your question

12/10/2019 ET phone home

I see you're into Elliott Smith. Any favorite albums? Do you think he lost something in shifting from solo acoustic home recordings to more fleshed out studio outings with big arrangements?

my answer

I quite like Figure 8 and XO. No, I don’t think he lost anything. I quite like the more produced songs. I think From A Basement on The Hill suffers from poor recordings and would have been a much better record with a more consistent sound. But, no, I don’t think he lost anything artistically.

your question

12/10/2019 Enrique

Hello there Trevor! Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions.
Are you at all familiar with the grandfathers of weirdo atonal punk rock "Patife Band"? They are closely associated with the "Vanguarda Paulistana" movement in Brazil in the early 80s. Great weird music came out of that scene, mainly names like Arrigo Barnabé (brother of the singer and main composer of Patife, Paulo Barnabé) and Itamar Assumpção.

my answer

This is all new to me. Thanks for the tip! Listening now as I answer questions ; )

your question

12/09/2019 Brian

Hello Trevor! Destruction is easily one of my favorite bands. All of their 80s output, even the Cracked Brain album. I could discuss them all day.
Ive met you on several occasions starting in 99. Thank you for always being very kind.
I apologize for asking about Bungle because i know you get tired of it. My question is a little tedious, but could you list the Individual composers for any of the songs the way its listed on Disco Volante like specific Music writer and Lyric writer for each track?
1. Dead Goon- i know youve explained some of this one before, how the original impulse was Dannys very impressive bassline; but who else helped write the other song melodies, horn lines and lyrics?
2. Goddammit I Love America is my favorite Bungle demo. Could you answer the same question for my favorite tracks Waltz for Grandmas sake, Goosebumps, Bloody mary, Definition of shapes. I might've heard that Trey wrote the music for Carousel? I could be wrong.
3. Same question for any of Self-Titled album songs. I believe you mostly wrote Slowly growing deaf and Egg yourself. I know Trey wrote Stub with Mike contributing some lyrics. He said Mike wrote the music and lyrics of My ass is on fire...Mr Nice guy? Love is a fist?
4. I love all the impressive Bungle horn lines, dating all the way back to Carousel in 1986. I know there were several horn players Luke, Theo and finally Bar; and that you and Trey are horn players yourselves. Who did the bulk of charting the horn lines back then? I assume Bar began to help a lot with that when he joined in 88/89, or maybe not.
I also Love your recordings with Graham Connah, Jenny Scheinmann etc...
Sorry if ive asked too much. Looking forward to the upcoming live shows. Take care Brother!

my answer

The song information you request for DV is listed in the liner notes of the vinyl, CD and cassette releases on WB, so no need for me to retype them here. If you only have a digital copy then you are a victim of the digital age.
1. Much of that song was created in a lengthy improvisation that we recorded on a cassette back when we used to rehearse in a converted chicken coop. Patton took some of those ideas, Danny’s bassline and possibly some other collective ideas, and constructed the song, writing the melodies, I believe. Honestly, since that was 30 years ago my memory is a bit blurry.
2. I wrote the music and lyrics for Waltz and Definition. Patton wrote Goosebumps and Bloody Mary and Trey wrote Carousel.
3. I wrote SGD, LIAF (except for the long horn melody, which Trey wrote) and most of Egg (some of which also came out of a spontaneous jam). Patton wrote most of MAIOF, although I think Danny and Trey also contributed. Patton definitely wrote the lyrics for that. Trey wrote all of Mr. Nice Guy —or maybe that’s the one Danny contributed a riff to—hell, I don’t remember.
4. Trey, Patton and myself all wrote horn lines for our individual songs. Since Patton doesn’t read music I was usually the one to transcribe them and make charts for the Horns of the Cuckold.

your question

12/06/2019 Waste Of Time And Space

Sorry about the rambling from the last message (I was The Comments Section Pacifist). I recently got into the music of Stravinsky, Varese, Pierre Boulez, and Charles Mingus. If only "The Complete Town Hall Concert" was for sale on vinyl.
1. Who is your pick for the most-overrated composer in twentieth-century classical music (I pick Anton Webern)?
2. Would you recommend that people separate an artist from their music, especially if the artist is controversial? Think of James Brown's history with domestic abuse and aggression.
3. How was creative control distributed among the members of Fantomas? Were there any album concepts or bold riffs you wrote in particular, or were you merely a bystander?

my answer

1. Wow, I can’t disagree with you more about Webern, one of my favorites; a pioneer of sparsity, economy and space. I’m not so much of a fan of John Adams or Phillip Glass. I can listen and appreciate almost any composer from the first 2/3rds of the 20th century.
2. Yes. See my previous answer on said topic.
3. I was not what you would call a bystander but Fantomas was Patton’s baby. He wrote everything. Of course, the players refined things as we rehearsed but he had a specific design in mind which is why he claims 100% of the publishing/writing credits.

your question

12/06/2019 Keipetz

Have you heard XTC,Gong,Henry Cow, Split Enz? Is yes, what do you think of these bands? Thank you for music.

my answer

Yes, I’ve heard bits of all those bands, none of which I followed so much. My recent obsession with Crowded House hipped me to Split Enz. Definitely a fan of XTC’s English Settlement. The other bands sort of slipped past my radar when I might have been more interested in that kind of music, but now that you’ve mentioned them I may have to revisit.

your question

12/05/2019 One Mean Cockfighter

Hello Mr. Dunn,
I was wondering if you had a favorite Hendrix moment, solo, song, album, live performance? I know it's an impossible question. But you da man.

my answer

Yes, pretty much an impossible to answer. Definitely a fan of 1983, If 6 Was 9 and Burning of the Midnight Lamp in terms of songs.

your question

12/05/2019 LanceWith Bungle

embracing their thrash roots, here goes.
Favorite Slayer song?
Fav thrash album?
Best thrash concert you've ever attended?
Reign In Blood or Master of Puppets?
Rank the "big 4" in chronological order along with your favorite album by each
Does Exodus get the credit they deserve? Seems like they always slip under the radar
I know Patton said Slayer should have split after Reign In Blood because they would never top it. Agree?

my answer

Jesus Saves. Melissa. Exodus, Possessed and DeathAngle at The Stone, SF 1984(?). RIB, without hesitation. Slayer (RIB) Metallica (MOP) Megadeth (KIMB) Anthrax (FFOM). Exodus’ Bonded By Blood was huge for me and Holt’s riffage on that record were certainly cutting edge at the time, however, I found it difficult to get past Baloff. So, to answer your question, no, they didn’t get the credit they deserve. Don’t agree with Patton on this one. RIB is an undisputed pinnacle, however, I also dig SOH and SITA. Ok, that’s enough acronyms for now.

your question

12/03/2019Michael welch

Why does it always seem like there was tension between Mr Bungle and Faith No More? Media created or was there any issues? I know after Mr B signed to Warner Bros that pissed off certain people in FNM at the time and I remember Trey throwing shade at them in the press when Patton left in the middle of recording the 1st album to go tour South America with them. Also at the time were you worried about how it would affect Bungle after Trey joined FNM and subsequently left right before a world tour?

my answer

I don’t believe anyone in Bungle has any personal grudge against anyone in FNM. Obviously we’ve all met, and we get along when we do see each other, though hover in different realms. The odd circumstance of sharing a front-man doesn’t come without schedule conflicts, monetary priorities and a certain amount of hierarchy. Back in the day we did have to raise a bit of a stink to be taken seriously and not just a “side project” (which we never were, of course). I don’t recall the ins and outs of the situations you mention but I’m sure there was a combination of some actual tension that was probably magnified in the press.

My only concern about Trey joining FNM at the time was that things were starting to merge a bit more than I had expected. Probably not unlike Mike’s concerns about some of the early line ups of SC3. Thankfully, all of that is water under the bridge and not really worth entertaining anymore.

your question

12/03/2019 Phil

What do you do if you're a fan of a musician and then it turns out they're an asshole? Does it change your affinity for their music? I am sure Morrissey and Smashing Pumpkins fans ask themselves this question every day

my answer

I’ve had a couple poor experiences meeting people I revered as artists. In addition to that there are artists I like who have dubious reputations regarding their personal lives. That doesn’t change the music or art that I appreciate. Art has a complicated source, and humans are extremely complicated. If I’m not actively involved in their lives then I have to figure out my own boundaries as to how I continue to revere their art or banish it from my own personal world. R Kelly is an example of the extreme. I now believe in muting R Kelly.

On the other hand, I listen to both Christian and Satanic music. At times there is a point where the art overtakes the artist and once it is made public and in my possession, I put my own imprint on it as a listener. I can separate the art from the artist if the art is good enough. But like I said, I have my limits. Fortunately I’m not into either of those musicians you mentioned. However, you might be surprised if you dig deep into the personal lives of great artists. Even, say, T.S. Eliot or Salinger for example. What do we do with the films of Polanski, or the novels of Hemingway? It’s a big question you have provoked here, but if someone is “just” and asshole when I meet them, I try to forget that exchange and separate them from the art I love so much.

YOUR QUESTION

11/30/2019 Rich

Hey Trevor, can you remember any moments in your musical progression when you thought- jeeez I will never be able to play this, and then one day you realised- oh I can play this-
have you any insight into how this occurs?

MY ANSWER

It happens often when I get a difficult piece of music to play. Whether is a self-imposed challenge to learn a Bach cello suite, some new Zorn or Dan Weiss chart. What typically happens is that after chipping away at it, figuring out fingerings, bowings, etc —all the physical aspects — it starts to get easier. At a certain point I actually understand it and start having fun practicing it. Actually the whole process is fun. It’s like a puzzle or math problem. It’s a pretty simple answer to be honest. It takes work. Practice makes perfect.

YOUR QUESTION

11/28/2019 One Mean Cockfighter

Hello Mr. Dunn.
Death Match: Kevin Shields, J. Mascis, or Ronald Jones? And why Ronald Jones?

MY ANSWERs

Oh definitely J. Mascis.

YOUR QUESTION

11/28/2019 The Honorable Reverend Addison Bortion

Hello, Mr. Dunn! I've been a rather big fan of Mr. Bungle, and I was wondering about two unreleased tracks that were hinted at via the official Mr. Bungle twitter, Germs and Captain Asshole. How did those two go, if you remember them that is?

MY ANSWER

I don’t believe Germs was ever a finished song —something Trey was working on that we may have toyed with back in the Goddammit period or so. Capt. Asshole was an instrumental that we played live one time before discarding it. I don’t remember the riff… it think it went dee doop de dooo ding dinga doo…and then ended with a gigue about Darby O’Gill.

YOUR QUESTION

11/28/2019 One Mean Cockfighter

Hello Mr. Dunn,
What are some of your favorite things you order from Cracker Barrel?

MY ANSWER

It’s been ages, but I usually go for the egg sandwich, or the toast with the hole in it and they put the egg inside. If not that then just eggs, home fries, and coffee.

YOUR QUESTION

11/26/2019 Mia

This may sound a little weird, but like, aside from listening to your music everyday (got into Bungle just a few months ago), I just always wonder if you, Mike and Trey are healthy and alright. Have the weight of age somehow affected your work? Like, feeling tired, etc... I just hope you all are healthy and have enough time and money to accomplish the things you want and write the music you want! Hope you all are doing fine!! All my best wishes xx

MY ANSWER

Thank you for your concern. We are holding up. With age, hopefully, comes a bit of wisdom and knowing how to waste less time. We are all still making music and very much dedicated to it. Health and safety to you as well.

YOUR QUESTION

11/24/2019 Volante

Did you ever see the 1986 Keanu Reeves/Crispin Glover movie Rivers Edge? If so, what do you think of it? I know Trey says that movie is the closest to capturing mid 80s Eureka and the whole high school scene you guys came out of
Also, can you share the story of the time you met Kurt Cobain backstage in 92. I remember Danny or someone mentioning it in an interview a long time ago

MY ANSWER

Yeah, hellloooo. Saw it in the theater when it came out. Also it was my idea to use the theme song as our walk-off music for the RW shows. Very recognizable vibe that movie.

I never met Kurt. He and Courtney were at our NYE show at the Kennel Club in SF passed out in the dressing room. I didn’t know who they were. I think that was the show where Patton hit me in the forehead with a wooden driver.

YOUR QUESTION

11/24/2019 23:41:44

Steven S Gonna list a bunch of bands. Curious as to what you think of them

1. Melvins 2. Godflesh 3. Ministry 4. Faith No More 5. The Cure 6. Radiohead 7. Joy Division 8. Ice Cube 9.Nirvana 10. Guns N Roses 11. Beck 12. Napalm Death

MY ANSWER:

1. Duh 2. Street Cleaner was huge for me 3. Never got into them 4. Loved Introduce Yourself 5. Not really my thing but I do like their first record 6. Nearly flawless for what they do, definitely a fan 7. Over-rated 8. Early stuff 9. Never owned a record but apparently know every song 10. Nah 11. Meh 12. First record mostly

YOUR QUESTION

11/24/2019 JC

When you look at a band like Metallica or the Chili Peppers, how exactly did they lose "it"? Once upon a time both bands had something interesting to say musically and the more successful they got, the worse the music got. Is it fame? Ego? Drugs? Money? Lack of motivation? All of the above? In your opinion, why do some bands stay true to themselves and why do others fall off a fucking cliff?

MY ANSWER

Hard for me to say, coming from the outside but I would say all of the above. Those things you list all seem to be tied together. Success and fame lead to more frivolous spending and partying and less time caring about what they used to care about which was how to make interesting music. But let’s compare those bands to someone like, say, David Bowie, who partied his ass off and continued to make incredible music until literally his dying days. Is part of that because he wasn’t American? I think certainly he was more of a true artist than those you mentioned. It probably boils down to a core integrity and motivation and those as you know are rare in artists or anyone for that matter.

Speaking from my own place on this planet, I know that partying and money have their place but neither will keep me from trying to achieve what I want to achieve and honor those that came before me, whom I would not exist without.

YOUR QUESTION

11/22/2019 Deanky

Hello, Mr. Dunn

- I think you might have answered this one loooong ago but if so I can’t remember said answer and I haven’t been able to find anything so apologies if you did. ‘Cusp’ on John Zorn’s Filmworks V appears to sample ‘Everyone I Went To High School With is Dead’. Were you involved in that or was it just something he did? Or am I wrong and they just sound similar?
- If you could choose one animal to become hyper-intelligent and start a new band with you, which one would it be? This one is important
-This one is more broad music stuff in general and might not be something you can answer, but how does one even gain the patience for, really, anything in music? Been wanting to actually make fully formed songs and stuff for quite a while but even though I know it’s an unrealistic expectation and all, every time I try and sit down to do any musical thing, I usually just end up getting frustrated that I don’t immediately know how to do everything already. Any tips or such for this kind of thing?

Also there’s a guy in my class also named Trevor Dunn and I told him he had the same name as a musician I like and he went like “I know” but I don’t think he was actually listening. It’s OK though. I understand

MY ANSWER

I believe that was just something he did, and in fact that record was made quite some time before I started working with him in the studio. Not sure I’ve actually ever heard it, only heard about it ; )

Praying mantis.

Patience is a muscle that must be developed like anything else, and in fact, has nothing to do with music. You need to learn it, let it evolve and then apply it to whatever aspect of life you choose. I think it is sort of a lost skill in the world. It takes work. Study a piece of music you like. Spend a lot of time studying it and if there’s something you don’t understand then find out what that is and study that. If you are frustrated by not achieving instant gratification then you have a larger problem to address. I’ve been working at music for over 40 years and I’m still far from understanding everything much less being able to execute or control it. Maybe try a martial art or meditation to help build the skill of patience. But you also have to have discipline and be willing to make sacrifices.

YOUR QUESTION

11/22/2019 Ari

Hi Trevor,
Thanks for answering all these questions.
1. Are you using thomastik spirocore's? Bel Canto's? any other strings? Have you ever experimented with guts?
2. What type of Pick-up do you use these days?
3. Do you ever use a stool when practicing or do you always stand?
4. Have you checked out John Patitucci's book of 60 melodic Etudes?
5. Have you come across any books for bass in the last couple of years that you recommend?
Thanks!

MY ANSWER

Woah, I just realized I’ve been answering the questions in reverse chronological order. Not fair. Couple newer ones snuck in there. Sorry about that. Ok, whatever, onward….

1. Yes, I use Thomastik orchestral — the standard ones with the red thread. I used to use the rope core before I had my bridge replaced which made them sound too midrangey so I went to the Spirocore. I’ve never used gut. I do too much arco stuff for that to make sense.
2. I’ve been using the ol’ Underwood forever. Gage’s Realist didn’t sound good on my bass although I’ve heard it sound great on other basses, obviously.
3. Definitely use a stool, especially if practicing for several hours but I’m constantly moving from sitting to standing up, partially to keep my body from being stagnant but also for variety of toque, leverage, power, etc
4. No, I haven’t. Should I?
5. I still work from some pretty standard books. I still find them insurmountable: Simandl, Zimmerman’s Contemporary Concept, Petracchi’s Simplified Higher Technique. Occasionally I mess around with some Slonimsky patterns.

YOUR QUESTION

03/21/2020 Vidar Nilsson

Will the early Mr. Bungle cassettes ever be reissued?

MY ANSWER

No, and that is pretty much definitive. I would say, aside from RWOTEB everything else was a sort of gearing up towards our first WB record, so we said what we wanted to with that music.