California
by Mr. Bungle
- Type: Album
- Released: July 13, 1999
- Label: Warner Bros.
- Country: United States
- Length: 44:10
- Community rating: 4.24/5 from 19 ratings
Artists on this release: Trevor Dunn, Danny Heifetz, Mike Patton, Trey Spruance, Clinton "B盲r" McKinnon
Album Notes & Community Reviews
On 'California', Mr. Bungle pivots from the abrasive chaos of previous albums to a more accessible, though highly complex, sound that fuses genres such as surf rock, exotica, and doo-wop. The album's songwriting process was less collaborative, with members writing individually to explore themes of the dark side of the American dream, resulting in a sound that juxtaposes lush, cinematic arrangements with moments of intense dissonance. This sonic duality was achieved through a difficult, fragmented production that involved syncing multiple tape machines across various studios to layer dense vocal harmonies, strings, and diverse instrumentation.
Genres
Descriptors: genre-blending, avant-garde, theatrical, pastiche, virtuosic, experimental, diverse, satirical
Tracklist
- Sweet Charity (05:05)
- None of Them Knew They Were Robots (06:03)
- Retrovertigo (04:58)
- The Air-Conditioned Nightmare (03:54)
- Ars Moriendi (04:10)
- Pink Cigarette (04:55)
- Golem II: The Bionic Vapour Boy (03:34)
- The Holy Filament (04:04)
- Vanity Fair (02:58)
- Goodbye Sober Day (04:29)
Credits
- Trevor Dunn - bass guitar, artwork concept, production
- Danny Heifetz - percussion, drums, keyboards, production
- Clinton "B盲r" McKinnon - saxophone, keyboards, french horn, production
- Mike Patton - vocals, keyboards, artwork concept, production
- Trey Spruance - guitar, engineering, production strategy, production, additional engineering
- Henri Duscharme - accordion
- Sam Bass - cello
- Jay Steebley - cimbalom
- Bill Banovetz - english horn
- Larry Ragent - french horn
- Michael Peloquin - harmonica
- Marika Hughes - cello
- David Phillips - guitar
- Billy Anderson - engineer
- Adam Mu帽oz - assistant editor, 2nd engineer, assistant mixed by, digital editing assistant
- Josh Heller - 2nd engineer, second at division hi-fi
- Justin Phelps - 2nd engineer, second at coast recorders
- Mackie Osborne - layout, graphic design
- George Horn - mastered with
- Gibbs Chapman - assistant mixed by
- Rob Worthington - assistant mixed by