Newsgroup: it.arti.musica.rock
Titolo: [Mr. Bungle] Articolo (lungo)

http://www.furious.com/perfect/mrbungle.html
The Unclassifiable and Ever-Evolving Music of Mr. Bungle by Scott McGaughey
(Sept 1999)
In the liner notes for Film Music Volume II, an Ennio Morricone collection
released in 1988, John Zorn discussed the new musician of the information
century. Zorn noted that such a musician "felt comfortable in all genres,
yet fits conveniently into none." Mr. Bungle is a group which exemplifies
Zorn's sentiment perfectly. And it was Zorn who offered support early on,
when he produced Mr. Bungle, their self-titled, Warner Bros. debut in 1991.
Bungle's debut was a sick affair brimming with artwork consisting of drunk
and bloodied clowns and covering such lyrical topics as masturbation ("The
Girls of Porn"), having sex with various foods ("Squeeze Me Macaroni") and a
young boy hanging himself with his mother's underwear ("Dead Goon"). The
album earned a "Parental Advisory" warning, but one quick listen proved that
Bungle intended to do more than simply gross you out. Musically, Mr. Bungle
mixed metal, funk, ska, carnival music, free jazz (including Zorn's solo on
"Love is a Fist") and much more, usually earning them a "funk/metal" tag.
Highlights included the insane "My Ass Is On Fire" and "Travolta," which
subtlety included vocal quotations from Grease. Among non-musical highlights
were Kentucky Fried Chicken commercial outtakes and recordings of the band
on a train-hopping adventure. Mr. Bungle is an album so densely packed that
one discovers new sounds on each listen, no matter how many times you've
heard it. The album expanded Bungle's cult following which they had achieved
from their previous demos, among them The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny
and OU818. The album sold well despite a lack of radio airplay and MTV's
decision to ban their video for "Travolta" (reportedly due to images of band
members dangling on meat hooks). However, even at this point in their
existence, Bungle didn't seem interested in sticking to one style. Written
years before it reached the public, Mr. Bungle contained a sound that the
group had already moved away from.
It wasn't until 1995 that Bungle's evolution was revealed with their second
album, Disco Volante. Influenced by everything from Italian horror film
soundtracks to lounge-y Sci-Fi music, DV remains one of the most eclectic
albums in recent memory. Much was made of the album's "difficult" music and
its lack of actual songs. Obviously, Mr. Bungle were not crafting three
minute sing-alongs, but to dismiss DV as random noise is absurd. Each piece
is precise, confrontational and varied. The band flawlessly mated alien
genres resulting in the Morricone-Penderecki tango of "Violenza Domestica,"
the Middle Eastern Techno of "Desert Search for Techno Allah," and the
Motown-ish Death Metal band of "Merry Go Bye Bye." Much of the album's
lyrics were in foreign languages and at times from other worlds (the
strangled, scat-singing of "Ma Meeshka Mow Skwoz"). The new sound of DV
surely alienated some fans of Bungle's debut, while the label "funk/metal"
was replaced by "avant-garde" or "experimental." But Bungle has no desire to
be pigeonholed, regardless of how hip their current tag is. The band seems
almost insistent on avoiding any predictions or expectations. With that in
mind, Bungle's new album, California, is something completely different from
DV.
California shows Bungle's ability to craft actual songs. This album is a
welcome surprise for those who found DV too manic and wished that Bungle
would expand on only a few ideas per track. Where DV quickly packed 15
sections into some songs, California takes its time developing 5 sections in
greater depth. As usual, the album is consistently amazing as Bungle
explores a Beach Boys surf rocker ("The Air-Conditioned Nightmare"), a sad
ballad ("Pink Cigarette"), Rockabilly ("None Of Them Knew They Were Robots")
and the musical marriage of P-Funk and Nino Rota ("Golem II: The Bionic
Vapour Boy"). But the album's natural centerpiece is the
techno-surf-metal-gypsy hoedown "Ars Moriendi," which combines DV's quick
genre changes with California's catchy brevity. Quickly becoming known as
Bungle's "pop" album, California is like no pop music you've heard before.
Each song is packed with detailed layers of original samples, keyboards,
percussion and blissful melodies. Even if their latest musical direction
turns off some of their avant-garde fanbase, Bungle doesn't seem to care.
With California ending the long wait after DV, this raises the obligatory
question: What has Mr. Bungle been doing for nearly four years?
As a band, Mr. Bungle has been less than prolific. But as individuals, they
are some of the busiest musicians around. Easily the most visible member of
Mr. Bungle is vocalist Mike Patton. Known primarily as Faith No More's
frontman, Patton has been mostly involved in adventurous and experimental
collaborations and projects. After contributing his voice to Zorn's Elegy in
1992, he's become increasingly identified with the Zorn/Downtown scene,
though never becoming ubiquitous. His two solo albums on Zorn's Tzadik label
contain his most esoteric work yet. Adult Themes for Voice (1995) features
Patton yelping and screaming into a four track, while Pranzo Oltranzista
(1997) finds Patton adding sound effects and subdued vocals to the guitar of
guest Marc Ribot. His most interesting activities have occurred since Faith
No More split last spring. Patton has started up a new band, Fantomas,
featuring the Melvins' Buzz Osborne on guitar, ex-Slayer drummer Dave
Lombardo and Bungle bassist Trevor Dunn. Patton suggests that the music of
Fantomas is constructed like a comic book. Each track on their self-titled
debut is referred to as a page, which are broken down in frames. Even more
"experimental" than Disco Volante, the only musical comparisons one could
make would be the spastic rock of Melt-Banana or the Boredoms. But Fantomas
isn't Patton's greatest undertaking of the moment. Along with his friend and
manager, Greg Werckman, Patton has launched Ipecac Records. In addition to
releasing Fantomas, Ipecac intends on putting out three new albums by the
Melvins in 1999 alone, not to mention Maldoror, Patton's collaboration with
Merzbow.
While Mike Patton's activities have been well-documented, the other members
of Mr. Bungle have been involved in similarly interesting projects.
Guitarist/keyboardist Trey Spruance has been busy with various bands,
including Faxed Head, a metal/grindcore group released through Amarillo
Records. However, his most exciting work has been with the Secret Chiefs 3.
More straightforward than Mr. Bungle, the Secret Chiefs still explore
numerous genres, while maintaining a heavy surf rock feel. Spruance's
interest in Indian and Middle Eastern music is consistently represented on
both of their albums, First Grand Constitution & By-Laws and Second Grand
Constitution & By-Laws. The Secret Chiefs' music can be purchased at
Spruance's website, Web of Mimicry (
www.humboldt1.com/~mimicry/
). Not only
does the Web of Mimicry sell Secret Chiefs and Mr. Bungle items but Spruance
has constructed a musical museum known as the "Gallery of Essentials." An
intimate online music store, the "Gallery" offers hard to find CD's at
reasonable prices and includes no bullshit reviews telling you what to
expect. The Gallery carries everything from Pierre Henry to Romanian gypsy
ensembles, in addition to composer Iannis Xenakis. Other selections offer
insight into what music has influenced Spruance and Mr. Bungle, namely Ennio
Morricone and German composer Peter Thomas.
The activities of the other Mr. Bungle members have been seemingly less
frequent, but exciting nonetheless. Bassist Trevor Dunn has become heavily
involved in jazz. He is constantly playing around San Francisco and
recording with pianist Graham Connah and members of the New Klezmer Trio, as
well as adding bass to the Secret Chiefs 3. Details of his work can be found
at "The Selected Discography of Trevor Dunn"
(
www.ozramp.net.au/~alien/trd.html
).
Saxophonist/Keyboardist Clinton McKinnon hasn't been quite as busy as his
bandmates, although he has recorded and toured with the Secret Chiefs 3
(quickly becoming Bungle members' home away from home).
Drummer Danny Heifetz has been busy with the country-ish rock band
Dieselhed. They recently toured with and served as backup band for Link
Wray, proving that Heifetz is just as comfortable playing stripped down
garage rock as he is playing the complicated music of Mr. Bungle.
The members that make up Mr. Bungle have been on an odd journey since the
release of their debut. Initially known to many as Mike Patton's "other
band," they've since become individually accomplished and respected
musicians - almost naturally growing into a "supergroup" of sorts. They
certainly have an unusual relationship with Warner Bros. Spruance stresses
that the label does not pressure the band with release deadlines or creative
constraints. Bungle and Warner Bros. are an unusual combination, and one
wonders why Warners keeps them on board. It is hard to think of similar
bands that are released through major labels. Only the Melvins during their
short time on Atlantic seem a valid comparison. It is hard to know whether
Bungle would change much if they were dropped by Warners. Could they afford
to record the type of music they write without the funding of a major label?
Perhaps the "pop" sound of California is an attempt to win new fans and keep
Warners happy. The band insists that the sound of California felt natural
and that making a Disco Volante 2 would have been too easy. It is pointless
to predict the changes in the ever-evolving sound of Mr. Bungle. The only
consistency being another dose of unclassifiable music, quietly unveiled to
an eager and curious world.

 The Unclassifiable and Ever-Evolving Music of Mr. Bungle by Scott
McGaughey
<cut>
Grazie Martino: smack! Smack! Smack! (Perché ti ritrai schifato di fronte
alle mie effusioni di riconoscenza? ;-DDDD)
E.

 alle mie effusioni di riconoscenza? ;-DDDD)
no, fer..., stai buono, urg... argh... e togliti il rossetto di Marylin
Manson prima, no?!?! ;-)))
ciao
martino

 Manson prima, no?!?! ;-)))
E il reggicalze che faccio, lo tengo?
(Ah, martino, se io non avessi già una storia col wag...) ;-DDD
E.
--
NP = Coldplay - "Parachutes"
Macy Gray - "On how life is"
Dave Matthews Band - "Before these crowded streets"
"Come ti gira dopo un colpo di pistola? Ti vedo un po' a corto di numeri; ci
provo gusto, me ne accorgo ed allora: non mi seccare coi tuoi alibi, alibi"
Subsonica - 'Colpo di pistola'

Martino:
 no, fer..., stai buono, urg... argh... e togliti il rossetto di Marylin
Manson prima, no?!?! ;-)))
MrE:
 E il reggicalze che faccio, lo tengo?
(Ah, martino, se io non avessi già una storia col wag...) ;-DDD
Ma che casino sta diventando questo posto, puah!!! :-)
Bye
visionary
NP: ELLIOTT SMITH - Figure 8
--
They say you hurt the ones you love
but I don't think it's true.
The ones you love are just the most prepared
to be hurt by the things you do.

 (Ah, martino, se io non avessi già una storia col wag...) ;-DDD
Allora è vero che sei una *porca* ti lascio sola un attimo è subito ti metti
a strusciare il primo che capita...
addirittura martino poi!!!
Che è risaputo sono diversi anni che non riusciva a strusciare altro che il
cuscino con cui dorme...
basta la ns storia è finita...
addio bella senz'anima...
5;-))))
np : Nick Cave  *let love in*
--
Gianni Mantini
megapte...@libero.it
icq 86407826