by Mr. Chimp on Thu Jan 08, 2004 10:20 am
Okay, so, Tool:
Avoided them like the plague for the first years - thought that they were sub-Helmet/Pantera cock rock, done with minor innovations. And I thought that their videos were annoying.
Then late one night in Sept. '97 or so I staggered in from a bender at 2AM, collapsed on the couch and surfed on the cable, hitting Music Television right at the start of the video for "Stinkfist."
Holy Christmas was that crazy. It took me back to the first time I saw the Hellraiser movie - disturbingly twisted otherworld. And I was really impressed with the song's sounds and structure.
Bought that record (AEnima), and although there is non-musical filler that I could give or take, and some of the songs maybe go a verse/chorus more than necessary, I discovered a fullness of appreciation for what they were doing.
I'd use an analogy at this point - the distance between the pap of Creep by Radiohead and the excellence of the OK Computer record, which I also discovered in the same manner around this time (after having written them off for years.)
Bought Lateralus when it came out, and, well, really liked it. Liked the songcraft and the sounds, excluding the drums which sound like they were recorded in a cardboard box with a microphone made out of cardboard. The album is maybe two songs too long, but I really liked the development of the record.
I did get the chance to see them live, and it was quite good when focused on the music and the performers. The meathead contingent were, as always, an extremely useless part of the experience.
Tool gets a lot of flak, and rightfully so 'cause of their history. But now it seems incorrect to me to lump them in with current cock-rock such as Korn or Linkin Park or Pantera or the Biscuits of Limp.
More appropriate to slot them nearer to prog-tinged music, more like mid-period Yes, King Crimson, and even Melvins, Chavez and Don Cab. Of course that is not to say that they sound like any of the aforementioned, but there is a particular way of listening to detailed music associated with each.
Opiate - crap (boring)
Undertow - crap (repetitive without development)
AEnima - not crap
Lateralus - not crap, excepting the song "Tick"
Tool = Not Crap, with a waffle breakfast for four.