31 DAYS OF FAITH NO MORE: “LAND OF SUNSHINE”
Spurred by a lazy crossword clue in The Onion (36 down, four letters: “Faith No More’s only hit”), MetalSucks contributor Anso DF dedicates every single day in August to celebration and exploration of the San Francisco alt-metal greats. Here we prove that history’s greatest band landed more than one commercial hit (crossword answer: “Epic” natch), we revel in FNM’s embarrassing wealth of winning album tracks (themselves often fit for chart topping), and we dip into the staggering best of the b-sides (ditto). Along the way, we survey the context of FNM’s big break (amid comparably rad acts Jane’s Addiction, Nine Inch Nails, and Ween) to post-Nevermind panic-based music commerce in which the brilliantly versatile, fearless powerhouse band operated until their 1998 demise. It’s a dirty job, but someone’s gotta do it.
Song ”Land Of Sunshine”
Written by Patton (L); Gould, Bottum (M)
Released 1992
Appears on Angel Dust album
Produced by Matt Wallace
Guitars by Jim Martin
Key lyric ”Do you feel sometimes that age is against you?”
Single? Yes, promo only (preceded by “Midlife Crisis” and followed by “A Small Victory”)
The climate As the opening track of Angel Dust, “Land Of Sunshine” welcomed listeners back to a now bleaker land of Faith No More, in which singer Mike Patton — fresh off recording and touring with Mr. Bungle — began to contribute more than just lyrics.
Awesome song elevated to supra-awesomeness by keyboardist Roddy Bottum’s vertiginous, carnivalesque arpeggios throughout the chorus, which underline the song’s — and the band’s — recurring thread that life is seasickness.
Didja know? According to Wikipedia, “Land”‘s lyrics were inspired by fortune cookies and a Church of Scientology questionnaire. Oh so that’s why Tom Cruise bumps this jam.
–ADF
