[music] Faith No More, Album Of The Year (1997)

Warner/Reprise
Total Running Time - 42:58

Personnel
Mike Patton - Vocals; Billy Gould - Bass; Mike Bordin - Drums; Jon Hudson - Guitars; Roddy Bottum - Keyboards

1. Collision
2. Stripsearch
3. Last Cup of Sorrow
4. Naked in Front of the Computer
5. Helpless
6. Mouth to Mouth
7. Ashes to Ashes
8. She Loves Me Not
9. Got That Feeling
10. Paths of Glory
11. Home Sick Home
12. Pristina


Call it Roddy Bottum's revenge. The Faith No More keyboardist was virtually non-existant on the band's 1995 release, King for a Day, Fool for a Lifetime, and from what I could tell, fans were pretty pissed off about it. That album also saw the California band kowtowing to the to the modern rock sound dominating the airwaves at the time, and while they arguably pulled it off better than most, that kind of pandering seemed to diminish the band's popularity and stature in the alternative (yeah, it's a meaningless word, but you know what I mean) rock hierarchy. In retrospect, the title may have been more appropriate than they could have imagined. If the quintet's accuracy in naming continues, then their latest, and much more Bottum-heavy (ouch, sorry) effort, Album of the Year, should do well to regain their standing.

By and large, the album marks a return to the sound of 1993's Angel Dust. A lot of this seems due to the newest member and latest through the revolving door leading to the guitarist slot in the band, Jon Hudson. It's not entirely a stylistic issue, either. I wouldn't say that Hudson plays like original guitarist Jim Martin, but on some level, he sounds like him, purely in terms of his guitar tone, and that alone accounts for quite a bit of familiarity of the band's overall sound.

Vocalist Mike Patton also seems to have backtracked somewhat, as he seems to be singing and speaking lyrics in a lower register again, rather than the wild display of his talent that characterized King for a Day. That being said, Patton still makes the most of it, concentrating on the percussive elements of his singing, especially on the frantic "Got that Feeling," and the Mr. Bungle-esque "Mouth to Mouth." On the latter track, his ultra-staccato articulation is teased out further, echoed with a tambourine to good effect. While both these rhythmic stylings and his more melodic contributions are well-executed, Patton has regrettably lost most of his penchant for devious wordplay on this album. The lyrics just aren't nearly as imaginative as those on the last effort. With his abilities, it's a shame that he doesn't have more to say this time around.

Patton's drab lyrics are indicative of what's missing on this album, and that is good songwriting. While some fans may have been put off by the stylistic meanderings of their previous effort, King for a Day, Fool for a Lifetime still had some solid songs. This time around, we're missing both the tunes and the style-hopping, with the exception of the jazzy "She Loves Me Not." While there are a couple of memorable tunes here, the band misses as often as it hits, and the result is an uneven record that leaves me a bit disappointed, especially in comparison to what I know this band can do.