A Perfect Circle - Emotive
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CD Details
Artist: A Perfect CircleEdition: Music CD
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
CD Release Date: 2004-11-02
Music Label: Virgin Records Us
Soundtracks:
- Annihilation
- Imagine
- (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace Love And Understanding
- What's Going On
- Passive (Explicit Version)
- Gimme Gimme Gimme
- People Are People
- Freedom Of Choice
- Let's Have A War
- Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums
- When The Levee Breaks
- Fiddle And The Drum
Music reviews of Emotive
Music Review: A Final and Complete Description of eMotive.
Rating: 4 Stars
First of all: If you've taken Tool at face value for all of these years, then the last thing you should be doing is writing a negative review about a CD you sadly will never understand, especially as if you hold some enlightened view on the matter.
Maynard James Keenan is far from contradicting himself in any discernable way by making eMotive. Hell, actually, this CD embodies the very message he's been making all of these years, tearing off the shroud of symbolism and apparent negativity that has obviously been confusing our lesser-minded brothers.
To back this claim up, the lyrics from the Tool song "Aenima" that you've "quoted" and have held against him state quite clearly "Don't call me a pessimist, try to read between the lines." He's not saying he actually wants the world flooded and for everyone to die and no where does he say it's because he's "sick of people" as you so moronically state. Rather, he's sick of the way in which people live in places such as LA and the worthless things they hold sacred. He's saying that for the human race to continue evolving mentally, we need to do away with such a materialistic view of the world. The current image of what is normal or cool or saught after in life. We need to do away with it and evolve.
Track 1. This is the very system which he alludes to in the first song off eMotive, entitled "Annihilation." A dark and somewhat creepy opening to the CD, with whispered words which need not be sung loudly. Their message is loud enough as it is and would only be lost if sang at standard volume. It garners your attention and keeps you focused on the meaning. He pulls this track off very well.
Track 2. "Imagine." I read a review on this site slandering this beauty of a track, stating that Maynard loses the original optimism in John Lennon's classic. Lost it's original unifying vision of peace. And I say to you...haven't we, too? The very fact that Lennon is no longer with us is proof enough of how the world's gradually lost most of this initial hope. This idea of a perfect union of man. It was described as robbed of its optimism and turned into a hopeless daydream. Indeed, a hopeless daydream is all that we have left of this original vision. To refute this would be to turn a blind eye to the world and the problems we of America are shielded from. Don't call me anti-patriot, call me a bearer of some truth. Thus proving once again that Aenima, rather than a contrary, falls perfectly in line with Maynard's "new" view. People (Americans in particular) are so wrapped up with worthless materialism and greed (I, myself am too guilty...repeated times) that they are blinded from the real needs we have and the very brotherhood that would bring peace to the world. Call it a makeshift wake up call that has much more effect today than blunt optimism ever could. To find this peace and union, we must first awknowledge how far we are from it, not skip right to the false individual feeling of unity. (For Further Tool Message Similarities: See "Schism" and compare with the religious views of "Imagine." Religion is merely a means to holding back this perfect unity.)
Track 3. The message is clear in the title, alone. "(What's So Funny 'bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding." A Perfect Circle does a great job with the darkened, uneasy effect in the music that lyrics portray and reflect. Maynard's voice, sounding troubled and shaken at the misery and hatred of the world fits flawlessly with the overall message. Great Song.
Track 4. "What's Going On." Compared with versions from Justin Timberlake, Bono, or Coldplay, A Perfect Circle easily does this song the most modern justice. Though there is some dispute on the tone of Maynard's "What's going on" sounding more like a statement than a question, the overall meaning is not lost. There is no need for war or blind brutality to our brothers and sisters. Beautifully executed, this is a gem of a song that sounds superb.
Track 5. And now on to their first original work on eMotive. "Passive." An amazing song, though it doesn't seem to really fit with the mood of the album. Perhaps I'm missing something, and if so, forgive me. But nonetheless, if you like A Perfect Circle's usual sound, simply put, you will love this song.
Tracks 6-9. For the sake of not typing for days, I'll group the next few songs together. "Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie," "People are People," "Freedom of Choice," and "Let's Have a War" are all decent tracks. They're pretty blunt and you can easily discern the meaning of each song based off the song title, alone. Greed, Unity, Personal Freedom, and Peace. They're not amazing or have much of a thought-provoking message like the rest of the album and are my reason for 4 stars instead of what would have been 5. Despite this, they are still good, definitely enjoyable tracks.
Track 10. "Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums." This extremely intense original to A Perfect Circle has a bit of a NIN sound and deals with the blinding cloak of "protection" offered by the government. A spin-off of "Pet" from their previous album, Maynard depicts in much simpler terms the horror of having some higher power making our decisions for us and keeping us "safe" through control and loss of true freedom. They're turning us all into mere sheep, being directed at will by the herding government. As stated, an intense track, but still a very good one, indeed.
Track 11. Who honestly doesn't love "When the Levee Breaks?" This is the only band probably in history who could do this song an even comparable justice to that of Led Zeppelin. Though Led Zeppelin's is still infinitely better, this is by no means something to hold against A Perfect Circle. They created a beautiful, mellow, bluesy song in their own right, which is definitely a good version, itself. It's just that Led Zeppelin's has been considered by some as "God's Notes." All this aside, however...It is still by far one of the best songs on the CD. A great experience. Don't mistake this as any kind of bash to APC, they did a great job with this song.
Track 12. And finally, the last song. "Fiddle and the Drum," I think this was best described by Erik R. Olson in an earlier review. - '"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.' A good song and a satisfying ending to a satisfying album.
My final words to you as the reader is to go out and by this CD. In some ways very inspirational and others very awakening, regardless, it will affect you somehow more than your average CD could. Pick it up as soon as possible. It is a definite buy.
List of Tracks:
1. Annihilation (Crucifix) 4/5
2. Imagine (John Lennon) 5/5
3. Peace, Love, and Understanding (Nick Lowe) 5/5
4. What's Going On (Marvin Gaye) 5/5
5. Passive (Original) 5/5
6. Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie (Black Flag) 3/5
7. People Are People (Depeche Mode) 4/5
8. Freedom of Choice (Devo) 4/5
9. Let's Have a War (Fear) 3/5
10. Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums (Original) 5/5
11. When the Levee Breaks (Memphis Minnie) 5/5
12. Fiddle and the Drum (Joni Mitchell) 4/5
A Perfect Circle Is:
- Billy Howerdel
- Maynard James Keenan
- Josh Freese
- Danny Lohner
- Jeordie White
- James Iha
- Paz Lenchantin
Description of Emotive
A Perfect Circle Photos
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More from A Perfect Circle
 Mer de Noms |  Thirteenth Step |  aMOTION |
Maynard James Keenan is known for venting his personal angst through the abstract metal of his former band Tool and the poisoned art rock of his current outfit A Perfect Circle. On the group's third full-length release, however, the songwriter drops the high drama and gets blunt: War is bad. Politicians are evil. The world is doomed. To support his case he delivers a handful of politically charged originals and unusual Eastern-influenced covers of crusty anti-war anthems like John Lennon's "Imagine" and Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On." You could never accuse Keenan of being predictable. --Aidin Vaziri
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