Published on Jun 21, 2005
Most bands — if not all — have that one album that defines
their careers; a few recent examples of which would be
Nevermind (Nirvana),
The Downward Spiral (Nine Inch Nails), and
Superknown (Soundgarden). Such records do — and did — so
incredibly well that even the bands themselves are oftentimes taken
aback by the results. Though the limelight is good, equally bad is
the aftermath. The expectations burdening the follow-up sometimes
completely weigh it down; no matter how well it turns out, it will
always be compared with its predecessor and looked upon as a
letdown, sometimes strongly, sometimes not so strongly.
Faith No More (FNM had an ardent cult following, but never
really broke out into the commercial market.
Angel Dust was the group’s definitive record, but still went
largely unnoticed. People who know the band and know the album
would have no hesitation in putting it amongst the ranks of the
“rock classics” mentioned above. At the same time, the same people
would also consider everything made after
Angel Dust disappointments, which also includes the album
King For A Day, Fool For A Lifetime.
Now, is
King For A Day…really a failure? Well, it is and it
isn’t. For one thing, it fell victim to being the follow-up to
Angel Dust. As a result, it was destined to be a failure
before it was even born. On the other hand, however, one shouldn’t
be too critical of it, and if treated with some consideration
(which is the treatment it deserves),
King For A Day…is not that bad an album after
all.
FNM mellowed down after
Angel Dust and the subsequent departure of their guitarist
Jim Martin; the band line-up on
King For A Day…consisting of no guitarist at all —
replacement Trey Spruance was considered a guest musician and not a
part of the band lineup. This brought out the subtler, more
experimental side of the band. The only album hit — the
irresistible, sensuously funky “Evidence” — is a smooth jazz-funk
number fit to be played in a bar to soothe its smoked-out patrons,
than to be played in an arena in front of ten thousand
sweat-drenched people with long hair, tattoos and gross
body-piercings.
“Star AD,” with its crazy trumpets and horns, “Caralho Voador,”
with its smooth bossa-nova rhythm, and the closer “Just A Man,”
with its soulful church-music-like chorus, clearly exemplify the
group’s search for different sounds to compensate for the loss of
the fist-clenching heavy-metal music that they knew they could
never reproduce now that Martin was no longer a part of the
band.
Subdued it might have become, but FNM was a heavy metal band at
heart, and the adrenalin was still pumping in its veins. Even
though in much smaller proportions, this wild rush of blood was put
to good use by the group on songs like “Absolute Zero,” “Digging A
Grave,” and “What A Day,” all of which, in a weird but convincing
way, sound like a cross between Iron Maiden and Therapy(?).
King For A Day…came during a period in the band’s
career when it was on a decline and was soon to be history. Such
times bring out the most poignant masterpieces from a band, as well
as most horrid fiascos, and
King For A Day… houses examples of both. “Ricochet,”
“Take This Bottle,” “King For A Day” and “The Last To Know,” with
their ‘more passion less aggression’ formula, show the maturity of
the act in coping with what it had in terms of its members and the
chemistry between them.
On the other hand, “Cuckoo For Caca,” “Star AD” and “Ugly In The
Morning” find the members trying to have fun — something they were
very good at during
Angel Dust and
The Real Thing — but having the most miserable hangover and
not being able to handle it at all.
The whole album and the band’s state of mind can be summed up
perfectly with the first paragraph of the opening cut “Get Out,” on
which singer Mike Patton sings”What if there’s no more fun to have
/ And all I’ve got is what I had / What if I have forgotten how /
Cut my losses and get out now.”
King For A Day…is FNM’s most experimental work. The
band should be given credit to have stuck together even during
times of volatility and making the best of what is had, which is
way better than what current funk-metal acts make of in their most
productive phases.