One Step Up, Two Steps Back...Yeah, That Fits
Written: Sep 17 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Freese's drumming, Maynard's lyrics, ambitious musically
Cons: it falls flat and bores me to death in more than a couple spots
The Bottom Line: Give this a shot given the current rock marketplace, but your opinion may depend on where you fell with their last album.
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| MattA75's Full Review: Thirteenth Step by A Perfect Circle |
As a writer, I've struggled over the past few months in just how to reconcile music as art and music as fun in my reviews. I say this because I'm currently a bit perplexed as to handle this review. Oh well, I guess the best thing I could do is shut up, stop boring you all, and somehow figure that out by the end, eh?
For those somehow unfamiliar with A Perfect Circle, here's a quick history lesson. The group is the brainchild of guitarist Billy Howerdel and Tool singer Maynard James Keenan. After opening up dates for Nine Inch Nails on their 2000 tour, the band released Mer de Noms in mid 2000 to strong sales and good critical reaction. Given Maynard's main project however, it became unclear when or even if we would see another APC record.
That question was answered this week, with the release of the band's sophomore effort, Thirteenth Step. This was by far one of the most anticipated albums of the year for me, as I greatly enjoyed the first release, and as a whole, I tend to enjoy anything Maynard gets involved in. Unfortunately, I can't help but be disappointed with the results.
Now before you go off on me and scream bloody murder for me daring to say that after the unbelievable review Stevo wrote, let me explain. Thirteenth Step has some extremely satisfying musical moments, and some of it's songs are still better than 95% of what is out there. That being said, I think it easiest if I compare and contrast my thoughts with others who reviewed this record.
What seemed to most impress Stevo about this album was the atmosphere and sonic textures the album gave off. I was less impressed. While at times the band succeeds at creating a musical feel more than anything else (The Noose stands out), at others you're kind of waiting to see where some of these songs are going to go, only to find out they don't really go anywhere. In my harshest terms, I could say that for half of this album, this is what Coldplay would sound like if they decided to become decidedly more art and much less pop (this of course puts the talent edge aside, as Coldplay can't hold a candle to this band musically). Again, that would be harshest terms.
And then we have my good bud Mike, the man who gave me my nickname at this site. In his review, he talks about the "artsiness" found throughout APC's music. Ironically, I'm on the total opposite side of the fence from him. I found Mer De Noms to be a significantly enjoyable album, and felt its "artsiness" was actually one of its strongest points. I can't say that about Thirteenth Step. Here, the art feels, well, not quite contrived or forced, but as if the art is much more rigid and unwavering (hopefully someone understands what I'm trying to say by that).
I would not, however, agree with Spin Magazine that Maynard doesn't need a whole other band to play these specific songs. While APC has been hammered to death with Tool comparisons from their first live performance together, I don't think the bands are quite as much alike as most casual music fans seem to assume. While Tool is definitely "artsy," for lack of a better term, they are more forward and well, brutal with their audio assault. A Perfect Circle is more restrained, craftier almost.
So what works on this disc? Well, there is a good amount to like about this disc, I can't lie to you. The Package is perhaps one of the 2 or 3 best songs of the entire year, with its tinkling guitar opening and slow, steady buildup. And then, the explosion comes at about the 4:10 mark, blustery power chords and pounding drums over Maynard's whispered words.
The first single, Weak and Powerless, did not pack the same kind of driving rock punch as the last album's first single, Judith, did. It was much more of a thinking man's rock song, with swirling guitars and a much more midtempo pace. I have come to positively adore the bridge of this song ("angel angel go away, come back again some other day..."), and perhaps more than any other song, save for The Noose, it creates a musical atmosphere brilliantly.
The problems start with Blue, a song that tries oh so hard to be more than what it is, which is a song that builds up and up only to really go nowhere. It's like getting foreplay for about an hour and then not going anywhere else. This is followed by The Vanishing, a song that drags along at a monotonous pace with no real climax, be it vocally or musically, and just as Blue could be compared to foreplay, The Vanishing could be compared to looking at a naked picture of Bea Arthur immediately following foreplay: yes, that's right, limpage.
The band redeems themselves with the next pair of songs. A Stranger melds acoustic guitar and Maynard's voice into a gorgeous ballad, and the strings at the end give it a perfect ending flourish. The Outsider brings some crunch back into the record, and not a moment too soon either, lest we forget that A Perfect Circle is after all, a ROCK band.
We then find ourselves in the most monotonous part of the album. Crimes is nothing more than 1:45 of drums and some sqaullid feedback, followed by forty five seconds of mumbling noise. Remember the old "fart on a snare drum" joke? This is immediately followed by one of the creepiest songs of recent memory, The Nurse Who Loved Me, which is delivered vocally almost as a wistful Broadway musical number. What makes it creepy is the fact that Maynard is singing this way, it's really quite an uncomfortable feeling to listen to this.
The album then ends with three songs that continue the up and down pattern. Pet has the best riff of the album, although on an album that is decidedly more reserved musically, that isn't necessarily saying an awful lot. If you put that aside though, you realize that Pet might have the best riff of EITHER of the band's albums. This song rocks, period. What doesn't rock is Lullaby, a song that pretends to be "artsy" by fading into the distance and then having 30 seconds or so of silence, as if the band and you are supposed to be asleep. Well with material like this...
Thankfully, the band saved something good to end the album, as Gravity swoops in and becomes everything the band probably wanted certain other songs (*coughASTRANGERcough*) to be. This song actually does create a bit of an atmosphere, and it actually seems to have a point. It also shows how much the band possibly misses the input of departed bassist Paz Lenchantin, who left to join Billy Corgan's new group Zwan, who ironically, broke up this week after Paz left that group two weeks ago. Jeordie White (aka Twiggy Ramirez of Marilyn Manson) is the new bass player and he does a decent enough job. James Iha, formerly of Corgan's old band, Smashing Pumpkins, joined the group after recording for this record was finished.
All in all, I liked 7 of the 12 tracks on this record. That alone would be good enough for 3 or 3.5 stars usually. But more than anything, I find this disc to be inconsistent in it's vision and it's musical scope. Some songs meander off to nowhere, while other songs, most notably The Package, are put together so exceedingly well that you're left wondering if it really is the same band playing all of these songs. More than anything, this album, while musically adventurous, doesn't cry out to be listened to outside of the first three songs.
Long story short: Thirteenth Step is probably still better than 95% of what radio is playing. It is more diverse, and at least it tries to be different and new in a constantly stale marketplace. It is probably worth a "give it a shot" buy, especially if like Mike, you weren't thrilled with the first album from these guys. What it doesn't have, at least I don't think, is staying power. In no more than two weeks, I can easily see myself saying "next" as I pass this album down on my "need to listen to" list. So while the band makes one step up artistically, they take two steps back in regards to making this album a solid listen front to back.
That's my opinion, and I'm sticking to it.
More on A Perfect Circle:
Mer De Noms
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
MattA75
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Member: Matt Aucoin
Location: South Berwick, ME
Reviews written: 1162
Trusted by: 465 members
About Me:
Gonna be a daddy, April 2010!
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