What are you listening to right now?

[ChetMagongalo]

The song I posted reminds me a lot of Animal Collective for some reason, I think if someone told me it was a song from a new album of theirs I would believe them.

[D.o.S.]

I was going to post Graceland, the album that brought music to Africa, but I figured that would be rude.

[casecandy]

I was going to post Graceland, the album that brought music to Africa, but I figured that would be rude.

LOL

People frequently accuse this album, as well as similar, lesser albums by Peter Gabriel, Paul McCartney, David Byrne, etc., as stealing or appropriating African music, but so far as I know, all of them gave full credit where credit was due. I even checked my LP of Graceland and it mentions the mbaqanga scene and what it meant during apartheid, etc. As he put it:

What was unusual about Graceland is that it was on the surface apolitical, but what it represented was the essence of the anti-apartheid in that it was a collaboration between blacks and whites to make music that people everywhere enjoyed. It was completely the opposite from what the apartheid regime said, which is that one group of people were inferior. Here, there were no inferiors or superiors, just an acknowledgement of everybody’s work as a musician. It was a powerful statement.

Anyway, if you could be my bodyguard, I could be your long-lost pal.

[D.o.S.]

Oh well played, sir.

[snipelfritz]

^^Probably the same people who call Huck Finn or Heart of Darkness racist.

I'm listening to Faith No More's The Real Thing for the first time. Is this supposed to get good at some point or something?

I can never tell if my aversion to late 80's/early 90's style production of rock music (particularly hard rock drums) is clouding my judgement. Besides Epic, which I already thought was an ok song, is there supposed to be something else I'm missing, or can I stop listening to this?

[D.o.S.]

Epic kinda sucks too.

[snipelfritz]

Epic kinda sucks too.

It's an alright song. For some reason, I just always got the impression that there was something special to Mike Patton I needed to look into. Apparently, I was very wrong. the rest of this album is pretty god-awful.

I'd rather listen to Living Colour. That's for sure. In fact, now I am.

To this day, I find a lot of bands of the 80's/90's sound too clean in their production. I'm sure that's not an entirely unpopular opinion here.

I dunno, just thoughts, random thoughts. Also, having actually recorded in a relatively professional studio gives me a new perspective on the sorts of things I've had opinions on for a long time.

[D.o.S.]

There's some cool Mike Patton stuff out there, but IMO none of it involves Faith No More.

You might dig this album more, but it's a pretty situational listen -- I mean I'm listening to it now but mostly because I had to find it on the Youtubes (and I'm a little high and this is a fucking fantastic headphone record):
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITEDFYdLHFA[/youtube]

You will almost definitely hate the second song, but it is better than FNM. Maybe you won't hate it. I kind of hate it.

WHoops wrong record nevermind.

[snipelfritz]

A couple tracks in: it's not bad, interesting and worth the listen, but there's definitely a silliness/lightness to a lot of the instruments/vocal tones that I find it very hard to really accept as really worthwhile music. Of course I have very similar qualms with artists like Zappa and similar things.

The name is incredibly fitting. It definitely exploits a lot of the sort of Californian feels that make me go "uugggghhh k, go smoke another joint and be quiet while the adults talk."

Like I said, it's not bad, but also really all of the sounds are just too "round" for my palette. It's very Californian. I can't really explain what I mean by that, it just is.

The thing I like about the first two tracks are the sudden changes, very cool.

[casecandy]

Epic kinda sucks too.

To this day, I find a lot of bands of the 80's/90's sound too clean in their production. I'm sure that's not an entirely unpopular opinion here.

It's a pretty common opinion. The bands were great but the production was not so much. The ubiquity of dimed chorus pedals, coupled with mega reverb on all percussion, ensured that even the best music from the era is dated today. However, the best bands transcend this, so that it becomes endearing (cf. The Replacements, Julian Cope). IMO I learned to stop worrying and love '80s production years ago.

Unpopular-ish opinion: Mike Patton is a talented vocalist. But Faith No More weren't that great. One step further... FNM did not showcase how talented Patton actually is.

-----

There's some cool Mike Patton stuff out there, but IMO none of it involves Faith No More.

EDIT: I just read this now, so yeah, +1. Big cosign from me. I'll see your Mr. Bungle and raise you any collaboration with John Zorn.

[foomanfat]

I'll take Mr Bungle over any other Patton, excepting maybe Fantomas/Melvins Big Band.
California is such a great record.

[backwardsvoyager]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KgILCie8sc[/youtube]

[D.o.S.]

Painkiller is pretty rad when you're up for it.

[Eivind August]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHSQwExlEfk[/youtube]

[Strange Tales]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ik-Fp2defYk[/youtube]