Make Yourself
Incubus
1999
Album Summary
Make Yourself is the third studio album by American rock band Incubus, released through Epic Records on October 26, 1999. It is certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and produced three charting singles—"Pardon Me", "Stellar", and "Drive"—all of which reached the top three of the Billboard Alternative Songs chart, with the latter topping the chart and also becoming the band's sole top ten hit to date on the Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at number nine. The album is the first to be recorded with new turntablist Chris Kilmore, who replaced DJ Lyfe.
WikipediaI can think of a lot of albums more deserving of being on this list than Make Yourself. It's not that it's bad, necessarily. It's just not good. This album was tops for the whole nu-metal scene which I'm just not a fan of. Be metal. Don't be metal. Either is fine. This shake-and-fake, half-assed, sing-song nonsense is honestly kind of annoying to me. Every song sounds the same, the vocals are whiney and emo punctuated by repeated "daddy won't hug me" refrains. Not my jam.
An absolute nothing album. Embarrassing that it’s made this list and calls the selection criteria into question. The album itself is a mess, and a boring, tame, weak mess at that. Crap like this is why kids stopped listening to “metal”
So - an incubus is a spirit that rapes women and I mean, yeah, that's pretty much the vibe I get from this music. This is AGGRESSIVELY 1999 soul patch rock and 100% not something you need to hear before you die. I don't know if I could dislike this more. Wait - the album cover. Okay yeah, I dislike it more now, so there's still room to grow. Oh! "I feel emphatic about not being static." Yes, there's much further to go. Down, straight down. Oh no - Battlestar Scralatchtica. FUCK. YOU.
Incubus is kinda like tasty junk food for me. I know its not really that good, but is still enjoy consuming it lol
Repetitive prog rock/nu metal has never been my idea of a good time, and combine that genre with this particular era of late 90s schlock rock, and you get Make Yourself. My only memory of Incubus was as the lame edgy band my middle school classmates would attach their personalities to for a few years. The lyrics are a hilarious attempt at nihilism and the production is so wrapped up in all the worst 90s tendencies, it hurts my head. Rating: 1.5/5
Je vous invite à vous référer à la critique de mon compagnon d'écoute elmerguez concernant cet album. Celui-ci a en effet su trouver les mots justes, bien que très mal orthographiés.
Sounds like what Jesse Pinkman would listen to. But it’s varied enough to stay interesting at some points
Incubus was a reprieve from the stupid heavy/NuMetal bands of the late 90s and early 00s. They were heavy at times, but they also had a sense of melody. I listened to Fungus Amongus (I think that was the name), S.C.I.E.N.C.E, and this one. After this, the singer got pretty infatuated with himself shirtless. A friend remarked at the time "I'd like to staple a shirt to that guys fucking body." Indeed. But before Incubus were teenage girl and dorm room poster boys, they were a funky and heavy rock band that toured with 311. And this record was a sweet spot. But we're talking about a moment of relatively little musical consequence in the grand scheme of things. So, 2/5 is the best I can muster here. I was happy to find that revisiting this record, I still like "The Warmth" as much as I did in 1999.
I can only assume threats of physical violence against list authors is the explanation for this album's inclusion.
Never heard of them before. Almost every song sounds the same. ... And that's genius because I like everything on this album! The singer craftily merges his voice with the music so I have no idea what the songs are about - pure perfection. Even the part where the album is broken and spasms back and forth is melodic and deeply satisfying. Five stars from me, will definitely come back to this.
I first heard Pardon Me on the radio in high school and was immediately interested in hearing more of this band. I soon bought this and their earlier albums at the local CD shop (when those were a thing). I had a ton of stuff going on in my life at the time and music just amplified it all. This was one of the albums I listened to a lot through it all so listening to it now just sucks me back into those days. That's why it's five stars for me. Aside from personal reasons, I think it's a solid album and one of their best.
Incubus is and will probably be for a longtime, one of my favorite bands. Not the first record I discovered by them, but definitely one with the songs I ended up liking the most. The songs have great hooks and musical builds. Brandon is a great songwriter and can sing very good. But Incubus has always been about the musical strength for me. They make sure every member gets to shine, but never overdo it. Amazing record! Favorite lyrics: - The humanity I know, watch the warmth blow away. - I will hold you close if you're afraid of heights. - You do something to me that I can't explain. So would I be out of line if I said I miss you? Key tracks: Privilege, Nowhere Fast, Consequence, The Warmth, When It Comes, Stellar, Make Yourself, Drive, Clean, I Miss You, Pardon Me 8,5 out of 10
Ah yes that time in history with soul patches, ear lobe plugs, rock bands with DJs, that Justin Delong guy from the Mac vs. PC commercials, pretentiousness of rocking out in 7/8 time, and those generic MTV music videos which are either super deep or were just made up on the spot.
This is really 1999. And somehow I just dig it. This isn't quite nu metal, not quite funk, not quite rock. Incubus' breakthrough album sits somewhere in between it all. Mike Einziger's riffs are interesting, José Pasillas' is on fire - but it's Brandon Boyd's vocal that impresses me the most. Not when he semi-raps on "Pardon Me" but his understanding of melody just hits me. There are some incredible songs on this that turns the nostalgia all the way up for me. Of course there's also stuff like "Battlestar Scalatchtica" whis is horrible and dumb - and I don't care that much for the turntables in general. I never noticed that this was almost 50 minutes long. And that's something.
Pardon me while I admit that I could never stand that "water over wine"y dudes voice! But have to admit that some of the songs are ok.
Not even in the top 1001 albums by artists with the initial I in 1999. Terrible!
Imagine a baker who has made a living specialising in selling nothing but steamed horseshit. One day, looking at the gourmet establishments around him and realising he might need to diversify to stay afloat, he diverges slightly from his speciality and launches a new line of cream cakes… horseshit flavour. While the baker may consider this an improvement, the change would be barely perceptible for anybody who didn’t consider horseshit delicious to begin with. For those uninitiated, the lasting impression of these cream cakes would remain one of… horseshit. So it is with Incubus’s second album, which sees them moving away from their beginnings as a through-and-though metal band. “Selling out” in the eyes of their most devoted fans, they created something more “melodic”, with alt-rock, grunge, funk and even hip-hop overtones. On paper, that might sound promising. But to this reviewer who can find nothing to like in nu-metal’s overblown, heavy-handed, hi-gain, self-flagellating nonsense, there’s almost nothing to latch onto anyway. Over-affected, whining vocals undermining any sense of melody. Blaring, grinding guitar riffs lacking in subtlety or passion. Gimmicky record scratching (presumably that’s the “hip hop” talking). And worst of all, truly awful lyrics. Vague sentiments of self-pity and taking control of life spill out over the whole thing like toxic waste. Here’s an example from the closer, “Out from Under”: “To resist is to piss in the wind; anyone who does will end up smelling Knowing this, why do I defy? Because my inner voice is yelling There is a fist pressing against; anyone who thinks something compelling” I can’t discern any such compelling thoughts involved in the making of this album. And so I proudly resist, piss into the wind and waddle off in the strong stench of my own self-satisfaction. And horseshit.
Perfect soundtrack for playing Runescape. This was my favorite CD when I was 10
Sorry. BRB. Just went to grade school/ high school. I’m in my tan van. Listening to this on a tape to CD player.
One of my all time favourite albums. Loved it when I was a teenager and still do now.
The vocals, the instruments, and the perfectly balanced sound at this polished point of alt rock island vibes. I don't care what they say, Incubus never sold out.
One of my personal favorite record ever. This brings me back to the era of my life when music finally made sense and my love affair with music began. For all, those formative years of middle and high school mean so much when it comes to cementing what it means to be "good music" and I'm thankful for records like these to paint the the listing picture of my youth.
Finalmente escutei o álbum de drive. Excelente sequência de nu-metal com melodia.
Great album, they really defined there sound a bit more and went into a more pop softer sound on a few songs which worked really well. A lot of things to to like. One of my favorite albums of that era and the The Warmth is still one of my fav songs.
Buen disco, aunque creo que hay otras de incubus que me gustan más. Pero 5
Lang said "I can see why late 90s, coming-of-age, angsty teens, who rejected the culture of the cools, would be in to this." His review was basically describing me. Incubus was my bridge between my 90s alternative roots and the emo of the early 2000s. I first got into Incubus with their preceding album, S.C.I.E.N.C.E, an often schizophrenic combination of heavy metal guitars, bass-driven funk, electronic/scratching, and Brandon Boyd's intense but also melodic voice was so interesting to me. Make Yourself is definitely more refined but still incorporates all those different styles. I take issue with the idea that at some point the angst should lift, I will never grow out of my enjoyment of screaming/singing along with Brandon Boyd.
I enjoyed Incubus when they first broke through with "Pardon Me" in 1999. As they followed that single with "Drive" and "Stellar," it was a refreshing light in a dark time. Yes, it was a dark time. The heydey of grunge was fading and Total Request Live was reshaping the music industry, resulting in a late 90s/early 00s hard rock landscape that was filled with Limp Bizkits and Kid Rocks. You think Incubus was angsty?? Incubus was mellow and tame for the times. For additional reference as to why Incubus stood far above their contemporaries, putting interesting spins on early 90s hard rock rather than learning all the wrong lessons like Limp Bizkit, Korn, and Creed did, look no further than the events of Woodstock '99 or the 2001 PBS Frontline documentary "Merchants of Cool." But does Incubus hold up today? For me, absolutely. While I prefer their calmer, more musically adept songs like those "Make Yourself" singles, their loud, crunchy, angrier stuff is great too. Brandon Boyd has a terrific range and is one of my favorite rock singers of the past 30 years, whether screaming or singing. Their post-fame follow-up to "Make Yourself," "Morning View," is even better, more mature, less screamy, less overdone crunchy guitars. They really refined their unique take on DJ-accented hard rock (and in a way that for me works far better than their rap-rock contemporaries). While "Morning View" is an easy 5, and "Make Yourself" takes longer to find its footing and then majorly stumbles with the misplaced "Battlestar Scratchalactica," we'll give this one a 5 too, on account of 3 great singles, a string of really good albums of which only this one made the 1001, improving the group's review average, and for being the anti-Limp Bizkit.
Incubus is my jam, so I'm biased. Stellar and Pardon Me are excellent. Drive is the major breakout hit. It has a polished radio sound, that is actually not what I think of when listening to incubus. I Miss You captures the band much better.
Great as always. The warmth / make yourself / drive pardon me . Brings back teenage years
Nostalgia-based 5 start, not sure if it deserves this but it's at least a 4.
Incredible. Just incredible. Every song, every aspect. Just loved it. Favorite track: Make Yourself
First Incubus album I owned, and probably still their best, even though I’m partial to S.C.I.E.N.C.E.
This is one of those records that comes out when you are the right age to hear it. It may not actually be a 5 star record. But listening to this on my CD walkman walking to and from my McJob at 20 puts this in a very special place for me.
What's not to love. One of my all time favorite albums. I'd give it 10 stars if I could!
Goeie plaat! Stevig, maar niet overdreven. De zanglijnen zijn glaszuiver, wat ik apprecieer bij hardrock
2004 al palo, una generación marcada por el sonido de un plato girando de un DJ
Not bad at all, a bit lighter than Science album. 10. Battlestar Scratchlactica!!!! Love the scratching! This is awesome
Definitely 5 stars for me. Probably 4.5 if I am being objective. An album I will always really love.
Incubus was one of my favorite bands growing up, I think this album sits comfortably somewhere in the top 3 of their discography.
I've been listening to Incubus since I was 4, right around when this album came out. I know all of their songs, I've seen them in concert twice, and another time virtually over the pandemic. So consider this review biased. Make Yourself is a great record. It marked a memorable transition between '90s alt and grunge, and '00s rock, and was made even more interesting by Brandon Boyd's vocals and DJ Kilmore's turntables (which, although I don't know how it would sound today, I kinda wish they still used it with their current music). That said - those straight-up alternative rock tracks are already strong songs, but where this album shines are the songs that make use of spacey, sci-fi effects like The Warmth and Consequence. They sound a little more experimental without being too out there. All in all, this is a record and a band that I grew up with. Though this isn't necessarily the album that I would put on this list (that distinction could've gone to Morning View or A Crow Left of the Murder), it's still a 5.
I've heard this many times before, and it doesn't really get old. In fact, I get to notice little details. That being said, I was a little surprised this was on the list! Not that it's undeserving necessarily. Early Incubus is still great.
I've owned this album forever and only listened to bits and pieces of it. I came in with a mild bias, thanks to the jerks at Clear Channel, who only played singles from this record. It was nice to hear the likes of "Stellar", "Drive", and "Pardon Me" on my terms, but I can't say I really missed them. Weird sentence, but I can definitely get a heavier Chili Peppers vibe from this record. Lots of funk influences, mixed with some metal, and some "rapping", though I'll say Brandon Boyd has a better singing voice than Anthony Keidis (maybe). Favorite tracks: "Privilege", "Nowhere Fast", "Battlestar Scratchlactica"
Natürlich kenne ich Incubus, namentlich durch Megalomaniac, aber ich weiß, dass ich noch einiges mehr wieder erkennen würde. Ich hab sie jedoch noch nie gezielt gehört und so kenne ich ihr erstes erfolgreiches Album gar nicht. Dabei klingt jedes Lied sehr vertraut. Würde mich nicht wundern, wenn man der Band vorwirft, nicht genug Abwechslung in ihre Songs zu bringen. Das Album erinnert mich sehr an Hoobastank, aber es liegen mir noch andere auf der Zunge. Obwohl ich ein Fan von Hoobastank bin, haut mich „Make Yourself“ nicht um. Vielleicht liegen mir deren Alben nur aus Nostalgie am Herzen. Es ist jedoch eine einfache Entscheidung mich in Zukunft näher mit Incubus auseinander zu setzen. „Drive“ kannte ich doch!
I was kinda surprised that this album was on the list, since Incubus doesn't get talked about much anymore and the late 90s/early 00s genre of rock that they belonged to isn't well regarded 20 years on. However, this is a really solid album. Incubus has a really interesting sound, and the lead singer's voice is incredible 4/5
Tolerable, downright enjoyable at times. Captures the sound of the time. Pardon me and Drive are good songs, the rest are okay
This album is kind of a guilty pleasure... I'm sure it doesn't rank amongst the most critically acclaimed, but it gave me comfort through some really rough times. I didn't find it for a couple years after it came out and I was trying to finish out my thesis while limping forward a failing marriage - despite that I can still listen to this album and it feels like a warm blanket.
A fantastic mix of rock(hard rock and even some metal elements), electronic and funk. This I a great album and I enjoy their music alot. From the harder "privilafe" and "Nowhere fast" (kicking off the album) to the softer "consequence" and "drive" this album rocks. I love the 'scratching' mixed in with the rock and the amazing bass lines. The singing also provides a unique feel to all the songs.
The perfect mixture of late 90's alt-rock & nü-metal. I should've paid more attention to this one when it came out, but I'll surely get back more to it now that I've rediscovered it!
J'ai beaucoup aimé l'album. Pas des tonnes de hits mais je l'ai trouvé agréable à écouter. Le fait que je n'ai pas de commentaires plus inspirées à faire à son égard me me porte à croire qu'il lui manque encore un petit quelque chose pour être un 5 étoiles. Mon hit: Drive
Album très novateur, le producteur de cet album vole le show en mariant les tables tournante, le drum pesant, la guitare légère et bonne enfant. J’imagine le posteur de l’album dans la chambre d’une petite sœur ou d’un grand frère tellement l’album est catchy et ratisse large. Je l’évite: Drive, toune pour faire pleurer des ados à leur première brosse Je lévite: les deux dernières tres pesantes et originales
Highlights: Stellar, Make Yourself, Drive, Pardon Me I get the impression that when Beck said "Two turntables and a Microphone" it confirmed Incubus' decision to bring on Chris Kilmore to work the gimmick into their nu metal schtick, and boom, 3 albums later it's one of the best metal albums of all time. Next up: Linkin Park.
Tres bon album, part soft, et les tounes plus entrainantes toutes à la fin.
Alt rock is a gamble because you can end up getting lame mainstream butt-rock more times than not; This unironically rocks. There are some cheesy production choices that are very late 90's/early 2000's (turntables in a rock album?), but I ended up enjoying the overall product. Good riffs make a good album, who knew? WHATEVER TOMORROW BRINGS, I'LL, BE, THEEERRREEEE
Saved Prior: Drive Off Rip: Privilege, Nowhere Fast, Consequence Cutting Edge: The Warmth, Make Yourself, I Miss You Overall Notes: Actually liked this a lot. Nu-metal, or whatever this is, is a LOT more enjoyable than straight metal. I liked the tinges of hip-hop that were mixed throughout. Lost me towards the end where they got a lot more yell-y, but the first half of the album was really good.
A combination of metal and punk-rock music with strong and loud vocals. The track «Drive» is better than the whole album (only for this reason +1 star).
Hadn't heard of them before which I was surprised about because they seem really popular. Enjoyed it and thought there was some nice variation across the album so I didn't get bored listening.
What an interesting mix of genres. Metal, punk/grunge, I think, hip-hop... Surprising amount of hip-hop.
I started out thinking I wasn’t going to enjoy this, but it really caught my attention. By the end I was really invested in the sound and power brought to the vocals and backing. A dope experience for sure.
-Generally cool nu-metal-punk-esque stuff -I like "Make Yourself" -Cool bass in "Out from Under"
4; Takes me back. Great album but not enough to make it a 5 on this list.
Je m'attendais à un album de musique electronique, quelle belle surprise que de retrouver du bon rock de crise d'adolescent. Voici mes conseils pour pleinement profiter de ce sympatique projet. 1. Accrochez des posters de vos groupes de rocks favoris aux murs de votre chambre 2. Descendez à la cuisine et dites à vos parents que vous voulez sortir ce soir avec des amis. 3. Un refus devrais s'en suivre, piquez une petite crise de colère en prennant osin de garder votre voix très aigüe. 4. Montez en trombe vers votre chambre, et enfermez-y vous. 5. Vous pouvez desormais lancer cet album de Incubus, bonne écoute.
I usually hate nu-metal, but this is really good and interesting album! I am surprised. The Best Songs are Drive and Warmth
This is cheesy as anything, but I have a certain amount of nostalgia for it from my late teens. I can imagine I'd be pretty nonplussed if I was hearing this for the first time... Fave track - "Drive", let's say...
mildly angsty 90s rock with extra record scratches to garnish. a nice moody simmer compared to The Offspring's rambunctiousness.
I love this album and have a huge soft spot for this band and genuinely think they’re underrated among 90s/00s popular hard rock bands. That being said, I can’t justify giving it 5 stars, but it’s a strong 4 from me. I put two songs from this album in a lyric diary project in 12th grade 😂
Siempre consideré a Incubus como rock alternativo y me sorprendió ver que este disco también los pone como nu metal. No se me hacen tan pesados como para serlo pero sí comparten muchos elementos del sonido de la época. Me gustó bastante, más de lo que esperaba aunque realmente no me atrapó ni me hizo querer conocer más de la banda. Me hubiera gustado que me hubiera gustado más Battlestar Scralatchtica. Por otro lado, Stellar y Drive son grandes canciones y general el disco me gusta mucho como suena. Aunque no es mi banda favorita disfruto su sonido aunque tampoco me dan ganas de conocer más de lo que ya conozco. Songs: Stellar, Drive, Pardon Me
I've long loved this album! And was infatuated with the brown eyed dream boat that is Brandon Boyd for a minute! Always loved that red tattoo on his arm. Sometime near this album's release I won Incubus concert tickets from the radio. A friend & I drove a couple hrs to the show in my dad's hooptie grand marquis getting high af. They were nose bleed seats but it was fucking awesome. A MAJOR AWARD after all. GOOD TIMES INCUBUS!
I'd only heard a couple of songs previously, but it turns out that this album is like a direct pipeline to the turn of the millennium. When the combination of rock with turntablism was thrillingly new and Incubus thoughtfully enough delivered it via a lead singer who didn't seem fussed about keeping his shirt on. Make Yourself holds up as a good album, except for that freeform groove number which can get in the sea.
I am not familiar with the INCUBUS, but aware of the band’s existence. What little I have heard from them does not impress me, but I am familiar with some nu-metal bands so it could be an interesting listening. After listening to MAKE YOURSELF, my first impression is my usual first reaction … I was not impressed and that was to be expected. Musically and vocally, the band sounds typical to me. This type of music, Nu-metal, does not have staying power and is not catchy or different enough for me to enjoy. Usually, I give an album about three more listens to see if musically or vocally something might grow on me. I decided to give the album another listen and concentrate on the lyrics. While the lyrics are not deep, but when the vocals and lyrics are clear and in sync the songs work well and elevate my initial impression of the songs. In 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, MAKE YOURSELF is their one and only entry. Rate Artist: INCUBUS (4.0) Rate Album (Year): MAKE YOURSELF (1999 Original) (4.0)
Incubus is the culmination of all the 90s scenes and sounds. These musos sure knew their sound and how to make them all. The attack distortion guitar mellowed by the beefy octaved bass, the flawless mic position on the little splash symbols, the way the nasal and palate driven voice never sounds strained or as loud as it could be. Music by numbers really.
This is actually pretty good. Couple pretty popular songs on there but overall a really good listen. 8/10.
I'm glad Incubus is on this list. While I'm not a huge fan of the rock-band-with-a-DJ genre, I always thought Incubus got unfairly shoved in the shadows a bit. Compared to their counterparts (Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, CrazyTown, etc.) - they are, objectively - more talented and just better. They have a better vocalist with a more distinct sound, better musicians, and the lyrics are more thoughtful and poetic than, say "break somebody's face tonight" (Bizkit, L.).