Stuart Preston's Classic Album of the Month

- This man deserves a fanfare... music guru Stuart Preston has joined the Outline Team as our Classic Album reviewer. Shedding light on an album of yore every month, he will open your eyes - or your ears - to an album you simply HAVE to have in your collection.

This month, he waxes lyrical about Faith No More's 'The Real Thing' (1989)...

The musical world was a very different place almost 20 years ago. It was still the norm to only listen to one genre of music – imagine that? You could like metal, funk, alternative, rap, and jazz even – but preferably only one of them, and certainly not all at once. Until Faith No More came along.

They had served notice of their intent with their breakthrough track “We Care A Lot” but nothing could have prepared us for the joyous, careering rush of adrenaline that opening track “From Out Of Nowhere” heralded. Loud, fast, heavy and melodic it set the tone for what was to follow. What followed of course was “Epic”, which became an MTV staple and big hit, but curiously is one of the tracks that has dated least well. Far better is Falling To Pieces, with a great vocal from newly recruited singer Mike Patton. Hard to believe he only joined the band once all the music had been written and recording had already begun. Heaviest song on the album up next, “Surprise! You’re Dead”, and the chance for Patton to let rip with his trademark roar that would be used to full effect on 1992’s “Angel Dust”. It was also the most conventional metal song, and the first sign of the split that would result in guitarist Jim Martin leaving the band in the 90’s.

Personal favourite “Zombie Eaters” next, and worth hearing just for Billy Gould’s fearsome bass sound, the heaviest since King Crimson’s heyday. The brilliant title track follows; great drumming from Mike Bordin and excellent use of the quiet LOUD dynamics much loved by the Pixies, and of course Nirvana a few years after this. “Underwater Love” could have easily been another hit, by now every song just sounded effortless. Gould’s bass is again prominent during “The Morning After”, but arguably is another moment when the album sounds very much a product of its time. Slapped bass is seldom a good thing.

Crazy Arabic tinged instrumental “Woodpecker From Mars” highlighted excellently named Roddy Bottum’s keyboard skills – a standout during every track, before the note for note version of Sabbath’s “War Pigs” lumbers along. Rounding things off is the cocktail jazz from hell “Edge Of The World”, finger snapping, pleading, heartfelt vocals telling a twisted love story. A great and unexpected end to an amazing album.

FNM may have inadvertently paved the way for Limp Bizkit et al, and some would argue that their next album was their best, but “The Real Thing” is a stone cold classic that proved you could be commercial, original and twisted all at the same time. Essential.

9/10 Stuart Preston