Play That Funky Music: Review of The Real Thing (1989)
Faith No More’s 1989 “The Real Thing” is an album I have been meaning to listen to. The group has been touched by the world of rock even before the band’s ultimate conception; drummer Mike Bordin and guitarist Jim Martin played in a high school band with Metallica bassist Cliff Burton, as well as Courtney Love being one of the early lead singers for the band. Faith No More is known to be one of the most influential alt rock bands of the 1980s, paving the way for the commercialization of alternative rock with bands like Nirvana and later metal bands like Deftones. This album brings presents the metal/funk infused music that the band is known for, having a healthy dose of harder tracks and catchy funk-laced songs that might come across tame in today’s metal standards. But this is one of the reasons why this album works so well; It’s easier to digest. It’s known for giving us the breakthrough hit “Epic”, which was No. 30 on VH1’s 40 greatest metal songs. But unless you are part of the deeper rock collective, you might only know the band for the handful of hits that circulated mainstream radio 30-35 years ago. This album offers so much more by presenting the creative engine that influenced bands like Alice in Chains, Guns N’ Roses, and Slipknot.
Kicking off with “From Out of Nowhere”, a hooky opener, we are immediately thrown into a rockin’ world that’s blended with hard rock, subtle synths, and Mike Patton’s distinct vocals. “Epic” immediately follows, a song I thought about skipping since I’ve heard it so many times but it’s too darn good to not listen to! “Falling to Pieces” leans more into the bands experimental side; a song that starts with a deep bass riff that’s layered with light synth production. But just when you thought things might stay on this side of the street, “Surprise! You’re Dead!” throws at you a blast of heavy metal chaos. The follow up track “Zombie Eaters” is the other more metal track on the album, starting off slow and ominous before kicking in into high gear like something Black Sabbath might have done. Speaking of Sabbath, the band’s cover of “War Pigs’ is entertaining enough, though it’s obvious filler. The most interesting song is “Woodpecker from Mars” an instrumental that is over five minutes. The songs sound like if the movie “Pirates and the Caribbean” had a heavy metal soundtrack. My favorite songs are either the piano-led closer, “Edge of the World”, or “Underwater Love” which sounds like a kissing cousin to a Chili Peppers song. Overall, the album offers an array of different tracks that explore funk, metal, jazz, and pop in one bitchin package. Do yourself a favor and go listen to this dang thing!
Rating: 4.4 out of 5