Customer Reviews

Peeping Tom

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(27)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

One of those projects whose anticipation will likely lead to extraordinary dissapointment on the part of many fans, Peeping Tom is Mike Patton's take on pop music. Admittedly, it seems highly unlikely we'll be hearing any of this stuff on the radio anytime soon, but the project has been cooking for the past six years-- Patton's desire to largely perform it on his own augmented by a consideration at pursuing a major label for its release (it ended up coming out on Patton's own Ipecac Records) and Patton's endless array of distractions (i.e. every other band he's involved in) resulted in this taking several years to complete, finally seeing release.

The concept on the record is pretty simple-- Patton by and large tackles most the instruments and vocals, with an array of guests either in a production role (Dan the Automator, Amon Tobin, Jel, Odd Nosdam, Massive Attack, the Dub Trio) or performing role (Kid Koala and DJ Disk on turntables, Dale Crover of the Melvins on drums, beat boxer Rahzel, Doseone and Norah Jones on vocals as well as instrumental contributions by all the producers) providing assistance, but this is clearly a Mike Patton record. While it is more rhythmically founded in pop than anything Patton has done in quite a long time, the rather detailed arrangements and production result in a depth of instrumentation that keeps this from being a real pop record-- there's too much going on at any time, and Patton's proclivity to odd vocalizations does shine through here. Net result-- it's significantly more commercial than Fantomas or Mr. Bungle, but this isn't exactly the Backstreet Boys...

So how is it? All this anticipation and all? All in all, it's pretty mixed-- there's a lot going on here, a lot of energy and a lot of different sounds and ideas, and I suspect it'll be one that'll reveal itself in different ways with further listening. It betrays pretty readily a heavy industrial/alternative vibe to it-- lots of industrial guitars and distorted basses mixed in with the hip hop beats and the layered synths-- but in this vein, it succeeds only moderately, like much industrial music, the endless production gets in the way of the energy of the piece ("Celebrity Death Match") and ends up creating a number of somewhat unmemorable pieces ("How U Feelin?").

On the other hand, when it's good, it can be fantastic-- leadoff single "Mojo" comes equipped with pulsing rhythms, a fine Middle Eastern vibe and a great explosive chorus (that, when presented live on Conan O'Brien, really cut loose), "Caipirinha" is almost beyond explanation-- breezy guitars offset with a strained vocal until the industrial energy catches the chorus, and for anyone who's been waiting for Patton to return to the sounds of Faith No More, "We're Not Alone" will probably make you happy-- it's as close as he's come to that vein in a long time. Also of interest are a couple pieces where Patton's usual oddities come shining through-- the odd vocalizations of opener "Five Seconds" and the totally unexpected 1972 Miles meets Thrill Kill Kult of "Your Neighborhood Spaceman" come immediately to mind.

A couple things deserving note: the artwork-- it looks like a sort of slipcase, but you pull this piece out and the CD tray pops out the other side-- it's pretty goofy but I certainly enjoy some inventiveness with packaging. Also, iTunes has an exclusive track as the "b-side" for the "Mojo" single that fans will want to seek out.

I'm not disappointed I bought it, but certainly there's a lot of Patton's other material that I enjoy a whole lot more than this-- some fans will give this glowing, five star OH MY GOD OF COURSE ITS GREAT IT'S PATTON reviews, but quite honestly, comparing this to his past couple albums, it's quite listenable but "General Patton vs. the X-ecutioners" and "Suspended Animation" set the bar awful high.

I bought this album the day it came out. It usually takes me awhile to fully love an album. I listen to it non-stop, then I take a break from it, then I start listening to it again to gain a fresh perspective. I realize that the critics get an early copy, but I don't know how they can properly review an album on just a few listens. My first instinct was that Don't Even Trip was the weakest song on the album, and though I've gained greater appreciation for the song on repeated listens I stand by that instinct. Five Seconds is the best by far. The refrain, counting seconds backwards from five, make me want to run through a wall. I recently saw Peeping Tom in concert, and that song was the standout for me. Capirinha is my second favorite song. It's a sultry tune that reminds one of Sade or Maria Muldaur's Midnight at the Oasis. How U Feeling is the one that crept on me. I've only recently started getting into this song. Then there's Mojo. Another excellent concert song, but if you're reading this I'm guessing you already know this one. I'm not sure why Pre School was left off the album, because it is far better than Celebrity Death Match and Don't Even Trip. As another reviewer said, seek this song out. You'll love it. Kill the DJ is a good song, great beginning, average refrain and the ending drags a little. Getaway is a little disappointing, but it's better than 100% of the songs lining up on Billboard charts. Sucker is awesome, but I'm not one of those who is awestruck by the use of cursewords when used in a song--even when they are sung by Norah Jones. I've always found swear words a distraction from the beauty of a song, but artists feel a need to add them to give their listeners a sense of the artist's rage against the machine.

I've read some reviewers claim that the lyrics aren't up to Patton's usual standards. While I will admit some of them are cheesy, and some of the (Will and Grace?) lyrics are downright stupid, Patton's music has never been about the lyrics. The lyrics have always been a secondary concern to the man. His lyrics are written to flow with the music.

Overall, the album doesn't kill like some of the projects that Patton has taken part in. If you're wondering, I'm talking about his Mr. Bungle albums California and Disco Volante and his Faith no More album Angel Dust. Having said that, this is probably a better place to start for the uninitiated. Once you've spun those CDs a couple hundred times, check out the rest of his Faith no More work, the Mr. Bungle album, the Tomahawk work, his Fantomas work, his Lovage work, and the various other projects to which he's lended his vocal skills such as on the John Zorn projects. You will not be disappointed.

This album was amazing. It really brings back memories of Mr. Bungle (my personal favorite side project of Mike Patton). Every track is tight and the collaborations are very fitting. Rahzel's beatboxing alone makes this album really interesting. And who would guess Norah Jones would have a spot as well? Might I add, seeing this band live was quite the experience.

Snippets of excited gossip about this "Peeping Tom" record have been floating around message boards and heavy on the tongues of Patton fans everywhere so when the album finally got released.. Well, there was silence. I'll preface first that I'm a huge Patton Fan but this project lacks the direction and power of Patton's previous releases. The real shining stars here are the producers who fill this album with slick grooves and abrasive guitars and drums. Odd Nosdam blows out Dale Crover on '5 Seconds' in a throwback to Fantómas which works brilliantly, despite the awkward pairing of the two on Nosdam's album "Burner" (the song is called "11th Ave Freak-out Pt 2" for you fans who need it all.) Amon Tobin digs back into his Permutations bag of tricks and turns an old Fugee's sample into a bittersweet grinding industrial track. Jel and Nosdam make beautiful music for Patton to croon over on 'Your neighborhood spaceman.' But still there is something missing. Lyrically, this is one of Patton's weakest albums. Forgotten are the clever biting lyrics of Mr. Bungle or Tomahawk which are now replaced by trite like "Driving Lamborghini's and we're sipping our martinis. Slurping our linguini's etc..." Thankfully the Norah Jones collaboration is bitter and nasty on "Sucker." Take this album at face value; It's Patton's take on pop music and it sounds exactly like that. Instead of trying to dumb down his music for a major release (it was put out on his own label in the long run) Patton should have fully embraced all of his talent's weird skills and made a fearless and freaky collaboration (like General Patton vs. Executioners or the Patton/John Zorn album.) It's a Patton album for beginner to intermediate listeners at best, but at least it casts some light on the Anticon collective that they rightfully deserve. Should you buy this album? The artwork is worth the price alone and there are some great songs on here but if your expecting the second coming of Christ (musically speaking) you've found the wrong album.

This album is slick. I suggest headphones and a nice amount of time alone to sit back and digest this great piece of art.

after years of patton putting out mediocre records (the last thing he did that i really loved was tomahawk) finally we have peeping tom! patton bathes us in his beautiful voice once again! this album is anchored in the hip hop world with undeniable hip hop beats. musically this is very much how i expected it to be. some songs are really good, others are just bad. it seems to me that every album that patton has been a part of has had at least one song that i would skip each time (with the exception of mr bungle, california, and angel dust). this, has two or three that really aren't worth a second listen. i've tried to listen to just those songs without listening to the rest of the album, but, they still don't cut it.

the good songs are fantastic, and luckily, it's made up of mostly good songs.

Unlike some other reviewers of this album, I am not a lifelong Mike Patton fan. While admittedly this gives me less of time-tested Patton background, I do believe it gives me a more neutral outlook.

That being said, if listeners listen to this album with its concept in mind, one can't help but notice its genius. It is a sort of satire of AND reaction to AND adaptation of pop music, carried out in a way that contains plenty of musical depth.

It is inappropriate to compare it to works of Mr. Bungle or Faith No More because if you'll notice, neither one of those band names appears on the cover of this CD.

The album tumultuously twists and dives through countless aural aesthetics, taking on a massively epic sound with the genius "Don't Even Trip" thanks to the inarguably brilliant mind of Amon Tobin. Melodically, the song is one of the strongest I've ever heard from Patton. It takes a look at pop sensibilities, and simultaneously embraces and mocks them.

I thoroughly recommend this album.

P.S. - hearing Norah Jones whisper bitter, evil-sounding lyrics is a sultry and sensuous experience that will knock many a person of their feet.

Definately some of Mike Patton's best work this side of Epic. I highly recommend this CD to those that like mixed work CD's and explorations of technique and electronica. For the price this CD really can't be beat.

After leaving Faith No More, Patton tried his hand at some other interesting musical themes. You know them - Bungle, Fantomas, others - but few have the solidity this album does. Mixing hip-hop, Spanish guitar, Rhazel, and great beats/melodies, Patton does it again.

This cd is pretty cool. For those of you expecting the usual Mike Patton weirdness, you may be disappointed. This one leans more towards a mainstream sound than his usual fare. Its a little on the more mellow side for those expecting Tomahawk or Fantomas type stuff, this leans more towards Mr. Bungle's more accesible songs. Still, a good album, great contributions from his friends my fav being Sucker with Norah Jones (just to hear her say Mother F****r is part of the charm). This probably won't go down as my favorite Patton project, but it certainly is worth a listen at least.