Make Yourself Buy Incubus Essay, Research Paper

Lauren D?Aquisto

Professor Rivera

English 101

3 November 2000

Incubus has been around for some time but their newest album has caught my attention and the attention of the music world. The album entitled Make Yourself features a great selection of music with every song on the record being good. Today there are cds that contain the 2 or 3 good songs played on the radio and that?s it, with Incubus the songs on the cd are even better than the ones that are known. They are creative and use their own type of style and their own music. Incubus’s third record, Make Yourself, is more then just your average album.

The album consists of thirteen songs, each being different. This is one aspect that I believe is a major attraction in buying an album, along with each song being a good song. The album starts out with a great opening track “Privilege”. This song really sets the whole tone for the rest of the music to come. It’s a catchy tune with a great feel to it. As the Cd progresses on, songs like “Nowhere Fast” and “Make Yourself” show the band?s rock side with hard riffs and a driving force that just pulls you through the songs. On the other side there are songs like “Consequence”, ?The Warmth?, and ?Drive? which, give you a different feel. They are softer but are still rock/ metal; ?Unforgiven? by Metallica is an example of this. ?Stellar? and ?Pardon Me?, the two songs played on the radio, fit right into the cd making it enjoyable. Both songs have a great beat and flow of music. They are catchy giving them a certain remembrance to them. At the same time they are totally different songs, each with different chords and rhythms, just like every other song on the album. Of course there is that general guitar and drum combination, but the way they use them to make new songs is what makes the album so original. Incubus is original, which I believe is an excellent quality in a band.

Today, many artists do not write their own music. Incubus does. The members of the band joined in middle and high school forming a band and writing their own music. They also are very talented musicians, using only their instruments and not other devices. Their originality on Make Yourself makes the album special. If they covered other songs or used similar musical techniques of other bands, the album would not have been as effective. When the band uses their own music, it lets the listener get a taste of what the band really is and it reflects the artist allowing the listener to learn about them. Incubus? originality plays a role in their song lyrics, which are simply amazing.

Lyrics are a principal part of music. The lyrics of Incubus? songs have meaning and are not just random words. ?Don?t let the world bring you down Not everyone here is that *censored*ed up and cold. Remember why you came and while you?re alive experience the warmth before you grow old.?(Incubus, ?The Warmth?). When I first listened to these lyrics, I almost started to cry. Whenever others mistreat me, I will just listen to this song and it will cheer me up. Each song on this album has lyrics that discuss life and allow the listener to become part of the song, relating it to their own life. ?Sometimes, I feel the fear of uncertainty stinging clear. And I can?t help but ask myself how much I?ll let the fear take the wheel and steer.? (Incubus, ?Drive?). This also shows how each song is different, because they have different moods in the lyrics and discuss different situations. The song ?I Miss You?, is a love song.

?To see you when I wake up is a gift I didn?t think could be real. To know that you feel the same as I do is a threefold, utopian dream. You do something to me that I can?t explain. So would I be out of line if I said, I miss you.(?)?(Incubus, ?I Miss You)

Once again the lyrics relate to life but in a different way than the others giving a new view and feeling of the band and its music. This album is far beyond average just based on the lyrics but is also has the style, the originality and a variety of amazing songs.

I recommend Make Yourself to anyone who enjoys listening to different types of music and gets involved with it. Most people I have conversed with do like the one or two Incubus songs they have heard but the album goes beyond those songs. Every aspect of Make Yourself is put together well. This album is unique but at the same time very enjoyable. Make yourself buy Incubus.

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