I'm 100% certain that we haven't heard the last of APC. There's no way they'll end that part of their careers with an album of cover versions. As good as Emotive was (in most places), it sounded rushed. It took them 3 years to finish Thirteenth Step, and that was literally perfect. Give them time, and I'm sure they'll do the same again. Two albums of original material is a pretty meagre legacy for such a huge band to leave behind. They run the risk of being forgotten as a side-project.
Besides, if they don't reform, I'll hunt them down and lock them in a studio out in the middle of a desert until they've recorded at least two more CD's. Except for Paz, she scares me.
Originally posted by Deathblow
I'm 100% certain that we haven't heard the last of APC. There's no way they'll end that part of their careers with an album of cover versions. As good as Emotive was (in most places), it sounded rushed. It took them 3 years to finish Thirteenth Step, and that was literally perfect. Give them time, and I'm sure they'll do the same again. Two albums of original material is a pretty meagre legacy for such a huge band to leave behind. They run the risk of being forgotten as a side-project.Besides, if they don't reform, I'll hunt them down and lock them in a studio out in the middle of a desert until they've recorded at least two more CD's. Except for Paz, she scares me.
😂
Heyyy Paz is cool 😛
I hate it. It's completely flat. Sure it's pretty and kind of relaxing to listen to, but it's awful dull. I don't know whether it's Maynard or Billy singing, and I can't be bothered to go check the sleeve to find out, but you can barely hear their voices, and the drumming which is supposed to be the driving force behind the song, is weak.
The original was a fantastic blues-rock anthem, the cover is just a lifeless piece of ambient boredom.
I didn't say it was, but when it comes down to it, a cover is still the same song, and this particular cover just happens to be without any of the elements that made the original good. I don't know, I think the fact that the original is probably my favorite Zep song kinda effects my judgment. It's hard for me to appreciate a new version of a classic.
Anyways, the best APC songs are the ones with balls, like Magdalena, Thomas, The Package & Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie. The tinkly piano thing doesn't do much for me.
Originally posted by Deathblow
I didn't say it was, but when it comes down to it, a cover is still the same song, and this particular cover just happens to be without any of the elements that made the original good. I don't know, I think the fact that the original is probably my favorite Zep song kinda effects my judgment. It's hard for me to appreciate a new version of a classic.Anyways, the best APC songs are the ones with balls, like Magdalena, Thomas, The Package & Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie. The tinkly piano thing doesn't do much for me.
the original is not from led zeppelin, its from memphis minnie 😉.
but yes the zep version is great. but like i´ve said it is a completly different version, it wouldn´t be so great if they simply had copied the zep version. and i simply love piano.
Originally posted by ElectricBugaloo
oh god, the cover of "What's Going On" was so horrible...How do you destroy a classic like that? Maynard just doesn't have the voice to do justice to the song...
you really think that? i have the original and i loved the apc version, i think they did an excelent job.
and whats that about maynard´s voice, his voice is amazing, and the way he sings in the song its beautiful.
Originally posted by norrin radd
the original is not from led zeppelin, its from memphis minnie 😉.
but yes the zep version is great. but like i´ve said it is a completly different version, it wouldn´t be so great if they simply had copied the zep version. and i simply love piano.
Yeah but lets face facts here. A Perfect Circle, a nu progressive band fronted by a man who's well known for his skill with Zeppelin covers, decide to cover When The Levee Breaks. Which version do you think they were covering, Minnie's or Zep's?
I know it's completely different, hence my comparison 'the original was a blues-rock anthem and the cover is ambient boredom'. I'm all for new spins on old songs, it's just sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't, and their version of WTLB most certainly doesn't do justice to the original IMO.
Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie, Imagine & Peace Love And Understanding are the only ones that really worked. Freedom Of Choice is pretty good, but aside from Passive, everything else on there was below APC standard. Counting Bodies Like Sheep sounds like The Downward Spiral era Trent Reznor taking a shit on a mixing desk.
OK, here's my track by track review:
Annihilation: Great opening track. It sets the tone for the rest of the album with the whispered lyrics, and the sense of urgency that you get from the song.
Imagine: OK, originally I liked the song--then I didn't. Then I did. Now I don't again. The way I look at it is that John Lennon wrote the song about hope because that is what he had. The APC version is closer to a funeral dirge than a song about hope. So it almost feels like the song is disrespectful to what Lennon stood for.
(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace Love and Understanding: It almost sounds like Elliott Smith singing when the song starts, so I like that. But the song has a problem that most of the album does. The song continues to build and build and build--but then nothing happens. There is no climax.
What's Going On: My least favorite track of the whole bunch. It has the same problems as the previous two songs: it builds and builds without any sort of climax (or a very weak one). And the whole tone of the song is off. Gaye in the orginal is pleading for "a way to bring some loving here today." Maynard recites it almost like an uninterested high schooler's poetry.
Passive: One of the stronger tracks on the album. Perhaps it is because it was written by APC and performed by them, it seems like a good ol' fashioned rock song. Which is what APC is best at. When they try to get too cute, thats when they run into problems on this album.
Gimme Gimme Gimme: FINALLY! Emotion! The name of the album is eMOTIVe and on this one the emotion behind the words is evident from the very beginning. The weird backing beats continue, but the growling singing makes up for it.
People Are People: A solid track, but by this time the fact that the songs are almost indistinguishable starts to grow on me. Nothing about the songs stand out from the rest. It has Maynard trying SO hard to sound anguished, but it just isn't working.
Freedom of Choice: Hey, a solid beat for the foundation to this song! Again, it seems like a good ol' fashioned straight ahead rock song. They turn this cover into something that APC is good at--just making rock music. This is what a cover by a band should sound like. You should make it your own, not attempt to get too cute with it.
Let's Have a War: The song starts building up, and hits a high point for once. It is a weak peak, but at this point in the album, I'll accept it. The scattered beat carreis the song beautifully, and the searing guitar riff keeps the whole nervous energy on the album going. But I'd like to see just a huge moment that you can point to as the most energetic part of the song.
Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums: If this is the rhythm of war drums, no wonder war is so horrible. It seems like a filler song on a Tool album, only it goes on for five and a half minutes. Instead of letting you reenergize (like the filler tracks on Tool albums do) it just annoys.
When The Levee Breaks: Memphis Bleek first did the song, then it was popularized by Led Zeppelin. I like this song, but I'm not sure why. There is nothing outstanding about it, it may be a mite longer than necessary, but it is a nice song for ambient music while you are doing something else.
Fiddle And The Drum: I kept expecting a gospel chorus to break into song. Hallelujah! But it is a great follow up to When The Levee Breaks. I really like this song, the lyrics are great enough to stand alone, and this version of the Joni Mitchell classic shows that. Good song.
Overall? I'd give the album a C. Maybe.