Peeping Tom - Peeping Tom Review
Posted by Tim Johnson on 05.25.2006
After eight years of rumor and speculation, it has arrived. But is it worth the wait?
Finally, it's here.
When Faith No More disbanded in 1998, rumors immediately began to circulate that vocalist, Mike Patton, would soon be releasing a "mainstream pop" project.
In 1999, Patton's super-group, Fantomas, hit the scene. Pop, it wasn't.
The same year, he dusted off his avant-garde band of misfits, Mr. Bungle, for an album and tour. While their third official release, California, was a little more to the right of their previous efforts, it was still far from "mainstream."
In 2001, a batch of demos for a project called "Peeping Tom" hit the file sharing networks. People anticipating the singer's return to the pop realm were sorely disappointed when it was revealed the songs were fake.
As the years passed, Patton, who is known for his extremely diverse vocal range, collaborated on countless projects. The majority of them contained little, to no actual singing.
So, when Ipecac Records announced the official release of Peeping Tom in May, 2006, it was greeted with more than modest skepticism.
Like I said, finally, it's here.
Sort of.
Peeping Tom is a collection of songs featuring Mike Patton and eleven singular artists. And it's about as "mainstream pop" as you're going to get from the guy.
That being said, it's not really mainstream, or pop.
The disc as a whole is more radio friendly than anything he's been involved with in recent memory, but to say Peeping Tom represents the current trend of popular music would be inaccurate.
The album starts with an aggressive track featuring Odd Nosdam entitled "Five Seconds." It emphasizes Patton's convulsive vocal ability and it's slightly comparable to songs like Faith No More's "Ugly in the Morning" or "Naked in Front of the Computer."
The chosen single, "Mojo" follows.
It's a very good song, and it has the kind of hook in the chorus that could drive sales.
The lyrics focus around drug usage, and some time ago, no radio station in the continental United States would have touched it.
However, in this day and age, lyrical content is nothing. Nine Inch Nails blew up with a song that had the lyrics, "I want to fuck you like an animal." So people shouldn't be too worried about Patton telling them to, "roll it up and smoke it again."
"Don't Even Trip" with Amon Tobin is next. It contains multi-layered vocal tracks from Mr. Patton, and has a dance club vibe to it.
Kool Keith then makes an appearance in the song, "Getaway."
Recently, Mike Patton participated in a dual project with the X-Ecutioners, and this song feels like a continuation of that. It primarily concentrates on Kool Keith's rhymes, while Patton contributes with a sung chorus.
This, and the ninth track, "How You Feelin?" are really the only pseudo-rap experiments on the record.
"Your Neighborhood Spaceman" featuring Jel and Odd Nosdam is above all, an engine for Mike to sing. It's a mellow, laid back tune with acoustic overtones, and it's one of the more approachable tracks on the album.
"Kill the DJ" is another club-type effort featuring the "trip-hop" group, Massive Attack. It's an outstanding track that really explores the depth in Patton's voice. It's one of those songs that is great on the record, but would actually blow the roof off the place when performed live.
"Caipirinha" sort of sounds like something off the cutting room floor of Mr. Bungle's California. The song, which guest stars female vocalist, Bebel Gilberto, has a familiar structure, reminiscent of "Sweet Charity." Though the style is similar, this song pales in comparison to anything off Bungle's record.
Dirk Diggler, Will & Grace, The Godfather, and Keanu Reeves are all paid tribute in the song "Celebrity Death Match." The track contains a menacingly sung chorus backed with heavy industrial music. It's a perfectly acceptable song, but the shots at Michael Bolton and R. Kelly make it all the more enjoyable.
Speaking of celebrities, Norah Jones is arguably the most recognizable guest on Peeping Tom. However, her contribution in the song, "Sucker" is not what you'd probably expect.
The young singer and pianist steps away from the jazzy-folk genre she's associated with, and breaks out the lyrics, "Keep it in your pants will you, sucker. What makes you think I'm your only lover? The truth kind of hurts don't it, motherfucker."
"Sucker" is the shortest track on the album, but it gets the point across in a rather sexually appealing way.
The self titled project ends with the made-for-radio effort, "We're Not Alone." Dub Trio provides the backing music, and a slightly different mix of the song is also included on their disc, New Heavy.
This seems like the obvious choice for the next single. The music is driven, and Patton fluctuates from falsetto verses, to aggressively belted choruses in a moment's notice. "We're Not Alone" could easily climb up the charts, and it's a perfect ending to the long awaited project.
Peeing Tom is available worldwide on May 30th.
Mike Patton and Dub Trio will perform together on Conan O'Brien, Friday, May 26th.
The 411: Peeping Tom, the highly anticipated “mainstream pop” project from Mike Patton, has finally arrived. But once again, it’s not comparable to anything currently on the scene. It’s aggressive, intricate, and experimental. People expecting to hear a re-incarnation of Faith No More will be disappointed, but those who understand Patton’s vision of what “mainstream pop” should be, will enjoy it immensely.
