Disco de Faith No More: “King For A Day, Fool For A Lifetime”

"King For a Day, Fool For a Lifetime" is often maligned as the failed Faith No More album-- with Trey Spruance from Mr. Bungle replacing departed guitarist Jim Martin and joining his Bungle bandmate Mike Patton, the results are in many ways as expected. With the benefit of history, its clear this is the most Patton-driven Faith No More album. Given that I approach Faith No More as a Mike Patton fan, and its his work that interests me, its no suprise that this is my favorite Faith No More record.

While the influence of Spruance and Patton on this recording is obvious, this is not like its contemporary Mr. Bungle albums (although in some ways, it is similar to "California"). The record is an excercise in spreading the wings, musically, of the band, and succeeds best when they move into different genres-- the jazz-inflected grooves of "Evidence" (a feature for Spruance's guitar playing) and "Caralho Voador" (a vocal feature for Patton), the horn-driven "lounge metal" sound of "Star A.D." and the countryesque ballad "Take This Bottle" (with one of Patton's best "straight" vocals) are all superb, not to mention the Bunglish "Cuckoo for Caca" and "Ugly in the Morning"-- neither of these would be altogether out of place on a Mr. Bungle album.

The material that feels more like the other Faith No More pieces works well too-- benefiting largely from superior arrangement and variety of sonic approaches ("Get Out", "King For a Day", "The Gentle Art of Making Enemies", "Digging the Grave").

Long story short, if you approach Faith No More as a Mike Patton fan or a Mr. Bungle fan rather than an alternative/metal fan, this is the album to start with, it is bar none their best.

This album grabbed my attention and turned me onto the band. The main reasons being:

VARIETY OF TUNES. PATTONS VOCALS.

It has staying power and is still enjoyed after many, many frequent listens now 6 years on, making it one of the favourites.

The variety of tunes is great. Ranging from the heavier/Scary (ugly in the Morning/Cuckoo for Caca) to the jazzy (Star AD) and the dramatic yet touching ballads (Just a man). One thing overlooked is that the songs generally utilise more dynamic, complex sections, making the album that much more sophisticated and exciting to listen to. This may have something to do with the guitarist from MR. Bungle filling in on this particular FNM recording.

Patton proves himself as an outstanding vocalist, due to variations in singing style, not only between songs but within (Listen to the Art of making enemies). Pattton COULD, HAS and DOES sing soft touching ballads that would please your mother and material that would impress death metal fans. One must be blown away when they hear his vocal range (CHECK OUT solo work/other projects of Pattons: Like: "Themes for adult voice", The "3 Mr. Bungle albums", His other bands self titled debut album "Fantomas", and even an appearance he makes on 1 partilcular song on "Sepulturas" classic album titled "Roots".) One must comment it is pleasing to hear that Patton has lost that original, perhaps nasal tone to his voice that was displayed on the classic "Real Thing" in 1989.

So if you like bands/artists that :

can play a range of dynamic tunes,

Have tightness and diversity demostrated in song and playing,

Outstanding vocals due to versatility through extremeness in range

THEN GET THIS.

The main criticisms of this album are only valid if you're only interested in the 'classic' FNM releases featuring the great Jim Martin and prominent keyboards. There ARE keyboards all over the album, unlike some would have you believe...they're just not mixed to the foreground as in other FNM releases. It's a matter of personal choice and open-mindedness as to whether or not you'll enjoy it in comparison. Trey Spruance came up with fantastic guitar parts that are HUGE yet musical and complex, easily as good as (the excellent) Jim Martin's best work. And Mike Patton's vocals are astounding, and clear in the mix, unlike on other FNM releases where he's heavily processed or dripping in reverb (not that there's anything wrong with that!). And the SONGS are great! there's only ONE track i don't like, as opposed to when i listen to 'Album of the Year' which has just a few great songs...

My experience with FNM was the first album with Mike Patton leading (who was not the original vocalist) was good, but the second album Angel Dust for me took them to an all new level. Very risky in a lot of ways, but brilliantly diverse and very well played with a lot of the styles of song on that record being replicated by many bands in the future.

However King for a day... did about as much in terms of progression from Angel dust as they did from The Real Thing. What they created was another journey through different sort of types of song and sounds.

From the more commercial friendly stuff like "Ricochet" and "evidence", there is a lot of stuff which is reasonably accessable (ie not as far out as the Other Mike Patton venture Mr. Bungle) but pretty different right through, they have a wonderful ability on this record to give the sounds - eg the guitar and the voice a lot of chance to shine through. And the voice on this record for me puts Mike Patton as my favorite Vocalist - already on Angel Dust he did some great work but in this one there are a lot of incredible highlights - worth it for his performance alone.

My favorite tracks on it are the rocking "Digging the Grave", "King for a day" with it's great use of the Acoustic Guitar sound which is quite refreshing but the clear highlight (which is probably not for everyone) is the Awesome slower track at the end "Just a man" with a stunning vocal performance from Patton and a sensational build up through the song using a gospel sounding chorus.

It's not a consistent album through but I think that's a lot of it's charm.

...Mike Patton keeps progressing and experimenting. It seems this album is underrated and even hated by fans, but they're either idiots or just can't appreciate it. Sure, there is quite a bit of death metal screaming in the harder tracks, but that's Patton and his trademark lunacy. If you don't like, tough. This album is very eclectic and enjoyable...

"Get Out":Heavy metal funk, his girlfriend or someone is no fun, so GET OUT NOW!!!

"Richochet": More metal, lyrics about kharmification, I like the writing more than the tune. There's a ton of good poetry on this album. "It's always funny until someone get's hurt--and then it's just hilarious! You can laugh at me when it misses you".

"Evidence": Now it get's really good. Funky, slow contemporarily jazzy...matches perfectly a crime scene mood, as the tale about a murderer who "didn't feel a thing" gets hounded by unemotional cops who say "you won't even feel me".

"The Gentle Art Of Making Enemies": Deranged, darkly humourous, all the good FNM ingredients. Could it be through the eyes of a bully? A son angry at his corporate father? An aggresive girlfriend towards her passive businessman boyfriend? You be the judge.

"Star A.D.": Swing/burlesque influenced hotcha, geat lyrics about how Christianity was made to keep you a slave, a "little joke that's understood", a "dead fact of history", "a legend". Sort of like "Mouth To Mouth" on Album Of The Year, except the attack is against a specified religion, hence the name.

"Cuckoo For Caca": The wildest, most insane Bunglesque number--in music and in lyrics. Paranoid of pure white, dull flowers and surfaces and gods who give people addictions to things which are the equivalent of "turds on our lips"? ME too!

"Caralhoo Voador": Soft, breezin' latin samba, but on the brink of snapping because...the song is about a classy, sexy giggolo who is sick of looking so **** cool all the time, so much he might run someone over in his hot car.

"Ugly In THe Morning": Alright, maybe this is the most insane. Angry, bad day, I look ugly, I hate the perfect, kind of thing. Screaming 'til the lunacy is gone.

"Digging The Grave": What is comfortable is not nescisarily what is good, just like selling yourself out for riches and cookies. If Fight Club appealed to you, this song will as well.

"Take This Bottle": Country styled love ballad. Comes off as being fake emotion, but with Patton you never know...

"King For A Day": This elusive dream flowin' track reminds me of the Talking Heads' "Memories Can't Wait". Both are about drinking alcohol to excess at a party, but this one is more about selling his soul for one day of everything awesome and bliss. The ending progression creates the imagery of dying, as does the Heads tune.

"What A DAy": Sounds a little like Nirvana's "Breed", or atleast the chorus. I think it's about people talking about a murderer who they knew, and saying ignorantly "I should've noticed it, I should've killed it, etc.". It could also about the thoughts and the feelings of a suicidal man, and the people talking about noticing the warning signs.

"The Last To Know": More rock influence. Alright, didn't care for it much, good lyrics...I tend to repeat words, noticed that?

"Just A Man": Just brilliant, perfecto, a Faith No More classic. "Man was born to love--though he has often sought Like Icarus, to fly high. I am just a man." The church chorus works wonderful, a narley ending. No one uses narley anymore...

ok, that is it, review over. GET THIS ALBUM NOW OR ELSE...you'll miss out on some gooooood music.