For EMOTIVE, their third full-length album, A Perfect Circle offers up a covers-heavy collection that includes a number of protest songs. What's most striking about this set is the way in which the group reworks pop classics. In the hands of frontman Maynard James Keenan and company, John Lennon's "Imagine" becomes a foreboding lament, and Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" is transformed into an oddly soothing, nearly ambient song. Other standout tracks include a lullaby-like, electronics-laced take on Depeche Mode's "People Are People" and a gently melodic version of "When the Levee Breaks" (almost totally unrecognizable from Led Zeppelin's revered rendition). EMOTIVE also presents two APC originals--the frustration-venting "Passive" and the scathing "Counting Bodies like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums." Although a few tracks feature amped-up arrangements, it's remarkable how many of these tunes are subdued and understated, further backing up A Perfect Circle's status as a dynamic, unpredictable band.
Coll.Of Songs About War,Peace, Love & Greed.New & Cover Songs
Audio Mixers: Billy Howerdel; Danny Lohner; Andy Wallace; Joshua Eustis.
Photographers: Steven R. Gilmore; John Giustina.
Arrangers: Maynard James Keenan; Danny Lohner.
A Perfect Circle: Danny Lohner, Jeordie White (bass guitar); Josh Freese (drums); James Iha, Maynard James Keenan, Paz Lenchantin, Billy Howerdel.
Personnel: Billy Howerdel (vocals, guitar, piano, harmonium, keyboards, programming); Danny Lohner (vocals, guitar, keyboards, programming); Maynard James Keenan (vocals, piano); James Iha (guitar, keyboards, programming); Paz Lenchantin (strings, piano); Jason Freese (tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone); Joshua Eustis (Fender Rhodes piano, drums); Charles Clouser (programming).
Rolling Stone (p.107) - 3 stars out of 5 - "[They] revisit classic protest hits, jacking up the terror by throwing out iconic arrangements and performing heretical surgery on the melodies." Spin (p.117) - "[T]he band seems dedicated to big challenges....A Perfect Circle prove that they've got not only good taste, but real bite, too." - Grade: B+ Entertainment Weekly (p.80) - "Sweetly morbid dreams of a better world abound on this politically motivated release..." - Grade: B+ Uncut (p.138) - 4 stars out of 5 -"Unexpectedly impressive, like a 2004 equivalent of Randy California's similarly motivated masterpiece, SPIRIT OF '76." Mojo (Publisher) (p.102) - 3 stars out of 5 - "[A]pplying minimalist melodies and hypnotic rhythms to a repertoire that seems collectively absurd, but is woven together by the band's singular sonic worldview."
Only the cream of the crop! I've been a fan of APC since thirteenth step, and even further of Maynard from Opiate and still going at it and wishing he never stops writing for either one if the bands. But when i heard Emotive i was almost amazed at how it was in part simmilar sounding but totaly different to the previous too, and that in it self is a triumpf because those two albums rock so much it's almost unbelievable some one can have two bands, 6 albums from one and two from the other, and still just blow you the F away with Emotive. My hats off to A Perfect Cyrcle. Submitted by lugubriousether (JERSEY CITY, NJ) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo 1 of 1 found this helpful.
Very well done This CD of anti-war remakes was superbly done by the band. Not the usual APC offering, but it adds some food for thought. Submitted by tandtjames (Swansea IL, USA) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
Huge It is a new style Submitted by miguel_edmundo (La Paz, Bolivia) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
Not so Perfect Im a huge APC fan, anything with Maynard has my dollar but this was the worst work any of them have done I think! With the all star cast which makes up the newly refined band I expected much more I guess. It sounds like they went completely out of their way to make sure the cover songs didnt sound anything like the originals and it shows, almost like they tried too hard! The original tracks are up to par, and even the cover "Imagine" is great. Submitted by medikman2003 (Germany, US Army) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
What Happened??? Even though i am a big fan of both Tool and A Perfect Circle, when i heard Emotive I was thoroughly dissapointed. For the most part i found this album incredibly boring. However i did find that 'Counting Bodies like Sheep to The Rhythem of the War Drums' an interesting take on their song Pet. Other then that, I consider this CD a bit of a let down. Submitted by mr bob (Canada) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
Only the cream of the crop!
Very well done
Not so Perfect
What Happened???
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