Review Summary: King for a Day, Fool for a Lifetime stands as Faith No Mores most straight forward yet eclectic recording and one of the band's most underrated releases.
1995's "King for the Day, Fool for a Lifetime" stands a Faith No More's most straight forward yet eclectic record. A strange thing to say considering the band had previously released the bizarro masterpiece "Angel Dust" three years earlier. As inspired and strange Angel Dust was, the record often incorporated a variety of styles within each song. This meant each song fitted perfectly into the next. There was a formula under the complexions which gave it a consistency greater than one could have expected. Releasing an album three year's in the waiting line means King for the Day is a belated response and to those taken aboard by Angel Dust it may be a disappointment.
There's entertainment to be found in King For the Day have no doubt. Nearly every song here is executed in a certain musical style different from the last, weather it be the sexy funk of "Evidence" (one of the albums highlights) or the soulful balladry of "Just a Man". Meanwhile the band still maintains there heavy and robust sound on tracks such as the punkish "Digging the Grave" and the downright weird "Cuckoo for Caca" ala "Jizz Lobber the second". The material on offer also sounds tight and well structured even if none of it sounds as compelling or entertaining as Angel Dust's stand outs.
There are noticeable flaw's however. The record's heavier songs sometime lack hook's ("Ugly in the Morning") and it's heavy eclecticism makes for a daunting task when picking out the highlights from the lesser moment's. King for a Day's main problem is that it sounds less consistent than it actually is, which does no merit re-spins very well. It is recommended that those interested in the band listen to “The Real Thing” before picking up King for a Day as both are fairly straight forward releases unlike the schizophrenic Angel Dust .
All this said, new Recruit, Mr. Bungles Trey Spruance does an excellent job at bringing his own musical sensibility's to the table and fills former guitarist Jim Martin's shoes with assured ease. The greatest performer here is typically Patton though. Patton tackles everything the band shoots at him. King for a Day's greatest strength is in proving just how strong and versatile his voice can be given the chance and one has to the look no further than on second to last track "The Last to Know" for that proof. All in all, King for a Day, Fool for a Lifetime was another excellent release from one of the most important and influential bands of the 90's.
