This freaking song. Never been covered. Never used in a movie. Yet it’s one of the most brilliant, time and genre defiant compositions produced by young lunatics in the late 90’s ever put to tape. No joke, in my top ten favorite songs of all time. Maybe top five.
This is one of those songs that I didn't really take to at first, so I totally get what you're saying, it's like that with a lot of Mr.Bungle songs, you have to listen multiple times before you really get a feel for it but this one of my favourites now off the California album, it's a beauty ❤️
Thanks for stopping by to check out this video as well Roxanne! I can definitely see how it would take multiple listens to absorb it all, even after just hearing the two songs as of yet. It is undeniably a beautiful tune!
@@JonathonThamesMusic Well I still enjoyed the reaction even if you weren't really feeling it, I hope you get to listen to them again, I promise you will appreciate these songs much more the more you listen ❤️
California, I think, is better listened to in its entirety. This track as it stands in the album catches you off guard as a change of pace. It's just as demented as the other tracks in its own way. I find it hilarious
That's exactly what i love about this album too! To me it sounds like subdued insanity. It's so hard to explain, but there is something extremely disturbing and demented about this album. Not unlike their other albums obviously, but a lot more subdued and offputting... Genius in other words
Like you have retrovertigo and pink cigarette who sound like above average pop songs, but in the context of the album it just becomes kind of disturbing
Pretty odd choice for a first Mr. Bungle song. It is one of the most straight forward and static compositions in the discography of a band pretty much defined by rapid dynamic shifts in sounds, textures, rhythms and genres. Usually all of that within the same song. I suggest you try something more challenging like Goodbye Sober Day or Carry Stress in the Jaw.
It definitely felt that way, this was definitely a straight forward and static tune from a compositional standpoint. The friend that requested the reaction actually told me after the video that she wanted to get my take on it because its a song she's debated with people over years in terms of appreciation vs. enjoyability, and said that my reaction basically matched her own assessment for it. But yeah, I can tell just from this that there's probably far more interesting stuff in their catalog. I'll have to check those tunes out at some point. Thank you for checking it out and for the recommendations!
I don't think it's an "odd choice", but rather a great "safe" choice for a newb to Mr Bungle. Yup, it is the easiest song to get into Mr Bungle. Still, too many people freak on Mr Bungle when you give them the 'non easy' ones. Starting slow, building up. Carousel is always MY first pick for people that are already quite aware of musicianship and other genres in music. Yup, I really think he should go with Carousel next.
@@JonathonThamesMusic listen to Squeeze me macoroni or Stub a (dubb) or slowly growing deaf. you cant get more creative then that in terms of mr.bungle lol
First time I heard this I thought it was a bit boring, the tribute video helped my liking of this heaps. I now love it, its really quite deep. The good thing also is I can play this in any company and doesn't offend. Some of Bungles stuff makes my friends think I'm insane.
honestly, it's not the first song everyone picks, but instead of this it'd probably be better to start off with none of them knew they were robots. it's relatively long but switches itself up enough to where its not boring, and it's not too batshit experimental so as to scare off newer listeners, its just the right amount of crazy. never understood why this one was the go-to intro to mr bungle, or their most popular song
The song didnt move you at all? ts a song about a guy who finds out that the woman he loves is cheating on him, so to get revenge he self immolates knowing that she will be the one to find his burned corpse. I can totally relate to the main character in the song. There's that lyric about how she's burned him for the last time, then that whisper in the background says "this ain't the last time". That part, and the screaming in the background at the end always give me chills. Some say it's her screaming after she finds his corpse, but then others say the screaming is from the guy after he lights himself on fire. If you've ever seen a video of someone self immolating or being burned alive, that shrieking screaming sound is haunting and not easily forgotten.
Thank you so much for checking out the reaction! When I say that it didn't really connect with me, I'm speaking strictly about the vibes, feel, sound, and arrangement of the song from a musical/instrumental standpoint. I know it's odd, but when I first listen to any tune, what draws me in is how the instruments are working together to fashion a mood; lyrics, vocals, and narrative aren't usually what I pay close attention to at first because, to be completely honest, I'm not great about being able to correctly identify lyrics without having them written out in front of me. Though over time and after multiple listens I'll find myself connecting to those aspects as well, just later down the line.
@@JonathonThamesMusic hell yea man I think 9 to 5 At the Morgue is a good song to start with shit everything on their album Anarchist of Good Taste is 🔥 as far as im concerned lol
So glad you didn't pause to say something. People that do are not getting a full experience of emotions that song produce. At the same time, California is written as an album and being so, it needs to be listened from beginning to end for one to fully understand it
I see this was a few months ago, have you checked out My Ass Is On Fire, or Carousel, or Egg? For me they are the sort of Bungle tracks that stand out. If you haven't, you should!
Thanks for checking out the video! I've checked out a few more Bungle tunes since, but the ones you named are among those I still need to get around to. I plan on tackling more Bungle very soon!
If you do review Ma Meeshka Mow Skwoz, it really does flow in from the previous track (Phlegmatics) in terms of setup and vibe. Maybe do both at once if it's not too long? It took me forever to type this on my phone, that's gotta be worth something!
mr.bungle is more of a technical experimental band they don't really put emotions as a priority in their songs they put creativity first and then attitude second. I always feel a very emotionless vibe when i hear mikes music but that isn't really a bad thing because then that means we can just jam to it and have fun with it from a attitude standpoint or technical one, rock is meant to be about attitude and i think mike does good with that but hes only weak point in my opinion is emotional. but i still think his groups like FNM and bungle are in my top 5 because of how good and how replayable their songs are to daily listens to weekly. good music to jam to while drinking coffee. :)
Thank you so much for checking out the video! Yeah, I definitely gathered that just from the way this song alone is so rigidly (but very well and creatively) composed. I probably should have expanded a little further on my perspective. I don't usually connect with a song lyrically, at least not at first, so the emotionality behind that (or lack thereof) is usually lost on me altogether when listening to something for the first time; as a musician, I pick up the feeling the music conveys through the beat, rhythm, arrangement and changes etc., and usually the most technical bands are capable of expressing the most complex and interesting ideas. But, despite how well crafted and arranged the song is, and how interesting some of the chord and key changes were, there was absolutely nothing that made me feel like "jamming" or getting into it -- it didn't connect with me musically in the sense I didn't feel like tapping my foot, or bobbing my head, or anything like that, and thought it was kind of "meh" in the sense that it didn't intrigue, interest, excite, and/or inspire me. Hopefully I'll be able to connect a little more to the next song I plan on reacting to by them.
Just a quick suggestion: when doing reaction videos, it's helpful to specify if you're reacting as a pure listener, an engineer, a musician , composer, lyricist, Rick Rubin's stunt double, etc. As another commenter mentioned, this is probably not the best introduction to Bungle, except as one of Patton's cinematic songs (like "Violenza Donestica" from the previous album). In short, what is your positionality in your reactions?
Thank you so much for checking out the video! I appreciate the suggestion, I agree it might help to provide some context. Primarily, I'm reacting as a musician/composer, but also as an aspiring producer.
Thank you so much for checking out the video! That's kind of how some other people put it to me as well. I'm definitely guilty of not following vocal/lyrical narrative in a song my first time listening; as a musician, I find myself initially connecting with how the instrumentation communicates its vibe, and normally won't start paying attention to the vocals and lyrics beyond notational placement until being familiar with the song after hearing it a few times. That said, the narrative for the song tells a very interesting story, albeit a very sad one, and I definitely appreciate the value of that :)
Mr. Bungle is like taking bad lsd it's very scattered and multiple generes in one song. I would say generes more like scrambled eggs. Pretty much circus funk metal polka lol Now faith no more with Mike patton or tomahawk fucking amazing.
Ok. Quite a lot to say here. Let's do a pointform ! (Sorry, maybe that's a professionnal thing...) 1) You've just listened to one of the most conventionnal Mr Bungle tracks, on the most conventionnal Mr Bungle record. 2) It depends on what you're looking for, and what is your musical background/preferences (first visit here : hello ! :P ) 3) You're in for a @#$#%? ride with Mr Bungle if you're up to it. 4) Pink Cigarette would be the best song to start with Mr Bungle for a musical newb. 5) Personnally, I'd recommend you Carousel as the next pick. One of the most "traditionnal' from their first real record (there has been demos and etc. before that self titled album) which was absolutely crazy. Even for today's standards. Even that considered, you'll get a song which is all over the place. Not your typical daily song at all :P But still, some of the rest of the album is quite hard to get into at first. Egg or Stubb a Dubb could do it also. Or even Quote Unquote (pretty much the most straight forward song on the album I'd say, but you'll miss the genres changing in this one). 6) There is an album which is called Disco Volante. Well, if you want experimental, go with that one. You want a weird one ? Ma Meeshka Mow Skwoz should do it ;) 7) You want another "conventionnal" but really great song ? Retrovertigo from the same album as Pink Cigarette should be your next pick. Avenged Sevenfold did a cover of that one... Well, I don't consider it's a great cover, IMO. This song is perfect the way it is. Probably their most well-known one. Have fun man !
