And you thought Pitchfork was bad.
This Spin review just doesn’t get Faith No More. It follows the standard formula of bad Sol Invictus reviews – potted band history taking 2/3,of review, digress on how weird Patton is, lyrics taken out if context, no analysis of record, question relevance to modern music scene – and is written by a rabid Patton hater:
“It’s it / What is it?” FNM once demanded on their best-known song. We’re supposed to admire the fact that 30 years after their debut album, they haven’t moved an inch closer to definability. But with weirder, funnier, more skillful, even pleasurable bands bearing Faith No More’s influence having cropped up since, the question of “What is it?” comes with a sadder follow-up: “Who is it for?”
People still read Pitchfork? I thought it was a fad.
It is in this case
How of earth do these type of reviews don’t get looked at with a fine tooth comb before going to print? Because if they did then it wouldn’t be allowed to go to print, not because of the score on the album but the ugly, 25 years ago reasoning that still props up today is so cringeworthy, I mean there is nothing here to suggest the band are been repetitive, or less skillful then other bands! What a cock up, I mean, give me something that resembles a skilled band?? Who’s it for?? Me you cockhead and that’s good enough for me.
I’m not sure if the reviewer actually has an issue with Patton, if anything I equate it more with how kids pull the pigtails of the girl they have a crush on. There are certain figures of pop culture whose biggest critics are the ones who have spent an inordinate amount of time immersing themselves in their body of work and who, by the very definition of the word, are fans. But they have a compulsion to shit on them out of the attention they know they’ll get from being contrary for the sake of being contrary. Similarly there was that ‘Mike Patton Ruined FNM’ article that doubtless got Quietus a lot of clickthroughs but at the cost of their credibility. lt’s kind of a Rupert Pupkin thing. Though really it’s borne out of the mentality that gave the world Samantha Brick and Katie Hopkins – IE, nothing good. As I’ve said before, negative reviews for FNM have been welcomed as confirmation that the band are still confusing people and doing something right, but as a writer myself (sort of) I take more of a personal issue with lazy writing.
I don’t know if cursing is allowed on this site, but Fuck the Spin Review.
I’m actually glad to see the reviewer getting ripped apart in the comments. I know everyone has different tastes but damn this reviewer obviously has something personal against Patton
I’d like to know what other bands are weirder, funnier, more skillful and more pleasurable. Like honestly, I want more good music in my library… but I’m betting the reviewer doesn’t even know.
Ah, feeling a bit nostalgic at the moment. Just like the good ol’ days, “scathing and clueless” reviews are cropping up.
All this recent praise for the band has felt very surreal.
The positive reviews still greatly outnumber the uniformed. That’s pretty amazing.
Spin still exists?