Maynard James Keenan Reveals His Favorite A Perfect Circle Song

Maynard James Keenan is one of the most talented musicians in the progressive metal genre. He just picked his favorite A Perfect Circle song ever.

A Perfect Circle band has a fourth original studio album. They also have one cover record. But still, their fans love them and wait for the new albums and concert performances.

Maynard attended high school and college in Michigan, Ohio. After graduating from high school, Maynard joined the United States Army. He enrolled in his first institution, the Kendall Institution of Art and Design in Grand Rapids, Michigan, after being discharged from the Army in 1987. He moved to Los Angeles 1988 to pursue an interior design career and set construction. He co-founded Tool with Adam Jones shortly after.

Then, Maynard James Keenan, the creator behind Tool, and guitarist Billy Howerdel founded A Perfect Circle in 1999 on the alternative rock scene. Keenan formed the band in response to his passion to explore different acoustic landscapes. He is also allowed to express his musical ideas and feelings in a new and fascinating method.

In an interview with Daniel P. Carter on BBC Radio 1‘s Rock Show, Maynard James Keenan, the creative mind behind A Perfect Circle. He revealed his secret and favorite song from their album “Eat The Elephant” – “The Contrarian.”

In this great song “The Contrarian“, Maynard and guitarist Billy Howerdel pushed the boundaries of their songwriting and performance abilities. This song is a quick way to introduce new fans to A Perfect Circle band. Here are Maynard‘s thoughts on “The Contrarian” song:

“Just Even the first three songs on Eat the Elephant was a very difficult task to do because it was an exercise in Billy and I showing restraint. It’s hard to do a very restrained, focused song with a lot of space. It’s actually harder than filling in all the space. Especially with that song because there’s a subtlety attached to it and a lot of space.

It was in a range that was not necessarily comfortable for me, and maintaining character in those unfamiliar spaces is a challenge. And I think Billy, too. He had to not reinvent what he was doing but take a step back and not put forward his first reaction or his second reaction. He had to really dig deep and find how he served that song rather than just bringing Billy Howerdel [A Perfect Circle] to that song. Same for me. ‘How do I serve that song and that vibe beyond just bringing what I normally do to that song?’ So I just really enjoyed that song. It was a challenge.”

“The Contrarian” by A Perfect Circle is a compelling and musically intricate masterwork in their acclaimed repertoire. This incredible piece, which appears on their album “Eat The Elephant,” demonstrates the band’s ability to push limits and create a sonic world that is both thought-provoking and emotionally charged.

The song begins with a harp being plucked before launching into a bass guitar, piano, and detailed drum beat rhythm part. Beginning with the lyric “‘Hello’, he lied,” Maynard sings the song with a melodious voice. Howerdel inserts a wall of sound, an echo-filled guitar interlude at the song’s halfway and end.

“The Contrarian” catches the fans’ attention with melodies and powerful orchestration from the first note. The song unfolds like a musical trip, leading us through unexpected twists and turns while constantly defying our expectations.

You can listen to A Perfect Circle‘s “The Contrarian” song below!