Thirteenth Step
Encyclopedia
Thirteenth Step is the second studio album by American rock
band A Perfect Circle
, released under Compact Disc
format on September 16, 2003. It was a major success reaching the #2 position on the Billboard 200
in its premiere week, selling over 231,000 copies and staying on the charts for 78 weeks. The RIAA certified it as gold on November 4, 2003 and as platinum on March 24, 2006. The first single from the album was "Weak and Powerless
", followed by "The Outsider
" and "Blue
". The tracks have their remixed versions on a 2004
remix album
aMOTION
.
According to Keenan on the commentary for the aMotion
DVD, the album is a concept album with all of the songs dealing with the problem of addiction from a different perspective. He said that it refers in a way to his 13 years of residence in Los Angeles. Intentionally or otherwise, the title also evokes Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-step programs
, where the term "thirteenth-stepping" denotes inappropriate sexual advances toward a person who is early in their recovery, or has little sobriety time.
The cover art features a banana slug
crawling across a woman's face.
"The Nurse Who Loved Me" is a cover of the song by Failure
, originally featured on the 1996
album Fantastic Planet
.
"Pet" has its follow-up, "Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums
", with the same lyrics, on the band's following 2004
cover version
s album eMOTIVe.
Singles
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band A Perfect Circle
A Perfect Circle
A Perfect Circle is an American rock supergroup formed in 1999 by guitarist Billy Howerdel and Tool vocalist Maynard James Keenan. The original incarnation of the band also included Paz Lenchantin on bass, Troy Van Leeuwen on guitar, and Tim Alexander on drums...
, released under Compact Disc
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
format on September 16, 2003. It was a major success reaching the #2 position on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
in its premiere week, selling over 231,000 copies and staying on the charts for 78 weeks. The RIAA certified it as gold on November 4, 2003 and as platinum on March 24, 2006. The first single from the album was "Weak and Powerless
Weak and Powerless
"Weak and Powerless" is the first single by the alternative rock band A Perfect Circle, from their second album, Thirteenth Step, and is also their highest charting single to date, reaching #1 on both the Mainstream Rock Tracks and Modern Rock Tracks....
", followed by "The Outsider
The Outsider (A Perfect Circle song)
"The Outsider" is a song from A Perfect Circle's second album, Thirteenth Step. It uses a mix of 6/8 and 4/4 time signatures. Two remixes of "The Outsider" were made for aMOTION. James Iha made the "Frosted Yogurt mix", which uses a much more toned-down, quiet, synthesized sound than the original...
" and "Blue
Blue (A Perfect Circle song)
"Blue" is the last single released from the alternative rock band A Perfect Circle's 2003 album Thirteenth Step. The song was later remixed entitled "Blue " by James Iha and Geoff Sanoff for the 2004 aMOTION CD/DVD.-Music video:...
". The tracks have their remixed versions on a 2004
2004 in music
See also:* 2004 in music Record labels established in 2004-January:*January 1**The Vienna New Year's Concert is conducted by Riccardo Muti.**Kurt Nilsen wins World Idol....
remix album
Remix album
A remix album is an album consisting mostly of remixes or re-recorded versions of a music artists' earlier released material.One of the earliest remix albums was 1971's Aerial Pandemonium Ballet by Harry Nilsson, which was released by Nilsson after the successes of Everybody's Talkin and The Point!...
aMOTION
AMOTION
-Personnel:* Christopher Abbas – Director* Josh Abrahams – Remixing* Tim Alexander – Group member* Ken Andrews – Mixing* Wes Borland – Remixing* Brothers Strause – Director* Jerry Casale – Director...
.
According to Keenan on the commentary for the aMotion
AMOTION
-Personnel:* Christopher Abbas – Director* Josh Abrahams – Remixing* Tim Alexander – Group member* Ken Andrews – Mixing* Wes Borland – Remixing* Brothers Strause – Director* Jerry Casale – Director...
DVD, the album is a concept album with all of the songs dealing with the problem of addiction from a different perspective. He said that it refers in a way to his 13 years of residence in Los Angeles. Intentionally or otherwise, the title also evokes Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-step programs
Twelve-step program
A Twelve-Step Program is a set of guiding principles outlining a course of action for recovery from addiction, compulsion, or other behavioral problems...
, where the term "thirteenth-stepping" denotes inappropriate sexual advances toward a person who is early in their recovery, or has little sobriety time.
The cover art features a banana slug
Banana slug
Banana slug is a common name for three species of air-breathing land slug in the genus Ariolimax. These slugs are often yellow in color and are sometimes spotted with brown like a ripe banana....
crawling across a woman's face.
"The Nurse Who Loved Me" is a cover of the song by Failure
Failure (band)
Failure was an American rock band that was active from 1990 to 1997, during which they recorded and released three critically acclaimed albums...
, originally featured on the 1996
1996 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1996.-January:* January – At the trial of two American teenagers, Nicholaus McDonald and Brian Bassett, for the murder of Bassett's parents and young brother, defense lawyers attempt to lay the blame for the murders on the fact...
album Fantastic Planet
Fantastic Planet (album)
Fantastic Planet is the third and final studio album by the American rock band Failure. It was the last album released on Slash Records as distributed by Warner Bros. The album failed to chart on Billboards Top 200 albums, but did produce a charting single with "Stuck on You", which reached #23 on...
.
"Pet" has its follow-up, "Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums
Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums
"Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums" is the tenth track on the album eMOTIVe by alternative rock band A Perfect Circle. While the rest of the album is filled with covers of songs by earlier artists such as John Lennon, "War Drums" is often regarded as a remix of "Pet", from...
", with the same lyrics, on the band's following 2004
2004 in music
See also:* 2004 in music Record labels established in 2004-January:*January 1**The Vienna New Year's Concert is conducted by Riccardo Muti.**Kurt Nilsen wins World Idol....
cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
s album eMOTIVe.
Track listing
The Japanese version of Thirteenth Step includes an exclusive extended version of "The Package" (9:23).Personnel
- Maynard James KeenanMaynard James KeenanMaynard James Keenan is an American rock singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, winemaker, and actor. Originally from Ohio, Keenan spent his high school and college years in Michigan. After serving in the Army in the early 1980s, he attended Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids...
− Lead vocals, executive producer, artwork direction - Billy HowerdelBilly HowerdelBilly Howerdel is the founding member, guitarist, songwriter, and producer for the bands A Perfect Circle and Ashes Divide. He has recorded three acclaimed studio albums with the former, and in 2008, Ashes Divide released their debut album, Keep Telling Myself It's Alright.-Early life:Howerdel was...
− Guitar, vocals, production, engineering, additional photography - Josh FreeseJosh FreeseJosh Freese is an American session drummer and songwriter. He is a permanent member of A Perfect Circle, The Vandals, and Devo, having formerly played drums for Nine Inch Nails from late 2005 until late 2008, and for Guns N' Roses from mid-1998 to 2001. Freese has appeared on close to 300 records....
− Drums, backing vocals - Jeordie WhiteJeordie WhiteJeordie Osbourne White , better known by his pseudonym Twiggy Ramirez , is an American musician, who is best known for being the bassist and guitarist for Marilyn Manson. He was also the bassist for A Perfect Circle, and Nine Inch Nails...
− Bass, backing vocals - Troy Van LeeuwenTroy Van LeeuwenTroy Dean Van Leeuwen is an American musician and producer. Van Leeuwen began playing music at young age and started playing guitar at age 13. Soon Van Leeuwen was playing in various local bands such as Jester, 60 Cycle and later Failure...
− Guitar (on "The Package", "Vanishing" and "Gravity") - Paz LenchantinPaz LenchantinPaz Lenchantin is an American musician of French ancestry. She came to Los Angeles, California with her family at the age of four....
- Strings - Danny LohnerDanny LohnerDaniel Patrick "Danny" Lohner , frequently known as Renholdër, is an American rock musician who plays bass guitar, electric guitar, and keyboards. He worked with Trent Reznor on numerous occasions, both with Nine Inch Nails and on the now defunct Tapeworm project...
– Guitar (on "The Noose"), additional production - The Section QuartetThe Section QuartetThe Section Quartet is a string quartet that is based in Los Angeles, California. Emerging in 1998, Section features Eric Gorfain and Daphne Chen on violin, Lauren Chipman on viola, and Richard Dodd on cello. It specializes in turning popular rock songs into classical quartet pieces...
– Strings (on "The Nurse Who Loved Me" and "A Stranger") - JarboeJarboeJarboe is an American singer, songwriter, and keyboardist.Jarboe is a solo artist who came to prominence in the mid-1980s with the New York City based group Swans. With founder Michael Gira, the duo was the core of Swans until the group broke up in 1998...
– Vocals (on "The Noose" and "Lullaby") - Devo H. Keenan – Backing vocals (on "Pet")
- K. Patrick Warren – Instrumentation on "The Nurse Who Loved Me"
- Jon BrionJon BrionJon Brion is an American rock and pop multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, composer and record producer.-Early life:...
– Instrumentation on "The Nurse Who Loved Me" - Steve Duda – Digital engineering assistance
- Andy WallaceAndy Wallace (producer)Andy Wallace is a Grammy Award-winning music studio engineer with a long track record of successful productions, beginning with the 1986 production of the Run-DMC/Aerosmith collaboration on "Walk This Way" with Rick Rubin...
– Mixing - Steven R. GilmoreSteven R. GilmoreSteven R. Gilmore is an artist and graphic designer most known for his work on album cover design, particularly his role as in-house artist for Nettwerk Records for much of the 1980s and 1990s. He has designed record album sleeves for Skinny Puppy, Nickelback, A Perfect Circle, BT, Machines of...
– Sleeve art direction, design and digital photographic manipulation - Dean KarrDean KarrDean Karr is an American photographer and music video, commercial, and film director.-Official biography:Director/Photographer Dean Karr's signature style, often copied but never...
– Cover design & photography
Charts
Album| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | The Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
2 |
| Top Canadian Albums | 1 | |
| Top Internet Albums | 2 | |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
37 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | "Weak and Powerless" | The Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
61 |
| Mainstream Rock Tracks Mainstream Rock Tracks Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue... |
1 | ||
| Modern Rock Tracks Modern Rock Tracks Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs... |
1 | ||
| 2004 | "The Outsider" | The Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
79 |
| Mainstream Rock Tracks Mainstream Rock Tracks Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue... |
3 | ||
| Modern Rock Tracks Modern Rock Tracks Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs... |
5 | ||
| "Blue" | Mainstream Rock Tracks Mainstream Rock Tracks Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue... |
19 | |
| Modern Rock Tracks Modern Rock Tracks Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs... |
21 |