Wiki
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Release Date
23 March 1999
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Length
10 tracks
California is the third album by the innovative experimental rock band Mr Bungle, released on the 13th July 1999. The styles that are present in this album include surf, thrash metal, doo-wop, rockabilly, circus, kecak, balladry and eastern music amongst many others, which is typical of Mr Bungle's genre-hopping madness. Many people are of the opinion that it is by far the band's most accessible, and 'normal' album. Rolling Stone has put this in various "essential albums" lists.
It was supposed to be released on June 8, 1999; but Warner Bros. chose instead to release the similarly-titled Californication by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Allegedly, this was done out of fear of retribution from Anthony Kiedis. This is the reason for the refueling of the tensions between the two bands - both Patton and Kiedis had forgotten about the Faith No More video incident of 1990 (where Kiedis accused Patton of stealing his style).
Going by credits alone, Mike Patton has contributed more to this album than any other member of the band. Additionally, this is the most Patton has contributed (in terms of songwriting) to any Mr. Bungle album.
The album kicks off with the mellow, yet beautifully sweeping Sweet Charity, with gorgeous melodic vocals from the great Mike Patton. Its chorus especially is hard not to love. Next comes the rockabilly/metal/jazz weirdness of None Of Them Knew They Were Robots. Trey Spruance delivers a funky guitar lick near the beginning, before many unpredicable twists and turns render you speechless. Retrovertigo is one of their most straightforward, acoustic tracks, uncharacteristic of Bungle's oddity, nevertheless, Mike Patton delivers once again a truly beautiful vocal performance, which demands you to sing along.
A mere calm before the storm of surf, metal and eastern music amalgamated in The Air Conditioned Nightmare and Ars Moriendi, which is nothing short of spectacular. Then the sixth track, Pink Cigarette, quite possibly the greatest Mr Bungle song ever. A dark, crooning number, first thought is that it's a love-song, until you listen to the lyrics and realize it is a suicide note. Again, more unforgettable singing from Mike.
Pink Cigarette then gives way to a typically bizarre track, Golem II: The Bionic Vapour Boy, featuring odd bleeping electronic noises, behind some fantastically weird, yet almost funny robotic singing, not a favourite track at first, but it grows on you, and you'll soon love it. This is the same for the Holy Filament, not the most outstanding track at first, but give it a few listens, and you're hooked instantly to its majestic beauty, listening to every heart-felt note sung by the legend that is Mike Patton.
The last two tracks, Vanity Fair and Goodbye Sober Day take you through a parallel universe of doo-wop, dark pop, chanting and twisted metal. Vanity Fair has bizarre lyrics about eunuchs and self-castration, along with some uplifting yet twisted doo-wop inspired rock. Goodbye Sober Day is the perfect closer for the greatest album that has ever graced my ears, and nothing can ever beat it.
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