California

California is my favourite album, ever (and I mean it.) I would have sex with this record if it were possible. Mr Bungle are like the antithesis to stale, lifeless music. They're comprised of extremely skilled musicians, utilizing just about every single instrument in the galaxy, yet making their use sound perfectly logical. Imagine if Sgt. Peppers was mixed with the Beach Boys and Frank Zappa, but it actually sounded amazing.

Each song is drastically different. Sweet Charity brings the album to a slow yet booming start with sweet miami style guitar-tistry, and the vocal prowess of Mike Patton is revealed. By the end of the last track, Goodbye Sober Day, you're listening to a crescendo of apocalyptic noises such as women screaming and cars being smashed to bits.

Each track also has some of the best lyrics I've ever heard (and read.) The thing I like best is that although you can hear the words clearly, you will have to read them in order to actually know what Mr Bungle is conveying. I shat bricks the first time, I was like - really? That's what Patton's singing? Personally, I had never heard a band mention phased array diffraction nets, let alone bitic qabalistic trees. I love how they can sing so adeptly these intelligent, well written and researched lyrics, whilst making it sound like a Beach Boys style doo-wop, or Elvis rock n' roll.

Even the most up-beat sounding, ska/jazz/rock bending track Vanity Fair is actually about castration (although not solely!), referencing the Skoptsy. Golem II: The Bionic Vapour Boy is a very playful track about the coming of the new Golem (computer A.I.) referencing the clay wrought constructions of Jewish tradition, rendered in, as songwriter Trey Spruance called it; "Sesame Street/Muppet Movie style'. Brilliantly this isn't their most bizarre album - that title goes to Disco Volante. It is also excellent, but only for big fans of MB, whereas their first and self titled record is a mixture of Ska, metal, and sex-rock. It also contains samples from videogames like Super Mario Bros and Smash TV, as well as numerous movies and pinball machines. Fantastique!