Nirvana - With the Lights Out (3xCD, 2004)

The talk about a Nirvana box set had been brewing for years, with rumors rampant about what it would (or wouldn't) contain. I was going to get it regardless, so I just hoped for the best. When it finally arrived under the Christmas tree for me in 2004, I was very excited.

In the months before its release, we finally got word that it was going to contain nothing but rarities, demos, home recordings, and other random ephemera. This was going to be my kind of box set. The Nirvana greatest hits comp (containing the anticlimactic "You Know You're Right") had been released a few years before, so there was no need to rehash the best of the band. It was time to go digging for the shit no one (not even the most ambitious bootleggers) had heard, and the folks who put this thing together did a great job. While it does contain some tracks that had seen release on various unauthorized comps ("Opinion," "If You Must," "Pen Cap Chew," among others), the majority of the stuff here was new to me, and some of it had been cleaned up for this release.

I was actually shocked that they released this thing, given what it contains. Most of this stuff is probably only of interest to the more obsessive Nirvana fan, and a lot of it is not as listenable as it is just a cool reference point as to where some of these songs started. The home demos with just Cobain and his out-of-tune acoustic are both creepy (voyeuristic much?) and endlessly interesting for people who wanted to know more about the guys songwriting process. I count myself among that group, so a lot of these tracks are really great for that. Two different versions of "Rape Me" right next to each other on Disc 3, recorded about a year and a half apart, do a great job of illustrating that song's growth in particular.

This set is also chronological, which is awesome. Not so awesome: some of the glaring mistakes in the titling and liner notes that should have been more thoroughly researched. Sure, only the harder-core Nirvana fans would probably notice this stuff, but songs here that had actual titles were given made-up ones, which is pretty lame. Also, there were a few songs that I had actually heard cleaner recordings of on bootleg versions ("Opinion" being one of them). This is nerd gripery, and I don't really like to go for that (or do I?), but I think it's worth mentioning.

The fourth disc, a DVD containing crazy-old rehearsal footage and other random stuff, is worth the price of admission alone. Again, it's probably more for the die-hard fan, but if that's you, you'll enjoy the shit out of it.

I've been listening to this thing for the last few days, and while it's great to rock, headphones-style while you're in front of the computer, it's not going to be the first thing you grab for a car ride. So, there's a time and a place. When the moment's right, strap on the phones and nerd out. That's what I do.

"Old Age"

The New Pornographers - Twin Cinema (CD, 2005)

I think I said that Electric Version is my favorite New Pornographers record, and I'll probably stand by that. But it's not by much. This one is great as well, though a little more smoothed-out, which drops it a notch for me towards the end.

Still, it's not till the last two tracks that this one starts to slip, so really, I shouldn't complain. And I won't. So, this record doesn't sound vastly different than their previous stuff, but there's a slight jump in the production quality that's noticeable, and that's not a bad thing. There's a lot going on with this group's songs, and it's great to be able to hear all of it.

The title track is possibly the best song on the album, and while I might say that they blew their load by putting it first, it stomps in so authoritatively that it shouldn't be anywhere else. And the songs that follow it, while maybe not quite as forceful, are nearly as good. "The Bones of an Idol" is mad pretty, and "Use It" is ridiculously catchy. "The Bleeding Heart Show" is the song of this record that, even if you don't realize it, you probably know. It's been used in a few prominent commercials - or at least one section of it has - and is, not surprisingly, ultra-catchy as well.

The whole damn thing is. I've been listening to this album for the past few days and I'm really starting to regret not buying their LP that came after this one. There's still time, people. I'm going to make it happen.

Also: I saw them on this tour and it was good.

Also: They have a new record coming out in a few months.

Also: If you need some new music to get into and don't feel like struggling through anything, I would recommend these guys. They'll suck you in quick.

"Use It"

Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea (CD, 1998)

After reading the praises of this album for almost a decade, I decided to pick it up a few years back. And when I say "praises," I mean rock critics declaring it one of the greatest albums of the last twenty years. So maybe I went into it with high expectations, or maybe I was too far removed from the time frame when it was originally released.

Either way, though I can see the appeal of this record, I guess I just don't get why so many folks are unbending in their desire to cup its balls. It's great lo-fi rock, and the songs are certainly solid. Why it has become one of the most heralded albums in the history of indie rock, I might never understand. Clearly it has affected some folks tremendously, but I've also come to the understanding that's it's quite divisive in its appeal. And while I certainly don't think it sucks, I don't find it good for much more than a casual listen every once in a while.

If someone wants to break down its genius for me, I'm all ears. Until then, I'm content with thinking that it's a fine record. And there's nothing wrong with that.

"Two-Headed Boy"

Naughty By Nature - IIcons (CD, 2002)

Kay Gee left, and they just kept going.

This is the self-congratulatory, look-how-many-friends-we-have album from Naughty By Nature, and it's a mess. I don't know how else to put it. Method Man and Bumpy Knuckles supply some swift guest spots (duh), but I can't say the same for Lil' Jon and Pink.

Yeah: Pink is on this album. Yikes.

Kay Gee's back in the group now, so hopefully they'll put some new shit out so this isn't their final go at it. Because it's not a good one to end on.

Observe:

"Feels Good (Don't Worry Bout a Thing)"

Naughty By Nature - Nineteen Naughty Nine: Nature's Fury (CD, 1999)

I can't act like I'm crazy-familiar with this album, because it's the one Naughty album that I've probably spent the least amount of time with. I haven't listened to it in a while, but going back and revisiting it now, it's coming on pretty strong. The group sounds a little bit harder on this one, and though the beats are very late-90's, they could be worse.

By this point the group was giving in to the demands of rap at the time: there's feature spots from Big Pun, Mystikal, Krayzie Bone, Silkk the Shocker, and Master P. I guess no one could have known how much that would instantly date this thing, but it certainly does. And the beats, while hard-hitting, also sound pretty dated.

But, Treach is firing back on this one, and he single-handedly takes some songs that aren't especially memorable music-wise and lyrically wrecks shit all over them. Maybe not the comeback that he was hoping for, but it's not far from it. And Vin Rock, as usual, sounds mad enthused.

The radio song on this one is "Jamboree," which is easily my least favorite radio jam of theirs. But it was still a hit, so they accomplished their mission. And they left out the shout-out song on this one, which is a plus. But they were getting guest-spot happy, and that's always dangerous ground to tread on. It would come to a head on their next release.

"Dirt All By My Lonely"

Naughty By Nature - Poverty's Paradise (CD, 1995)

Naughty might have gotten a little ahead of themselves with this one. There's too many skits (there's two intros, for cryin' out loud), beats that are frustratingly smoother than any of their stuff up to this point, and just a general feel that suggests they were stuck between radio friendliness and street credibility. It's really just one of those post-fame awkward albums.

That's not to say it's bad, because it's not. But I've just never been able to dive into it the way I've been able to with their first two albums. Treach sounds more deliberate (you can actually understand most of what he's saying...!) and, at the risk of tossing out a hip hop cliche, the group just doesn't sound as hungry. Tracks like "Holdin' Fort" and "Sunshine" sound a bit lazy, and though they work some decent grooves, I've always enjoyed Naughty By Nature more for their all-out freneticism than their mid-tempo soul-type jams.

Still, tracks like "Respect Due" and "Craziest" are pretty dope. But most of this thing is just so noticeably slowed down that I spend most of my time listening to it in a lull that I keep thinking the album's going to bust me out of, but it never really happens. "Feel Me Flow" is the radio single on this one, and they also include another seven-minute shout out at the end. Sadly, those are the only things that follow the Naughty formula on this one. Maybe they felt that they were growing up, or maybe they were trying to shift shit in a new direction. And I appreciate that. But there's just not enough of the old shit left over in this one for me.

"Clap Yo' Hands"

Naughty By Nature - 19 Naughty III (CD, 1993)

I cannot remember what possessed me to buy this cassette around the time it came out. I had not particularly been a fan of "O.P.P.," though I did like it - but I never bought the group's first record. I seriously think - and I have some weird memory of this - that I just thought the fact that Treach was holding a chainsaw on the cover of the album was so simultaneously badass/ridiculous/hilarious that I had to see what these dudes were up to. I've always been glad that I took the leap.

In 90's hip hop, there were some great songs that started off albums. You've got MC Ren's "11:55," House of Pain's "Salutations," Dr Dre's "The Chronic (Intro)," N.W.A's "Prelude"; I could go on. But I don't think any of them topped the title track from this LP.

And, of course, I can't find a full version of the song anywhere. That is fantastic. Anyway, trust me: it's awesome. And it's a tone-setter for what would easily be the group's best album. This time around, the radio single was "Hip Hop Hooray," and again, MTV played the shit out of it. And again, it's one of the weaker songs on the album. The other two spotty-ish tracks are "Written On Ya Kitten," Treach's pussy-wranglin' anthem, and the seven-minute shout-out number, "Sleepwalkin' II." Luckily, these are both at the end of the album, so they don't really get in the way. Other than those, this thing is a go-getter.

Tracks like "Daddy Was A Street Corner" and "Sleepin' On Jersey" are uptempo, frantic, and just incredibly awesome. The whole group apparently doubled their skills between their debut and this album, and it's clear they're not interested in dicking around. Kay Gee's beats are less repetitive, more complex, and are just generally more well-crafted. Vin Rock sounds fully comfortable on the mic, and his verses throughout (though I always wish there were more) are solid. But this is Treach's album. The guy is out of his head on this thing, and I'm not sure if he ever really got the recognition he deserved for his performance on this album. It's just nuts. "Ready for Dem," "Take It to Ya Face," "The Hood Comes First" - he slays 'em all. And when he teams up with Freddie Foxxx for "Hot Potato," it's fantastic.

So look past "Hip Hop Hooray" and see this thing for what it really is: one of the finest hip hop albums of the 90's. And the high point of the group.

"It's On"

Naughty By Nature - Naughty By Nature (CD, 1991)

"O.P.P." got played to death by MTV in the summer/fall of 1991, and with good reason: it was a great single. And as annoying as the omnipresence of the video was (especially the "Dave - drop a load on 'em" part), you had to admit: dude could rap. "Dude," we would later find out, was Treach, the cornrowed leader of this Illtown (East Orange in Jersey - act like you know) trio.

I go back and forth with what I think about Treach, but it never has much to do with his abilities as a rapper. The guy's good on the mic. And, though he didn't get a chance to show it on "O.P.P.," so is his partner, Vin Rock. They make for an interesting pairing, but work well playing off each other. Come to think of it, Naughty By Nature used the Soul Assassins formula, didn't they? Treach was the main rapper, Vin was the secondary rapper, and Kay Gee was the man behind the wheels of steel - and the beats.

Naughty By Nature also knew exactly what they were doing. Each of their albums, starting with this one, contains a radio-ready single that strives to be anthemic and is definitely softer than the rest of the record. The goal was big-time MTV play and lots of record sales, and it worked. It's a good move - ask Eminem.

So, other than the playa rhymes of "O.P.P.," the saptastic horn-jammery of "Ghetto Bastard," and the relatively smoothed-out flow of "Rhyme'll Shine On," this album is hard as steel. Tracks like "Yoke the Joker," "Guard Your Grill," and "Every Day All Day" flex hard, and they're dope. But shit really gets going on two of the best cuts on the record, and the ones where Treach really lets loose: "Let the Ho's Go" and "Pin the Tail on the Donkey." Both are upbeat, both are just a little bit gritty, and both feature Treach just wrecking shit. I like it.

I actually didn't buy this album until after I bought the one after this, so this has always sounded like their up-and-comer to me. The recording quality is a little dicey, and the beats are rough. But the raps more than make up for it. And this album will make you miss the days of the hip hop album with twelve five-minute songs. This this is bulky. And that's a great thing.

"Ghetto Bastard"

Nas - Illmatic (CD, 1994)

I missed the boat on this one the first time around, and really didn't even hear it until a few years ago. By that time, I had heard so much about it that I didn't even feel I could form a logical opinion about it. People have had their lips on the nuts of this album - really locked on there - for so long, that there is no perspective anymore.

"Classic."

That's all you get to say about it, or risk getting shouted down by the same people who argue about what the best Jay-Z album is. Those people are dime-a-dozen claptrap hounds who listen to Lil Wayne, and they are part of the problem. Don't be part of the problem.

Of course, that isn't to say that Nas is in the same league (as far as I'm concerned) as those go-to, knee-jerk artists who everybody defers to out of fear of reprisal. (I mean, seriously. Lil Wayne is the best rapper alive? Then we're in big fucking trouble, people.) Well, let me rephrase that. He is in that same league, because he will always get the finger pointed in his direction when the pointless "best lyricist" argument comes up. But, I'd argue - and this is where the "as far as I'm concerned" part comes in - that he's got a better head on his shoulders than most of the other rappers he gets lumped in with. I'm not a huge fan, but I dig some of his music. I think mostly I dig this album. I tried some of the other shit and it didn't sit as well with me.

Anyway. I thought Nas's verse on "Verbal Intercourse" on Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... was solid. So I thought I'd check this album out. And you know what? It's really good. And isn't that enough? One of the greatest hip hop albums of all time? Depends on how long your list is. The fact that this thing is consistently ranked in the top five in lists like that is a bit weird to me. And don't get me wrong: it is a fine album. Sure: a great album. It's also only got nine actual songs on it and is less than forty minutes long.

Maybe I just don't get it. Maybe I'll never get it. I dunno. But I'll hold onto this CD. Because I do like it. And because I feel like I should. That's a bad reason.

"The World Is Yours"

N.W.A - 100 Miles and Runnin' (CD, 1990)

I was with my dad on a motorcycle ride to who-knows-where in the summer of 1990, when I begged him to let me stop at a Tower Records that we passed by. As I've said before, we never knew when new records were going to come out, so all you could do was check the racks. I had a list of artists I always looked for when I made it out to record stores, and N.W.A was on it. That day, my usually fruitless checking paid off. New music from Dre, Yella, Ren, Eazy, and... where the fuck was Cube?

When I got home and listened to the tape, a few things were made clear to me: 1.) Cube was indeed gone, and they were now referring to him as "Benedict Arnold." 2.) The title track was one of the greatest songs I had ever heard in my life. 3.) Their love for pussy had graduated to pornographic levels. (Not sure I ever wanted to actually hear Eazy-E getting his dick sucked.) 4.) This was a tide-the-fans-over-till-the-album-drops release, and it absolutely worked to both satisfy my cravings for new music and get me salivating for the full-length.

Even in this short format, it became clear that N.W.A was not looking to crank out Straight Outta Compton Part II. The production was much more dense, the rhymes were much more developed, and the entire feel of the EP was just bigger. It took me a few listens to adjust, but once I did, I was completely on board. The title track was a surge, the perfect cut to declare their intentions to keep on going without Cube. MC Ren was clearly making it his mission to take over as lyrical leader of the group, and all his appearances on this EP made a solid case for that.

"Just Don't Bite It" took the bitches-and-hos approach to an uncomfortable level, again showing that the group was pushing things forward. Musically, it's a great song, but the title track and "Sa Prize, Pt. 2" (which is actually "Fuck tha Police, Pt. 2") both run circles around it. "Sa Prize" is everything that's great about N.W.A, and Ren's verse on the song is untouchable. "Real Niggaz," which is the only cut here that would end up on the next LP, is another great one, with all three vocalists dropping fast-as-fuck lyrics and trading verses smoothly.

"Kamurshol" is basically an announcement for their upcoming full-length, and when they announced the title, it just sounded like some backward-masked garbling. This would later make sense, but for the year between this and their next release, it annoyed the shit out of me.

I always thought that I dug this EP a little more than some folks I played it for. I think some people really didn't want anything more than a continuation of the group's previous effort. This was far from it, and it was brilliant. Still is.

"100 Miles and Runnin'"

Mykill Miers - The Second Coming (CD, 2001)

Boom. One year later, another hour of tracks. Didn't I say he was hard-working?

While the vibe on this album is a little different (note that he's now officially calling himself "The Hitchcock of Hip Hop), it's not too far gone from his debut. The beats are more fluid because he uses fewer producers, and while he had six tracks with guest spots on his first album, this one only has one. Clearly the dude was just cranking out songs at this point. Still, they don't sound rushed, so what the hey.

I dig this CD, though maybe not quite as much as his first one. It's darker, and while maybe that's a plus for some folks, it doesn't get to me as much. There's a bit more murder talk (even if a lot of it is metaphorical), and just a general grim vibe that tends to make it slump a little bit.

Still, there's a lot to like here. Miers, just like Freddie Foxxx, doesn't fuck around. The dude gets on a beat and just straight raps. And even back when this was released, that was becoming a lost art. I'll always love to hear a dude just get on the mic and blow through four verses in four minutes. And this album is great for that.

I need to check out some of his newer stuff...

"The Second Coming"

Mykill Miers - It's Been A Long Time Coming (CD, 2000)

After Freddie Foxxx released his Industry Shakedown LP in 2000, I made it a mission of mine to track down all of the guest spots he had done on other folks' albums. It led me to some weird shit (Black Gangster soundtrack, anyone?), but it also turned me on to some music I may have never heard.

Mykill Miers kind of falls into both of those categories. He's ostensibly a fairly standard battle rapper (at least in regards to his approach), but once you spend some time with his music, you realize he's smarter than a lot of MCs, and willing to work a lot harder. Not that that's weird, necessarily, but it makes him a rarity.

Anyway, Freddie Foxxx does a guest spot on this album, on the track "Wanna Be an MC?," and that's how I ended up hearing him for the first time. I'm pretty sure my brother bought this CD before I had it, but apparently I liked it enough to pick up my own copy. I actually have no idea when I got this, but I have it now, so that's the real point. The other point is that after hearing "Wanna Be an MC?," I wanted to hear more from this dude. And, amazingly, this album did not disappoint in the least. (I always expect to be let down; it makes it easier when it happens.)

Miers doesn't have a terribly distinct voice, and track names like "Doin' My Thang" and "Who Am I?" are strictly Hip Hop 101, but his lyrics easily make up for his nondescript voice and any pandering he pulls in the hooks. His flows are rock-solid, his words never get lazy, and he sounds intense on every track. My kind of hip hop record.

I hadn't listened to this album in years, but I rocked it hard last night and it stands up. A lot of the focus revolves around the title, with Miers talking about where he's been to get where he is. It makes for interesting subject matter, and the dude can make you feel it. That's really all I ask for.

"Wanna Be An MC?"

Mudhoney - A Fulminant Live Act in Early Summer 1992 (CD, 1992)

To think, I almost forgot about this, one of my oldest and most prized bootlegs!

Back in the mid-90's, you couldn't get bootlegs from anywhere other than tapes that people kept re-taping for each other, or, if you were lucky, CDs from stores that would dare to sell them. In Salem, we had a few stores that dared to sell them. And while you would think the shoddy quality coupled with the extreme illegalness of these albums would equal a lower price point, it was instead quite the opposite. CDs like this one, with nothing more than a one-panel insert and a hastily printed disc (this one says, simply, "MUD HONEY") cost somewhere in the range of thirty bucks. That amount of dough, to teenage me almost twenty years ago, made the purchase of one of these things a special occasion.

If I recall correctly, my brother got this for me as a gift for my birthday, and I could not have been more stoked. I had been eying it for months, but never had the money to lay down. I was incredibly happy to have it. My copy still has the typewritten (yeah, on an actual typewriter) track listing insert that I made for it, because this thing was so bare-bones that they couldn't even get that together. In fact, in three different cases, one track on the CD actually contains two separate songs. This was annoying if, say, you wanted to hear "Dead Love" - you had to fast-forward through "No End In Sight" to get to it. (Though I don't know why you'd ever ff through that song.)

This is a great live set, capturing Mudhoney at their arguable peak. They run through a lot of shit from Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge, a nice mix of early stuff, and the aforementioned "No End in Sight" is a slightly different version than the one that ended up on Piece of Cake later that year. They also do "Make It Now" and "Living Wreck" from that forthcoming album, so those must have been treats for the audience.

The show wraps up with a scorching version of "In 'N' Out of Grace," after which they come out and do three covers for the encore: "You Stupid Asshole," "Fix Me," and "Hate the Police." Nice move.

The recording is shit, but I couldn't have cared less. And I'm still damn glad I have this thing. It's a keeper.

Mudhoney - Five Dollar Bob's Mock Cooter Stew (CD, 1993)

Released about a year after Piece of Cake, this EP collects a group of seven disparate tracks that actually make for a nice little album. I'm just now realizing that this whole thing has been tacked onto the deluxe version of Piece of Cake, which I have yet to purchase and probably won't. So there you go.

If nothing else, this album features Mudhoney's worst (or best?) album title and cover art, taking a left-field approach that they wouldn't really ever come close to again. I don't really care for it, but that's just my opinion.

The songs here, like I said, are a mixed bag. "No Song III" is the most single-ready of the group, with the band using guitar tones that almost echo the ones used on their previous record, but the whole thing sounds popped-up a bit. I think it's a pretty cool track. "In the Blood" sounds like a nice mix of old and new Mudhoney, with the darkness of their oft-used organ making a sweet appearance. "Between Me & You Kid" would have made a nice partner to "Blinding Sun," though it's much more twangy than anything the band had done up to this point.

"Six Two One" sounds like a leftover from Piece of Cake, and it's a solid track. "Make It Now Again" is a rerecording of "Make It Now" from their previous effort, and I'd like to know the story behind why the redid it. Anyone?

So, those tracks were all recorded in one burst, and the final two tracks are pulled from a 1992 recording session, apparently, and you can tell. They sound different, both in the recording and the feel of the tracks. You can sort of see why they weren't deemed album-ready, but they're good songs nonetheless.

I hadn't heard this thing in a long time, and I recently picked up a used copy on CD. I'm happy to have it.

"No Song III"

Mudhoney - Piece of Cake (CD, 1992)

This was to be Mudhoney's big push, their major label debut that would catapult them to grunge superstardom. The time was right, the band was ready, and then... It didn't happen. Which just goes back to what I was saying in one of my earlier posts. I don't think Mudhoney ever had a chance of making it big.

This album, while arguably not quite as good as Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge, is a great record. A fantastic record. Possibly my favorite Mudhoney record. And I think it still remains sorely underrated. I was just re-reading the Rolling Stone review written around the time the record came out, and if this dude's review was any indication of how the masses saw Mudhoney, they were fucked. The reviewer missed the point completely, and seemed to somehow scold the band for - gasp! - becoming ambitious.

And maybe that's why this album didn't resonate with people as much as it should have. It's not EGBDF part 2. It's Mudhoney, for the first time, expanding their sound and taking advantage of (what I assume to be) higher-quality studios. Or at least more time in the studio. These songs, while not outwardly complex, are really a step forward for the band, both musically and lyrically. Not that they lost their sense of humor - it's just more subtle, for the most part. (The exceptions being the interludes with the fart sounds.)

I bought this album right when it came out, and I was singing its praises to anyone who would listen. And I feel like people liked it, but maybe they were still looking to Mudhoney for "Touch Me I'm Sick"-type songs, and tracks like "Blinding Sun" and "Make it Now," which were more rooted in the four-minute rock song sort of form, just didn't give the immediate satisfaction they were looking for. (And whoever thought Mark Arm would use the word "countenance" in a Mudhoney song?) I actually liked the fact that this record - or at least parts of it - didn't grab me immediately. They grew on me, and because of that, this album is one I've listened to hundreds of times and never grown tired of.

And I don't mean to put too much emphasis on my "It's a whole new Mudhoney!" point. The band still cranked out songs wouldn't have been out of place on their previous record. "Suck You Dry," "Living Wreck," "Ritzville," and "No End in Sight" are all fast, ragged, and completely awesome.

The band must have been slightly pissed when this thing didn't connect the way they thought it would. Or maybe they didn't give a shit. That's what I'd like to think.

Another sweet thing about this release: The alternate cassette cover.

I really need to get this on vinyl...

"Blinding Sun"

Mr. Bungle - California (CD, 1999)

Again, Mr. Bungle made us wait four years for a new album, and again it was completely different than the one that preceded it. In fact, it was completely different than both of the albums that preceded it. The biggest surprise was that this album was almost - and I can't believe I'm saying this - accessible. Now, keep in mind, that's completely relative. But I remember being shocked that I might be able to put a Mr. Bungle song on a mixtape for a girl and she might actually like it (I'm looking at you, "Vanity Fair").

As usual, it didn't matter what Mr. Bungle did or didn't do. The songs are incredible, and this album stands up easily with their other two. And on the plus side, there's less dicking around just for the sake of dicking around. Instead, this thing is completely packed with music. While Disco Volante was frustratingly short on lead vocals from Mike Patton, on this album he goes nuts. On "Ars Moriendi," he barely clams up during the entire thing, and it's incredible.

We always thought every Mr. Bungle album would the their last (same thing with Faith No More - Patton must be a bitch to work with), so when this dropped and it was clear they hadn't phoned it in, I couldn't have asked for more. While it was clear this album was a contract-fulfiller (the packaging is minimal and cost-effective), it never comes off as one. The songs are, in typical Bungle fashion, incredibly complicated and also insanely infectious. "None of Them Knew They Were Robots" blew my skull open the first time I heard it, and it continues to do so. Same with "The Air-Conditioned Nightmare." And if there's a better song title than "Golem II: The Bionic Vapour Boy," I'd like to hear it.

This ended up being the last Mr. Bungle album, and "Goodbye Sober Day" ended up being the last song on it. It's a perfect one to go out on. The lyrics are creepy and dark, and so is the music. It's scattered with controlled noise, and anchored by a middle section that will punch you in the face. And you will love it.

My brother and I saw Mr. Bungle in San Francisco on New Year's Eve 1999, and it was an incredible experience. I talked about a little in this post, and if you want to see how awesome it was, you can check out a clip here. Wow, that was over ten years ago. Yikes. Anyway, it was shortly after this album was released, and seeing them play these songs live was incredible. I was never real keen on the California theme, but whatever. I always loved the shit out of this record, and I still do.

And I've always been glad I got to see them live before they hung it all up. This album in particular has held up really well. Cop it.

"Pink Cigarette"

Mr. Bungle - Disco Volante (CD, LP, 1995)

The four years between Mr. Bungle releases seemed like an eternity. It got to the point where I had almost given up hope, and then there it was, listed on the "upcoming releases" board at my local record store. Or at least I think that's how I found about it. Somehow I knew it was coming out, because I bought it the day it was released. And I was excited. Giddy, even.

Oh, wait! I know what happened. My roommate at the time worked at the University of Oregon campus radio station, and they received a promo copy of what was to be the first single from the record, "Desert Search for Techno Allah." I remember sitting in the studio, mashing a pair of headphones against my ears, and hearing the song for the first time. While I wasn't exactly expecting a sequel to their debut, it definitely took me a minute to process. The chorus is "Qiyamat qiyamat a tawil'/Qiyamat qiyamat insan al kamel," which just confused the shit out of me. Still does.

So, I had heard that song, and knew they were taking things in a different direction. When I bought the CD, I ran home, put it in, heard the first minute of "Everyone I Went to High School With is Dead," and realized they were taking things in a completely different direction. My friends and I spent the next month listening to Disco Volante, probably annoying everyone with it, while also learning to love it. Or at least most of it.

This is Mr. Bungle's most difficult album (by far), and one that, like Faith No More's Angel Dust, completely destroyed the foundations upon which the band was built. It frustrated me at first, but after I spent hours, days, and months with it, it made perfect sense. I don't know exactly what I'm talking about, but Mr. Bungle has always struck me as a band that is constantly moving forward, and probably gets sick of their old shit quicker than most bands. And instead of easing into a new sound, especially after four years, they clearly felt the need to completely redefine themselves. It worked.

And while this album is highly experimental and crazy tedious in sections, there's still plenty of great vocal parts, great musical performances, and a handful of tracks that certainly qualify as actual "songs." Of course, there's also tracks that toe the line, like "Violenza Domestica" and "Phlegmatics," and "The Bends," which is the closest they've ever come to making an unlistenable song. You made your point, guys.

One of my all-time favorite Bungle tracks is the one that closes this album out, the messy mind-warp that is "Merry Go Bye Bye." It's bashing, blaring noise, sandwiched between some of the lightest, most beautiful melodies that the band ever put together. And the lyrics have always been some of my favorites. Observe:

We reached for an outside point of view
But it's out of touch with me and you
I feel I'm walking into suicide
But you'll be right there by my side
To beam my message into space as I die
Bring back the shame of the many for the few
Get on your knees and I'll be coming back to you
Bring back the pain of an inverse world for two
It keeps me coming back to you

That's good stuff. I went - with a group of other Bungle fans - to see the band on this tour, and it was mind-blowing. If I recall correctly, they played "Travolta" and "My Ass is On Fire" from the first album, and they were very different versions than the ones that they had recorded. Other than that, it was straight Volante and a cover of Loverboy's "Working for the Weekend" during the encore. At one point, the crowd started chanting "Girls of Porn! Girls of Porn!," and we all agreed that they were idiots. It was clear to us that the "Girls of Porn" Mr. Bungle was only a faint memory. And, honestly, watching them pull of the songs from this album live made me not care in the least. It was amazing. And yes, they were wearing masks.

I somehow scored an original copy of this LP in a record store some years back, and though it's got a promo notch in it and it's missing the bonus 7" that was originally included, I still treasure it. Apparently there's a hidden track in a "double groove" on it somewhere, but I've never been able to get it to work.

"Chemical Marriage"

Mr. Bungle - Mr. Bungle (CD, LP, 1991)

When you talk about albums that shaped my teenage years (which I'm sure you often do), you can't not bring this one up. And while it definitely sounds a little dated now, it still brings back so many memories for me.

Faith No More hit it big in 1989/1990, and my friends, my brother and I were big fans. I'm not sure when we first found out about the existence of Mr. Bungle. Mike Patton wore a Bungle shirt in the "Epic" video, so that might have been the tip-off. Or maybe they were mentioned in a magazine article. Either way, we were aware of them, but had never heard them.

(As always, remember that this was pre-internet. You had to work - or wait - to hear the music you wanted, and it made the whole experience much more fulfilling. You kids today have no respect for music, and you're systematically killing it. Congratulations. But I digress.)

Then, one day, as I was flipping through the newest issue of Spin magazine, I saw it: a quarter-page ad for the forthcoming Mr. Bungle album. It had (from what I can recall - I've just spent the last 15 minutes searching for it on the web with no luck) a picture of the album cover, along with jokey text about some of the subject matter, and an admission that they couldn't reveal who the singer was because of a contractual obligation. The ad was for an album to be released on Warner Bros. and FNM were signed to Slash. Bingo.

I showed the ad to my younger brother when I got home, and we proceeded to get very anxious. This band was real. Mike Patton was clearly in it. And they looked to be weird as all get-out. We couldn't wait. I don't remember if the album was already out, or if we had to wait a few weeks for it to actually be released, but at some point shortly thereafter, my brother bought the cassette. I remember the first time we listened to it. We put it in, prepared ourselves for "Travolta," and stood back. Nothing. Then, after at least 30 seconds, something shatters like a bottle being broken on the ground and, because we had the volume cranked up in an attempt to hear the music that wasn't there yet, the guitars that open up the record blared through the speakers. Mission accomplished, Mr. Bungle. You scared the shit out of us.

It's little things like that, mixed in with all the mind-blowing songs, that make this record what it is: both incredibly brilliant and also pranky and borderline annoying. And we couldn't get enough of it. These guys played brilliantly, made music like nothing we'd ever heard before, and didn't seem to give a fuck about anything. At one point (during the end of "Slowly Growing Deaf"), there is what appears to be a recording of someone taking a monster dump. As a teenager, this amused me to no end. Eh, it still does.

There are ten songs on this album, and the shortest one clocks in at 5:14. The longest is 10:40. They are all meticulously written, arranged, and recorded. The lyrics are juvenile but the melodies are intricate and astounding. Classifying the music is impossible. Wikipedia calls it "experimental rock/avant-garde metal," but that might only be half of it, especially when you consider how much their sound changed over the years. But we'll get to that. For now, we're talking about this one. And I'm going to have to break it down song-by-song so I don't miss anything.

"Travolta," later to be known as "Quote Unquote" is, like I said, the album's opener, and it's a monster of a song. It is actually about John Travolta, and it's not complimentary. This was the only song that saw a video release from this album, though it never got any airplay. I never saw it until the internet came along. Key lyric: "He's a bird in flight, a hermaphrodite/And he fucks himself as he fucks the world."

"Slowly Growing Deaf" is a loud/quiet, fast/slow beast, a song that seems to be about the band's disdain for playing live, or maybe their hatred for shitty bands. I've never been sure which. This was an early favorite of mine when I first started listening to this album. Key lyric: "Wax within my ears has grown/Just like the snot inside my nose."

"Squeeze Me Macaroni" is a crazy funk-ish number that features Patton half-rapping and going completely nuts. The lite-pop payoff at the end is one of the greatest things ever. Key lyric: "I got yogurt meat loaf smeared all over my ass."

"Carousel" always struck me as the most radio-friendly song on the whole record, and it's also the shortest. It sounds like circus music, and features a great chorus. Like most songs on this record, it is best enjoyed through headphones. A lot going on here. Key lyric: "The clown that painted a smile on you/Is now the one unmasking you."

"Egg" is seven minutes of abstract metal/ska ridiculousness, followed by three minutes of what sounds like a recording of some dudes walking around. It is awesome. Key lyric: "The flooded cyst drains itself of pus/The lonely stomach chills unless it's drunk."

"Stubb (A Dub)" was always one of my favorite songs on this record, and it still is. The lyrics (which seem to be about a dog named Stubb A Dub) are actually sentimental if you want them to be, and the song has a breakdown that just gets me every time. Key lyric: "It's time to wipe your butt/Sliding down butt hill."

"My Ass is on Fire" is, surprisingly, the most lyrically abstract song on the record, though I've always suspected it's just about an old dude with hemorrhoids. It's probably my least favorite song on the album, but I still like it. Key lyric: "Impotence/Boomerang/I'll stab you."

"The Girls of Porn" is a song about watching porn and beating off to it. The band probably regretted it soon after making it. Loved it when I was 15, but this song in particular has really not aged well. Though the chorus is very catchy... Key lyric: "Nobody's home I'm alone/Aja & John Holmes."

"Love is a Fist," aside from having the greatest song title ever, is another abstract song, and another song that seems to be about masturbation. It is metal-heavy, and a great, great song. Maybe not as catchy as some of the other ones, but a quality rocker. Key lyric: "Clenched emotions/'Round my ween."

"Dead Goon" is the most musically abstract song on the album, and a perfect one to end on. It's complex, stacked with layers of sound, and sort of summarizes everything that preceded it. If you are a champ, you will sit through the whole thing. Key lyric: "Sex? There's no such thing/Choices left me laughing, choking, laughing."

I used to have this album on limited edition picture vinyl. Then I got poor and sold it. I got a bunch of money for it, but I miss it. I'm working on getting another copy. It's one of my major record-collecting regrets. But I'll always have the music, and that's something. Right?

"Travolta"

The Mothers of Invention - Ahead of Their Time (CD,1993)

This is probably about as close as you'll come to getting an idea of what a Mothers of Invention show would have been like in their heyday. Recorded on October 25, 1968, this album is a must for any serious Mothers of Invention fan. For those of you who consider yourselves fans but aren't as serious about it, I'd suggest you start at track 11.

Tracks 1-10 represent a short play/musical that Zappa would later call Progress?, a loose story about some of the Mothers quitting to form their own splinter groups and the trouble they encounter along the way. There's music mixed in with the semi-improvised dialogue, but it's all fairly abstract stuff that is meant to (I'm assuming) evoke the feelings of the characters in the bit. I find it quite interesting, but that's because I can tell who everyone is. There's also short film clips of this performance in a few Zappa movies, so I don't have any trouble picturing it. But that's me: I'm a cool, cool guy.

Really though, the point I'm trying to make is that if you don't at least kind of understand what's going on, it won't be of much interest to you. I usually view it as a long intro to the musical section that makes up the second half, which is where things really get moving. So, in that fashion, it's a nice warm-up.

Track 11 is a rousing, eight-minute version of "King Kong," where the band, who had been holding back for the duration of Progress? finally gets to let loose. It's an incredible jam, ending with warbling feedback and click-clacky percussion that segues right into an amended, minute-and-a-half version of "Help, I'm A Rock." I'm pretty sure that's the last track with vocals on the album.

From there, it's on to "Transylvania Boogie," which runs right into a wacky version of "Pound for a Brown" that twists and turns all over the place (as that song tends to do). Zappa's guitar solo on it is muffled and relegated to the near background, but it's fantastic nonetheless. That moves right into short, tight, peppy instrumental versions of "Sleeping in a Jar," "Let's Make the Water Turn Black," and "Harry, You're a Beast," which are melded together and pulled off seamlessly.

The album wraps up with two sections of "The Orange County Lumber Truck," one very short and right before "Oh No" (which is sandwiched in between the two), and one ten-minute-plus section that beats the show into submission and ends it poignantly. Parts of that song (and that specific performance), I believe, appeared on Weasels Ripped My Flesh but in a different version.

This CD is one of my most recent Mothers purchases, and I can't stop listening to it. The second half of it, as long as you're OK with the lack of vocals, is practically untouchable. In the liner notes, Zappa calls it a "fair" performance (this was one of the last Zappa-related albums released before his death), but he'd never admit that it was great. I'll admit it: it's great.

Can't find any audio for this specific album, but here are The Mothers of Invention in 1968

going

completely

nuts.

The Mothers of Invention - Playground Psychotics (2xCD, 1992)

Ready to get hardcore?

Playground Psychotics is not for the casual Mothers fan. The vitals: 57 tracks, clocking in at 132 minutes. The majority of the tracks are hand-held-recorded audio tape snippets of the band between shows. On the bus. In the hotels. Backstage. Talking. The version of "Billy the Mountain" on this collection is the unedited one. It is over a half an hour long. Just look at the back cover of this thing. Scared? You should be.

The good news: Thanks to technology (and by that, I mean iTunes), you can pare this thing down to a great little live album, one that supplements both Fillmore East - June 1971 and Just Another Band from L.A. quite well. Yes, this is Flo & Eddie-era Mothers, back for one more crack at it. If you're a huge fan of this version of the Mothers, this collection will give you a crazy boner. If you're not, this will do nothing to change your opinion. But I have to say, some of the best second-version-of-the-Mothers stuff resides in these discs. I'll break that down in a bit. First, I have to tell you how this sprawling set is designed to be listened to.

Set up like a sort-of audio documentary, the album is sequenced thusly: Tracks 1-11 on Disc 1 are "A Typical Day On the Road, Part 1." These are audio bits of the band traveling, trying to coordinate a photo shoot, getting to the hotel, etc. This stuff will bore you to tears if you don't know who these people are. If you do, it's quite interesting. Once or twice.

Tracks 12-21 are a mix of live recordings from the '70-'71 tours, a nice mix of noisy experimental stuff ("Zanti Serenade," "Don't Eat There," "Super Grease") and more traditional songs, some of which might be familiar ("Sleeping in a Jar," "Sharleena," "Cruising for Burgers"). The recordings are great, and all the songs are played really well. It's all made to sound like one big show, but I know there's substantial editing throughout the whole thing.

Tracks 22-26 were recorded during the same shows as the Fillmore LP, but weren't released (by Zappa, at least) until this album came out. They feature (and this has always been so weird to me) John Lennon and Yoko Ono, and are some of the most surreal recordings of the Mothers I've ever heard. The band does five songs with Lennon on guitar and vocals, and Yoko on vocals as well. "Well" is a blues number that John says he "used to play in the Cavern in Liverpool" but hasn't played in a long time. Yoko yelps along in the background, and after a few verses, Lennon screams "Zappa!" and FZ busts loose with an incredible guitar solo. It's great.

"Say Please" is about a minute of everyone screeching at what I'm assuming is Zappa's commands, because they're quite tight. "Aaawk" is Zappa and Lennon jamming while Yoko warbles and screeches. "Scumbag," which is easily the highlight here, is a rambling rock number that just repeats the title of the song over and over. There's some vocal improv, but it's really the instruments that get a workout. It's a terrific song. It's followed by the aptly named "A Small Eternity With Yoko Ono," which is basically six minutes of Yoko cry-singing over feedback. Good luck with that one. Still - historic recording? Methinks so.

Tracks 1-10 on Disc 2 comprise "A Typical Day On the Road, Part 2." It's more of the band rambling, and it's occasionally funny. Tracks 11-19 are more live tracks (interspersed with a few talking spots), and they're the best part of this whole set. The band runs through "Status Back Baby," "Concentration Moon," and "Mom & Dad," before launching into the mega-mad rock operatics of "Billy the Mountain." I think I said it before, but attempting to explain "Billy the Mountain" is impossible. My ex-roommate who used to drunkenly sing along to the entire 30 minutes of it on a nightly basis could probably break it down for you, but I've never been able to wrap my head around it.

Disc 2 wraps up with 12 tracks collected as "The True Story of 200 Motels," which isn't much more than audio taken from the film of the same name. Phew. It's a lot to listen to, folks. But take out the talking and some of the more questionable tracks (I'm looking at you, Yoko), and you've got yourself some great Mothers live shit. Seriously. Flo & Eddie doing "Mom & Dad" is actually a little bit moving.

The Mothers and Lennon at the Fillmore - (site might be NSFW)