Search - Perfect Circle :: Mer De Noms (Clean)

"Thank your God" for this CD

Gabriel Saraco | Long Island, NY | 02/20/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This review is meant to give specifics on the EDITED VERSION of "Mer De Noms." The Explicit Content label on the normal version of this CD was due to a sole lyric in the song "Judith" (there was no swearing anywhere else on the album). So only one song needed any editing, and it has been taken care of nicely and effectively on this version of the CD.The line "**** your god, your lord, your christ" has been changed to the more subtle "THANK your god, your lord, your christ" (this was the version of the song used for radio/video). Instead of harsh language, poignant sarcasm is used to get the same point across.And about the point in question; I am a born again Christian, so I can sypathize with the issues many listeners have about "Judith." The way I see it, good art can convey truths and feelings from many points of view, whether you yourself agree with these points of view or not. People do indeed get frustrated with Christianity and with God himself. The song "Judith" depicts a man questioning and outright lashing out at the idea of Christianity. Listening to the song doesn't mean you necessarily "support" or "agree with" the idea; you're just experiencing someone else's expression, the same way you experience someone else's expression when you read, say, the book of Job. Furthermore, questioning the idea of faith isn't necessarily a bad thing. We should all question things for ourselves, rather than blindly accepting based on what family or church tells us. Indeed, it is this blind faith that never questions which is the real target of "Judith." Also notice the wording in the song: "YOUR god, YOUR lord, YOUR christ." This attack is not necessarily against God himself, but rather may be an attack on the deformed concept of God that many people subscribe to (which can cause far more harm than good). Indeed, many of my own struggles with Christianity came from just such a problem - it wasn't really God that was my problem, it was the false concept of God that other people had conveyed to me. It wasn't God himself, but THEIR god, THEIR christ that was the root of my problems. What I needed was to find the true source; until then, everything was a futile, frustrating effort. Whether this idea was the band's intention or not is up for debate; however, the song definitely makes you think, which is what good art does. The song is even more intruguing when considered in a larger context. On A Perfect Circle's second album, "Thirteenth Step," the final song repeats the chorus "catch me, heal me / lift me back up to the sun; I choose to live." The song seemingly seems to be about letting yourself go and embracing... faith? If this really is the case, then the A Perfect Circle catalogue ends up telling a truly inspiring tale... a man lashing out against faith, then finally latching onto it when all else has failed. Again, the intention is up for debate. My recommendation would be to buy both albums and judge for yourself.But I've wandered from the point here... what you need to know about the edited version is that the most potentially offensive line has been changed. So if you had been avoiding this CD specifically because of that one line (as I did, up until I realized an alternate version was available), you may want to finally give Mer De Noms a look."

Thank the good Lord for Maynard...oh, and Paz, too.

Daniel Wigginton | Newark, OH | 02/23/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Well, this certainly is a surprise. A pleasant one, though. When I picked up Mer De Noms, I had only heard 'Judith' when it first came out, and being the Korn-listening child I was back then, I wrote it off quickly. But once I picked up Lateralus (also a great album) and was entranced by Maynard's lyrics and voice, I decided to look into Mer De Noms once again, just to make sure. I was a bit reluctant to spend my hard-earned fifteen dollars for a CD I might not like, but I took a chance, and am very happy I did. This CD, contary to popular belief, is not like Tool, though it is in the same category of goodness as Tool. A Perfect Circle's songs are a bit more...hard to explain, and the lyrics are a bit more "rainy day" type stuff, but it's hard not to like them. Mer De Noms is pretty much a mixed bag of tranquil, insightful songs, and hard, insightful songs.My personal favorite would probably be Orestes, just because it sounds very subdued, but you figure out it's a powerful song upon listening a few times. Magdalena's good, too. Try listening to that on a personal CD player at night, when everything's quiet. It's pretty spooky. >.> All in all, Mer De Noms is a great album, and I encourage you to look into it. Oh...and Paz is hot, too. *blushes* Ah well..."

A refreshing departure from the regurgiated status quo...

Aaron Freier | Portland, OR | 06/25/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Beautiful album that almost has mystical (Orestes, 3 Libras) and mythical (The Rose) aura to it. I find myself with an uncontrollable need for speed when listening to Mandelena and Judith in the car. Anyway, big fan of Tool as well. Aenima is one of my all-time favorite albums. Great musicians and completely cutting edge and progressive but not in the tacky 80's (see Rush) butt-rock (see Dream Theater) kind of way. Same with A Perfect Circle yet APC has a more emotional quality to it (must be the female bassist Paz, God...What a hottie! ). So sick of testosterone-laden, bands like Korn, Limp Biskit and the like. People are such sheep aren't they? And therein lies the problem, APC is such a complex and profound album that few kids out there will have the ability to comprehend and appreciate its esoteric nature. Their loss.... Please take the time to "Read more about me" and check out my bio/ web page. ... Thanks"