BY MICHAEL GOODPASTER
(FOUR) “A CERTAIN SHADE OF GREEN”
1997. Wowzers. It was right around this time I first heard about Incubus. It was a pure luck, really. I caught an old live performance from the Metro in Chicago. Brandon Boyd had nasty long dred locks and there was a great hard funk rock thing going on. On “Fungus Amongus” and “S.C.I.E.N.C.E.”, there were tons of great tracks. I was a huge fan of “New Skin” as well. I think a few of us wanted to use in wrestling at one point of another. Still, it’s “A Certain Shade of Green” that rocked the most. I think it’s the exact moment the band started to evolve. It had that older funk rock thing going on and the melodic rock style they’d soon be famous for. If you get your hands on the orchestra version do so. It’s amazing.
(THREE) “DRIVE”
I know, I know. What the hell is wrong with me? “Drive” is their biggest and most famous song. This I can’t deny. I don’t think Incubus would be half as popular if the awesome track that is “Drive” hadn’t come out. It’s a modern classic for sure, but I’ve just heard it so many times and I have a bigger personal connection to two other songs. This video is really cool too. The melody, the vocals, the lyrics, and everything about this song is amazing. If you don’t love “Drive” you’re a bad person.
(TWO) “AQUEOUS TRANSMISSION”
I could have gone with a few songs from Morning View, but this one takes the cake. It’s the last track on the album and is an audio journey. I don’t know how else to describe it, but it’s got an old ancient Asian vibe to it. It’s mainly an instrumental, but it’s one with avid emotion. If I were making a sleep mix, this would HAVE to be on it. It’s a relaxing as hell song and so well crafted. I don’t think many folk would have this track THIS high on the list, but I’m just that big of a fan.
(ONE) “PARDON ME”
Simply put, this is my favorite song by Incubus. I love the music. I love the lyrics. I love the video. I love this song. The opening lines still give me chills. The way Boyd delivers those lyrics has this weird bounce to them. Songs about spontaneous combustion are a rarity. I think the fact this one rocks so much makes people scared to attempt the song topic.
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