Disciplined Breakdown

Performer: Collective Soul
Artist: Luis Enrique; The Memphis Horns
Engineer: Mike Childers; Ed Roland; Greg Archilla
Producer: Ed Roland
Distributor: WEA (Distributor)

Notes: Collective Soul: Ed Roland (vocals, guitar); Ross Childress, Dean Roland (guitar); Will Turpin (bass); Shane Evans (drums). Additional personnel: The Memphis Horns (horns); Mike Childers (organ, Clavinet, background vocals); Luis Enrique (percussion). Personnel: Ed Roland (vocals, guitar); Ross Childress (guitar); Mike Childers (Clavinet, organ, background vocals); Shane Evans (drums); Luis Enrique (percussion). Audio Mixer: Greg Archilla. Recording information: House Of Blues, Memphis, TN; Real To Reel, Stockbridge. Photographer: Clay McBride. Collective Soul's third album shows off a newfound confidence and newly rich and complex musical textures. As always, the tunes are melodic and the arrangements thoughtful, and Ed Roland provides searching lyrics that range in tone from the deep sadness of "Maybe" ("This blessedness of life/Sometimes brings me to my knees") to the unabashed optimism of "Full Circle" ("One fine morning I'll awake/To love's return...I believe love goes round and round"). DISCIPLINED BREAKDOWN is brimming with layers of vocal harmony, sometimes verging on the ethereal (the spirit of the Beatles is present on "Crowded Head"), while edgy guitar riffs enliven most of the tracks, occasionally providing glimpses of '70s hard rock, funk and dance beats. It all blends together into undeniably catchy rock songs.

Musician (6/97, pp.85-88) - "...every bit as current as Beck--yet this natural born folkie hasn't gone hip just for the hell of it. Rarely have lyrics been set in such appropriate--and diverse--contexts....few artists have managed to stretch this far with such grace, humor and utter lack of pretense..."

Riding the crest of the grunge movement as it crashed on the shores of mainstream rock, Georgia's Collective Soul showed up in the mid 1990s with everything rock fans wanted, and now expect, from their radio stars: big, compressed, gut-wrenching guitars, sensitive lyrics and emotive wailing that presaged emo vocals, and hooks galore. Their debut album went double-platinum, largely due to the lovely power ballad "Shine." They continued to release solid, hit-spawning albums for Atlantic Records, but left after a greatest-hits package in 2001, and began self-releasing their recordings to a still-enthusiastic base of loyal fans.

Click Here for Shipping Options and Policies

Shipping or Dimension weight in pounds: 0.25