and do some crochet or something which is fair enough; but in subsequent albums he calms down, whether because he's wrecked his voice so much he can't do it all any more or through actual restraint I have no idea but he's much better for it IMO.

One other vocal gripe before moving on, though he is nowhere near as big an offender as some other rock singers, as part of his Heinz 57 approach to singing, his nasal vocals are particularly grating. If I wanted to listen to music created solely via the upper parts of the human respiratory track I would seek out some Polynesian nose flute music, but I don't. What's frustrating is he does sometimes keep himself in check but not often enough.

Overall I think this is a solid but unexceptional set of songs, with the vocalist exploring his voice sometimes to the detriment. Last week I gave bonus points to an artist for, not entirely successfully, exploring his voice but in this instance Patton had been at it for a while albeit this was his first FNM album I think. So I'm not giving him the same leeway. Though it has more recognisable 'music' than last weeks pick it's not exceptional enough to distract me completely from the vocals.

So it's not exactly a triumph, it is a success albeit not a huge one and I wouldn't overstate my satisfaction - I will give it 7/10.
 
I'll get my confession out of the way first. While I love Faith No More as a band, there is an aspect of Mike's voice, particularly on this album, that I've always found grating. I have spent countless hours discussing this with my mates, back in the day.

He is an excellent singer, there is no doubt about that. In technical terms, possibly one of amongst a handful of the best ever. In terms of sheer range, variety and ability, he really has so much he can do, and there was a claim back then (before the internet, so you just had to believe it or not) that he was one of only like 5 men in the business that could sing across 3 whole octaves.

These discussions would often end with me simply saying, yeah well there's just something about it I don't like! It is maybe that back of the throat, stray cat being sick in an alleyway, glaswegian ned nasal ngaaaa sound thing that just hits a specific nerve for me.

He does grow out of it on their later albums, and I loved his other projects. His vocals suit the more metal sound of Tomahawk, love the intensity of the Dillinger Escape Plan (probably the biggest influence on early Biffy), and I loved the sheer audacity of the Mondo Cane album of Italian 'Cantare's or a couple of his other bold solo efforts.

He is not alone in that, I have had to 'learn' to 'get over' the vocals of a few singers because I liked the overall music of the band itself. Placebo, Muse, Radiohead (just kidding fog), even Idles arguably for a brief period till it clicked. Having done so with Faith no More, I was a bit surprised how much this album took me back there, and probably why it is one of theirs I have listened to the least.

Having said all that, I still love it. Love the bass. Love the inbetween indecision of exploring what style it really wants to be. Love the mishmash of influences. Hypocritical, I know, given I disliked others for the same reasons, look 100% valid that.

It is just one of those for me, if you liked it at the time, you'll think it has aged well, if you didn't, not so much. Also came at a time when the likes of Fugazi, Kyuss, the Pixies etc appeared to be leading a bit of a musical revolution, and those associations come flooding back with it.
Will go with an 8, would have been a 9, but that ngnaaa in the vocals just knocks it down a bit.
 
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Mancitydoogle said:
THE REAL THING FAITH NO MORE


...
Listening to the album I’m not quite sure what genre they’re in, there’s a liberal mix of Rock, Pop,Rap , Metal et al.’It had ‘a little bit of everything’ so pile on those mash potatoes’
Click to expand...

I see what you did there, MCD. I'm not letting that one just blow on by. You can always be relied upon to deliver the biscuits and the beans.

Mancitydoogle said:
I’ve actually moved house now , into a rental so much to do before the final move later this year.Work is manic at the moment ,so thanks for the few weeks break after which I’ll get into my Uber and inflict another country album on y’all.
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Congrats on the move and I'm doing my best here for your final move, though I'm not so sure "these days".

And correct, no country for (these) old men today.
 
FogBlueInSanFran said:
I was looking forward to this. Faith No More — should be an extra point just for the band name — is from my beloved hometown. I always thought of them (just based on their hits) as The Tubes with muscle. “Epic” has been a top 200 song for me for a long, long while. And “We Care A Lot” — which has such a lovely sense of humo(u)r — is another I adore. Even “Caffeine” from Angel Dust rings my chimes.

But after a truly appetite-whetting opener in “From Out of Nowhere”, and then the epic “Epic” we have . . . a decent, even kinda good record, but one that can’t match their best hits. We’re back to ABC and Waterboys where the big tunes we all know are the big tunes we all know for a reason.

There are solid moments — crunchy riffs, Kiedisean screams, funked-out bass — but the songs just don’t hang together as well. And despite the stylistic mix between keybs and metal and near pop, sometimes this sounds pretty pedestrian and kind of mushy. After “Epic”, I have to wait til a quite credible cover of Black Sabbath to really get truly re-engaged — and also doesn’t sound much like the rest of the record.

Not to say there aren’t bright spots — “Falling To Pieces” and “Surprise! You’re Dead” and the closer all have their charms — they just don’t have much whimsy or IMO much originality. I know this band is better than this. And records that get weaker as they go are hard to really love.

I mean, I could almost throw a baseball into the studio where this was recorded from my house. And they’re all local boys. I used to go to the I-Beam. And Slim’s. Hell, I WORKED at Slim’s one summer. I saw Tool and Failure and Helmet and System of a Down there (I think) and Superchunk and X (I think) and Poi Dog Pondering (not exactly the same genre, admittedly) and probably these guys and now I’m wandering.

I should love this — I WANT to — but it’s missing too much that makes them so distinct in their best tunes.

A disappointing 6/10. I want to give it a 7 like a Mancunian would give a James record. I just can’t do it.

However, some good news: I do have EVERY San Franciscan’s answer to the question “What is it?”

View attachment 148692
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So that whole song is about ice cream? +1 to my score
 
mrbelfry said:
So that whole song is about ice cream? +1 to my score
Click to expand...
Not just ice cream. A delicious ice cream-based treat. Two oatmeal cookies with ice cream between covered entirely in chocolate. Comes in several flavo(u)rs but I always found classic vanilla the best. It is a delight -- or was until my late 40s when I became lactose-intolerant. The original factory is right by SFO airport.
 
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