Hi all and welcome to another Simpsons On Sundays post. On the death front, Donald Sutherland (who voiced Hollis Hurlbut in the episode Lisa The Iconoclast) had passed away on Thursday, aged 88. He leaves behind children including his son Kiefer Sutherland and a body of work with movies and TV appearances. He was also an anti-war activist. Thank you Donald for being a good Canadian and one who is all for peace. Rest in peace. https://youtu.be/4v_w64cfDi4?si=2LVCoaYjf5k2ZOtF
Here is another video on the man. Why? Why not? https://youtu.be/Yrue8yuH1nY?si=w1WSoKPqMTkZnJ9o
On the birthday front, Sir Paul McCartney turned 82 on Tuesday. I will not repeat his contribution to The Simpsons as there is no need. I will tell you that Paul is working on new music with producer Andrew Watt, the same dude who has produced Pearl Jam, The Rolling Stones and Ozzy Ozbourne in the past few years.
This week we are going on another Simpsons Sabbatical to the world of the experimental rock of Deftones. Formed in Sacramento California, the lineup consisted of: singer and sometimes guitarist Chino Moreno, guitarist Stephen Carpenter, bassist Chi Cheng and drummer Abe Cunningham. They would enhance the lineup with Frank Delgado on turntables and later on, bassist Sergio Vega, standing in and that is coming later.
Deftones signed with Maverick records, which is run by Madonna and were signed to the label, by the same man, who currently manages U2. His name is Guy Oseary and he was an Artists and Repertoire man for the label and he signed Deftones when he was either 21 or 22 years old. Come to think of it, Chino was 22 when the debut album Adrenaline was released October 3 1995, between Home Sweet Homediddly-dum-doodily and Bart Sells His Soul. They had toured their asses off and before signing, they had become friendly with Korn and Chino and singer Jonathan Davis had become friends. However, Deftones didn’t want to simply be looked at as a clone and so, they have carved out their place in nü metal and have stayed away from the term, as much as they could.
The second album Around the Fur was released on October 28th 1997 between The Cartridge Family and Bart Star and had 2 big songs which have become classics: My Own Summer (Shove It) and Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away). The last track MX, includes a hidden track called Damone and a short non-musical hidden track called Bong Hit, which starts with the sound of what could be an internet connection, or a fax machine. Either way, this is the longest track Deftones has recorded clocking in at 37 minutes and 18 seconds.
They toured and toured and toured, having gone through such hardships as having been stolen from and this had included letters from friends and family, along with video footage for a music video for the title track. The band were also unfortunately dealing with more bad luck, with their bus stalling in the middle of the highway somewhere in Europe and it was in the middle of winter. Imagine being on a bus which had died, it’s below freezing and we are not in the days of smart phones yet, but we did have cell phones at the time, so I guess they weren’t that unlucky except for freezing their asses off. I hope they had walkie-talkie radios so they could at least put out a call on some frequency and probably simplex as I imagine there are not that many repeaters outside of ham radio.
The band also got on some big tours like Warped Tour in 1998 and Ozzfest in 1999. Chino also found time to help out Max Cavalera, after he had helped the band out on Around The Fur on the track Headup. Chino did a guest vocal on the Soulfly track First Commandment, which is actually kinda cool to hear contrasting vocal styles from both Max and Chino. Chino also returned to do a guest vocal on the Primitive album in 2000, on the track called Pain. I will include videos for nearly all songs mentioned at the end of the post by the way.
On June 20th 2000 (Chino’s 27th birthday and 18 days after my 27th) Deftones had released the 3rd album White Pony and I remember purchasing it on the same day and enjoying it then, as I do now. What struck me when hearing the single Change (In the House of Flies) was that each album had guitars tuned a half-step lower and this would continue on future albums. I enjoy this album because of it being well rounded and diverse, with not just sneaky brute force, but including songs which have more of a Radiohead feel. An example of this is Digital Bath and it became a favourite before it was released as a single. The song which got me the most was Passenger, which also features Maynard from Tool and A Perfect Circle on vocals. This was also the song I had heard in a dream in August 2017, as a part of a nonexistent episode of The Simpsons. It included Bart doing the rhythmic breathing, used as a percussion instrument and you will understand, if you have watched Colonel Homer and have heard this song. I will include the video (among others) at the end of the post and pay attention to when the song kicks in before Chino and Maynard start to sing.
On May 20 2003, Deftones had released their fourth and self titled album, which has songs which are tuned even lower on guitar, making it heavier. Yet, it is still good with songs like Minerva and Hexagram as singles and getting to tour with: Metallica, Limp Bizkit, LINKIN PARK and Mudvayne. The album did well, but not as much radio action as with White Pony. Deftones was released 2 days after the Season 14 finale Moe Baby Blues had aired.
In 2006, the band worked with producer Bob Ezrin on their fifth album Saturday Night Wrist and this was a turning point, in that the album did not shift as many units and hardly any radio play. There were less metal shows with foreground programming and it was also different, in that it was somewhat scattered musically. There were songs in all kinds of guitar tunings and that was fun for me and others who pay attention to those things, but things weren’t exactly Rosie. In fact, the band almost broke up, but thankfully they stayed together long enough to record the new album and tour. By the way, Saturday Night Wrist was released on October 31 2006, between Please Homer, Don’t Hammer ’em and Treehouse of Horror XVII.
In 2008, Deftones went into the studio with old producer Terry Date to record the next album called Eros. Terry had worked with Deftones on the first 4 albums and has also worked with Soundgarden, Pantera, Buckcherry and their self titled debut album in 1999, along with Limp Bizkit and Soulfly, among others. Unfortunately, that was not to be, as bassist Chi Cheng got into a nasty car accident in November 2008, which had left him in a coma. Unfortunately, he would pass away on April 13 2013, at the age of 43. He had made a partial recovery and returned home, but he was never to play with Deftones again. So, old friend Sergio Vega from a band called Quicksand, stood in for Chi before and after his passing and was no longer playing with Deftones in 2022. Quicksand were a post-hard-core band who had possibly influenced the development of emo. If you have no idea what that is, think of a popular group like My Chemical Romance as a starting point. Think of this genre as emotional hard-core. Here is an example of them doing a cover of a classic Smiths track. https://youtu.be/cqsMY1PMGFU?si=6iAwgD1b9HAl9kSN
Deftones had decided not to release the material from Eros and move on to something new, with producer Nick Raskulinecz and it is another fine album, which shifts from one style of music to the other and Diamond Eyes was released on May 4, 2010, between The Surveil with Love and Moe Letter Blues.
The next album entitled Koi No Yokan would be released on November 12 2012, between Gone Abie Gone and Penny-Wiseguys. This album included some 8 string guitar action and again, it continues to be interesting for musicians in terms of pitch and keys, as well as guitar tunings.
Next we have the 2016 album Gore, which was released April 8 between The Burns Cage and How Lisa Got Her Marge Back. They used Matt Hyde as producer, who is better known for more extreme bands like Soulfly, Hatebreed and others.
In 2020, Deftones returned to Terry Date as producer and put out the album Ohms, 2 days before the episode Undercover Burns had aired. This was interesting in that it had nine string guitars and when we get to the title track, check out the guitar sound and how the guitar is played. I don’t know how else to explain it, but there it is.
Let’s go through other activities and issues the band has gone through, ever since 1988. First of all, guitarist Stephen Carpenter was hit by a car as a teenager (while skateboarding) obviously years before the episode where Bart also gets hit by Mr. Burns’s car while tearing up Springfield on his board. This had resulted in him deciding to learn to play guitar, while using a wheelchair for a few months as a result of the accident. Chino apparently also was into skateboarding and he had a day job in the shipping department at Tower Records, before forming the band. Chino’s birth name is Camillo Wong Moreno and the nickname Chino was given to him by his uncle, because he looked predominantly Asian. All members have other projects outside of the band to keep the creative juices flowing such as: Crosses, Team Sleep, Palms, Kush and others. Chino had been a frequent smoker until 2007 when he quit. Because of this, he had to go to a vocal coach around 2001 in order to help better prepare his voice for live performances, where he would sing and scream, shifting between the two vocal styles depending on the song. A member of the band believes that the earth is flat and is against vaccination. I am not going to get into whom, so if you wish to know more you can read up on the band through Wikipedia.
Before we hear Deftones music, I am going to mention here that Chino likes many albums and bands outside of metal and this includes The Smashing Pumpkins and their 1993 album Siamese Dream. Why not? Also, he is a big fan of a band called HUM and they had released their 1995 album You’d Prefer An Astronaut, which includes the single Stars. Here it is. https://youtu.be/gMEB4HNNZ2I?si=C19W2PKifbd6kmIi
Now, let’s get to the music and before we do, I encourage you to consider purchasing the albums as a whole, from iTunes or on CD or vinyl (if available) rather than just streaming. Let’s start with track 1 from the debut album and my favourite song off of it, with that chugging guitar riff. https://youtu.be/-WdYo3WlETY?si=AZX9n5nmF4EeANTE
Let’s start going around the fur, with the lead track and the first full song I had heard in late 1997. https://youtu.be/XOzs1FehYOA?si=sReiywwvrcDIsZB_
Next, the other song off of the album which received more radio play, because of its melody. https://youtu.be/KvknOXGPzCQ?si=c3falR8RU_NS7Fvi
On Thursday afternoon, I had listened to White Pony and was reminded of how much I loved this album back in 2000. For those who may be reading this and who either listened to, o worked in rock radio back then, you know that this album was huge for the band and listening to it again after almost 4 years of the 20th anniversary coming out digitally, I was refreshed on what June 20th 2000 was like outside. I was in St Catharines in the morning and in the afternoon, I went out and bought it on CD, as the first of 2 copies I would buy of that format after returning to Toronto. Now, I have it from iTunes and I am glad that I do. Here we go with some change in 2000. https://youtu.be/WPpDyIJdasg?si=mI-NGgYOCfAMKx81
Now, the song which was part of a Simpsons dream in August 2017, with Bart doing the percussive breathing in the dream and not on the song I and other Deftones fans know and you may hear for the first time. https://youtu.be/IjainiB8mk4?si=ZTqU8BbUt3geZuEA
Here is my favourite song from White Pony, as it reminds me of Radiohead. https://youtu.be/O_IIAYZL1R4?si=CJR6V-__wDAlCRIA
One more song for you and this is a bit different in that there are no electric guitars and no screaming vocals. https://youtu.be/PSjgG1S6bQc?si=2pxi9NpE784GYl8k
Let’s move on to 2003 and the first single off of the self titled album. https://youtu.be/mLa0-sQg1YM?si=zouFOOJNE3gmgoU4
This is the other single off of the 2003 album, which is also the lead track. https://youtu.be/yP4dFHSd-iw?si=QQPIPIYJHAZPII_Q
Here is a song which is different from the rest of the album and a similar type of track was on White Pony too, called Teenager. This one is not as melodic as the previous one, but I like it anyway. https://youtu.be/Ija2-DQz38g?si=G1-W5Ow02n1achaB
Moving on to 2006’s Saturday Night Wrist and this is track 1 and single 1 off of it. Is it me, or does this remind you of The Smiths at times? I mean, Deftones has covered a Smiths B-side, but this is the clincher that Chino is into more than just hard rock and metal. https://youtu.be/LnI_QIXU058?si=8keLDgu_s4ihl4hP
Here is another weird one and featuring female vocals and spoken parts from Annie Hardy, whom I have never heard of. However, I like the mischievous nature of what she is saying and especially at the end. https://youtu.be/iEJ20NRwJ-Y?si=3LSG2AkXGvDXKGcs
Moving on to 2010’s Diamond Eyes and I have chosen 4 songs I wish to share with you here. First, the first single for radio. https://youtu.be/qksTlo_1Tpw?si=JCZSFoxzcCL2Acc_
Here is a song with a guitar tuned so low, it sounds like a fuzzed out bass. It isn’t and it has a lot of melody in it too. https://youtu.be/woAcXSMyCEw?si=K2kisBTr0tgbZwLg
I think that this was the first song made available and no matter what, I like it. https://youtu.be/woR6ohiFeYE?si=p_EN0NH2NftsgpjV
This is the last song I will share from this album and the last track on the album too. Despite the title, it is yet another melodic masterpiece for the band. https://youtu.be/0UoXaSYIDjM?si=r8nEQIN6tXjNnIjy
For the last 3 albums, I will share one song each off of them. This is the only song I had heard on the radio from Koi No Yokan in rotation during late 2012 and early 2013. https://youtu.be/YImIvmtuHAE?si=odg4vwujFfi2dyfA
Here is the first single off of Gore. https://youtu.be/JAmt6zN9vOk?si=Q8r6iV90PpG8P1Yi
We are finally up to the latest album Ohms and the title track is the first single and the last track, ending off the album. https://youtu.be/KUDbj0oeAj0?si=7Gmf_YnotewCensq
Let’s explore covers the band has done over the years and we begin with Drive by The Cars. I like both the original and this cover by Chino and company. https://youtu.be/cHiP3_-N0Vc?si=5ug-AdF3fYBhtJRo
Next a track originally by Duran Duran. https://youtu.be/EON3DnBbflQ?si=XOf9quZpXjNXAwa6
Finally, let’s get to that fucking Smiths track I had mentioned earlier. https://youtu.be/EQose8uGj5o?si=M2xEppTVNhLFXFxU
The band has been on late night talk shows with guest stars Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien, which is their connection to The Simpsons for me. That is partly why I had decided to do a post here, but also that dream I had mentioned during August 2017 during a time when I had a problem with pests in my apartment. Before I forget, I should share the Soulfly tracks where Chino had done vocals and even this track from Around The Fur with Max Cavalera. https://youtu.be/ZzzcFWOqTY0?si=WxcG4SAGJa2I4rSh
Moving on to Soulfly. https://youtu.be/2270AXjO8eU?si=zAvC1PEJNnm7VEkl
One final track I almost forgot about is another cover, by Chino and Korn. https://youtu.be/dG3uPqEdGik?si=oymSoOAwrBcnSO6k
That was fun and I hope that some day, we hear Deftones on The Simpsons despite any opposition. I want the show to be infected by heavy music and less by hip-hop. Anyway, that is it for this post and please, consider purchasing the music I share in these posts, rather than just streaming.
Simpsons on Sundays 