L'Urlo Negro

"L'Urlo Negro", or "The Black Man's Scream", was an original psychedelic rock song by the band "The Blackmen".  Originally done in 1967, Patton added his intense version to his only Mondo Cane album.  This song is such a contrast to the rest of the album, but seems to fit in regardless.  Sung from a slave's point of view to their master, there's a lot of anger behind the lyrics, which Patton nails with the screams he perfected twenty years prior.

lo sai che cosa hai fatto? a me!!
lo sai che cosa hai fatto? a me!!
lo sai che cosa hai fatto? a me!!
Ti odierò finché il signore non mi porterà con sè...

Do you know what you’ve done?? To me??
Do you know what you’ve done?? To me??
Do you know what you’ve done?? To me??
I'll hate you till the Lord will take me away...

There are plenty of great versions of this, including the one on the album, but this one, performed in Israel in the summer of 2010, is my favorite.  Patton really nails this one, and both he and those lucky enough to be in the audience know it.

Red Fox

Whenever rain falls outside, as it is now, I seem to turn to the Anonymous album to fit the mood.  More specifically, the song "Red Fox".

Kevin Rutmanis is gone from Tomahawk at this point, so the threesome of Denison, Stanier, and Patton bring us this song on their third album released as a band.  This was probably my first "favorite" song on the album, the heavy "skin-walker" chant being stuck in my head for days after first listen.  I never understood how this song didn't get good reviews.  Hell, this entire Tomahawk album wasn't really a critic favorite.  It's style is completely different from the two previously released albums (and Oddfellows that followed), but I feel like after a few listens it can be appreciated for the concept album that it is.

There isn't a live version of this song available since, unfortunately, it's never been played live (like most of Anonymous), so check out the audio for "Red Fox.

   

For what it's worth, a "skin-walker", according to Native American legend, is the supernatural ability for a person to become any animal they desire, usually by wearing the fur or pelt of that particular  animal.  

Mojo

"Gotta get my mojo runnin', engine hummin', don't I?"

When you have mojo, you've got yourself the "it" factor, whether it be talent, or charm, or sex appeal.  This tongue-in-cheek first single by Peeping Tom touches on those things that some people feel they need to acquire it.  Patton and Rahzel are seen in this trip-hop video that mocks different aspects of pop culture.  Actress and model Rachel Hunter, Blink-182 bassist Mark Hoppus, and Patton's friend, actor Danny DeVito all make appearances in the video.  This song was my first introduction to Peeping Tom in 2006 (thanks to catching that Conan O'Brien appearance), and was featured on other TV shows, like IFC's "The Henry Rollins Show", with beatboxer Butterscotch and Imani Coppola.

Vendetta

Like Peter Griffin in Family Guy, I too sometimes wish I had my own theme music, only mine would be the Fantômas cover of the 1960's TV series, "Vendetta".  John Barry, composer of the "Midnight Cowboy" theme discussed earlier, also wrote this score.  You can find "Vendetta" among the other unusual covers on both The Director's Cut album and DVD of the same name.

I was going to post the pro-shot from Sydney's "Big Day Out" festival for this song, as it's one of my favorites, but then came across this great one, recorded in London in December 2008 (a few short weeks after this, on New Year's Eve, is when they would record the live show for their DVD in San Francisco).  Dale Crover is still sitting in for Lombardo on drums here, and Patton has his usual repartee with the crowd before starting things up.  
 

Totem

In 2007, Tomahawk released their third studio album, Anonymous.  Guitarist Duane Denison did the research for this Native American concept album by touring Indian reservations after being disappointed in "normal" sounding Native American rock music.  He eventually came across transcripts of traditional music, and based the album around this sound.  The writers of this original material are unknown, hence the Anonymous title reference.  Denison and drummer John Stanier recorded their parts in Tennessee studio and sent them to California, home to Patton and Ipecac Recordings, for the vocals.  Bassist Kevin Rutmanis had already departed the band before this recording, so Patton and Denison together filled in the bass tracks for the album.  In need of a bassist, they signed on Patton's longtime pal and Fantômas/Bungle bandmate, Trevor Dunn, to return Tomahawk to a quartet supergroup. 

 

Unfortunately, no song on this recording would make it to the live stage, with the exception of "Totem", and that only happened within the last year during their tour to promote their latest album, Oddfellows.  I was lucky enough to see Tomahawk in Philadelphia last June, and even happier to hear them play this song.  This isn't my video, but it's from the show I attended (super-grateful for all the videos posted from that show online).  There's about a minute of banter between Patton and the audience before the song starts. 

    I would absolutely LOVE to attend a show where Anonymous was played in it's entirety, though I don't think that will ever happen.  The band, thankfully, still plays together, and is even releasing a 7" limited edition vinyl, "M.E.A.T." in a couple of weeks (two extra songs from their Oddfellows session).  More Tomahawk?  Yes, please!

I Started a Joke

Originally written in 1968 by Robin Gibb and performed by the Bee Gees, "I Started a Joke" was covered by FNM, and appeared as a B-side to their 1995 single "Digging the Grave".  Faith No More disbanded in 1998, and shortly after, this song was released as the band's final single (It also made an appearance on their greatest hits album, Who Cares a Lot? the same year).  An official video was released, but no band members appear in it (except for a brief cameo by Patton, who can be easily missed as "Michael from Barnsley" in the beginning of the video).

Here we visit Bizarre Fest again in Cologne, Germany, but this time it's the summer of 1997.  Patton, months from turning 30 years old here, was arguably at the height of his vocal capabilities in this era. 

As the Worm Turns

Looking back, I realized that I haven't touched on any of Patton's early days with the band that put him on the map.  In fact, everything up to this point has been from 2000 on (even if some of the songs were released earlier, the performances were not).  So, without further ado, let's visit You Fat Bastards: Live at the Brixton Academy, and check out "As the Worm Turns".

When "the worm turns", someone who has always been weak and obedient starts to behave more confidently or take control of a situation.  It seems that the unemployed subject in this song would benefit from doing so.  The original version of this song was written and performed by Chuck Mosley, and released on FNM's debut album, We Care a Lot.  This is another one of those songs that I'm glad Patton picked up, though I really enjoy both singers doing this.  Patton recorded a studio version of this song during the Angel Dust sessions, but it never made it onto the album.  Luckily, Patton's cover DID make it onto a limited Japanese release, which can be heard here.  Go listen to it right now.  I'll wait.

Recorded in London in 1990 (in the very same venue that they would kick off their reunion tour some 19 year later), Live at Brixton Academy would be the only official live album released by the band.  The VHS was released the same year it was filmed, during the tour to promote their latest album, The Real Thing.  The audio was released a year later. 

Here, a young Patton, just a couple of years inside the legal U.S. drinking age, jumps around on the stage, hair still long, voice still testing it's boundaries.  Even this early in his music career, Patton was juggling his time between two bands, though Mr. Bungle had taken a backseat during this worldwide tour.

    You can view the entire concert here, which has been said to be one of their best performances ever as a band.  The energy levels are through the roof, Jim Martin (who many argue was the best guitarist the band had in their existence) is still present, and Patton's vocal range is on the cusp of self-discovery.  It's exciting to watch this concert, knowing all that has yet to come.

Midnight Cowboy

When I'm winding down in the evening, I find instrumentals to be a relaxing way to leave the chaos of the day behind.  Naturally, Patton has this area covered as well.  Rounding out the album Angel Dust, and also found on FNM's Songs to Make Love To (perhaps a nice accompaniment to the Lovage album discussed in the previous post?), is a cover of English composer John Barry's "Midnight Cowboy".

Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman star in the 1969 must-see, movie classic of the same name.  It's the only X-rated movie to ever win an Academy Award (this was later changed to an "R" rating without editing the original film, which got it's "X" rating based on it's drug and sexual content).  Patton turns to his melodica to cover this particular tune, with the rest of the band slowly joining in crescendo. When not opening shows on their most recent tour with "Woodpecker from Mars" (another great instrumental that Roddy Bottum knocks out of the park on the keyboards), or Peaches and Herb's "Reunited", the band would quietly take the stage as Patton alone starts the set off with this instrumental.  A part of me wants to buy a melodica simply to learn how to play this song on it, thought I doubt I'd ever make it sound as beautiful as this.

Book of the Month

In 2001, three years after the dissolution of Faith No More, and shortly after Mr. Bungle would unknowingly play their last show, Lovage released their only album.  Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By was the collaboration of Patton, Dan the Automator (who went by the pseudonym "Nathaniel Merriweather"), and sultry vocalist Jennifer Charles.  While most of the album is tongue-in-cheek, the provocative and sexy tone of this album was something that caught my ear immediately.  Like most of Patton's side projects, I didn't discover this until years later, but was pleasantly surprised when I did.

The album features re-dubbed excerpts from Alfred Hitchcock movies, as song titles are named after several of them ("Lifeboat", "To Catch a Thief", and "Strangers on a Train"). Charles co-wrote and sang most of the material with Patton, while Dan the Automator laid down the trip-hop beats found throughout (with Kid Koala scratching records on some of the tracks).

Not many quality live performances are readily available online, unfortunately, but there were a couple of videos released by the band themselves.  "Book of the Month" features all three Lovage members:  The Automator in his role as Nathaniel Merriweather, Charles as one half of a date taken to mildly fetish levels, and Patton, a missing-tooth voyeur watching everything unfold on a small television.  One annoying thing, to me, about this video is it's abrupt end.  The album version of this song is about four and a half minutes long, while this video ends before the three minute mark.  Still, it's a fun introduction to Lovage for those not too familiar with them, since Patton and Charles are about 50/50 on vocals here. (Be sure to check out the entire album, though, since I don't think this song really represents the sexy sound found throughout it.  Make sure the one you love is near, too!)


A fun fact that should be noted is that Lovage pays homage to provocative French singer, Serge Gainsbourg, by using an album cover similar to the one released by Gainsbourg more than 50 years prior.

None of Them Knew They Were Robots

Crazy days call for crazy music, and today was one such day.  The perfect occasion to put Patton, Trey Spruance, Trevor Dunn, Danny Heifetz, and Clinton "Bär" McKinnon (better known as Mr. Bungle) on to match the mood!  We return back to Bizarre Fest 2000 in Germany as we take a look at "None of Them Knew They Were Robots".

NOTKTWR, for short, was lyrically written by Spruance, while he, Patton, and Keifetz wrote the music to this six minute avante-garde California classic.  Many have tried analyzing the lyrics, with speculation surrounding science vs. religion, but it's the music that really grabs your attention.  Jazz, swing, space-age pop, funk, and metal are just a few genres found in this song, with the familiar Patton growls and screams.  It's fascinating to watch how tight any performance of NOTKTWR is.  What sounds like noise is actually 'organized chaos', as each note is played the same, show after show, orchestrated like any other song (as done in equally organized and chaotic band, Fantômas).

The sound guys seem to have trouble keeping up (as seen with Bär's keyboards throughout this still-amazing rendition), and the crowd seems slightly confused.  Maybe it's all the tempo changes, or possibly the distraction of Dunn in his Swiss Miss outfit.  In any case, it doesn't take away from how the guys in Bungle all join forces and put on a hell of a show.  Enjoy six of my most favorite minutes at Bizarre Fest below.

Desperate Situation

Ten years after the senseless murder of Marvin Gaye in 1984 by his own father, Motown Records released an album of rare and unreleased tracks from the singer's catalog.  Included in this well-overdue release was the dark and funky song, "It's a Desperate Situation".  Another decade or so later, Peeping Tom would perform their version.

According to the band's biography on his label's web page, Mike Patton describes his feelings about Peeping Tom, a project that spent years in the works before finally releasing it's only album in 2006, as the following:

"I don't listen to the radio, but if I did, this is what I'd want it to sound like. This is my version of pop music. In a way, this is an exercise for me: taking all these things I've learned over the years and putting them into a pop format. I've worked with many people who have said to me, 'oh you have a pop record in you, eventually you'll find it,' and I always laughed at them. I guess I owe them an apology."

Collaborating with names such as beatboxer Rahzel, hip-hop producer and DJ Dan "the Automator" Nakamura, and Ipecac Recordings singer Imani Coppola (as well as many others), Peeping Tom took it's sound to mainstream.  They released a video for the song, "Mojo", that featured actor and friend Danny DeVito, and made their tv debut on Conan O'Brien (which I happened to catch by total chance, my jaw hitting the floor over both this new project and National TV coverage).

The eponymous album unfortunately doesn't include this track, but thankfully videos from live shows do.  In my opinion, this version is less dark than the original, and a lot more "get up and get funky"!

The Air-Conditioned Nightmare

Like Tomahawk, it wasn't until Mr. Bungle's third album, California, that I really started doing some research on them.  I had known that this was Patton's original band from high school, yet hadn't had an opportunity to give them a listen.  When the video for FNM's "Epic" hit Mtv, Patton was seen hopping around in a Mr. Bungle T-shirt, paying homage to the band he was still very much still active in.

It was 1999 when they actively showed up on my radar, mainly because of a publicized ongoing feud between Patton and Red Hot Chili Peppers' lead singer, Anthony Kiedis.  California, and RHCP's new album, Californication were released within a month of each other (the latter dropping first since both were under Warner Brothers, and the label pushed Bungle's similarly-named album's release back).  I bought both albums since, at the time, I liked what the RHCP were doing, and the demise of Faith No More a year earlier had me searching for something else Patton-related.  While Californication was pretty much what I had expected, California was not, and I just loved it.  It was simply a fun album, and probably as normal of a Bungle album as you were going to get (as I found out after getting their previous two albums, which I also enjoyed for their uniqueness).

Unfortunately, the band went on permanent hiatus in the early 2000's after some internal conflicts within the band with no word on ever regrouping.  Trevor Dunn and Mike Patton still tour together in other projects, thankfully, but a Mr. Bungle reunion is still something longtime fans want to see.  Patton denies it would ever happen, but the same was said for Faith No More, who reunited after 11 long years for a worldwide tour.  Here's hoping!

Here's a favorite Zappa-esque tune from the album, recorded in 2000 at Bizarre Fest in Germany.  

Charade

It took me a long time to get into Fantômas.  In fact, I downright hated them upon first listen, and carried that animosity for years.  What a huge mistake.

My first exposure to this Patton-created supergroup was a live performance in 2001 when they opened for Tool (a band my friend was really into and I agreed to accompany her).  Unbeknown to me, Patton, along with guitarist Buzz Osborne (of the Melvins), bassist Trevor Dunn (of Mr. Bungle/Tomahawk), and drummer Dave Lombardo (of Slayer) took the stage.  Within 10 minutes my friend and I left our seats and escaped to the quieter stadium concourse is disbelief.  Many others shared this sentiment, as most people could be heard asking "What the hell is that awful noise?!", and those who stayed in their seats could be heard booing the band from the concourse.  Imagine my surprise when I overheard others saying that this was Faith No More's ex-singer up on stage, creating  the noise filling the arena.  Try as I might, I just couldn't get into it, and liking it for the sake of liking Patton wasn't going to change things.

It would be a few more years before I gave Fantômas another chance, and a full decade from my first exposure before I could appreciate their work.  I wouldn't say that I forced myself into it as much as my musical tastes broadened as I grew older.  I was pretty set in my ways back then, with a narrow listening range of rock, alternative, and metal.  Nowadays, I'm all over the place.

2011 brought the release of Director's Cut Live:  A New Years Revolution on DVD (ten years after the release of this album and my not-so-stellar first impression), and it was this performance that captured my interest.  This was an unusual take on horror film soundtracks and scores, and I actually really, REALLY enjoyed it.  Was this the same band I walked out on?  How could this be?  The Director's Cut, along with their other releases (courtesy of Ipecac Recordings once again) were soon purchased, and although not played as heavily as other Patton creations, they have a special place in my ear when the mood arises.

This clip, pro-shot in Australia at a festival in 2009, is a cover of composer Henry Mancini's "Charade".  Not as "noisy" as much of Fantômas' typical work, but so, so, good.  Dale Crover of the Melvins sits in on drums here as Lombardo was on tour with Slayer at the time.


Fifteen minutes is all it take to watch this performance in its entirety, which can be found here.  For some, that might be all, or even more, than they can handle (the younger me can sympathize).  For the rest of you, enjoy.

 

Storia D'Amore

I just can't say enough about how much I adore Mondo Cane.  In this project (also found on Ipecac Recordings), Patton takes a sharp left turn and jumps across the pond to Italy for his inspiration.  Marrying an Italian girl in the 90's and living in her home country for a time helped prepare him for this wonderful compilation of Italian pop song covers.  But don't think for a minute that he tones himself down; if anything, you'll find the bulk of his singing bravado here, backed by full orchestra.

Storia D'Amore, or simply "Love Story", is the work of great Italian singer Adriano Celentano.  Patton did a show in Amsterdam in 2008, supported by Italian trumpeter great Roy Paci and the Metropole Orchestra, the world's largest full-time ensemble of it's kind.  The result is nothing short of amazing.  While the entire show is absolutely worth a listen, Storia D'Amore makes me happy every time I hear it (even if the sentiments of the song might not be).

Australia, South America, and Europe have had the pleasure of catching an ultra-rare live Mondo Cane show in the past.  The United States, unfortunately, has not, and most likely won't.  Patton has said in the past that the expense to travel the entire Netherlands-based orchestra to the States would be outstanding, as it's much easier for him to go to where they are.  Another unfortunate fact is simply Mondo Cane's lack of interest here in the US, as the demand for Italian pop songs isn't exactly high.  Very sad news indeed for those of us hoping to catch Mondo Cane without boarding a plane.  Huge thanks to those kind enough to share these special moments on YouTube for those of us who can't be there in person. 


An extra bonus that Mondo Cane possesses is that it's one of the few Patton projects that my elderly, Italian-born-and-raised mother and I can enjoy together.  She likes to sing along while telling me stories of growing up listening to the pop singers in the "old country".  It's also a great opportunity to brush up on my Italian, as my mother likes to quiz me on what certain words mean.  How great it would be to see Mondo Cane live with her, but I don't think that day will ever come.  Car ride sing-alongs will have to do....and that's something I can live with. 

Matador

In 2011, Bill, John, Puffy, Roddy, and Patton wrapped up their South American "Second Coming Tour" leg by playing the SWU festival in Paulinia, São Paulo, Brazil (a pro-shot concert definitely worth watching in it's entirety on YouTube).  It was here, towards the end of their 75 minute set, that they performed my favorite version of this super-rare, untitled song.  Known simply as "Matador" in the internet world, it gave FNM fans hope for a new album in the future.  Many speculate that it could be a long-lost B-side from the Angel Dust days, while others feel like this is indeed new material.  As usual, Patton and the band are tight-lipped, and deny that there will be another album.  One can only hope, however, since we've heard denials of rumors before, only to be pleasantly surprised shortly after (like the announcement of appearing at the BST Hyde Park show in London this coming July after retiring once again following the recent tour).

This song goes on a little longer than most, but I personally don't mind.  It's eerie melody captured my attention on first listen, and until a studio version is ever released (if ever), this live version will have to do.  In the few live performances captured on video, none are completely flawless, proving that they don't play this song nearly enough.  Check out this amazing song below!

God Hates a Coward

I can't remember where I first heard about supergroup Tomahawk, but I discovered them in 2007, the same year their third album, Anonymous, was released.  The collaboration of Patton and then Jesus Lizard's guitarist, Duane Denison (along with ex-helmet drummer John Stanier and ex-Mevin's bassist Kevin Rutmanis), their sound was one that grabbed me immediately.  Already three albums late, I quickly worked backwards to catch up with their earlier releases, and added them into steady daily play rotation.

Unlike previous years, YouTube now existed and allowed for the easy discovery (and rediscovery) of music.  I stumbled across this video the first time I searched for Tomahawk there, and watched it at least a dozen times that day.  To this day, it remains one of my favorite Patton live performances ever.


I had the pleasure of finally seeing these guys in 2013 (with Patton's long time pal, Trevor Dunn, who replaced Rutmanis for the band's fourth album, Oddfellows).  Wish I had known of this band long ago, as they were actively touring in the early 2000's.  Hopefully they have another album or two still left in them.  Luckily, like many of Patton's projects, they are signed to his label Ipecac Recordings, where they are safe from being dropped. 

Chinese Arithmetic

If something is tough to do, one says it's "harder than Chinese arithmetic".  Could this also be a euphemism for the "young, hung, and plastered" subject of this song?  Found on FNM's second album, Introduce Yourself, this was originally sung by Patton's predecessor, previous lead singer Chuck Mosley.  I'm glad Patton doesn't ignore the band's first two albums that feature Chuck, otherwise great tunes like this would never be heard live (this particular song is a live rarity as it is, getting far less stage time than many other hits of later years).

This version from 2009's Download Festival in the UK is one of my favorites, and has been stuck in my head for the last few days, without complaint.  Bonus points for Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" intro.


This is not to say that I don't like the version found on the album.  Chuck, after all, WAS the sound of Faith No More in the early years.  I appreciate his work as well, but it's fair to say that I am pretty bias when it comes to my favorite.


 

Welcome, Fans of Patton!

I became a fan of Faith No More following the release of The Real Thing, courtesy of Mtv (in the days when the "M" stood for "music").  Fast forward to 2014, some 25 years later, and many more Mike Patton projects have emerged, as well as a record label co-founded by the man himself.  This blog will serve as a place for me to talk about these projects, which include (but definitely not limited to) Tomahawk, Mr. Bungle, Fantômas, Mondo Cane, Lovage, Peeping Tom, Moonchild, and, of course, FNM, as well as soundtracks and other things he's been involved in. 

If you're reading this, it's because you too are a fan, and appreciate one, some, or all of the work he has contributed to the world of music in his nearly three decade career.  Let's dive in together and explore my favorites from Mike Patton, the musical alchemist.  Hope you enjoy.