California

California is often a mess, but a beautiful mess. Full of ideas, urgence, innovation and fun. It results in an album that you would not expect at a major label. With great songs like "Sweet Charity", "None of Them Knew They Were Robots", "Ars Moriendi" and "Pink Cigarette". The problem is that after a while the silliness is abundant and weakens the result. I like Mike Patton as a person, but when reading Wikipedia about his RHCP parodies, I can't blame the RHCP for being annoyed. You can prove a point by pressing a cigarette butt in someone's arm, but is that an effective method... The same for this album: it could have been great (even fantastic), less is often more though. Still 3.5 stars rounded to 4 for the effort.

If Beck and The Stray Cats got their original demos mixed up and then re-mastered together by the ghost of Frank Zappa, you’d get 80% of the way to this album. ‘Bugs Bunny on peyote’ is a good way to describe this disc. And I’m here for it.

Pretty good

I’m surprised to read that this album will alienate some listeners of other Mr. Bungle works… I would think the risk of alienation would be coming from the more mainstream listener. Regardless, I am quite comfortable in this land and really enjoyed this odd journey! Interesting with a real bizarro-California sound.

My friend used to work in a photography lab at night and I was hanging out with him in there when he introduced me to this in absolute darkness on boom box. Couldn't believe what I was hearing.

The most accessible and probably also most consistent Mr. Bungle album. Mike Patton's one of the most prolific guys in music history, so of course he deserves more than one mention on a list like this. Love the band, love the album, love wacky weirdo bullshit in general. Five outta five.

You wanted to submit self-titled, didn’t you?

Mike Patton's other project. Technically Bungle predates Patton's time with Faith No More by virtue of him landing the vocalist job thanks to a Bungle demo, but the first Bungle album was released in part thanks to Patton's success with Faith No More. So, there you have it. Bungle makes weird rock music for weirdos by slamming a lot of contrasting music styles into any given song and having fun with it. This works best when there's contrasting tonality in said styles that creates a sort of dissonance. Doo-wop with progressive metal? Surf rock with an avant-garde edge? Why not! This album certainly evokes the reality of California by twisting the Beach Boys sound to reveal the untamed underbelly of it's denizens. Actual California is dirty and filled with all kinds of unruly characters, which Mr. Bungles aims to capture here. Does a pretty good job on that front. Every song is distinct and stands out in different ways but it also feels a little overwhelming on first listen. In truth I'm not 100% sure what to make of this but the final product is intriguing. Worth your time just for the beeps on Pink Cigarette alone. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Nah. Too out there for 1001 I think. Save it for the more dedicated Mike Patton fans to appreciate on their own.

This album is utterly batshit. It's no wonder why Retrovertigo and Pink Cigarette are the two biggest songs off this album, as they are perhaps the only two tracks on this album with some semblance of normality. That factor both works for me and irks me, as sometimes the insanity is a nice refresher when it comes to music in general, because it makes you look at music in general even deeper than you would otherwise, albeit only for a little bit. But also, I found myself missing the status quo by the end of this album because while every single track had a part I loved, or better yet, a whole song I enjoyed, but often times that joy would require a little bit of sifting around in the pits of silly little guy Hell. The music is goofy, but almost frighteningly so, not dissimilar to Frank Zappa or the Residents. It works for me at times, while other parts I start to find myself output, or even worse, bored and ready for the song to wrap up. I'm all for a wild time, but I feel like the pacing of each individual song brings down the whole experience, if just a tad. Mike Patton is an insane vocal powerhouse, and the instrumentation is also very impressive, but do not go in seeking Pink Cigarette ten times. Not that I mind, just was a lot... wilder than I was expecting, and I have to mull over if I appreciate that a little longer.

This is bonkers

A wholly different experience than ‘Easter Bunny’ and one where Bungle shows their chops. There’s an insane mix of ska and metal stylings on this LP, and every time you think you’ve found the rhythm of where this album is going it changes up on you. The back half lacks in the prominent melodicism that makes the front so enjoyable and the listen gets a bit fatiguing, but even then there’s no denying the originality and uniqueness of this LP (which is what this list should be about!).

I do believe that I had heard of Mr Bungle previously, although I can't claim to have heard Mr Bungle. I am genuinely unsure whether I appreciate this album or not. On the one hand, it is a rare album for me that specifically resolves itself into a "I should listen to this again to see if it grows on me" as a first reaction. On the other hand, why isn't it something I like on the first listen? I'm really going to have to give a holding response so I can attempt it again on a quiet Sunday afternoon when I've already had as many baths as someone can reasonably have.

Interesting in places

Call me square but I can't cope with madness and find little pleasure even if I admire the invention.

Not sure what I expected here but it wasn't this. I'm sure its very clever and everyone involved is clearly very talented, but the sort of avant-Elvis groove just did not do it for me.

Interesting! 3 stars.

Lite kluven här. Ena stunden jättebra. Andra stunden inte fullt så bra.

Experimental pop, doo-wop, noise. Ni fu ni fa.

This album had a lot going on. From Jazz, rock, Balkan Folk to metal. Sometimes even in the same song (looking at you, Ars Moriendi). Maybe just not exactly over the top, so it stays enjoyable.

Rating: 6/10 Best songs: Retrovertigo

This list is really testing my patience now