Tool; Hammersmith Apollo; 14.06.2006
stinkfist/thepot/fortysix&2/jambi/schism/rightintwo/rosettastoned/merkaba/sober/lateralus/vicarious/Ænema
The perculiar thing is, what draws people to Tool?
I often wonder about this. Is it the mysticism? The strangeness? The music, the lyrics? The art? The ramming of anal metaphors down your throat?
It’s a combination of facets? Pounding drums, chugging guitars and rumbling bass; climaxes, introspection, anger; vocals emotive and free, soaring over the music. This is all just a part of it – the band works because all four are performing together, as one. Musically you’d think they are a hard band to sell commercially. 9-minute songs, syllables written in the Fibonnaci sequence, telling fans to “spiral out” and “keep going” – none of this is exactly the type of thing a A&R man would want to sell.
The thing is, watching this band is a fucking show. The music sounds organic, ‘the pieces fit’. It’s not just a gig where you zone off for a minute, listening or looking around, slightly bored, wondering where the smell of weed is coming from. It’s an experience. Communication.
Behind Maynard, flashes of videos, crawling bodies; pull them up from the floor, jars, boxes, scars. A stick-on Moheican flips past in silhouette as he dances in time to the music, stomping forward with each crash. Danny crashes all around him, pounding incessantly. I wouldn’t have a clue how to do any of it. Justin actually looks like a metal rockstar though, all long hair, whipping round his head. Adam looks bored. Or is it concentration?
This is intelligent music. It speaks and it’s designed to make you think. It’s beautifully layered at times, creeping crescendos. It means something too. This is why the mix is not just metalheads in cliché t-shirts, there’s no defined look. It’s hard to sell, I said, yet millions of copies of Lateralus and 10,000 Days were shifted on the day of release.
Right In Two is a song that is quickly approaching top 10 of all-time status for me. It manages to sum up pretty much everything I think about humanity when I’m at my darkest ebb. The perception and realisation that the wars we fight, the battles we wage, the things we care about are meaningless and insecure. We fight, at what cost or point?
Right in two by Tool
Angels on the sideline, puzzled and amused.
Why did Father give these humans free will?
Now they’re all confused.
Don’t these talking monkeys know that Eden has enough to go around?
Plenty in this holy garden, silly monkeys
Where there’s one you’re bound to divide it
Right in two.
Angels on the sideline, baffled and confused.
Father blessed them all with reason;
And this is what they choose?
Monkey, killing monkey, killing monkey over pieces of the ground.
Silly monkeys give them thumbs they forge a blade
And where there’s one they’re bound to divide it
Right in two.
Monkey, killing monkey, killing monkey over pieces of the ground.
Silly monkeys give them thumbs they make a club,
And beat their brother down.
How they survive so misguided is a mystery.
Repugnant is a creature who would squander the ability,
To lift an eye to heaven, conscious of his fleeting time here.
This is probably one of their more direct songs, especially in terms of lyrics. And yet it’s one of the most powerful. The shame of humanity, recreated in crashing chords in the middle section. A zone out as Danny plays an Indian-sounding solo on a tabla. The the octave-shifts, the crashes, symbolizing the fall of man? Or the wars we fight? Only they could tell you that.
Humanity stipped bare.
And at 6:01 on the record, I swear there’s an impression from South Park. ‘TIMMY!’
(This post was originally published on 15 April 2006 on another website)
© J. Grainger, 2006
9 Responses to “reviews”
banshee said
January 25, 2007 at 8:49 am
beautiful
Reply
Tool Freak said
February 20, 2007 at 6:18 am
This was the best reveiw i have ever read
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J said
February 20, 2007 at 10:56 am
Thanks man. That’s really appreciated. I gather by the pseudonym that you’re a Tool man too.
That band mean the world.
J.
Reply
MJKsFan said
March 2, 2007 at 1:07 am
thank you. finally, somebody who understands that there is more to the music than meets the eye. MJK is the best musician to ever walk the earth.
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J said
March 2, 2007 at 10:12 am
Much obliged chieftan.
Reply
blackfaeridust said
July 14, 2007 at 7:29 pm
I have never read a more descriptive and in depth review. I attended my first Tool concert two days ago and it is exactly that. I would recomend it to anybody. Definately something to experience.
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DRKREVRND666 said
October 29, 2007 at 7:05 pm
IVE SEEN TOOL TWICE ON THIS TOUR AND BOTH TIMES I WAS AMAZED AT HOW MUCH LIKE THE ALBUM THEY SOUND LIVE MANARD IS THE BEST LEAD SINGER IVE EVER HEARD EVEN THOUGH HE ISNT VERY ACTIVE DURING THE LIVE SHOW HIS VOICE DOSE THE ENTERTAINING FOR HIM HE DOSENT NEED SOME CHEEP GIMMICK TO MAKE TOOL THE BEST BAND OUT THERE RITE NOW
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sean said
November 2, 2007 at 6:32 pm
quite lovely. =)
keep speaking freely and honestly.
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me said
March 4, 2009 at 2:35 pm
TOOL 4 LIFE BROTHER
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