We Care a Lot is the debut studio album by American rock band Faith No More, originally released on November 30, 1985 and distributed through Mordam Records.
On the original vinyl release, the band is credited as "Faith. No More." on the album's liner notes, back cover, and on the record itself.
Background and recording
Prior to recording We Care a Lot, the band had released the single "Quiet in Heaven/Song of Liberty" in 1983 on Ministry of Propaganda Records. This release was under the name Faith No Man, with the band also releasing a three song demo in 1982 under the name Sharp Young Men, which contained the songs "Life Is Tough For Me", "Decay" and "Alive". Later in 1983, the band released a cassette tape which included demo recordings and their first show under the Faith No More moniker in October 1983. The following year vocalist Chuck Mosley joined Faith No More, following a string of short lived singers. The band initially started recording We Care Lot without backing from a record label and, after pooling their money, recorded five songs. This gained the attention of Ruth Schwartz (who was then forming the independent label Mordam Records) under which the band (after receiving the finances to do so) finished and released the album.
In addition to having a small budget, the album was recorded in a short space of time. It was produced by Matt Wallace, who produced the band's next three major label albums Introduce Yourself, The Real Thing and Angel Dust. Wallace went with the band to Prairie Sound in Cotati, California to record the album, and according to him, it was done over two three-day weekends including mixing. During the recording, Wallace and the band stayed in a one-room loft, which was across the road from the studio they were recording at.
Music and lyrics
Then-new singer Chuck Mosley had an equal role in writing the songs with the other members. In a 2016 interview, he described the writing process as being a "lot of collaboration".
One of Mosley's favorite songs from the album to both sing and listen to was "Why Do You Bother", a song he didn't write any music or lyrics for.
Mosley mentioned "Mark Bowen" as being another of his favorites from the record, along with "Why Do You Bother", but noted that it was difficult for him to sing live.