Lost/Forgotten Album #304

[Jon]

WARNING: There might be objectionable language to those with tender ears.

You would think that this would be ending soon since were up to the thirty-third album in the series I thought up all by myself, but I find more and more to add so who really knows? I sure don't, obviously. 

This week's selection is the 1995 release from Faith No More, King For A Day...Fool For A Lifetime. This is the followup to the gold certified Angel Dust which followed the platinum certified The Real Thing. The former album reached #10 on the US charts while the latter reached #11.

King For A Day... reached #31 on the charts and has not been certified. In my opinion (which is never wrong) this makes a bit of sense. The Real Thing was a very accessible album to the masses while Angel Dust was not. There was a lot of hype surrounding Angel Dust, but I believe that it confused those expecting a carbon copy of The Real Thing. 

Quite a shame since Angel Dust is a brilliant album. It takes more than one listen, but it really grows on you. I thought it was too weird when I first heard it, probably because I WAS expecting The Real Thing: Part 2, but after subsequent listens, it's my favorite album from Faith No More. I listened to it withing the last couple weeks and enjoyed it even more.

So, by the time this album rolled out, a lot of folks had given up. This album is much more accessible than Angel Dust but a bit less than The Real Thing, but might take a listen or two to get the full enjoyment.

Let's see what allmusic.com has to say:

Longtime Faith No More guitarist Jim Martin split from the band under less-than-amicable circumstances in 1994. Consequently, the group hired Trey Spruance (the guitarist from Mike Patton's other band, Mr. Bungle) to handle six-string duties for 1995's King for a Day, Fool for a Lifetime. While it wasn't exactly the mind-bending masterpiece that 1992's Angel Dust was, it was easily their most musically straightforward album and was another challenging, exceptional release. As on Angel Dust, Patton truly shines on vocals, as he tackles any genre put in front of him -- romantic love songs (the soulful smooth funk of "Evidence"), bile-spitting rants of hate ("The Gentle Art of Making Enemies"), cacophonous freak-outs ("Ugly in the Morning"), gospel (the lighthearted album closer, "Just a Man"), and breezy pop ("Caralho Voador"). But there was also plenty of FNM's signature heavy sound to go around -- the furious opener "Get Out," "Ricochet," "Cuckoo for Caca," "Digging the Grave," "The Last to Know," and the almost progressive title track. While Spruance did a masterful job of filling in the shoes of an integral founding member, he abruptly split from the band himself on the eve of the album's ensuing worldwide tour (replaced by roadie Dean Mentia). King for a Day, Fool for a Lifetime remains one of Faith No More's underrated releases.

King For A Day...Fool For A Lifetime

1. Get Out
2. Ricochet
3. Evidence
4. Gentle Art Of Making Enemies
5. Star A.D
6. Cuckoo For Caca
7. Caralho Voador
8. Ugly In The Morning
9. Digging The Grave
10. Take This Bottle
11. King For A Day
12. What A Day
13. Last To Know
14. Just A Man

Availability: Prices start at around $4.50 used.

[Scott]

Im O-for-lifetime on liking these guys, will this be the one that gets me?  hmm.....

[Scott]

I try not to have too many pre-conceived notion s about bands I struggle with, like this one, but I am above that and always go in with an open mind.  ... Ah, who am I kidding, I dont have any illusion about liking this one.  But I still love the theme!!

Get Out! Was thinking that right after he started the screaming thing...  Turnaround and get out Scott!  But by the time I convinced myself to bail out, the song was over, short is sometimes a good thing and me being 6ft 5in, I cant think of many short things that are good.  Well except that one night in 86, right about last call, oh never-mind...  What I'm trying to say is that short songs, when they aren't good, is a good thing, get it?

Dude! This dude can't sing...  Evidence got my attention though!  Am I about to be rewarded for hanging in? ... Yes I was!  Very nice tune, first one I can recall liking.

well... and then were back to not liking it.  There's nothing gentles about making enemies not is this song gentle.  But it has made an enemy!  Star A.D. gives me a real sense of a band with an identity crisis, the styles are all over the place.  Maybe that's part of their appeal as well?  I will say they have a freaky good bass player.  Beyond Evidence and the bass player I feel like I'm running out of nice things to say.  Especially after running into the song Cuckoo for Caca.  I never want to know whats the inspiration of this song is.  Never!  

Caralho?  And is that a last name or what is this?  Ugly IN The Morning sounds like Cuckoo for Caca # 2 (Get it?  #2!! hahahaha) ...  ahem...  

and then...  Digging The Grave reminds me that this album is nearing 6 feet under and soon!  If I was a drinker my bottle would have been empty by now!  What a strange trip this listen has been.  Kind For A Day ropes me back in, well sorta kinda, but at least its a decent tune but at 6:35 it dig in fact drag on a bit.  

The last three really don't close this out in a good fashion.  SO lets leave this where it is.  2 fine songs, thats an improvement over the other albums I've heard from these guys!

And then!!! And Then!! And Then!

[Jon]

Dude!

[Scott]

Sweet!

[Jon]

Dude.