Mr. Bungle - Mr. Bungle
|
List Price: Our Price: $6.15 You Save: $3.83 (38%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $3.55 (click here) Category: Music CD See more new music releases 
|
|---|
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
Free Music Notes for Mr. Bungle
Free Music Review: Brilliant Album, Worst Pressing Ever
Hit: 1 Stars
First of all, let me say Mr. Bungle's first two albums are two of the finest hours of music ever recorded. Which is why the Plain Recordings 180-gram vinyl pressings are such an abomination.
Pressed at the lowest volume level of any LPs I have ever heard, and on apparently the lowest quality vinyl available, these albums come out of the shrink-wrap full of dirt, surface noise, and violent skips.
In a time when lameness seems to be the standard, it is still nearly impossible for me to imagine the thought process that went behind these pressings. The people at Plain Recordings should give a full refund to everyone unfortunate enough to have bought them, without asking for the completely useless items to be sent back.
Free Music Review: REVIEW FOR VINYL REISSUE!
Hit: 2 Stars
How lame is it that Amazon dumps all the reviews for the CD into the vinyl listing? They are 2 completely different items and should be reviewed separately.
If I were to review the debut by Mr. Bungle on CD it would easily get 5 stars. But there are plenty of reviews you can read about the actual music.
I want to warn people about the vinyl re-issue. Being someone who loves vinyl, I was SO excited to hear that this brilliant album was going to once again be released on wax. I got home and threw it on. The album starts with silence, and then a bottle smashing, and then powerful distorted sustained chords kick in. But the 'power' wasn't there.
I immediately turned my record player up to the MAXIMUM volume, and still, it sounded weak.
I don't know if I got unlucky or all copies are like this, but the volume is ridiculously low. There is also a lot of scratchiness in the quieter sections of songs, to the point where the scratchiness is louder than the music. During the intro to `Girls of Porn' (the talking section) I could hardly here the dialogue. I barely got through listening to the album and wanted to instead grab the CD.
Very disappointing, it seems the vinyl mastering was done very poorly. This album deserved so much better. I wouldn't bother getting this, get the CD instead (I never thought I'd say that!). I wonder if Disco Volante is the same way (?). I have an original pressing of that album and it sounds great.
Free Music Review: Rarely is tastelessness rendered as tasteful
Hit: 3 Stars
3 1/2
Enthrallingly weird major label debut is a powerful, if tiring experience down the minds of musical madness. For a band that became synonymous with harnessing the true power of fragmentation, a slight majority of tracks here do not add up to a convincing experience, compounded greatly by the unfortunate enslavement to this evil circus theme they were going for at the time. But how many moments jut out of this compositional schizophrenia brilliantly? So many, you will be embarrassed listening to this album in your retirement years simply to mine so many of those beautifully ugly swells of unhinged passion amidst the carnie haze and perverted minutia.
Free Music Review: Lost in a carnival of doom!
Hit: 5 Stars
Mr. Bungle must laugh at new-school bands helplessly trying to fuse a mere couple of styles, like rap and metal, when they themselves - 10+ years ago - effortlessly jumped between just about any rock genre you can think of.
Their self-titled debut I would describe as a circus-themed funk-metal record... or something like that. And it is irresistibly groovy, creepy and entertaining throughout the whole thing. Within a single song on the record, don't be surprised to find elements of about a dozen genres, and don't be surprised if you find yourself laughing maniacally and banging your head relentlessly back and forth, wondering how the hell something so weird and extreme can be so utterly delightful. The explanation may be that however indigestible this may seem to be, it's still surprisingly memorable. Mostly because of Mike Pattons superb, over-the-top (in a good way) vocal performance. More than on anything else I've heard him on, 'Mr. Bungle' showcases his mad skills and equally mad creativity as a singer. He can growl, he can scream, he can croon, he can... rant-rap?.. or whatever it is he does on "Squeeze Me Macaroni".
And he manages to make it all sound so intriguing that you'll keep listening and keep coming back to this record, awe-inspired. Not to bring ANY disrespect to the band, Patton is merely the force that fascinates you at first sight. Trey Spruances extreme talent for creating anything from crushingly heavy riffs to funky ska-like licks; Trevor Dunn's almost Les Claypool-ish energy-groove and Danny Heifetz's competent, varied, skillful though never spotlight-stealing drumming, and the two-man (I think) horn-section, is what lays the groundwork for Pattons talent to reach its full potential here, and is truly one of the best, most groundbreaking and fun instrumental performances I've ever heard - from any band!
This is, without a doubt, one of the best experimental, genre-bending records I've ever heard, only surpassed by some of the very best Zappa-stuff - and if you're even remotely into that stuff, don't sleep on this gem!
Free Music Review: excellent music
Hit: 5 Stars
This album is by far one of the most original pieces of music I have ever heard. These guys go above and beyond in creativity. Best way to describe it in a certain form of genre is ska-metal-freak show schizo clown music.
The best way to listen to this album is from start to finish. Put it in not when you're in the mood for something soothing and relaxing, but when you're in the mood for something equally as crazy as it is technical as it is funny as it is good music. They don't go overboard with the technical aspect of the music, but it's quite apparent that it's there, it's just done at the exact right dose. However, many might say that it does go a little overboard on madness! Some of it just sounds plain deranged! But, I love it! Maybe you will too!