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A Perfect Circle's newest a lethargic beast

(To the melody of John Lennon's Imagine) Imagine Maynard James Keenan...butchering classic songs. Imagine Maynard James Keenan...doing Marvin Gaye wrong.

Ok enough of that. A Perfect Circle's third album titled 'Emotive' is a strange beast that doesn't really growl and barely moves.

Tool and APC's lead singer/half crazy prophet of mental openness Maynard James Keenan has arranged a track list of two originals, which rock pretty hard, and a bunch of covers of anti-war songs that barely rattle.

Maynard is definitely against the war in Iraq and would like to take a moment away from recording a new album to stick it to the man. The original APC songs bang and thrash like most of the stuff from their first two albums. It's just too bad the cover songs don't really click and for the most sound really wrong.

John Lennon's 'Imagine' is the first up on the chopping block. APC covers it with complete depression and emotional agony. The song stomps along with strings reminiscent of Metallica's S&M album, but lacks the melodic purity of Lennon's voice. I wonder if Lennon is stirring in his grave.

Marvin Gaye probably never thought his song 'What's going on' would get a 2004 gothic facelift. The beat and static work, but Maynard's vocals lack the heart that made the original song great. The track makes you think, "What is going on?"

In case you were wondering, there is a Devo cover on Emotive. "Freedom of choice" doesn't come across as an anti-war song at all, but Maynard sure found a way to 'Whip it." You know you've hit a creative wall when you start covering Devo songs.

What's worse than covering Devo songs? Covering Depeche Mode songs. 'People are people' is more about equality than about bombs and war.

Certain songs should never be covered. One of these is Led Zeppelin's "When the levee breaks." Maynard disregards this and turns the song into a mocking semi-muzak bore fest. His voice whines over muffled harmonies. Piano fills in the transitions, but it all sounds half-hearted and lost.

The production is solid and the songs are arranged in true APC fashion. Guitars are plucked, the bass is slapped and vocals are soft and creepy. All is well in Gothland. The only problem is that the messages of the original songs get lost behind the industrial noise and Maynard's groans.

What was supposed to be an album of poetic protest cover songs became an album of covers that should be protested against.

Sorry John Lennon, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, Depeche Mode and even those guys with the red hats from Devo. Your letter of apology from Maynard should be in the mail.

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