I appreciate Tool’s prog/psyche leanings. I’m glad that they have continued to push further in that direction as they develope and less into the metal-ish stuff like on “Opiate”, allthough I find that EP to be very strong.
they def put on a good show. i was down with them back in my Rage days and still listen to them on occasion. boy do they have some cool videos!
This is reasoning enough. Personally, I can’t stand Tool. I have a brother who likes them so I’ve heard at least a couple full albums by them and I just don’t like the style. I hate the distortion-filled guitar, there’s not much use for bass, the singer can’t sing and many of the songs sound the same with the same formula used over and over in each. I don’t like Radiohead either so maybe that style is what turns me off but I can’t stand them either. I obviously can’t comment on the live show but I certainly hope it’s a lot better than the albums.
Stevo
I really think you must be confused. Are you sure you’re thinking of Tool? MJK is one of the greatets rock singers ever, and as for the bass, although not strictly virtuoso, its use dovetailing in and out of the guitar lines (somethimes playing the lead melody over the guitar which is just playing rhythm) is both original and exciting
Why are they always compared to Radiohead, I see NO similarity between these bands.
Tool Rock and I can’t wait to see them this summer.
/\ Tool and Radiohead are not similar in any way, so I didn’t see his point either.
^ I almost posted earlier that I felt like Tool was a lot like Radiohead. Like an American Radiohead.
They both make very popular music that is still very individualistic and challenging. They seem to have a good balance of songwriting and musical experimentation on their albums. Both of the vocalists’ styles rely more on a what I would call “attitude” in their performance as a vehicle for expression, but there singing contains lot’s of pitch and melody, not like, say, Mick Jagger who takes a blusier approach where there’s lot’s of emotive expression but not much specific pitch, or… uh… Andre3000, who does a lot of rapping. Melodically, both Keenan and Yorke are not really using catchy, singable melodies like much pop music. I would consider both of them to be aggressive guitar oriented bands, but they are both also very aware of using dynamics and atmospheric textures. I also think they both make records that sound very modern, but also push themselves to try out and develope new sounds. There’s not much “standard” production on either bands’ albums. I think that’s why you hear so many artists imitating them both.
I would consider them both to be modern, art-rock bands make a lot of aggressive guitar driven music, but don’t limit themselves. I think the differences in how they sound (I mean, no matter wierd Tool gets they are still a bunch of American metal dudes and Radiohead are British pant-waist Smiths’ junkies…) are really much more superficial and irrelevant when you look at there similarites as artists.
^^ A good point, well made.
True, but their “sound” is quite dissimilar.
I agree that they have some stylistic elements that people are used to hearing as being totally opposed to one another (macho dude metal, whiny sensitive-dude banshee wailing) that creates the illusion that there is really a big difference in what they are doing.
I think Radiohead tends to go for more of a “retro” or “vintage” type of tone for it’s guitars and drums, while Tool tries for a more “modern” hard rock sound, but the other side of the coin is, they both are defining current rock production value in a similar way.
The guitar playing on a Radiohead album often reflects the influence of American bands like Fugazi or Sonic Youth, and similar sounding groups who are slightly more tonal (Pavement, Slint) who manage to keep their guitar parts very aggressive sounding while working outside of the power chord/pentatonic scale formulas that have became punk/metal/hardcore cliches in the ‘80s. I think Tool is obviously working from similar influences. For a band that is embraced by “metalheads” in America, it’s surprising that there is very little “chugga-chugga”, Metallica style palm-muted riffs, and realtively un-crunchy guitar tones. The guitars in these bands’ music sound very simlar to me.
I also hear Pink Floyd influences pretty strongly in both bands’ music.
I’m just saying I hear very simlar influences in these bands music, and to my ears, they sound as “similar” as any two bands do (like say, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, who I think have some real obvious differences and simlarities, but are “contemporaries” and who worked in a very similar aesthetic realm). I think as time goes on, we’ll get a clearer picture of the similarities in the way they sound, especially since they are both very influential, and very much at the forefront of creative popular music. They are drawing from similar influences, and working with the same technology, and in a sense developing techniques for using new technolgy.
I think the big difference is that Radiohead tends to use some more complex, traditional harmony, while Tool keeps thing very primitive in that repsect. Tool also tends to focus more on repetition and tribal, percussion driven songwriting, but that’s not necessarily unfamiliar territory to Radiohead (“The National Anthem”). Still, those differences don’t sound very radical to me.
I also think they both suck. Joking… kind of… It all sounds pretty much like modern alternative rock to me. It sounds like stuff I’d hear on the radio. Probably the two best modern rock bands you might hear on mainstream radio.
Yes, your post on the similarity is EXACTLY what I was referring to. It’s more like a mindset similarity than a musical one. Not my cup of meat, I suppose.
Just got this today. It is AMAZING.
Just as a pre-warning… This probably will NOT convert you into a Tool fan, but if you happened to catch one (or three) of these shows during 2001 or 2002, you will probably be very interested.
I know I have waited since 2002 to relive this experience.
So if anyone wants to set up a trade of BnP, just PM me.
textfile below
-WB-
TOOL
November 16, 2002
Oklahoma City, OK
Cox Convention Center
Remastered Version with PCM Audio
This is an absolutely FANTASTIC DVD of the experience at a live Tool show. It is mind blowing at times. The guy running the cam does a great job of capturing every musician at the correct times, as well as including some of the very trippy footage that is taking place on the video screens on either side of the stage.
The audio is absolutely fantastic. It is PCM 16-bit.
This is the best Tool DVD that I have, but I have many other really great ones, including some very early footage.
Playlist/Chapters:
- Intro (Tuva)
- Cold & Ugly
- The Grudge
- (-) Ions
- Stinkfist
- Forty Six & 2
- Schism intro
- Schism
- Parabol
- Parabola
- Third Eye
(Intermission Cut) - Disposition
- Reflection
- Triad
- Lateralus
Video:
Recorded w/ Canon ZR50mc MiniDV
3.8Mb avg 2pass Canopus Procoder 2
Audio:
Audience recording PCM 16 bit
Audio
Tom Morello came out with Tool last night at Bonnaroo.
Or so I was told.
ICC…your new avatar?
You must read these reviews.
I could never get into these two bands. And these reviews pretty much break it down about why these 2 bands suck. Check it:
http://www.somethingawful.com/d/your-band-sucks/tool-worst-songs.php
And this is interesting too:
http://www.somethingawful.com/d/your-band-sucks/tools-10000-days.php
& this is quite funny as well:
http://www.somethingawful.com/d/your-band-sucks/radiohead-sucks.php
Be sure to check out his reviews on Coldplay and Mars Volta
Think for yourself, question reality.
And don’t take other peoples opinions as fact.
and cure sweaty hands.
kiss my ass you fucking tool.
I do think for myself.
And I don’t agree with what he says about primus or a lot of other bands for that matter.
Its just that I could never dig those 2 bands and he summed it up nicely for me.
not “digging” and feeling that way that douchebag that ICC quoted are two different things.
baleedat.
yep
i dont make sense anymore.
im a caricature of myself.
i dont believe anything anymore.
ive lost touch with love.
maybe thats a quote for “drunk and sONTed”…or maybe "type your thoughts…what thread am i in?
eff you, bastards.
I’ll be seeing Tool on Sunday.
Fifth (fourth? sixth?.. i forget…) time seeing them since 4 days after 09/11/2001.
Can’t wait.
Oh, and tickets are effin expensive!