The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste

The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste is an album by the band Ministry. The album was released in 1989 through Sire/Warner Music. The music took a more hardcore, guitar-driven direction, and, along with The Land of Rape and Honey, is considered by many to be the defining aspect of Ministry’s sound. It deploys a cathartic blend of electronic energy with metallic aggression. The songs’ themes dealt with such issues as political corruption (”Thieves”); cultural violence (”So What”); environmental wreck and nuclear war (”Breathe”); drug addiction (”Burning Inside”) and insanity (”Cannibal Song”). Limp Bizkit have been known to cover the song “Thieves” at their live shows.

The album is considered one of the most important releases in the Industrial music genre. The album peaked at #163 in the US and was certified Gold by the RIAA for sales in excess of 500,000 in 1995.

Track listing

1. "Thieves" - 4:59 (Alain Jourgensen, Paul Barker, Chris Connelly, Kevin Ogilvie)
2. "Burning Inside" - 5:16 (Jourgensen, Barker, William Rieflin, Connelly)
3. "Never Believe" - 4:58 (Jourgensen, Barker, Connelly)
4. "Cannibal Song" - 6:07 (Jourgensen, Barker, Connelly)
5. "Breathe" - 5:38 (Jourgensen, Barker, Rieflin, Connelly, Ogilvie)
6. "So What" - 8:12 (Jourgensen, Barker, Rieflin, Connelly)
7. "Test" - 6:02 (Jourgensen, Barker, Rieflin, K. Lite)
8. "Faith Collapsing" - 4:00 (Jourgensen, Barker, Connelly)
9. "Dream Song" - 4:48 (Jourgensen, Barker)

• Track 9 only available on CD version.

Samples

1. "Thieves"
   • GySgt. Hartman from Full Metal Jacket
     • "Get up, get on your feet" / "You will not kill! / "I can't hear you!" / "I still can't hear you!"
   • "KILL! KILL! KILL!" – The maggots from Full Metal Jacket
   • "We are fighting for the liberation of man. Not for the rights of these pigs. The rights of society!" – from The War at Home
   • "We're going to rip this motherfucker off, we're going to tear this motherfucker down." – from The War at Home
   • "I hope they realize this is their last god damned chance!" – from The War at Home
   • "Power to the people" – from The War at Home
4. "Cannibal Song"
   • "The mind is a labyrinth" - Dr. Channard from Hellbound: Hellraiser II
6. "So What"
   • The stern monologue is the Judge from The Violent Years
9. "Dream Song"
   • "Kalimankou Denkou (The Evening Gathering)" by the Bulgarian State Radio & Television Female Vocal Choir from the 1987 album "Le Mysteres du Voix Bulgares"

Cover

Limp Bizkit covered Thieves. Static X covered Burning Inside.

Charting Positions

Album

Singles

Personnel

Ministry

• Alien Jourgensen – vocals, guitars, programming
• Paul Barker – bass, programming

Additional Musicians

• William Rieflin – drums, programming, background voice (track 8)
• Mars Williams – saxophone (track 4)
• Chris Connelly – lead vocals (track 3, 4), background vocals (track 5, 6)
• The Grand Wizard (K. Lite) – vocals (track 7)
• Joe Kelly – background vocals (track 1)
• Kyle McKeough - background vocals (track 6)
• Jeff Ward – background vocals (track 5)
• Dave Ogilvie - background vocals (track 5, 8)
• The Slogan God (Tommie Boyskee) – vocals (track 7)
• Bobbie DiBartollo – background vocals (track 8)
• Angela Lukacen – vocals (track 9)