xkcd

last.fm · by **Aethernox** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 3:58 am UTC

They're just this band, you know?

I'm rather sure that I'm not the only one here who listens to them, so let us have a discussion.

Suggested Topics include:
Favorite Song/Album/etc.
The band members, the band members' projects
Lateralus being one of the best things to happen to 2001
And everything that doesn't include those three lines.

Sadly, I only first heard them in 2002, so I had a decade or so of catching up to do.

by **Gaz** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 5:59 am UTC

I really enjoy Tool, but listening to the albums gets old fast for me. Hidden in with the atmospheric crap is some ridiculuosly good stuff.

by **King of Frogs** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 10:40 am UTC

Don't actually own any of their stuff, but having listened to Parabola, Schism, The Pot, and their version of No Quarter I would like some Tool very much (plz).

Their songs can be a bit long, but I get the impression they want people to meditate to them or something.

"I know the peices fit, 'cause I saw them fall apart."

by **cypherspace** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 2:41 pm UTC

10,000 Days is one of the finest albums I've ever heard and Vicarious is quite possibly the best album opener ever. I saw them live last year and it was an awesome show, musically and visually. I haven't seen a band put quite that much effort into their stage performances since The Flaming Lips.

by **SecondTalon** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 8:13 pm UTC

I keep hearing that Tool puts on an awesome performance or something... so at this point, I am left with the assumption that every last one of them had the deadly Motaba virus when I saw them, as most rocks give off a better sense of life and mobility than they did onstage.

King of Frogs wrote:Don't actually own any of their stuff, but having listened to Parabola, Schism, The Pot, and their version of No Quarter I would like some Tool very much (plz).

Record store is thataway.

by **ChocloManx** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 10:16 pm UTC

I should like Tool (I like their daddy, King Crimson), but I don't for some reason. Their cover of No Quarter is pretty okay though.

by **0xDEADBEEF** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 10:41 pm UTC

If you're a fan of both Tool, and xkcd, this is almost mandatory:
The Fibonacci in Lateralus

by **Lt Greatsocks** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 8:06 am UTC

Tool's pretty good. Saw them in concert. Awesome show.

by **Gaz** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 10:04 am UTC

Whats with the comparison to King Crimson, apart from they both play longer than norm music? Opiate is incredibly different to anything King Crimson did. I mean there are obviously influences but.....daddy?

by **ChocloManx** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 11:04 pm UTC

Gaz wrote:Whats with the comparison to King Crimson, apart from they both play longer than norm music? Opiate is incredibly different to anything King Crimson did. I mean there are obviously influences but.....daddy?

Have you listened to the album Red or Starless and Bible Black? All the tricky time signatures, heavy riffs and atmosphericness is there. Tool is different, of course, but if it wasn't for the crims, they wouldn't exist.

This is from an interview with Maynard:

"I think to share one stage with King Crimson was important. It showed where our roots are, where we are coming from."

and

"Now you know who we ripped off. Just don't tell anyone, especially the members of King Crimson."

SOURCE:

http://www.nyrock.com/interviews/2002/tool_int.asp

http://www.toolband.com/news/letter/2001_09.php

Last.fm · by **KingLoser** » Wed Aug 20, 2008 11:45 pm UTC

One of my all-time favourite bands and performers.

I keep hearing that Tool puts on an awesome performance or something... so at this point, I am left with the assumption that every last one of them had the deadly Motaba virus when I saw them, as most rocks give off a better sense of life and mobility than they did onstage.

Where and when did you see them? ...were you looking at the stage?

Saw them twice on the 2006/2007 10,000 days tour, once in Dublin and then in the Netherlands, and they were in far better form than they have been before, which is still above par for what most modern bands give you for your buck. Posted these pics in another thread too, but I figure TOOL fans will appreciate them more.

by **Irrefutable** » Wed Aug 20, 2008 11:58 pm UTC

I got into Tool earlier this year purely because i heard this piano cover of Lateralus and thought it was great :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOGCDc34m-4

by **dracharys** » Fri Aug 22, 2008 10:53 pm UTC

I don't really have a favorite album but it's definitely between 10,000 Days, Aenima or Lateralus. Opiate was good but a bit rough and Undertow doesn't really do anything for me.

My favorite songs are probably Schism, Vicarious and Hooker With A Penis.

by **Qoppa** » Fri Aug 22, 2008 11:19 pm UTC

I own every CD (except the elusive Salival). They're not really my kind of music, but they're still one of, if not, my favourite band.

Aenima > Lateralus = 10,000 Days > Undertow > Opiate
Best songs: Schism (my first Tool song), Aenima, Eulogy, Third Eye, Jambi, Rosetta Stoned

by **Turambar** » Sat Aug 23, 2008 11:11 pm UTC

Tool is among my favorite bands. It's hard for me to decide what my favorite album is, as there's a bit of a three-way tie between 10000 Days, Lateralus, and Aenima. When I first got the 10000 Days album, I thought it was a bit sub-par, but then I actually realized how amazing songs like the title track and Right In Two are.

Haven't had the chance to see them in concert yet, but I'm hoping they put out another album sometime soon and tour it. Am I correct in remembering that they're on some kind of hiatus right now, or am I remembering a different band?

by **Semidi** » Sun Aug 24, 2008 3:28 am UTC

I own all of their albums (my favorite being Lateralus, my least being 10,000 Days (I just couldn't get into it. I liked Right in Two and Vicarious but the others fell flat for me)).

I saw them live last year, and frankly I was marginally disappointed. Maybe is was because I had heard that their shows were better than sex. Maybe it was because they mostly played songs from 10,000 days, and drum solos that were entirely too long. But they did play Latereralus and Schism which gave me an eargasm.

by **RedWolf** » Sun Aug 24, 2008 4:11 am UTC

Tool is one of the few bands with vocals that I actually like and can listen to all the time. Most of my favorite bands/groups are instrumental. I have all their albums, but I haven't gotten around to becoming familiar with all of them yet. But so far my favorite album is 10,000 Days, and second being Lateralus.

Favorite songs include The Pot, Lateralus, Parabola, Sober, Jerk-Off, and Opiate. Right In Two is ok, but not one of my favorites. Same with Schism, and Vicarious... its probably because its the first song, and I tend to not like opening songs as much as other songs in the album...

And Irrefutable, cool cover. Never saw that before.

by **Cathode Ray Sunshine** » Sun Aug 24, 2008 9:20 pm UTC

I like them a lot. To me, Lateralus is their best album and one of the best albums I've heard. If I had to rank them it would be like this :

Lateralus
Aenima
10,000 Days
Undertow

Favorite song is Schism. First song I ever heard of them in fact. I liked 10,000 Days but it's something so unlike what they've done before that it's taken a while to fully grow on me. With that said, Vicarious is one of the best songs they've ever written. I don't think they'll ever top Lateralus and I shouldn't expect them to and just enjoy what they put out.

by **Poopraham Lincoln** » Wed Aug 27, 2008 1:09 am UTC

I was the World's Biggest Tool Fan in middle and high school. Owned all the albums and saw them play just after Lateralus came out. For the record, AEnima was their best album. At the end of high school my music tastes changed a great deal and I stopped listening to them entirely.

It's three and a half years later and I've just started listening to them a little again. It is sort of comforting that I remember all the music and lyrics to everything except for 10,000 Days.

by **Grim** » Wed Aug 27, 2008 1:30 am UTC

I was really into Tool for a month or so, but it gets old after a while. Some of my favorites are Vicarious, the Salival version of Pushit, and Eulogy.

by **SecondTalon** » Thu Aug 28, 2008 8:04 pm UTC

KingLoser wrote:
SexyTalon wrote:I keep hearing that Tool puts on an awesome performance or something... so at this point, I am left with the assumption that every last one of them had the deadly Motaba virus when I saw them, as most rocks give off a better sense of life and mobility than they did onstage.
Where and when did you see them? ...were you looking at the stage?

The tour they did after the release of Lateralus, so this would have been 2001/2002ish. I don't recall the exact date nor the location beyond "Indiana, north of Louisville, Kentucky.. I think". The only times I saw the band were as silhouettes. Immobile silhouettes. I mean, obviously it was a person as it moved from time to time, the guitarist moved his arms, the drummer drummed, the singer occasionally moved the microphone up and down or readjusted his stance.. but that was it. Could have been anyone.

Okay, they played stuff on screens. Whoopee. I came to see individuals I could recognize as being who they were, not silhouette who could have been anyone, naked people hanging from ropes and some film school student drop-out's art film.

... then again, I did see Pink Floyd in '94, so I might be a bit biased.

I mean, the most entertaining thing at that concert was CrazyMoshGirl. CrazyMoshGirl was a 5'0" 90 pound moshpit slamming in to everyone around her regardless of whether or not they wanted to join in the moshpit for.. whatever the hell the CD was between acts. At one point, she starts slamming into this 6'3", 300 pound (probably half fat) dude. Repeatedly. For about a minute. He finally gets tired of this, turns, catches her mid-air as she's trying to slam in to him yet again, and shoves her back, sending her sprawling. Cue laughter as everyone was fucking annoyed by her. After that, she stopped trying to slamdance with everything around her.

Perhaps it was something that I'd simply hyped up too much for myself. I don't know.

Last.fm · by **KingLoser** » Thu Aug 28, 2008 8:18 pm UTC

SexyTalon wrote:snip snup snop

No crazy Maynard monkey dancing...? Damn. It must have been an off day (this happened to my friends who travelled to Budapest last year to see them, heatwaves were destroying Europe at the time and they did a shitty gig) it's still no excuse for ticket-buying spectators though.

...then again, you did see Pink Floyd in 94. Lucky.

Slammers piss me off, It was fun when I was younger but it just gets on me nerves now. Being a small fella meself though, my best defense is just to sidestep those rampaging balls of sweat when they're comin at me and let them hurdle. Always a chuckle.

by **SecondTalon** » Fri Aug 29, 2008 2:52 am UTC

KingLoser wrote:No crazy Maynard monkey dancing...?

EXACTLY! Especially after hearing about it via a friend (who was also at this show) who saw them back at Lollapalooza. And we'd seen A Perfect Circle not too terribly long before that (99? 00?) so we were pretty sure he didn't have a back injury or anything like that.

I should probably find someone else who saw that tour and see if that's what it was or if, as I said, they were all stricken with the deadly Motaba virus and had to take it easy.

Last.fm · by **KingLoser** » Fri Aug 29, 2008 2:33 pm UTC

SexyTalon wrote:
KingLoser wrote:No crazy Maynard monkey dancing...?

EXACTLY! Especially after hearing about it via a friend (who was also at this show) who saw them back at Lollapalooza. And we'd seen A Perfect Circle not too terribly long before that (99? 00?) so we were pretty sure he didn't have a back injury or anything like that.

I should probably find someone else who saw that tour and see if that's what it was or if, as I said, they were all stricken with the deadly Motaba virus and had to take it easy.

That sucks, I would definitely recommend seeing them again though... you can break my legs if it's shite again.

Is it wrong that I probably would pay to see a group of people perform with the Motaba virus...?

by **Chfan** » Mon Dec 29, 2008 1:26 am UTC

NECRO'D!

Any actual Tool fans are going to hate me for this, but I just discovered them through Guitar Hero. The background kind of freaked me out, but I looked up some of their songs and CDs and they seem like a band witha very intricate, dark style of music. They're too creepy for me but I can see why you guys like them.

last.fm · by **Aethernox** » Mon Dec 29, 2008 2:30 am UTC

I'm not sure why anyone would hate you for that; I'd rather you discover Tool through any means rather than not at all.

by **Surgery** » Mon Dec 29, 2008 8:04 am UTC

0xDEADBEEF wrote:If you're a fan of both Tool, and xkcd, this is almost mandatory:
The Fibonacci in Lateralus

Old, I know, but I just saw it. In the beginning the guy says (writes, whatever) that the song's time signature is 9-8-7. Aren't time signatures two numbers? Like 4/4 or 3/4 or 7/8 or number-of-beats/duration-of-beat? What does he mean by 9-8-7? (I don't understand how that's the 16th number in the Fibonacci sequence either, but one question at a time)

by **Sanctuary1** » Mon Dec 29, 2008 10:34 am UTC

Tool is one of those bands I hear everyone likes, but then I hear just as many people "should" like them. I fit into the latter category. I really like stuff people who also like tool like, and I am a big APC fan, but I just can't seem to find a natch in Tool to hang onto.

by **SirMustapha** » Mon Dec 29, 2008 11:43 am UTC

I've started listening to them only recently - matter of fact, I only heard Ænima, and so far my feelings are mixed - they seem like a band that SEEMS far smarter and more complex than they actually are, both by the way they wrap their music in artwork and symbolism and by the fans. My feelings aren't quite as negative as those of Mark Prindle, but I wasn't really impressed. But Prindle is quite partial to Lateralus, so I won't make up my mind before I listen to that one.

last.fm · by **Aethernox** » Mon Dec 29, 2008 1:32 pm UTC

Surgery wrote:Old, I know, but I just saw it. In the beginning the guy says (writes, whatever) that the song's time signature is 9-8-7. Aren't time signatures two numbers? Like 4/4 or 3/4 or 7/8 or number-of-beats/duration-of-beat? What does he mean by 9-8-7? (I don't understand how that's the 16th number in the Fibonacci sequence either, but one question at a time)

He means that the time signature shifts from 9/8 to 8/8 finally to 7/8, I believe.

1 1 2 3 5 8 13 21 24 55 89 144 233 377 610 987.

Edit: Mark Prindle vexes me. He gives Tomahawk's Mit Gas a perfect score, and as such must have very unreliable opinions.

by **Clumpy** » Mon Dec 29, 2008 4:21 pm UTC

Aethernox wrote:Edit: Mark Prindle vexes me. He gives Tomahawk's Mit Gas a perfect score, and as such must have very unreliable opinions.

Mark Prindle's role isn't to be "consistent." I don't think he cares very much about having a traditional sort of influence - he just writes really, really entertaining reviews, and plays the part of the disciplined writer totally disregarding his natural discipline very well.

(Besides, his rating scale pretty much gives a "10" to a band's best album - it's not always the same "10" unless a band's discography sucks so much he doesn't give any of their albums a "10".)

by **Themata** » Mon Dec 29, 2008 4:43 pm UTC

I'm a major lover of Tool, and anything that is Maynard. I got into them through listening to my brother's collection of music, initially getting hooked on Aenima.

Favourite songs for me would have to be Hooker With a Penis, Aenima, Eulogy, Schism, The Grudge, Vicarious, The Pot, RIght in Two, Rosetta Stoned and Sober. In no particular order.

last.fm · by **Aethernox** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 1:33 am UTC

Clumpy wrote:(Besides, his rating scale pretty much gives a "10" to a band's best album - it's not always the same "10" unless a band's discography sucks so much he doesn't give any of their albums a "10".)

This is the part that vexes me; how could anyone prefer Mit Gas to Tomahawk or even Anonymous?
I do see how he could be popular, however, despite the fact that I discovered him because of this thread.

by **Clumpy** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 3:13 am UTC

Ah, I see. See, I thought you just didn't like the band in general.

I consider Mr. Bungle one of my favorite groups of all time (California in particular is sublime), so it's hard for me to hear Patton in anything else except FNM. Tomahawk sounds a little bland to me.

by **Pizzashark** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 8:14 am UTC

Not great, but not bad, either.

Their lyrics are a little on the bizarre side, but their sound is good for the most part. Stinkfist is one of those songs you hear and end up having running on repeat in your head for most of the day. I have a policy of not having anything to do with sociopolitical anything involving musicians, artists, and others of their ilk because I'd probably have a strong, sudden urge to violently rearrange their face.

EDIT: I really should look at dates on the OPs. Lots of thread necromancy this week it seems. People must be bored while on holiday. Well, watching dessicated cadavers lumber about scaring people is always enjoyable.

last.fm · by **Aethernox** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 9:43 am UTC

Clumpy wrote:Ah, I see. See, I thought you just didn't like the band in general.

I consider Mr. Bungle one of my favorite groups of all time (California in particular is sublime), so it's hard for me to hear Patton in anything else except FNM. Tomahawk sounds a little bland to me.

While I appreciate Faith No More for introducing me to a great deal of music I like (and for a handful of especially nice songs), Tomahawk and Fantômas especially interest me far more than they do, though I agree that Mr. Bungle are amazing.

by **Jesse** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 12:11 pm UTC

Technically, I like them. I own all their albums, I just never seem to listen to them. Maybe I should try harder, but generally I prefer APC.

by **Surgery** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 4:45 pm UTC

Aethernox wrote:He means that the time signature shifts from 9/8 to 8/8 finally to 7/8, I believe.

1 1 2 3 5 8 13 21 24 55 89 144 233 377 610 987.

Ah, that makes sense now, how silly of me. Thanks.

by **Goatboy** » Wed Dec 31, 2008 10:06 pm UTC

I don't know how I feel about Tool anymore. I loved (and still love) Ænima, and I own Lateralus, which is decent and interesting enough, but I felt let down that 10,000 Days had such similar artwork to Lateralus. That's a petty argument, I know, but Undertow and Ænima were so different from each other, I was hoping for that to continue.

And regarding Tool live, I have friends that saw them in support of Lateralus in 2001-ish, and Maynard didn't move at all then, but he was painted half blue/half orange, and made some clever commentary, and got pissed when people boo'd Tomahawk (they opened, and all reports I've heard say they kinda blew).

Regarding the OP's mention of Lateralus being the best thing to happen in 2001, I think it's interesting to note that three bands who had cursed a fair amount on their previous albums (System of a Down, Incubus, and Tool), and released curse-free albums around the same time (Toxicity [there's a "bitch" in "Prison Song" but that's it], Morning View, and Lateralus). This is not interesting to most people, I'm sure.

by **Dream** » Thu Jan 01, 2009 2:58 am UTC

Jesse wrote:Technically, I like them. I own all their albums, I just never seem to listen to them. Maybe I should try harder, but generally I prefer APC.

It takes me forever to get into each Tool album. I'm still finding my way around 10,000 Days now, and I've been listening for years. Many may think this is a failing, and that the music is too dense and impenetrable, hiding its appeal. But I don't feel it necessary to approach or apprehend the entire thing at once. I'll let some songs wash over me without paying detailed attention, and I'll dig into others until I understand them in depth. I just relax and let whatever comes come, and that seems to work.

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