By and Down

Last updated
"By and Down"
A perfect circle by and down.png
Single by A Perfect Circle
from the album Three Sixty
ReleasedOctober 14, 2013
Genre Alternative rock, [1] progressive rock, [2] art rock [3]
Length5:34
Label Universal Music Group [4]
Songwriter(s) Billy Howerdel, Maynard James Keenan
A Perfect Circle singles chronology
"Passive"
(2004)		"By and Down"
(2013)		"The Doomed"
(2017)

"By and Down" is a single by alternative rock band A Perfect Circle in 2013. The track represented the first studio material from the band in almost a decade's time. The studio version appears on the band's greatest hits album, Three Sixty , while a live version appears on their live box-set A Perfect Circle Live: Featuring Stone and Echo , both released in 2013. The song peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. An alternate version of the song, titled "By and Down the River", was later released on the band's fourth studio album, Eat the Elephant .

Contents

Background

After the release of their third album Emotive , in 2004, A Perfect Circle went into a hiatus while the band's two major creative forces worked on other projects; lead vocalist Maynard James Keenan returned to work with his other bands, Tool and Puscifer, while Billy Howerdel released a solo album, Keep Telling Myself It's Alright under the moniker Ashes Divide. [5] While the band reformed to tour in 2010, the band remained unsure how to move forward with releasing new music, due to their respective commitments, [6] and changes in the record industry. [7] Instead, the band chose to focus on touring, working on new songs piece by piece on the side, and premiering any finished songs in a live setting. [8] The sessions mostly just resulted in "jamming" and bits and pieces, not whole songs though, [9] due to the material "not quite sitting right yet". [10]

The only complete song to result from these sessions would be "By and Down". The song was debuted as far back as June 2011, when the band played it live at their North American Summer tour. [11] The band was initially unsure of what do with the song, with Howerdel stating he could see it could be "..put together in some collection...something more like a photo album where you collect these things and you put them in". [11]

Despite playing the song live on tour, the band struggled to capture the desired sound in the studio, with Howerdel noting:

"The song had been played live for so many years now, for, like, two years. 2011 we played it for, like, seven weeks on that run, and a month this past year we did South America and Australia. And it was kind of, not an afterthought but it was the last thing, the last piece of the puzzle to be completed before this album came out. I kind of underestimated what it would take to do it because we had played it live so many times. The song was pretty realized, and I knew what it was gonna be. But just like anything else in the studio, just because you know the notes doesn't mean you know how the production's gonna go down. It took awhile to craft it into a proper studio recording that you were gonna be proud enough to release. Once I was in the middle of it, it did feel like familiar ground again to do that, but it definitely takes a little while to get back on the horse." [12]

The song resurfaced in discussions of a greatest hits album in 2013, with Keenan describing the song as "the new track that we've been working on, that we never quite got around to recording." [13] The band announced that the song will be released as a single. [14] The studio version will be released on the band's greatest hits album, Three Sixty, on November 19, 2013, while a live version of a 2011 performance of the song will appear on the live boxset A Perfect Circle Live: Featuring Stone and Echo . [15] Despite the song's multi-year history, the final studio release was finalized less than two months before its final release. [16] The studio version debuted on October 14, 2013. [17]

Sound and composition

"By and Down" has been described as art rock [3] and progressive rock with psychedelic guitar-work. [2] The song opens with piano and orchestral chimes, followed by the introduction of Howerdel’s "simple but atmospheric guitar lead", [18] and plays out as a "melodic minor key dirge". [19] Keenan's vocals come in as an "eerie cries" over Howerdel's guitar. [2] The song builds in volume and intensity over time, with "clanging drums" and "sweltering guitar hooks", [3] "exploding" at its conclusion. [2] Howerdel described the song's sound as "a journey. It's got a lot of movement to it, a nice arc and some subtle power". [11]

Reception

The song has been generally well received by critics. Spin favorably compared the song to Led Zeppelin, calling it a "five-minute Zep-style journey... is naturally moody, featuring what sounds like a gaggle of orchestra chimes and a melody that sounds like Dirty Projectors gone metal raga. [17] Loudwire praised the song for being "... a dynamic tune, much what one would expect from a Keenan/Howerdel production...‘By and Down’ comes highly recommended." [18]

The song peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart, [20] and at number 34 on the respective 2014 year-end chart. [21]

Charts

Chart (2013)Peak
position
US Mainstream Rock 8 [20]

Personnel

Studio

Related Research Articles

A Perfect Circle American alternative rock band

A Perfect Circle is an American rock supergroup formed in 1999 by guitarist Billy Howerdel and Tool vocalist Maynard James Keenan. A Perfect Circle has released four studio albums, the first three during the early 2000s: Mer de Noms, their debut album in 2000, and followed up by Thirteenth Step in 2003; then in 2004, Emotive—an album of radically re-worked cover songs. Shortly after Emotive's release, the band went on hiatus; Keenan returned to Tool and started up solo work under the band name Puscifer. and Howerdel released a solo album, Keep Telling Myself It's Alright, under the moniker Ashes Divide. Band activity was sporadic in the following years; the band reformed in 2010, and played live shows on and off between 2010 and 2013, but fell into inactivity after the release of their greatest hits album, Three Sixty, and a live album box set, A Perfect Circle Live: Featuring Stone and Echo in late 2013. The band reformed in 2017 to record a fourth album, Eat the Elephant, which was released on April 20, 2018.

<i>Thirteenth Step</i> 2003 studio album by A Perfect Circle

Thirteenth Step is the second studio album by American rock band A Perfect Circle, released on September 16, 2003. The album sold well, charting at the number 2 position on the Billboard 200 in its premiere week, selling over 231,000 copies and staying on the charts for 78 weeks. The album went on to be certified as gold on November 4, 2003 and as platinum on March 24, 2006 by the RIAA. Three singles were released from the album, "Weak and Powerless", which topped both the Mainstream Rock Tracks and Modern Rock Tracks, followed by "The Outsider" and "Blue", which also charted on the respective charts.

Maynard James Keenan American musician

Maynard James Keenan is an American singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, actor, and winemaker. He is best known as the lead singer and primary lyricist of the rock bands Tool, with whom he has released five studio albums, A Perfect Circle, with whom he has released four studio albums, and Puscifer, with whom he has released three studio albums.

<i>Emotive</i> (album) 2004 studio album by A Perfect Circle

Emotive is the third studio album by American rock band A Perfect Circle. The album is primarily a collection of anti-war cover songs. It was released on November 1, 2004 via Virgin Records to coincide with the US presidential election. Two singles were released in support of the album; a cover of John Lennon's "Imagine", and "Passive", a previously unreleased song originating from the defunct Tapeworm project. The album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 chart, though the band would not tour in support of the album, later entering a hiatus. It would be the band's last release until 2018's Eat the Elephant.

Tapeworm (band) Nine Inch Nails-associated side project

Tapeworm is a defunct side project of Nine Inch Nails which existed in various forms from 1995 to roughly 2004. Tapeworm never released any recordings, but was frequently referenced in interviews. The band started as a side-project between Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor and live-band members Danny Lohner and Charlie Clouser. Through the years the group expanded and evolved numerous times to include artists such as Maynard James Keenan, Atticus Ross, and Alan Moulder, effectively turning the project into a supergroup. After many years of rumors and expected release dates, Reznor announced the end of the project in 2004.

Puscifer American rock band

Puscifer is an American rock supergroup formed in Los Angeles by Maynard James Keenan, known as the lead singer of the bands Tool and A Perfect Circle. As Keenan is the only permanent member, he considers the project to be his "creative subconscious." In light of this, Puscifer is considered a pseudonym for his solo work.

"3 Libras" is a song by alternative rock band A Perfect Circle. The song was the second single from their debut album Mer de Noms. The song was well received both critically and commercially, with it peaking at number 12 on both the Billboard US Modern Rock and Mainstream Rock charts in 2000.

Judith (song) 2000 song by A Perfect Circle

"Judith" is a song by American rock band A Perfect Circle. It was released as the lead single from their debut album, Mer de Noms. The single was released as a 1-track compact disc single in North America, and a 4-track single on both disc and vinyl format in Australia.

Ashes Divide is the name used for the solo project of American rock musician Billy Howerdel, guitarist of the alternative rock band A Perfect Circle, where he is the primary songwriter, musician, producer, and vocalist. The project's debut album, Keep Telling Myself It's Alright, was released in 2008. Howerdel formed a live band and toured in support of the album through the rest of the year, but the project fell to the wayside after A Perfect Circle reformation in 2010. Howerdel frequently discussed working on new material for the project as recently as 2017, but no further material had been released, with Howerdel instead focusing on A Perfect Circle's fourth album, Eat the Elephant, released on April 20, 2018.

<i>Keep Telling Myself Its Alright</i> 2008 studio album by Ashes Divide

Keep Telling Myself It's Alright is the debut studio album by American rock band Ashes Divide, the solo-project by A Perfect Circle guitarist Billy Howerdel. While efforts towards a Howerdel solo album were started even back in his time in A Perfect Circle during touring in support of their 2003 album Thirteenth Step, commitments to A Perfect Circle and other projects, along with some difficult recording sessions, pushed the album's US release out to April 8, 2008. It was released in Australia on April 19. Its first single, "The Stone," entered radio circulation in January of that year.

<i>Three Sixty</i> 2013 greatest hits album by A Perfect Circle

Three Sixty is a greatest hits compilation released by American rock band A Perfect Circle on November 19, 2013. The set compiles songs from previous albums by the band and includes one new song, "By and Down". The album was also released in a deluxe edition which includes additional studio songs from the band's back catalog and live tracks from 2011 featured on the limited edition box set A Perfect Circle Live: Featuring Stone and Echo.

Matt McJunkins American musician

Matt McJunkins is an American musician best known for touring and recording with the American rock band A Perfect Circle. He is a former touring bassist for Eagles of Death Metal. He is one of the founding members of The Beta Machine, a rock band formed with Jeff Friedl. McJunkins has also worked with Thirty Seconds to Mars, Ashes Divide, Puscifer, Poppy and Socadia.

"Blue" is a song by American rock band A Perfect Circle. It was the third single from the band's second studio album, Thirteenth Step, behind the releases of the singles "Weak and Powerless" and "The Outsider". While not as successful as the prior two singles, which crossed over into the Billboard Hot 100 charts and hit the top 5 of the Mainstream Rock charts, the song was still a moderate success, peaking at number 19 on the latter chart. A remix version, "Blue ", was created by guitarist James Iha and released on the band's compilation album Amotion as well, and also received radio airplay.

<i>Eat the Elephant</i> 2018 studio album by A Perfect Circle

Eat the Elephant is the fourth studio album by American rock band A Perfect Circle. It is their first album release in fourteen years, after 2004's Emotive. While early work on new material traces back to as early as 2008, years of slow progress would ensue due to issues between the band's chief music writers, frontman Maynard James Keenan and guitarist Billy Howerdel, largely stemming from their commitments to other projects and inability to come to an agreement on the direction to take the band. Renewed focus, alongside assistance from music producer Dave Sardy, helped propel the band into much more productive sessions across 2017, with the album being completed in early 2018. Thematically, the album covers a variety of Keenan's views on modern societal, religious, and political issues, focusing on his perceived lack of accountability in humanity. Musically, the album was viewed as an extension and maturation of their rock sound, adding more piano and electronic elements into songs for a more mellow sound than prior albums.

The Doomed single by A Perfect Circle

"The Doomed" is a song by American rock band A Perfect Circle. The song was first released as a single on October 16, 2017. It is the band's first single since 2013's "By and Down" for their greatest hits album Three Sixty, and was the lead single for their fourth studio album, Eat the Elephant. It peaked at number 16 on the Billboard US Mainstream Rock Songs chart in November 2017.

Disillusioned 2018 song by A Perfect Circle

"Disillusioned" is a song by American rock band A Perfect Circle. It is the second song released from the band's fourth studio album, Eat the Elephant. The song was released on YouTube, on January 1, 2018 and then released digitally on the following day. A limited edition physical vinyl was released on March 9, 2018, along with a music video.

"TalkTalk" is a song by American rock band A Perfect Circle. It was released on February 5, 2018, as their third single off of their album Eat the Elephant. It has peaked at number 17 on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart as of March 2018.

So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish (A Perfect Circle song) Single by A Perfect Circle

"So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish" is a song by American rock band A Perfect Circle. It was released on April 15, 2018, as their fourth single off their album Eat the Elephant. The song's title is taken from the Douglas Adams book So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish, the fourth book in his The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series, which in turn comes from a quote from the first book The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

<i>Mer de Noms</i> 2000 studio album by A Perfect Circle

Mer de Noms is the debut studio album by American rock band A Perfect Circle. The album was released on May 23, 2000, and entered the Billboard 200 at No. 4, making it the highest ever Billboard 200 debut for a rock band's first album. It sold over 188,000 copies in the first week, and was certified platinum by the RIAA later that same year. Three singles were released in promotion of the album, "Judith", "3 Libras", and "The Hollow", all of which hit the top 20 of both the Billboard US Modern Rock and Mainstream Rock charts.

References

  1. ↑ http://www.metalinjection.net/reviews/a-perfect-circle-eat-the-elephant
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Hidden Track » A Perfect Circle Share 'By and Down,' Their First New Song in a Decade". Glidemagazine.com. Retrieved 2013-10-21.
  3. 1 2 3 "Listen: A Perfect Circle's "By and Down", their first new song in a decade". Consequence of Sound. 2013-10-14. Retrieved 2013-10-21.
  4. ↑ "A Perfect Circle Premiere New Song, 'By And Down'". Purevolume.com. Archived from the original on 2013-10-21. Retrieved 2013-10-21.
  5. ↑ "A Perfect Circle End Hiatus, Announce Fall Tour". Noisecreep.com. 2010-09-14. Retrieved 2013-10-21.
  6. ↑ Wiederhorn, Jon (December 2007). "Gynormous". Revolver .
  7. ↑ "Radio Industry News, Music Industry Updates, Arbitron Ratings, Music News and more!". FMQB. Archived from the original on 2012-03-07. Retrieved 2013-10-21.
  8. ↑ "You Can Expect New Music From A Perfect Circle… Just Not A New Album Anytime Soon | Metal Insider". Archived from the original on April 11, 2013. Retrieved 2013-10-21.
  9. ↑ "Stream Puscifer's 'Bohemian Rhapsody'-Covering 'Donkey Punch the Night' EP | SPIN | SPIN Mix | Premieres". SPIN. 2013-02-12. Retrieved 2013-10-21.
  10. ↑ Prato, Greg (2013-09-17). "Q&A: Maynard James Keenan Knows Where to Score a Good Wig - Yahoo Music". Music.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2013-10-21.
  11. 1 2 3 "A Perfect Circle Unveils New Song, 'By & Down,' for Summer Tour". Billboard. 2011-07-08. Retrieved 2013-10-21.
  12. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-11-19. Retrieved 2013-11-18.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  13. ↑ "A Perfect Circle: New Song 'By And Down' Available For Streaming". Blabbermouth.net. 2013-10-14. Retrieved 2013-10-21.
  14. ↑ Anne Erickson. "A Perfect Circle to Release New Song, 'By and Down,' with 'Three Sixty' Greatest Hits Album". Audio Ink Radio. Retrieved 2013-10-21.
  15. ↑ "A Perfect Circle to Release Live Box Set in Digital Form | Music News". Rolling Stone. 2013-10-11. Retrieved 2013-10-21.
  16. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2017-04-28. Retrieved 2017-04-27.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  17. 1 2 "Hear A Perfect Circle's First New Song in Nine Years, 'By and Down' | SPIN | SPIN Mix | Premieres". SPIN. 2013-10-14. Retrieved 2013-10-21.
  18. 1 2 3 4 "A Perfect Circle Stream New Song 'By and Down'". Loudwire.com. 2013-10-14. Retrieved 2013-10-21.
  19. ↑ "Listen To A Perfect Circle's New Slow-Burning Song 'By and Down' « Radio.com News". News.radio.com. 2013-10-14. Archived from the original on 2013-10-16. Retrieved 2013-10-21.
  20. 1 2 http://www.billboard.com/artist/275179/perfect-circle/chart?f=376
  21. ↑ http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2014/mainstream-rock-songs
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.