Mr. Bungle
Mr. Bungle
Released
August 6, 1991
Best songs: Carousel, Stubb (a Dub), My Ass Is On Fire, The Girls of Porn
Their first full-length album had quite a few songs from the last two demos. I once heard the album sound referred to as psychotic circus music. I think that fits. Some of their lyrics and subject matter is very juvenile, but their song arrangements are so much more interesting than other bands out there.
The band also used to play in crazy masks, as evidenced by Mike Patton in a clown mask to the left. They did this before stupid Slipknot did. They also only did it in the beginning. They wore other lovely outfits later on for other albums and tours.
I listened to this album a lot my last couple of years in college. It came out when I was in high school, but Jeremy introduced me to the band when I met him so I didn’t get to experience its weirdness until later on right before their second album came out. I associate this album to the apartment that Angela and I had in college and all the craziness that happened in those few years.
Song: Quote Unquote (Travolta)
The song is listed on the album as Quote Unquote, but it was originally called Travolta. The record label persuaded the band to change the name in fear of being sued by John Travolta. Quote Unquote is also the title of an unauthorized biography about John Travolta. It isn’t a very flattering song about a brainless guy that can dance.
Song: Slowly Growing Deaf
This song sounds like multiple songs in one. It starts out very slow, then gets faster and heavier. After that it turns into almost a ska song. This is all in about the first minute of the song. It then repeats back to the slower bits and faster, heavier bits. There is also a snippet of music from Super Mario Bros. video game, but it is underneath a bunch of other sounds so it is easy to miss. After the song is over, it sounds like someone is going to the bathroom. it’s best just to skip to the next song when the music stops.
Song: Squeeze Me Macaroni
This is a extremely tacky song mixing food and sex. It is quite catchy, even with the lovely lyrics. Sample lyrics, “Squeeze me macaroni, slap your face with my bologna.” Most of the song is sang so incredibly fast that you can miss the words altogether. It ends with a bit from Blue Velvet where Dennis Hopper’s character is asking where the beer is. They love that movie since more snippets from it show up later in the album.
Song: Carousel
My favorite song on the album. It was also the first one I ever heard. I had no idea who it was though when I heard it. I just heard this ska/circus song when dancing at clubs in high school and college. It wasn’t until I met Jeremy and he had the album that I realized it was Mr. Bungle. I knew the name by hearing that’s where Mike Patton came from when he joined Faith No More, but had never knew anything from the band. It is a very fun, jumpy song and has the highlight of ending with the sounds of puking. It just makes me laugh.
Song: Egg
A continuation of the ska-sounding songs. It does feature awesome lyrics of “blah blah blah blah” in between the verses.
Song: Stubb (a Dub)
A sad, little ditty about a family dog getting old, sick and then dying. it’s very pretty in the beginning and end, and sounds like it was recorded on a carousel. When we used to play this album in the apartment that Angela and I had in college, her future husband Dan would start skanking through the house to it, so I also imagine him dancing to it when I play it. It includes my favorite bitter lyric: “And I’ll throw a stick, bring it back, roll over and die. You taught me a lesson – thanks mom!” After the song, there is very quiet crying in between this song and the next. It is Kyle McLachlan’s character sobbing in Blue Velvet.
Song: My Ass Is On Fire
A very violent song about a killer, rapist or something else like that. The first time I heard the song, I couldn’t stop laughing because of the chorus: “it’s not funny, my ass is on fire.” I didn’t even hear the rest of the lyrics for the longest time. The very end of it has Mike droning on saying “Redundant” over and over again. I never saw them live during this tour, but Jeremy did. He said Mike would pace back and forth on the stage in his crazy mask just saying it over and over again. Then there is a lot of fun yelling at the end. Fabulous song!
Song: The Girls of Porn
It is actually at the end of My Ass Is On Fire, but it really should be part of this song. It is the sound clip from the porn that features the character Mr. Bungle. It is really quiet so you have to turn it up. It is hilarious though because porn dialogue is always top-notch, “What you say is very interesting. In fact, you’re very interesting.” As for the song itself, it is pretty much about watching and masturbating to porn. It has a funky, horn-based sound to it so if you get beyond the lyrics, it is a good song. I won’t quote any of the lyrics here though. 
Song: Love Is a Fist
The song is about what you think it would be about, domestic violence. It is a pretty standard sounding song, at least for this band. After the song, it has the sound clip for the 50′s teaching kids about good hygiene that was played on Pee Wee Herman’s show and where they took their name from.
Song: Dead Goon
A song that is all over the place musically and is about a messed up kid that ends up killing himself. Good ending to the album!
