A Perfect Circle - Thirteenth Step
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Free Music Notes for Thirteenth Step
Free Music Review: A Perfect Circle's perfect cd
Hit: 5 Stars
Thirteenth Step is a cd mainly about addiction, and how it is viewed from different perspectives. I now offer you a track-by-track walkthrough of the album, and what I make of the songs, songmeanings, et cetera.
Track 1-The Package:
This song, for the first half is a somewhat calm, mostly drum and vocals track. However, just as it's near lulled you to sleep with it's beautiful rhythm and vocals, it takes a hard knee-jerk turn to hard guitars and creepy whisperings done by the vocalist(Maynard James Keenan). I believe the song is about someone who wants drugs, and doesn't care who he lies to or hurts to get to them.
Track 2-Weak And Powerless:
The advanced musicianship and constant changing of octives on Maynard's voice make Weak And Powerless a great listen over and over. It somehow always manages to keep the listener enticed with it's up, down, up, down, up, down feel. The song I believe is about the drug abuser realizing that he is slowly killing himself and needs help.
Track 3-The Noose
A beautiful slow song. I'm not quite sure what it's about, but one idea is that it's from the perspective of someone who knows someone who hurt people on drugs, but is reformed. And the person is saying to the ex-addict..."But how are you planning to go about making your amends to the dead?" Of ocurse that's not MY theory, just one of many I read ont he internet
Track 4-Blue
This has a rhythm of pure insanity, if you ask me. Very good, very catchy. But if anything sticks out abot this song, it's the guitar-playing. Crazy, in one word. I believe it's about someone in denial about how their loved one is on drugs, and they just want to deny it. They think the blue color of their skin goes good with their eyes.
Track 5-Vanishing
I don't actually think this song has much to it. In terms of meaning, anyway. The musicianship is awful nice, though. Especially at the beginning when you can barely hear it, then by the second time they repeat it suddenly gets much louder after the count of Josh Freese on a bass-sounding drum.
Track 6-A Stranger
I'm clueless about the over all meaning of this song. But you can tell that it has one, a deep one. Maynard's vocals are absoloutely incredible, and so is the guitar-playing of Billy Howerdel.
Track 7-The Outsider
According to Maynard, this song is sung from the perspective of someone who absoloutely does not understand what it's like to be on drugs. IT's sort of like the jock brother saying "walk it off" or "just stop". They drumming on this one is phenomenal.
Track 8-Crimes
In my opinion, there is no meaning. But some say it has to do with being on the virge of suicide. You know, holding the gun to your head and counting "1...2...3..." But the guitar definitely is great when it comes in. I know that the real focus of the song is supposed to be the drum beat, but to me it just seems like such a cliche beat that I won't glorify it here.
Track 9-The Nurse Who Loved Me
A Perfect Circle's cover of the song by Failure. The song seems very strange lyrically. "Say hello to the rug's topography, it holds quite a lot of interest with your face down on it", for example, is quite strange. Violin playing is phenomenal
Track 10-Pet
This song has great guitar playing by Billy Howerdel, and ery creepy lyrics sung by Maynard. The meaning of the song is that it's spoken by the addiction's personification into the addict's ear. But it's remix, "Counting Bodies Like Sheep To The Rhythm Of The War Drums", has a completely different meaning.
Track 11-Lullaby
A humorous follow-up to Pet
Track 12-Gravity
The big closer. Finally just coming down from the addiction, and choosing to live. All put into the form of a beautiful song.
Free Music Review: My take on Thirteenth Step
Hit: 5 Stars
Ok, this CD (Thirteenth Step) has seriously grown on me in a very short time! The tone of this CD is much darker and deeper than Mer De Noms with a few exceptions like Gravity for example, but I'll get to that. The CD starts out with The Package which has a heavy drum beat at times and Maynard's tried and true classic Tool singing style. Gone (for the most part) is the frilly harmonic sound of Mer De Noms, at least for this song(Gravity is the exception to this). Next is Weak and Powerless which sounds musically like classic A Perfect Circle and the only complaint I have about that song is it could've been a little longer and Maynard could've stretched his vocals a bit more, but still a really good song and one of my favorites from the disc. The Noose is next which is another one of my favorites with Maynard once again focusing on spirituality, or his views of it. This song has a nice melody to it and when it gets going, reminds me of Depeche mode a bit as I could almost hear Martin Gore singing this kind of song..at least in part.After The Noose comes Blue which is ok, not bad, but not one that stands out with me that much either, although maybe it will later on. Basically it has an upbeat sound to it and although its kinda catchy, it doesn't stick with you. At least it hasn't with me yet.
Vanishing is an interesting song that feels like it sounds. When I listen to this song, I imagine it as thin, transparent, dreamlike or like a cloud with not much to it but at the same time, its compelling to listen to and soothing in a way. It's his vocals that keep you grounded. Of course that's just how it hits me, you might feel completely different about it.
A Stranger sounds like a continuation of Vanishing only with more substance. Kind of mellow and Maynard seems to be exploring a different sound in his voice with this song as well as Vanishing. Next is The Outsider which is probably the most Tool- like sounding song in both vocals (similar to his earlier Tool sound) and also musically. Could be comparable at times with Judith. Crimes is one of the fillers songs where he sings/counts up to 10 with a cool melodic tune in the background. Not much more to say about that one other that its also very short at 2:35.
The Nurse Who Loved me is probably the most different sounding song of any song Maynard has ever done in both Tool and APC. No drums at all in this song, rather its completely melodic with his voice as the focus for the song with accompaniment of Violins and other instruments of that nature and almost angelic sounding high voices in the background at times. This is a song that is difficult for me to explain exactly and you'll have to form your own opinion, but personally this is one that has grown on me and I like it.
Pet which is my favorite song on the CD currently, sounds like a nice blend of early tool vocally and the best of APC musically. I could've seen this song being on Tool's second CD, Undertow. Put these two sounds together and you have the song that I think will be their next single. This is also one of the new songs they sang during Lollapalooza. Lullaby is a continuation (another filler) of Pet and is the shortest song on the CD at 2:02.
Finally we get to Gravity which also another favorite of mine and one I feel could've/should've been on Mer De Noms. I love the harmonic sound that is truly the sound of A Perfect Circle and Maynard's alter ego. It's beautifully sung and played and its one of those songs that take you away to some distant place that's somewhat surreal. When it's over, you immediately replay it again because you don't want it to end. At least I don't.
Well that's it, that's my take of this CD, and I have to say I was somewhat doubtful and more to the point, fearful that their second effort of Thirteenth Step wouldn't live up to Mer De Noms (still one of my favorites), but I'm happy to say, I was wrong
Free Music Review: A step in a slightly different direction
Hit: 5 Stars
This album has a few songs that ring in the vein of APC's first album, Mer do Noms, and it also has some songs that show some progression. Apparently dealing with addiction/recovery, this album is more of a concept album than their previous effort. The following are my opinions and interpretations, if you feel differently that is great, but don't waste space on here telling me I am an idiot.
Starts off with The Package, a song dealing with desire, need, obsession. Great song with aggressive drums and an insane sonic peak. At 7:40 is the longest APC song. Song 5/5
Weak and Powerless, the first single. Radio friendly song dealing with well, being weak and powerless over your addiction. "Someone feed the monkey while I dig in search of China, White as dracula as I approach the bottom" China White is a street term for heroin. Monkey on the back, pale, desperate, ravenous. Repetitive chorus steals some of this songs thunder. 4/5
The Noose is a great song. Seems to be dealing with someone who has recovered from their addiction but has lost friends/family in the process. "So glad to see you well...not to pull your halo down, around your neck and tug you off your cloud, but I'm more than just a little curious how you're planning to go about making your amends to the dead." The person speaking to the recovered addict is saying congrats, but let's not forget that you haven't been the angel you are right now. Amazing melody and chorus with amazing sonic textures. 5/5
Blue is a song about watching someone die. It has an amazing chorus and bridge that just hooks you into the song. "Calling out to me she's turning blue while I just sit and stare at you."
I am gussing this song deals with the apathy addicts get while in the grips of their addiction "I just didn't want to know....I just didn't want to know." Not exactly a happy song, but still well executed 5/5
Vanishing is a very untraditional song. Starts off with vocals right at the beginning, then there is no singing for a few minutes, then vocals right before the song ends. Amazing drum beat. Not too much to the lyrical content. 4/5
A Stranger is the worst song on the album. It starts nowhere and goes nowhere. Very boring song. Music is too slow for my taste and the strings sound forced....kinda like 'hey let's make a song with strings on it'. Some of the effects sound poorly executed on this song. 2/5
The Outsider is one of the best songs on the album. Maynard's voice sounds the best on this track and my only quibble is that the guitars are too quite in certain parts. 5/5
Crimes is kinda a filler song. Has awesome sound to it, but all Maynard does is count over the top of it. He counts to 10, which is an exercise they teach you anger management. Not sure if that has any significance but it works with the theme. 4/5
The Nurse Who Loved Me is the worst song on the album. I know I said that about A Stranger, but man I think they both are bad enoguh to wear that crown. Horrible vocal effects ruin any chance this song had of ever being good. 2/5
Pet is the best song on the album. Hands down. Very aggressive sonically and lyrically. Also one of the best songs to hear live. Song seems to be dealing with taking advantage of a person's naivety. Also one of the few songs Maynard has ever sang on with some political nuances. 5/5
Lullabye is the outro to Pet. Cool sound, not much in terms of lyrics. 4/5
Gravity is the end of the cd, track 12. The 12th step. The last line of the album is "I choose to live" so don't think this album is all bad, it leaves you with a sense of hope. "Catch me, heal me, lift me back up to the sun." The song about overcoming all your demons and moving on with your life. Truly a beauty 5/5
Buy this cd. Please.
Free Music Review: Your Halo's Slipping Down to Choke You Now.
Hit: 5 Stars
The album Thirteenth Step is a marvel to behold, and its one of the few albums I can't seem to take out of my playlist after years of listening. That seems to oversimplify the dilemma in the experience too, because the disc has been pumping into my audio veins for so long that it feels like it's become a part of my disc changer subconscious, and I still love it. In fact, I've nicknamed it "#45" because that slot has become the place it haunts whenever it and my discman need one another.
I've wanted to review the album quite a few times since I purchased it, actually picking the work up on several occasions and attempting to hammer out something that captured it, but I've found myself sitting the album back down in frustration and putting off an attempt at verbalization because its really hard to descriptively sample. And, really, how does one capture the essence of an album that seems to contain a little taste of "soul" in the lyrics? Is calling something "Audio ambience lighting the paths and subsequent pathos that showcase the beauty need and neurosis can birth" really explaining a marvel? Is saying the work is "genre-defying" really covering any ground and getting one closer to "you really should buy this work" without doing the piece a disservice? I'm not sure how to capture the album even now, truth be told, but I will attempt to break down a couple of its achievements to say why it merits high praise for me.
First and foremost on the list, I have to say that Thirteenth Step is a testament to the power of a human voice. I've heard so many people try to sing in my life that its hard to say that any of them are "moving" anymore, but I have to say that Maynard can be breathtaking when it wants to be. In fact, when listening to the harmonics within Maynard's vocal precision, it becomes apparent that the man has talent. He doesn't have to hit you like a hammer with his voice to make a point, and he never tries to overpower you when he pours you an emotive soliloquy and asks you to sip it for a while. Most of the time he's more like a shadow that slowly comes to rest on your shoulders, with you finding yourself slowly immersed in the vibrance and beauty that the voice projects. It's empowering when I think of how Maynard does what he does, changing his sound depending on the song and becoming an instrument unto himself, and how he can birth atmosphere simply by formulating syllables that most voices emit like waste.
Next, there's the issue of content driving the songs themselves and how they manage to impact. I'm not really a fan of oversimplified music, not enjoying what mundane hymns brings to the game lyrically, and have to say that this is another reason I enjoy Thirteenth Step so much. Its one of those works that lets the wording worm its way into one's emotive inner eye, relating both situational experimentation and crescendos of feelings all in one stroke, and it does so by letting the backdrop cast so many emotions in the length of a album. Some tracks become dark overtures camouflaged in pretty packages that seem to denote what monsters we can become, some are mediums of pain and perhaps love - depending on how you define the artifice of the heart, and others simply writhe with anger or limp across the stage like a broken child's lullaby. And I like that; the diversity in it AND the fact that it tastes real.
In you want highlights from the album (and these, by no means, are meant to overshadow the other tracks on the album), I'd go with The Noose, Blue, A Stranger, The Nurse that Loved Me, the heaviest track on the album - Pet, and Gravity. I'd also say that you should relax when listening and give yourself to the sounds, because immersion is the beauty within the process.
Free Music Review: A Thirteenth Step In To the right direction!
Hit: 5 Stars
I must say, the first time my ears heard Weak and Powerless on the radio, I was enchanted. I loved the way the song flowed, kind of soft yet driveing at the same time. I loved the vokles. Maynard has such a great voice. I thought I have to go out and buy this album. Then I heard some other songs off it. I wasn't too impressed and thought they were kind of boring. Well, that was when this album first came out but since then I've become obsessed with Tool and I'd alsow heard the song The Outsider on the radio. It stuck out amungst the usuall bland, nerow-minded music that is played today. I thought that I would give them a second chance. boy... I'm never going to regret doing that! Wen I listened to friend's copys of the album and to the sound samples here at this site I was blown away! Everything Maynard does he puts a dark and mysterious twist on it! Of course he shouldn't be given full credit for his work with both Tool and A Perfect Circle. With out the rest of the band it would just be his hypnotic voice with some strange ambient noises in the background. This album from beginning to finish left me with a chilld spine and a knot on my head from when it had knocked the sense in to me. Hear is a track by track rundown. 1 The package This is an amazing song that starts soft and dark but that builds up. It's great! 5/5
2 Week and Powerless A nice driveing song with soft structure to it. I love the drum beat. Some of Maynard's best vokles can be found here. 5/5
3 The Noose This song is calm at first. It's relaxing. After this it builds in to a loud finish. At this point Maynards voice is looped and two parts of the song are repeated at the same time. With the hard driveing guitars bass and drums this makes for a spine-chiller. 5/5
4 Blue This song has a straight forword beat. It's a bit less dark then the others. (songs don't have to be dark to be good.) 4/5
5 Vanishing This song is for the most part instramental. It has a nice beet and smooth bass. On this song the guitar department has got some pretty awesome ambients going on. This one will put you to sleep. 5/5
6 A stranger A verry acoustic number with cool nature sounds in the background at certain points. There are alsow what sound like violins in the background. Don't quote me on that, but they are some sort of orchestral stringed instraments. 5/5
7 The Outsider This is a song about suicide and how it should not occur. It's alittle hard to understand Maynard at some points in this song so that's what I've gathered. 5/5
8 Crimes It's just a filler, All it does is serv as a link between songs. It's not something to skip around and listen to however, if you choos to listen to the album in succession then it fits better. 3/5
9 The Nurse Who Loved Me It's just a cover. Maynard sings while electronic keyboards and moore orchestral sounding instraments are played in the background. It's really out of place. 3/5
10 Pet This song rocked my world. This is one of the harder songs on the album. Exolent guitar work and the drums are perfect. 5/5
11 Lullaby Yet again another filler but it's interesting to listen to as it's vary eary in my opinion. 4/5
12 Gravity This song is melow, and carrys a positive message through out. You hear Maynard say "I choos to live." Since the rest of the album's lyrics deal with death this is a flip-flop. It's a nice end to the album. 4/5
This album is a must-have. I recommend it to all Tool fans. The Instramental aspect is awesome and so are the vokles. I am getting Mer de Noms soon. Well, thanks for reading my lengthy review and do yourself a favor and by this album and Mer de Noms. You'll love A Perfect Circle.