The Real Thing (LP)

The Real Thing (1989) turned out to be Faith No More’s most aptly named record as it presents the band’s most revered line-up. Mike Patton on vocals proved a massive improvement on their previous singer. Added at the last moment to complement a set of strong, funky songs, he joined Roddy Bottum on keys, Jim Martin on guitars, bassist Bill Gould and Mike Bordin on drums. The hit single “Epic” proved to be just that, and is one of the most recognizable Faith No More songs in their repertoire. Review: Starting with the careening “From Out of Nowhere,” driven by Bottum's doomy, energetic keyboards, Faith No More rebounded excellently on The Real Thing after Mosley's firing. Given that the band had nearly finished recording the music and Patton was a last minute recruit, he adjusts to the proceedings well. His insane, wide-ranging musical interests would have to wait for the next album for their proper integration, but the band already showed enough of that to make it an inspired combination. Bottum, in particular, remains the wild card, coloring Martin's nuclear-strength riffs and the Gould/Bordin rhythm slams with everything from quirky hooks to pristine synth sheen. It's not quite early Brian Eno joins Led Zeppelin and Funkadelic, but it's closer than might be thought, based on the nutty lounge vibes of “Edge of the World” and the Arabic melodies and feedback of “Woodpeckers From Mars.” “Falling to Pieces,” a fractured anthem with a delicious delivery from Patton, should have been a bigger single that it was, while “Surprise! You're Dead!” and the title track stuff riffs down the listener's throat. The best-known song remains the appropriately titled “Epic,” which lives up to its name from the bombastic opening to the concluding piano and the crunching, stomping funk metal in between. The inclusion of a cover of Black Sabbath's “War Pigs” amusingly backfired on the band – at the time, Sabbath's hipness level was nonexistent, making it a great screw-you to the supposed cutting edge types. However, all the metalheads took the band to their hearts so much that, as a result, the quintet dropped it from their sets to play “Easy” by the Commodores instead! All Music Guide – Ned Raggett