A Crow Left of the Murder...
AMG AllMusic Guide: Pop Albums:
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A Crow Left of the Murder...
- Artist: Incubus
- Rating:
- Release Date: February 03, 2004
- Total Time: 58:35
- Type: Lyrics are included with the album, Enhanced CD-ROM
- Genre: Rock
Review
At the beginning of their career, Incubus was rightly lumped in with the legions of post-Korn alt metal/rap-rock bands swarming America in the latter days of the 20th century. But by their third album, 1999's Make Yourself, they had separated from the pack, as indicated by the presence of producer Scott Litt, best-known for his work with R.E.M.. It signaled that the band was serious, and they began expanding their rap-metal template on that album and its follow-up, 2001's Morning View, completing their transition from juvenelia to maturity with 2003's Crow Left of the Murder. Switching from Litt to producer Brendan O'Brien, a man who has been with Pearl Jam longer than any of their drummers, Incubus has opted for a clean, crisp yet heavy sound which allows them to aggressively switch from crunching metallic riffs to jazzy prog interludes. It's an expansive musical vision charged with some righteous anger; although vocalist Brandon Boyd doesn't write explicit protests, there sure are enough allusions to social turbulence to make this the first politically aware alt metal album in many a year. This maturation is even more evident in the music, how the band actually swings on "Zee Deveel," or how guitarist Michael Einzinger's jazz-influenced solos seem both carefully constructed and casually tossed off, or how Boyd's voice shifts from song to song (or during a song, as on the opening "Megalomaniac," which sounds like a bizarre blend of Mr. Mister's Richard Page and John Lydon). All this maturation does mean that Incubus may shed some older fans, since the naked ambitions on this record are far removed from the earnest, angst-ridden earlier records, but so be it -- A Crow Left of the Murder... is far more interesting than any of their other records, or their peers'. At times, they may stretch themselves a little too far here, but the ambition is admirable and the achievements are tangible -- a real breakthrough for the band. [A Crow Left of the Murder was also released in a limited-edition set with a bonus DVD containing a 26-minute documentary featuring footage from the band's Lollapalooza and Bridge Benefit performances, and of Boyd's injury.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi| A Cross to Bear (Album by The Warriors) | |
| A Crow Left of the Murder... [Bonus DVD] (2004 Album by Incubus) |
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A Crow Left of the Murder...
Wikipedia on Answers.com:
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A Crow Left of the Murder...
| A Crow Left of the Murder... | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by Incubus | ||||
| Released | February 3, 2004 | |||
| Recorded | October—November 2003 at Southern Tracks Recording, Atlanta, Georgia | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock[1] funk rock | |||
| Length | 58:35 | |||
| Label | Epic/Immortal | |||
| Producer | Brendan O'Brien | |||
| Incubus chronology | ||||
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A Crow Left of the Murder... is the fifth studio album by alternative rock band Incubus, released on February 3, 2004. The album marks the first appearance of bassist Ben Kenney, following the departure of founding member Alex Katunich.
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Contents
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Music and lyrics
The music of A Crow Left of the Murder... incorporates elements of heavy metal,[2] jazz,[2] pop[1] and progressive rock.[2] The work of guitarist Mike Einziger takes equal prominence in focus to that of vocalist Brandon Boyd, in contrast to previous albums which focused more prominently on Boyd's vocalization.[3]
The word for a group of crows, or its collective noun, is a "murder". Therefore, the title of the album can be interpreted as rebellion.[clarification needed] The back cover of the album's liner notes show a murder of crows with one of their members flying to the left. This reference to rebellion against group obedience keeps with the main themes of the album. The choice of the direction left most likely comes from the liberal political message of the album[citation needed]. An example of this is shown by the music video for the single "Megalomaniac" which features caricatures of televangelists and politicians in the face of protest juxtaposed with images of Adolf Hitler, George W. Bush, Benito Mussolini and Joseph Stalin. "A Crow Left of the Murder", then, can be viewed as separation from the group mentality by a left-leaning individual, and that the group from which he is separating is associated with "murder."[citation needed]
Another explanation for the title could be an attempt by the band to distance themselves from what was going on in the music world at the time of its release. With the popularity of nu metal, which Incubus were often categorized as, but did not see themselves as being a part of, lyrics such as "even straight roads meander" hint to Incubus' ability to expand and evolve their musical direction with each new album.[citation needed]
Reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [2] |
| Robert Christgau |  [4] |
| Drowned in Sound | 8/10[1] |
| Entertainment Weekly | (C-)[5] |
| Mojo |  [6] |
| Rolling Stone | [7] |
| Slant | [3] |
| Yahoo! Music |   [8] |
The singles from this album are "Megalomaniac" and "Talk Shows on Mute". "Agoraphobia" and "Sick Sad Little World" were also released as radio-only singles.
The album debuted at number two on the U.S. Billboard 200, selling about 332,000 copies in its first week on the chart.[9] It has since gone on to sell 1.9 million copies and has been certified platinum by the RIAA. This is one of the few Incubus albums to carry the Parental Advisory label.
Early pressings of the album list track 12 "Smile Lines" as "Suite Lines" on the back cover.
The Japanese pressing of the album came with a bonus track, "Monuments & Melodies" which is also available on the Alive at Red Rocks bonus CD.
Track listing
All songs written and composed by Incubus.
| No. | Title | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Megalomaniac" | 4:54 | |
| 2. | "A Crow Left of the Murder" | 3:30 | |
| 3. | "Agoraphobia" | 3:52 | |
| 4. | "Talk Shows on Mute" | 3:49 | |
| 5. | "Beware! Criminal" | 3:48 | |
| 6. | "Sick Sad Little World" | 6:23 | |
| 7. | "Pistola" | 4:23 | |
| 8. | "Southern Girl" | 3:41 | |
| 9. | "Priceless" | 4:07 | |
| 10. | "Zee Deveel" | 3:52 | |
| 11. | "Made for TV Movie" | 3:38 | |
| 12. | "Smile Lines" | 3:59 | |
| 13. | "Here in My Room" | 4:20 | |
| 14. | "Leech" | 4:19 |
| Bonus Track | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length | ||||||||
| 15. | "Monuments and Melodies" | 5:05 | ||||||||
When bought at some retailers (including Best-Buy) a bonus live EP was bundled with the CD.
| 2004 bonus EP | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length | ||||||||
| 1. | "Pardon Me" (live in Osaka, Japan) | 4:58 | ||||||||
| 2. | "Pantomime" (live at Merdeka Stadium, Lumpur, Malaysia) | 5:17 | ||||||||
| 3. | "Talk Shows on Mute" (live at Entertainment Center, Sydney, Australia) | 3:50 | ||||||||
| 4. | "A Certain Shade of Green" (live at Entertainment Center, Sydney, Australia) | 3:32 | ||||||||
- Bonus DVD
- "Lollapalooza" – 9:13
- Includes a brief interview discussing the Lollapalooza tour, then performances of "Megalomaniac" and "Pistola".
- "Bridge Benefit" – 8:41
- Includes a brief interview discussing the Bridge School Benefit, follow by acoustic performances of "A Crow Left of the Murder" and "Talk Shows on Mute"
- While We Were Out – 7:35
- This is a documentary about the making of the album in Atlanta, Georgia, as well as some interview footage, and some footage of other things the band have gotten up to whilst they were out. It also introduces Ben Kenney, who recently joined as the bassist for the band.
- Brandon's Injury – 1:06
- A short mock-umentary about how Brandon injured his ankle.
- Short Film – 6:31
- Though not listed on the packaging, there is also a short film by Brendan Hearne, starring Mike Einziger.
Personnel
- Brandon Boyd – lead vocals, guitar
- Mike Einziger – lead guitar
- Ben Kenney – bass
- Chris Kilmore – turntables
- Jose Pasillas – drums
Charting
Album
| Year | Chart | First Week Sales | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Billboard Top 200 | 332,000 | 2 |
| UK Official Charts | 298,000 | 6 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | "Megalomaniac" | Modern Rock Tracks | 1 |
| Mainstream Rock Tracks | 2 | ||
| The Billboard Hot 100 | 55 | ||
| "Talk Shows On Mute" | Modern Rock Tracks | 3 | |
| Mainstream Rock Tracks | 18 |
References
- ^ a b c Kiener, Dan (February 6th, 2004). "A Crow Left of the Murder... Review". Drowned in Sound. http://drownedinsound.com/releases/3570/reviews/8936. Retrieved 6 May 2011.
- ^ a b c d Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "A Crow Left of the Murder... Review". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r677092/review. Retrieved 6 May 2011.
- ^ a b Shetler, Scott (March 24, 2005). "A Crow Left of the Murder... Review". Slant. http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/review/incubus-a-crow-left-of-the-murder/420. Retrieved 6 May 2011.
- ^ "Incubus Reviews". Robert Christgau. Archived from the original on 6 June 2011. http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=Incubus. Retrieved 6 May 2011.
- ^ Browne, David (February 13, 2004). "A Crow Left of the Murder Review". Entertainment Weekly. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,588195,00.html. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
- ^ "A Crow Left of the Murder... Review". Mojo. http://www.musicoutfitter.com/a-crow-left-of-the-murder/p413182.html.[dead link]
- ^ Cherry, Robert (February 11, 2004). "A Crow Left of the Murder... Review". Rolling Stone. http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/a-crow-left-of-the-murder-20040211. Retrieved 6 May 2011.
- ^ Heath, Chris (February 17, 2004). "A Crow Left of the Murder... Review". Yahoo! Music. Archived from the original on 15 May 2011. http://uk.launch.yahoo.com/040217/33/1wasi.html. Retrieved 6 May 2011.
- ^ Todd Martens. ""Chesney's 'Sun' Rises To Top The Billboard 200"". Billboard.com. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=2088325. Retrieved 6 May 2011.
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Mentioned in
A Crow Left of the Murder... [Bonus DVD]
(2004 Album by Incubus)
A Crow Left of the Murder... [DualDisc]
(2005 Album by Incubus)
Alive at Red Rocks [DVD & CD]
(2004 Album by Incubus)
Alive at Red Rocks [Blu-Ray]
(2007 Album by Incubus)
Stealth [Original Soundtrack]
(2005 Album by Original Soundtrack)
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