It is quite hard to categorize the music of Faith No More. Unfortunately, Angel Dust, FNM's follow-up to their wildly successful 1989 release, The Real Thing, is an incredibly difficult album to put into any one musical category.
Expect funk, metal, traditional rock, instrumental, samples, and insanity to spare from this gem. Released in 1992, Angel Dust was far ahead of its time.
The Players (Just who are those guys?)
Mike “Puffy” Bordin: Drums
Roddy Bottum: Keyboards
Billy Gould: Bass
Jim Martin: Guitar
Mike Patton: Vocals
The Songs
1) "Land of Sunshine": Quite a barnburner to kick off the album. To quickly demonstrate that Angel Dust is the black sheep of rock music, laughter, and carnival music accompany the chorus. Billy Gould steps forward and really turns up the bass on this one. Catchy in its own maniacal way.
2) "Caffeine": More metal leanings than the first track. Jim Martin’s guitar work pounds in your face as Mike Patton effortlessly switches between a frantic yell and a harmonized chorus.
3) "Midlife Crisis": This, the first single, was the biggest radio hit from Angel Dust and got a fair amount of airplay by MTV. Of course, by now MTV was in full-on grunge mode. The video didn’t get the same amount of airtime as "Epic," not by a long shot.
4) "RV": One of the oddest songs on a strange album. Basically, Mike Patton takes on the character of a man who is poor, white trailer trash. He just sits around watching TV and sweating, only getting up every once and a while to beat his wife and maybe even his kids. About half of "RV" is spoken word, while the other half is sung.
5) "Smaller and Smaller": "Smaller and Smaller" features some of the trademark Mike Patton high-pitched, frantic screams. The sound he creates using his voice defies competent explanation. The song itself fits in perfectly with Angel Dust. It’s not the catchiest song, but it’s far from filler material.
6) "Everything’s Ruined": One of my favorites on Angel Dust. There is a certain quality to it right from the start, with Roddy Bottum's simple keyboard pattern, that allows the band to convey emotion through their music.
By my interpretation of the lyrics, Patton is singing about a former friend who became money hungry and didn’t hesitate to treat people that he used to call “friends” like garbage.
He made us proud
He made us rich
But how were we to know he’s counterfeit?
"Everything's Ruined" also features one of the coolest rhythm sections I’ve ever had the pleasure of hearing.
Mike “Puffy” Bordin’s tribal drum beats and Billy Gould’s thumping bass work perfectly together on this tune.
7) "Malpractice": Just when you thought things couldn’t get any weirder you get a song about a woman who is afraid to get an operation. What is strange about it: Once the doctor starts operating, she realizes she loves having his hands inside of her! I don’t listen to "Malpractice" much, but it’s a pretty cool concept. I’d rate this one something like "Smaller and Smaller." It’s not filler material, but it’s probably not one you’ll find yourself singing along to much.
8) "Kindergarten": Another favorite of mine from Angel Dust. This is the type of song that can evoke many different memories and emotions. The premise returns to one’s old elementary school to find that things aren’t the way they used to seem. One wonders where the time went and why everything on the playground is so small.
Carve my initials in a tree
I will never leave
Maybe someday I’ll be royalty
9) "Be Aggressive": Quite a fun song. It starts with haunting organ music and then bursts into a catchy singalong sound that features, of all things, cheerleaders in the chorus. Roddy Bottum (the keyboardist, who also happens to be gay) penned this one. When asked what the song was about he replied, “Swallowing.” As with many FNM songs, "Be Aggressive" appears to be a catchy little song on the surface, but there is a sort of sick humor beneath the shiny exterior.
10) "A Small Victory": A pretty popular single from Angel Dust, alongside "Midlife Crisis". The video is one of FNM’s best. Like "Falling to Pieces" from The Real Thing, FNM’s previous release, "A Small Victory" is probably the most pop-friendly song on Angel Dust.
There is some underlying intelligence in the lyrics that may grab listeners. Mike Patton said that his dad used to coach baseball and would never accept anything less than a win. "A Small Victory" can be interpreted in many ways. In the video, the lyrics are used as an anti-war/anti-violence message.
11) "Crack Hitler": In the same vein as "Malpractice" or "RV," "Crack Hitler" has a strange story told in it.
Basically, this guy sits around and smokes crack until his brain goes haywire and he begins to think that he’s Adolf Hitler! The really crazy thing about that is the character is actually black. With a tune reminiscent of blaxploitation films, "Crack Hitler" manages to be quite intriguing.
12) "Jizzlobber": A great one to listen to in live performances. It is one of the hardest-rocking songs on Angel Dust. Mike Patton almost tears his vocal cords out with his insane yells and screams. It’s definitely worth a listen.
13) "Midnight Cowboy": A rather weird choice to cap off a rather weird album. It’s a cover of the classic theme song from the 1969 movie Midnight Cowboy. It's is an atmospheric tune that film enthusiasts are sure to recognize.
Some of the Coolest Lyrics
“Does emotional music have quite an effect on you?”—"Land of Sunshine"
“Drinking fountains are shorter than they used to be/Swings on the playground don’t even fit me anymore.”—"Kindergarten"
“If I speak at one constant volume/At one constant pitch/At one constant rhythm/Right into your ear/You still won’t hear.”—"A Small Victory"
Songs To Look Out For (What seems to hook listeners the fastest?)
"Midlife Crisis"
"A Small Victory"
"Everything’s Ruined"
The Final Word (Is it worth a listen?)
I’ll say it again: Faith No More will one day be regarded as one of the most influential bands of the 1990s. After the incredibly successful The Real Thing, most bands would have sat back and produced more of the same. I can confidently say that FNM were more than capable of doing just that. Through the years, each of their albums touched upon some of the pop sensibilities that immortalized The Real Thing, yet FNM were never satisfied with simply trying to write for the masses.
But unlike many other bands who tasted similar success, Faith No More took a gamble when they easily could have remained on top of the world by writing The Real Thing Part 2. They put out an album that turned many music fans on their proverbial ears.
Musically, Angel Dust has more depth than The Real Thing, but lyrically it is much of the same. I would say that it sonically outshines its predecessor by taking so many chances, but it fails to grab listeners as quickly. Angel Dust is an album that may take a little warming up to.
I honestly can’t think of another band in history that followed up a platinum-plus album with such a risky release. It’s not like FNM didn’t know what they were putting out.
As a matter of fact, guitarist Jim Martin went on record saying he was very unhappy with Angel Dust. He was fired from the band in 1994. Mike Patton said that Jim “wanted us to sound like Metallica or something.”
I think Jim’s problem with Angel Dust was that it didn’t follow traditional rock roots as closely as The Real Thing. There is much less guitar work to be marveled at on Angel Dust, but the tones are still produced nearly perfectly.
But I guess the real question is "Does Angel Dust deliver?" In a word, yes. In many words, it truly delivers, but it may take more than one listen to get you hooked. If you decide to check this one out, be sure to listen to it five or 10 times before passing final judgment.
Angel Dust is a classic in its own right, but it may take time to recognize the genius masked behind the insanity.
