Published on May 10, 1997
In the battle of hype versus content, way too many bands fall
victim to the hype – like yesterday’s review subject, the Gin
Blossoms. Southern rock band Collective Soul was very much in
danger of falling into the same trap after the initial success of
their song “Shine” and the success of their self-titled second
album, success I couldn’t understand for the life of me.
So when their third album
Disciplined Breakdown came out earlier this year, I was not
looking forward to listening to it. However, Ed Roland and crew
have shaken off the hype and returned to their roots to record
their finest album to date.
After radio stations across the country played songs like “The
World I Know,” “December” and, to a lesser extent, “Gel” to death,
Collective Soul needed an impetus to return them to the music and
away from the hype. Their bitter departure with their management
provided that spark; many of the songs on this album reflect a
hidden anger within the band. One of the first singles, “Precious
Declaration,” displays this very well: “Hitched a ride to the
peaceful side of town / Then proceeded where thieves were no longer
found.”
The band has refined their sound to its best yet; the guitar of
Roland, his brother Dean and lead axeman Ross Childress provide
both grinding rawness and gentle harmonies to the backbeat of
bassist Will Turpin and drummer Shane Evans.
One of the first singles, “Maybe,” is not only the best song on
Disciplined Breakdown, but is also the prettiest song
Collective Soul has ever recorded. Written in memory of a deceased
friend, Roland’s vocals run a gamut of emotions, from sadness and
despair over the loss, to hopefulness that this person has now
found peace. The harmony vocals and U2-like guitar jangle in the
background is a glorious noise that must be heard.
The title track clocks in at under three minutes, but says so
much in a short period of time. It is songs like this that show how
far Collective Soul has come since they burst forth on the music
scene with “Shine.”
But the greatest growth Collective Soul shows on this album
isn’t on the two singles thus far. While
Collective Soul was made up of mostly filler tracks in
between the overplayed-but-okay hits,
Disciplined Breakdown doesn’t have a weak moment on it
anywhere. Roland and crew eschew the hit single format on may of
the songs to let the music do the talking – and it screams to be
heard. “Blame” starts off with an acoustic guitar lead, then kicks
into a number that is as pretty as it is pissed: “You pushed me
down / For all the world to see / I guess that’s your price / For
my loyalty.” Other songs like “Giving,” “In Between” and “Crowded
Head” stand out as well.
Why was this album so much better? It could have been the
mindframe of the band, as the lyrics tend to show. It could have
been the setting – they chose to record the album in a shack
instead of a fancy studio. It could have been the culmination of
three years together, sharing both downs and ups (like their
performance at Woodstock ’94) and growing together. Whatever it
was, it worked.
Disciplined Breakdown is a rarity in the music industry
these days – it is, from cover to cover, an album of
music – well written, emotional, tightly-played music. This
could easily be the best album of 1997.