Search - Incubus :: Make Yourself

The one CD I wore the back off of

incubus1 | 09/10/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you were to ask me, "What CD has left the biggest impression on you over the years?" I would say quite simply, Incubus' Make Yourself. Make Yourself is one of the most diverse pieces of mainstream rock music I've ever heard. Songs such as Make Yourself and Out From Under brings all the intensity you could imagine this band has to the table. Songs such as Privilege and Pardon Me are hard driving rock songs that are completely memorable. Then there's songs such as The Warmth and I Miss You that are just so emotional and carry such a strong message that it's hard not to be a little bit touched. That's why Incubus has remained at the front of my favorites list.



Much has been said about Brand Boyd. Far and away he's my personal favorite vocalist. His vocals are so diverse and he doesn't shy away from experimenting. His lyrics are excellent. Sometimes inspirational, sometimes spiteful, and other times just weird, but you cannot deny he has talent. This band doesn't end at Brandon though. Mike Einzinger definitely knows his way around a guitar. He's also gotten progressively better with each further release. Dirk Lance (now departed) was at his peak on previous releases because he was more upfront but he's still there on Make Yourself and he still plays great. Jose Pasillas II is a great drummer. While not the best you'll ever hear he can hold his own. And then there's Chris Kilmore. He's been less and less a big part of the band since this CD but on here he really does his thing and does it well. Where turntables could overcrowd a song and become bland, Kilmore keeps them tasteful.



In my eyes this is the perfect example of a balanced CD. You have your heavy stuff, you've got the hard/melodic, and then you've got a few ballad-esque songs sprinkled in for good measures. Seeing as how I love all aspects of this band I can't single one type of song out that they play and say that's their best. I like the hard/melodic songs the best but to see them drop all the other types would be a bad decision on their part. Sure the slow sing-along Drive got them popular in the mainstream but songs like Pardon Me and more recently Megalomaniac have kept them relevent. You can't pin Incubus to one type of song, and one listen to Make Yourself is sure to prove that.



Seeing as how this is the Tour Edition, there is a tremendous extra for fans. That being a bonus acoustic CD. Granted it's only four songs and any fan has surely heard at least once. The first three tracks, Pardon Me, Stellar, and Make Yourself actually showed up on When Incubus Attacks Vol. I. And the orchestral live version of Drive is a solid track, much like the original.



My favorite songs are Privilege, The Warmth, Clean, I Miss You, and Pardon Me. Collectors are sure to find more value in this than the casual fan, but that's not to say a casual fan should look this over. If you've yet to buy Make Yourself than making an effort to find this would be a good decision. You get to see that Incubus is good whether they're playing heavy or acoustic. Other than the bonus disc though, nothing is changed. The booklet is the same, the back is the same (aside from the bonus disc part), nothing different. Definitely worth it though."