Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} When the Real Thing Comes Along by Faith Simone The Real Thing (album) The Real Thing is the third Studio Album released by Faith No More, and the first Studio Album where Chuck Mosley was replaced by Mike Patton on vocals. Background & Production [ edit | edit source ] We Care a Lot , a previous record produced by Mordam Records, went through several line-up changes. We Care a Lot being their first album (back when Chuck Mosley was the lead singer), relationships with Mordam Records dissolved. Faith No More soon signed up with Slash records, re-recording We Care a Lot and producing Introduce Yourself before Chuck was kicked out of the band, later replaced by Mike Patton. Within a year, they had recorded The Real Thing and released it on June 20th, 1989. Faith Thigpen. Dancer who found fame as a cast member on the third season of the Lifetime dance reality series Bring It! On the show, she is a member of the Dancing Dolls dance team, who have won more than a dozen Grand Champion titles. Before Fame. She attended a performing arts school named APAC. Trivia. Her Instagram account has more than 190,000 followers. Family Life. Her mother Dana has also appeared on Bring It! She has two brothers and a sister. Gospel singer Dathan Thigpen is her uncle. Faith No More The Real Thing. Faith no More� who hasn�t heard AT LEAST one song from them (Epic)? Until recently, I knew Faith no More only from their single Epic that rocked the early 1990s and brought FNM to an incredibly successful high. Having heard only one song from these guys, I thought to myself �What one hit wonders�. After purchasing this album though, I realized that I could not have been more wrong. This album rocks hard from start to finish with each member of the band displaying their excellent and eclectic playing beautifully. There are so many elements of FNM�s sound that make them absolutely kickass. For example, each member of the band brings something interesting to the sound. Its not like with some bands where all the emphasis is on the guitars and the bass is barely audible and the drums play generic beats. Nope people, this is Faith no More. Listening to this album feels like the members of the band are beating you senseless with their instruments (and Mike Patton is Screaming at you). You are currently getting owned by one of the hardest rocking bands of the 1990s. The first thing that struck me when I listened to this was Mike Patton�s vocals. They are absolutely excellent. He can go high and low, melodically (like in The Real Thing) and aggressively (like in Surprise! You�re Dead!), and his voice is quite unique. It is slightly nasal and slightly whiny. Yet although those are usually negative attributes, the way he sings makes it seem very nice and very fitting to the music, which is the essential part. In addition, in some songs he raps. Now you must take into account that this album is from 1989 and rap back then was very �old-school�. So, his rapping isn�t at all that bad. Plus, every nu-metal band of the 90s that rapped a little in a few songs (Papa Roach, Limp Bizkit, Korn, Incubus, etc) got it from Mike Patton. That is merely a LITTLE part of how influential FNM was. Another great part of their sound is the bass. Billy Gould always seems to be playing the perfect bass line. He goes all out when the time is right (like in Wood peckers from Mars) and takes the back seat and plays simpler stuff when something else needs emphasis (like in the verse of Epic). Yet, no matter what kind of a bass line he�s busting out, he is always present delivering a nice extra edge of heaviness to the song. He mainly plays rock bass lines but he occasionally does some quick slapping to add some spice to the rhythm. The guitar riffs throughout this album are all pretty fresh despite them not being outlandishly original (with the exception of Surprise! You�re Dead! Which, I believe, has generic thrash riffs on purpose). Songs like The Real Thing have some heavier metal riffs while other songs like Zombie Eaters have softer more melodic riffs that sound kinda trippy. The only problem is that Jim Martin doesn�t play enough lead parts. There is not one guitar solo on the whole album. Some songs, I think, would really benefit from some. Adding a whole new dimension to the riffs and the whole feel of the sound is Roddy Bottum�s keyboard work. In many songs such as From out of Nowhere, Falling to Pieces, and Underwater Love you can really hear him add depth to the riffs. Without the keyboard both these songs would need to be changed because they would be too insipid and one-dimensional. Also, he plays some nice lead work in Wood peckers from Mars. I�m not sure if he�s really a skilled musician but what he does goes very well with the rest of the band. Mike Bordin, the drummer, mainly plays standard rock beats but he delivers them with enough energy to keep the sound nice and heavy, which some drummers simply cannot do (sadly). He plays some nice fills here and there and has a nice drum intro to The Real Thing. He seems to be very tight with the bassist because the sections where the drums and the bass play alone (the verse of Epic, the intro to the morning after to name a few) sound very heavy and keep you attentively waiting for the song to carry out and appear in all its glory. All in all, I was pleasantly surprised with this album. It has many catchy but hard rocking songs that are a perfect blend of metal aggression, melody, and almost funky rhythms. A few songs have a Jazzy feel, especially the song Edge of the World. Moreover, the instrumental track Wood Peckers from Mars is essential to the album because it shows that Faith no More is really tight as band and can really work as a band. In addition, one can not exclude the excellent Sabbath cover War Pigs. They literally are able to make it Faith no More�s War Pigs because when they play it, one could think that the song was written by them and not by Black Sabbath. They completely play it in their style, which I find remarkable. Yet, among this rather colorful assortment of songs some of them just don�t quite cut it. Falling to Pieces is not too bad of a song with some catchy lyrics and smooth flow but it seems abit too bland compared to the rest of the songs. Surprise! You�re Dead! is simply too generic. Whether it is on purpose or not, the �been there done that� thrasher is not very good. Zombie Eaters starts off very melodic and has an almost spacey feel as the keyboard comes in and Patton starts singing. But then it turns to a repetitive heavy rap filled section. The two parts just seemed a little heterogeneous and I find the song to be a bit boring overall. Lastly, I found that the morning after was quite expendable save one riff towards the middle of the song. Besides that though, every song has something to offer and the mere catchiness and groovy feel of the album won�t let you down. Every listen seems fresh. Headbanging to this album is actually rejuvenating. Recommended tracks: From out of Nowhere, Epic, The Real Thing, Wood Peckers from Mars, War Pigs. Bottom line: 4/5 A fun album to listen to anytime. Definitely worth buying or downloading but not quite a classic in my opinion. When the Real Thing Comes Along by Faith Simone. Book reviews are subjective. I tend to rate books not according to how “perfect” they are, seem to be, or are said to be in general but rather to how perfect they are to me. I received a complimentary copy of this book from a publicist for an honest review. (Click the title to find the book description/blurb.) I don’t consider myself to be a fast reader, but I finished the 500 pages of When the Real Thing Comes Along by debut novelist Faith Simone faster than I thought I would. Jacelynn, the heroine, doesn’t relish being caught between an old romantic flame, Taylor, and a current one, Jason, but the principal lesson Jacelynn learns through her ordeal is worth holding out for. I essentially found the novel addictive, likely because the characters are so human, with believable strengths and flaws and quirks. They came alive for me chiefly because it felt so much like I could’ve met them all before. Even when I disagreed or became frustrated with them, I was so emotionally involved in the reading, I just had to keep turning the pages to make sure these folks would be all right. My favorite character is Jacelynn’s best friend, Kim, for the honest, opinionated, consistent support she gives her friend, despite the fact that Kim has her own problems to handle. I did grow a little weary around the third quarter of the novel. Though I appreciated the characters being imperfect, it was like the main ones, particularly Jacelynn, were going around in emotional and behavioral circles after a while, and the “back and forth” didn’t always serve to take the plot anywhere deeper. Also, there are inconsistencies and numerous recurring errors in punctuation and mechanics throughout the book. The errors aren’t likely to ruin the story for many readers, but a tighter edit would have given the book more polish. Still, the ultimate themes of grace and trust are what I found most satisfying as I ended the novel, and I’m sure there’ll just have to be a coming novel that continues Kim’s story… Note for my blog readers: while this is a Christian Fiction novel, it contains mature content appropriate for mature audiences. Faith No More The Real Thing. Can you believe that there was a time not long ago that Limp Bizkit was the biggest band in the world? That band single-handedly was the hottest group from 1999-2002, give or take a few months. Being that my early teen years were during this time, it goes without saying that LB was my ***. I was enthralled with the Significant Other album, just totally possessed. And it was hard not to be. They were all over TRL, they successfully crossed over into the pop (corporate) world, kept a firm foot in the rock/metal world, and they even marked their territory in the world of hip-hop to boot. And while I was taking this all in, one day I was reading the album’s booklet. I was reading over the normal shout-outs and production credits, and then I came across something that made me take a second look. They thanked Faith No More. I had heard of them through passing, and to be quite blunt I really had a disliking for “Epic” (a love/hate relationship that still stands). A little earlier in the year of 1999, I just so happened to be at a flea market and I picked up Angel Dust for a whopping half- dollar. Being that I was not even 13 at the time, that album immediately went over my head. But as I was saying about that booklet, I decided to give FNM another chance (Hey, if Fred Durst and Co. like it, it MUST be good, right?), and it’s been love ever since. I took the safe route at first, and bought their first greatest hits album (with a review of said album written by yours truly on here) while consciously avoiding Angel Dust. Growing out of that collection of songs quickly, I turned my focus back onto that certain album that had eluded me earlier. Soon after, Angel Dust was committed to memory even though I had to grow up a little to realize just how groundbreaking it is. Coincidentally enough, it was my winter break from middle school around this time, so I had some Christmas money to spare. A few friends and I went to our local mall, and I went into Sam Goody as I normally did. Faith No More were rapidly becoming my favorite band, but I needed their entire discography to put the official stamp on them. And so it was, I thumbed through the “F” section of the store’s albums and found what many fans consider to be their first great album, The Real Thing . There were only three songs on the greatest hits cd that represented this lp, and I certainly did come to this album rather cold. Turns out, that devilish greatest hits album did a severe disservice to this record as some of the songs I had never heard before were ultra-heavy, and eclectic. This album carried some very sophisticated, intricate, and impressive music that opened the floodgates to my ears over what a group of musicians of this caliber could truly offer, despite the album’s flaws. And God bless them for their talents, for I know as a fact I wouldn’t have such an open mind about music as I do now if it weren’t for this important, seminal band. While I’m heaping the album’s praise, I also have to admit that this record would not be the first one I would recommend to people whom are curious about Faith No More. Not a chance. While I regret saying that, there are just factors at hand that cannot be overlooked when it comes down to it. Through my eyes, the fatal flaw with this album is is that it is very much a product of its time, and it is the album that has aged the worse amongst their catalog (and yes, I’m including the Chuck-era albums, too). The production is slick, shiny and almost over-produced as most rock & pop albums of the 80s were. And while most albums during this era were released mostly on vinyl with the cd format not fully acknowledged as the de facto media, there are limitations sound-wise on this album that can be annoying. It could use a well-deserved facelift ala a remastering project. The other major flaw in my opinion is Mike Patton’s vocal performance. It is worth noting that this was Patton’s first major recording project. It is also well-known that he had next to zero time to both write the lyrics and record his vocals, so I do have empathy. However, those early Mr. Bungle demos pre-FNM showed a young Patton coming up with some amazing sounds with his voice, and the fact that almost none of his previous explorations showed up on this album is very disappointing. Instead of the all-encompassing delivery that the Patton we all know and love was soon to inherit with later recordings, the nasally performance he delivers here can be too much at times, regardless of the moments of brilliance he displays on here. Imagine if the self-assured, experienced Mike Patton of today had another crack at this album. I don’t even want to cook up that scenario in my head. But please understand that I don’t dislike his performance entirely, as most of the time it works on this record. He was very gifted early on with melodies, and Patton does deliver some quality soul on these soulful tracks. Perhaps maybe since I came to this album a little later than the rest, it took some getting used to. But the cheese stands alone, and good music is always good music no matter what which is something this album makes good on. From out of nowhere comes “From Out of Nowhere”, a classic album opener in which we realize very quickly how much the band has gelled just by kicking out an unreliable ingredient, and adding another ingredient they found in a remote town in California that also happened to sing for another band that was capable of the most avant-garde, terrifying music made. The song is a rather good implication of what lies within. The drums are complex, the keyboards charming, and the guitar is crunchier than potato chips. The song is also aided by a catchy chorus, and the video for this song is also infamous for Patton breaking a glass which in turn made him lose feeling in his hand. Also, his bicycle shorts. Many people who know how much I love Faith No More have asked me to explain what exactly “it” is. I tell those curious people that “it” is either sex or masturbation and that “it” is also a curse for this band. “Epic” did everything a song written by a hungry band could do. It shot up the charts, got them major exposure on MTV, and the followers of pop music all took notice of this band and consumed them until they were no longer consumable for their tastes (Not to mention Patton becoming a pin-up model and sex symbol for underage girls, much to his horror). While the song is indeed a pure rocker if you put the static for it aside, I believe the song is the worse track the general public could ever know Faith No More by. “It” has deemed FNM as a one-hit wonder in the USA, and “it” is frustrating that the more brilliant side of the band is largely ignored here. I die a little inside every time I have to hum or sing “it” for some folks to put together who this Faith No More group is I’m always going on about. But putting my own feelings aside, “Epic” is a bonafide classic that still gets radio play to this day, and that is something I should genuinely learn to appreciate more considering some of the song’s more mediocre peers “it” gets played on the radio with. The third track of the album and the sole song the band themselves have gone on record saying they loathe; “Falling to Pieces” is rather undeserving of the shade it has acquired. While the song itself isn’t nearly as intelligent as the others on the album, it has a charm to it that can’t be explained. The song is led by a simple bass note by the legendary Bill Gould, and Mike Bordin’s drumming gives the song an almost wavy feel, and in my opinion the rhythm to the song is a good example of how forward-thinking and developed the Gould/Bordin unit really is. They delivered a mighty groove to an otherwise lyrically-corny song that demands repeated listens to form an opinion on a song that has divided FNM fans for years. Another unspeakably brilliant trait this band had was their knack for how they sequenced their albums. The above first 3 songs that started the album off in a pop-vein was all an illusion to not prepare the listener for what track 4 was all about. In what is probably the most straightforward heavy-metal song by Faith No More, “Surprise! You’re Dead” is uncompromising. The absolute thrash metal of the song could stand shoulder to shoulder with Slayer, and it also contains shifting time signatures that would make Dream Theater blush. Songs like this as well as the one and only Jim Martin are major reasons why they are so beloved in the metal community, no matter how hard they tried to distance themselves from that world. Another highlight to this song is Patton’s light-speed word delivery which to this day I can’t decipher without looking at the lyrics. For my metal-obsessed folks reading this review that haven’t discovered this album just yet, you will find familiar shelter on this song. The ease of transitioning from beauty to brutality Faith No More possessed is clearly for all to see on the following two songs. To me, these two songs are the heart & soul of this album. The outwardly gorgeous and inwardly ferocious “Zombie Eaters” has long been a fan-favorite. The dark acoustic guitar, the subtle cymbal splashes, and incredible soundscape on keyboard by Roddy-Bottum-The-Great create such a tense mood, and the vocal performance of Patton just takes this absolute masterpiece of a song to a new level. The topic of the song is largely believed to be about an immature, dependant man with a severe lack of ambition (but using a baby as a possible allegory). After the quiet blissfulness of the beginning of the song, the track’s true form rears its ugly head. Everything in the song is turned up with Patton’s vocals just completely haunting the music until it wears down to the blissful end and thus releases its hands from your neck. I honestly feel I’m not giving the song the accurate description it deserves since it really is so far-reaching, but I do recommend you pay extra attention to this masterpiece. Also, do keep in mind to have a short breather after it ends as the next song is the album’s title track and much like Zombie Eaters before it, the song is another suite. Now, I’m not trying to take a shortcut and not describe the title track, but it is very similar to Zombie Eaters in terms of broad ambition and the mixing (perhaps clashing?) of the beauty and brutality I mentioned earlier. The track also has the best lyrics on the album, and how Patton left the subject up for interpretation was genius. On a lighter note, “Underwater Love” sounds like pop music gold when in actuality Mike Patton is crooning about drowning his girlfriend. Pretty sick stuff, but the music itself is bright, funky, and Roddy Bottum especially shines with his organ-laced keyboards carrying this song on its back. “The Morning After” is a rare miss for me as I just never could get into the song, and there really aren’t many FNM songs I dislike. The beginning of the song sounds clunky, maybe even a little obnoxious. Not to mention it almost sounds like two songs in one that just aren’t compatible with each other. But it does seem to be an endearing favorite, and during FNM’s reunion tour, many people took to those dreaded social media outlets to pull for the song to make the set list. Sadly, I don’t think those fans’ voices were heard. As the album begins to wind down, Faith No More throw a characteristic wrench in the form of an instrumental called “Woodpecker from Mars”. Basically another metal piece with some dramatic flair, the off-time signatures make a return with Bottum and Bordin leading the way. Billy Gould seemed to have inadvertently thrown down a 100% funk bass line in an otherwise full out metal assault, and the fact that it works is simply astounding. Jim Martin also gets his time to shine as well letting out some impressive guitar noises in the middle part of the song. Being that Faith No More is very much a keyboard and bass driven band, Martin (and the other numerous guitar players they have had) seemed almost secondary to their collective stew. However, Jim Martin’s sound really made an influence during the band’s early days and eventual popularity, with this instrumental being a perfect example. Faith No More often covered Sabbath’s “War Pigs” during their live gigs, and the cover is played pretty close to the original. While the cover is by no means bad (quite the contrary), it very much sticks out like a sore thumb on the album. Mike Bordin delivers a fantastic performance, and he has also been very vocal about his love of Sabbath throughout the years which I’d imagine played a big part in him securing a gig as the drummer for Ozzy’s solo band. I have mixed feelings overall about bands recording covers for their albums, and this is no different. Covers usually go down well as b-sides to singles, not for just another track on an album. For me personally, I feel it disrupts the mood and flow and while Black Sabbath is another big-time favorite group of mine, the cover was unnecessary. Through quiet snapping fingers and Patton stirring ice in a drink while harmonizing comes “Edge of the World”, a sexy little track that closes out the album perfectly. With no guitar and a wonderful piano performance by Bottum, Patton sings in a first person narrative of a man deeply in love with a woman that’s way less than half of his age in this funny and bizarre tale. As the Bordin/Gould/Bottum three piece performs what may very well be their smoothest song ever, the instrument that blasts this song off into space is a well-placed and classy saxophone lead that ends the song off with the final fade of the music. Its songs like this that put on display how versatile and chameleon-like Faith No More are. While many bands experiment if only to not be stale, experimentation is in the collective blood of Faith No More and what separates them from the rest is that they can play anything, and it sounds sincere. Looking back, I often laugh when I think about my early teenage years. I smoked my first cigarette. I experienced my first kiss. It was the first time I got drunk. The soundtrack of my life at the time was mostly Motley Crue, Guns N’ Roses, and whatever rap music my older brother was listening to. All of the kids I went to school with and I were also way into Korn, back when they actually had something to say as opposed to their water-treading now. But my close circle of friends was very much into music, and we were always sharing music with each other even at such a young age. I got into many kinds of music thanks to my loved ones. But Faith No More, my number 1 band ever? Na, Limp Bizkit lead the way to them, and how many people can admit Limp Bizkit gave something back to them with a straight face? Umm, this guy.