Thirteenth Step

Thirteenth Step
Studio album by A Perfect Circle
Released	September 16, 2003
Recorded	Perfect Circle Studios, North Hollywood, California January 2003 - June 2003
Genre	Art rock, Alternative rock
Length	50:36
Label	Virgin Records
Producer	Billy Howerdel Maynard James Keenan (Executive) Danny Lohner (Tracks 3, 6, 9, 10)
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link Drowned in Sound (8/10) link E! Online (B+) link Rolling Stone link Yahoo! Music link
A Perfect Circle chronology
Mer de Noms (2000) Thirteenth Step (2003) eMOTIVe (2004)

Thirteenth Step is the second studio album by the American rock band A Perfect Circle. The album was released as a compact disc on September 16, 2003. The album was a success, reaching the #2 position on the Billboard charts in its premiere week, selling over 231,000 copies. 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". It has been speculated that the title is a reference to the Twelve-step program. According to Maynard 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. The ninth song on the album, "The Nurse Who Loved Me", is a remake of the track by the same name on the Fantastic Planet album by Failure.

Track listing

All music and lyrics written by Billy Howerdel and Maynard James Keenan except where noted.

1. "The Package" – 7:40
2. "Weak and Powerless" – 3:15
3. "The Noose" – 4:53
4. "Blue" – 4:13
5. "Vanishing" – 4:51
6. "A Stranger" – 3:12
7. "The Outsider" – 4:06
8. "Crimes" (Howerdel/Keenan/Freese/White) – 2:34
9. "The Nurse Who Loved Me" (Edwards/Andrews) – 4:04
10. "Pet" – 4:34
11. "Lullaby" – 2:01
12. "Gravity" (Howerdel/Keenan/Freese/Van Leeuwen/Lenchantin) – 5:08

The Japanese version of Thirteenth Step includes an exclusive extended version of "The Package".

Personnel

• Maynard James Keenan − Lead vocals, executive producer, artwork direction
• Billy Howerdel − Guitar, vocals, production, engineering, additional photography
• Josh Freese − Drums, backing vocals
• Jeordie White − Bass, backing vocals
• Troy Van Leeuwen − Guitar (on "The Package", "Vanishing" and "Gravity")
• Danny Lohner – Guitar (on "The Noose"), additional production
• The Section Quartet – Strings (on "The Nurse Who Loved Me" and "A Stranger")
• Jarboe – Vocals (on "The Noose" and "Lullaby")
• Devo H. Keenan – Backing vocals (on "Pet")
• K. Patrick Warren – Instrumentation on "The Nurse Who Loved Me"
• Jon Brion – Instrumentation on "The Nurse Who Loved Me"
• Steve Duda – Digital engineering assistance
• Andy Wallace – Mixing
• Steven R. Gilmore – Sleeve art direction, design and digital photographic manipulation
• Dean Karr – Photography

Charts

Album

Singles