eMOTIVe

by

A Perfect Circle

Edit

As I looked at the other reviews (poor reviews mostly) I decided to go back and look at reviews from the last two albums. The lesser reviews on this album criticize that the last two albums were way better than this once and that people would soon be reaching for thirteenth step after going through this release. The reviews lesser reviews about thirteenth step noted that Mer de Noms was the better cd and thirteenth step was a waste of money. Going all the way back to Mer de Noms reviews, everyone compared the cd to tool and called it too mainstream. What I'm saying is that people that want to hear a specific sound or song over and over again get pissed when albums don't all sound the same. However, when they do sound the same people complain about the music being repatitious. As far as judging cover songs, some people don't want to hear the same song played the same way by different people and others do. This band chose to incorporate there own style into each cover and I think that is cool and creative. When you listen to this album don't think about Thirteenth Step, Mer de Noms, or Tool. Think about the creative and artistic touch this band put into some classic favorites. You may like it or you may not, but the band has held true to their style and beliefs here and I think the album is increadible. THINK FOR YOURSELF!

I bought this CD today just on the strength of APC's first two albums. And while I can't say it was a total waste, the album has its share of problems. Let me explain.

Two things will mark this album as different in the APC canon: it is political and it consists of mostly covers. Neither of these characteristics is inherently problematic in a CD, but they do both set limitations that can narrow its appeal. APC has already done some excellent covers ("The Nurse Who Loved Me" and "Love Song"), so it's not necessarily a bad idea to try a few more. The band's opinions (heavily suggested by the selection of songs even if you missed the peace symbol on the front) are actually irrelevant; what matters here is the quality of the music in the first place. And even if the ideas within are probably in sync with most APC listeners, the songs are overall a disappointment.

Consider first the original material. "Passive" is of course the result of Maynard's project with Trent Reznor, so naturally the expectations should be high. But both artists have done much better than this. It's not unbearable, just rather bland. There is also "Counting Bodies Like Sheep..." which is essentially a reworking of "Pet" from Thirteenth Step. Not bad, but it sounded better the first time around. (Strangely, it bears a much greater resemblance to NIN than "Passive." Call it subconscious plagiarism.)

Four of the covers succeed in reinventing their respective originals. "When the Levee Breaks" is particularly beautiful, a mellow but thought-provoking rainy day of a song. Its closing piano riff brings to mind Massive Attack's "Heat Miser," which even if derivative is not necessarily a bad thing. "Annihilation" and "Peace Love and Understanding" both fare well as creepy anthems with a message. And finally, "Fiddle and the Drum" provides an opportunity for an eerie a capella rendition, and Maynard delivers. If there are any doubts regarding his abilities as a singer, they are put to rest here.

But the remaining covers are really quite miserable. For example, John Lennon's "Imagine" is a song of profound optimism, but here it has been robbed of its sunshine, as if Maynard knows communism is a dead end but doesn't really want to admit it to himself. Similarly unrecognizable and wretched is the rehash of Depeche Mode's "People Are People." The catchy tune from the original is gone, replaced by an ugly collection of sounds that may or may not pass for a song. And just skip "Let's Have a War," unless you're feeling masochistic.

Emotive is not one of those CDs that "grows on you." It lacks cohesion and ends up feeling like a very mixed bag of B-sides. Initiates to A Perfect Circle should start with either Mer de Noms or Thirteenth Step; leave this one to the die-hard fans (you know who you are). Let's look forward to the next album of genuine APC material, or, barring that, another complex and addictive Tool release.