"Digging the Grave" / Faith No More / King for a Day, Fool for a Lifetime

Now we're talking. Faith No More is probably one of my top five bands / artists and have been for years now. I believe they are one of the most innovative, influential, underrated bands ever. This CD is one of my favorites of thiers, but I recommend everyone pick up "Angel Dust" at some point in thier lives. Utterly brillant. If you only remember these dudes for 1990's rap / rock opus "Epic", you're missing out.

This CD came out in 1995, and 1995 was a helluva memorable year for me. At the time, I was wildly unhappy, but anytime I think back to that year I only remember good times, which I guess is a little ironic. I listened to this CD several times a week, so it's one of those instances in which music can instantly conjure up the mood and mindset you were in as soon as you hear one of the songs.

It helps that Mike Patton is a complete lunatic. If you've ever seen any concert footage of FNM, you know what I'm talking about. One of the best shows I've ever seen was FNM and Helmet at Legion Field in Athens in 1993 (?). He's also the creative force behind side projects like Fantomas, Mr. Bungle, and Tomahawk (a new project). His manic energy and creativity go hand in hand, and he has a pretty cool voice too. Plus, he's dead ringer for Robert Downy Jr.

This song is one of the most straightforward, traditional rock songs they've done (which is probably why it's one of the only songs they released as a single off this album). There's much better stuff on this CD, but this song has its moments too. Like, specifically, my favorite part. At two minutes in, after a few bars of an instrumental break, Patton lets loose with a few patented screams and yelps. It's almost as if he thought this was a little to conventional for him and had to Pattonize it a little bit.

Got a video for ya right here, too.