PRANZO OLTRANZISTA

Much better than his first solo outing, Pranzo showcases Patton in his avant-garde genius. If ever a man could replace Frank Zappa, it would be Mike Patton. This time around, we get actual songs as opposed to vocal experimentation. The collaboration with John Zorn gives Patton focus, which he often lacks. It's semi-conceptual and revolves around the "Futurist Cookbook." Don't ask. Patton excels at creating discordant tracks, and he combines dissimialr sounds to challenge listener. "Aerovivanda" has horns that mix with the sound of glass shattering, while the opener "Elettricita Atmospheriche Candite" has unsettling violin that is joined by psychedelic guitar.

Fans of FNM, Mr. Bungle, and Fantomas should be able to digest this. Newcomers to Patton should get Faith No More's The Real Thing and Angel Dust as well as Mr. Bungle's California, as these are the easiest to get into (that's not saying much). However, established fans should pick up this album if you can find it.

Grade: C

"Adult themes for voice", the first Patton solo release was quite a display of his amazing vocal imagination and his taste for experimental sounds, but it was, in my opinion, one of the least accessible albums of all time. Many pointed the lack of conventional instruments as the cause of its minimal accessibility.

Well, this time around, with Pranzo Oltranzista, Patton wrote more "conventional" songs, including instruments such as cello, guitar, percussion and alto saxophone (performed by John Zorn, no less). This "banquet piece for five players" is actually a composition for "La Cucina Futurista", a futurist cookbook; each song corresponds to a recipe. Even with the inclusion of instruments, this album is far from easily accessible, and is filled with ambient sounds (apparently of someone cutting vegetables, eating, followed by the washing and shattering of his plate). The players often burst in spontaneous, frenetic playing of their respective instrument, resulting in cacophonic sounds, while Patton makes noises similar from those found in "Adult themes", but some entirely original, such as himself crunching some carrots! The result is an album that incorporates free jazz, psychedelic, atmospheric and noise in a fresh and inventive way.

This album is certainly progressive, as the music contained in this album progress in ways it hadn't really done before. While the idea of bursting into frenetic jams isn't new, the combination here is quite original. I personally enjoy it very much, and I'm a bit sad that Patton didn't try to follow on the ideas of this album. Even though, I wouldn't go as far as saying that this is an "excellent addition to any prog music collection". This is why I rate this album three stars, "good, but non-essential". It is the best Patton solo album and, by far, the most accessible. Definitely worth a listen if you get the chance, however, approach this one with an open mind.

Mike Patton - Pranzo Oltranzista 3 stars

A much easier listen than the debut Patton album.

'Adult Themes for Voice' was an album focusing around Patton's main gun, which is his voice and unique, unconventional stytle. 'Pranzo Oltranzista' is a look on his composing efforts. The album is mostly avant- garde music, with a touch of some free jazz, probably because of the presence of musical genious, John Zorn.

My favorite songs of this album are all the ones with sound effects. I find those tracks to be some of the best 'noise' tracks of any of Patton's work with ambience and sound effects and the like.

I give this album three stars because it was good, but didn't have any mindblowing stuff. It was a tolerable album unlike the debut and had some pretty good ideas.