Interesting.......for all of the Tool fans on the board

bassist_25 · Post by **bassist_25** » Sunday Jan 25, 2004

I know Tool has the unfortunate reputation of having a bunch pseudo-intellectual fans (who believe themselves to be "deep", just because they read 20 pages of Atlas Shrugged, and quote Nietzsche on everything to support their wall-flowered teenage lives.) who sit around and try to philosophize about how their music represents this or that. But here's something written by a Tool fan that is actually interesting. Granted, he's writing style is choppy, but the subject is interesting. This is for all the Kurt Gobels on the board. Enjoy.

http://www.bofe.org/overthinking.htm

MILLS · Post by **MILLS** » Monday Jan 26, 2004

This kid is exactly where tool is. I've known all about what he's talking about for a long time now, probably because of my profound love of tool, but I read in an interview that Danny thought about calling the song Lateralus 987 cause of the structure and the fibanocci sequence. But that fan is exactly what tool wants to see, people actually listening with their ears and heads and not their damn eyes.

That fan is on the right track, if anyone else hasn't listened to lateralus the way he described, you should go do it, it reminds me of why i love music and intelligence, and why i love tool, they put those two things together very very nicely and then sell me cds for only 15 bucks that somehow manage to take up all my listening time. Awesome.

Listening to Lateralus like that also reminds me of Pink Floyd and the wall and watching the wall with the wizard of Oz or like watching Techno and cartoons, its just another cool way of expanding your mind and ears and music and everything.

Ok its 7:30 a.m. i gotta get some sleep.

Later Rock world.

bassist_25 · Post by **bassist_25** » Monday Jan 26, 2004

I agree; there has been a ton of schlock in the past 6 or 7 years, but I think Tool has risen above that and will be one of the very few Modern Rock bands that anyone will give a damn about in 20 years. (I know they've been around since the early 90's, but so far, this seems to be their commercial peak.) I usually don't keep up with album release dates and buy CDs the week of their release, but I did with Lateralis. I actually have one of the first pressings with the misspelled album title. (I remember I bought it from NRM, when it was in the Clearfield mall) All kinds of great things to keep you thinking with Tool's music: Existentialism, Nilhlism, Eastern Philosophy, Jungian Psychology, Timothy Leary, Bill Hicks, ect. Plus you can listen to their music on a pure pop level. (Not "pop" meaning Britney Spears, "Pop" meaning an easily accesible level of artistic enjoyment. Don't get me started on my philosophy about art existing being percieved on three empirical levels

I'll start sounding like those pseudo-intellectuals I was talking about

) Seriously though, I'm glad that a band like Tool exists. I don't try to indentify myself with any sort of culture, espciallly any sort of generation, but it is nice that I can say a band of that artistic caliber came from my time.

Chevelle7982 · Post by **Chevelle7982** » Monday Jan 26, 2004

The most interesting point that i can make about TOOL is that they are realist. They write about what they hate in our society, culture, beliefs, etc. They write about what they want and show hope behind constant reminding and rally, yet their sarcasm displays pessimism, which again shows that they are realist and face reality every day. They touch on so many issues that are all compatible, whether it is government, religious faith, society as a whole, etc., they make music to relate to every individual that is willing to listen. Each artist in the band (Danny, Maynard, Justin, and Adam) are all unique personaltiies in their own, instead of falling into the unfortunate fads that seem to reappear in the music scene, where on-stage expression sometimes becomes a disgusting unity and choreography.

bassist_25 · Post by **bassist_25** » Monday Jan 26, 2004

Good points Chevelle. I agree, while Tool has a very dark sound, I've always found their music to be very optimistic. If you were to ask me to describe the meaning of Tool's music in one word, I would say, "Evolution". I believe the main theme of their music is evolution; evolution of the mind, evolution of the spirit, evolution of the emotions, evolution from the stupid bullshit that humans inflict upon each other. I guess in a nutshell, it would be something like social Darwinism. I like how Tool doesn't dumb anything down. I don't want my music, my movies, my comedy, and my graphic art to be dumbed down. I like listening to a Tool song and trying to understand the existentialist symbolism. I like watching a Greg Akari film and enjoying the surrealness. I like listening to George Carlin give social commentary on how the world is screwed up. I like looking at a Dali painting and trying to understand the unconscious images projected through his paranoid-critical method. I'm starting to sound like an art snob.

I think Mudvayne is another band that has more depth to their music than your average Rock band playing right now.

DMFJ03 · Post by **DMFJ03** » Tuesday Jan 27, 2004

Straight up to Mudvayne!

If you really, really listen to their L. D. 50 album, you will hear a lot of deep things happening there. Songs like Cradle, Severed, Nothing to Gein, and (K)now F(orever) have some serious depth to them. Between the lyrics, the hypnotic playing (damn I wish I could play a bass like that ), and the preludes and interludes saying things like "Yes, we are an ape with a symbiotic relationship to a mushroom" -- how can you go wrong? That whole album in it self is a work of art. Their new album "The End Of All Things To Come" is awesome, could have been better, but still awesome. However, L. D. 50 is their masterpiece. Even going back to "Kill I Oughta" which has been re-released as "The Begining Of All Things To Come" with a few bonus tracks, has nothing on L.D. 50. In all fairness though, "Kill I Oughta" was not even the same concept that is Mudvayne now. Three awesome albums, no doubt, and shame on you if you don't have them.

bassist_25 · Post by **bassist_25** » Tuesday Jan 27, 2004

I will admit I was first put off by Mudvayne. I guess I let my prejudices prevent me from checking them out. I thought they were just another gimmicky Rock band. I heard a lot about Ryan Martinie's playing, so being a bassist I was naturally curious. I put away my image based impression and checked them out. I was very impressed. It's very well thought out Rock. From what I understand, they were playing "Nu-metal" before the genre even had a name. I just love the beautiful guitar tones in Death Blooms. I read an interview with them a while back. They're very intelligent guys.

grimmbass · Post by **grimmbass** » Saturday Jan 31, 2004

Hey all,

Wow, people are really thinking on this board!

First off, I have to admit that I haven't had time to check out the Tool link as posted by Bassist_25 (great meeting you Thursday, btw). As long as we're on the Gnostic/existential/nihilist/syncronicity/origins of human thought and Jungian philosophy mental masterbation, a few artists/authors you might want to check out:

1. Philip Dick: The most influential and under-credited Sci-Fi author of the 20th century. His novels and short stories are just now becoming mainstream, although a series of his works have been adapted to film. Some examples include: Blade Runner (based on Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?), The Minority Report, Paycheck, and Total Recall. You can also see much of his influence in other works such as Vanilla Sky (great flick) and The Truman Show.

2. Alex Grey: The artistic genius behind Tool's stunning album artwork and tour backdrops. His coffee-table books are amazing. Like Dick, he has found interesting ways to weave a series of religious beliefs and philosophies into one giant, intermeshed web of energetic ebb and flow.
His work acknowleges Jesus, Buddah, and alien abductions together as a shared reality.

3. Comic readers, anyone? Preacher, a Vertigo comic, took the most over-the-top look at religion for any maintream media. The premise: An angry young Texas preacher who inadvertently gets the "will of God". While being pursued by a "saint of killers" (who looks like a very pissed Clint Eastwood), he discovers that God took a vacation and left! He then makes his mission to find God. Oh....and the Sandman is a very hefty read as well.

Some intersting stuff for the board. Hope you enjoy!

Kent

bassist_25 · Post by **bassist_25** » Saturday Jan 31, 2004

Kent, it was awesome meeting you also. I had a great time jamming with your brother.

I'm currently checking out Phillip Dick's site as we speak. He's quite a prolific author. I wasn't aware, until you pointed out, that his work was so conscious in meainstream society. It's funny though, I find a lot of profound stuff in some children's authors; the Madeleine L'Engle books have a ton of thought provoking matter. The Chonicle of Narnia books also have a lot of religious symbolism in them. A book I would really like to read is Extraterrestrial Sex Fetish by Supervert. Since I'm planning on becoming a psychology major I'm very interested in what provokes fetishes in peoples sexuality. (Freud would probaly say it developed during childhood) It also just sounds like it would be a very interesting read.

I'll be sure to check out Alex Grey. Though, I always thought Adam Jones was the artistic director for Tool's album covers. Either way, it's very great art. Espcially considering it seems that every "Modern Artist" nowadays is doing either some neo-Warhol stuff, or Marcel Duchamp ripoff trash. (Not a dis to either artist, but I'm tired of everybody trying to copy them because it's "Hip") My favorite artist will always be Dali. (again, the psychology aspect)

bassist_25 · Post by **bassist_25** » Saturday Jan 31, 2004

Hmm, I got some kind of mail error when I hit submit, and I double-posted by mistake.

Ron, I think the board is haunted by the evil Mail Server demon.

Colton · Post by **Colton** » Saturday Jan 31, 2004

tool sucks, i hate tool, they cant play crap, all their songs suck... if i even knew someone who covered their stuff, i would.... um.... yeah

Colton · Post by **Colton** » Saturday Jan 31, 2004

i think i might have double posted too.... check this out, this makes me happy in some weird way

http://www.toolband-sucks.com/

bassist_25 · Post by **bassist_25** » Saturday Jan 31, 2004

The irony of that website is it's exactly what Tool speaks out against.

Sometimes when I come home late Saturday night/early Sunday morning, I'll turn on the TV and come across this show (I think it's a four part series) on the Christain network trying to "educate" scared parents about the "evil Rock and Roll" that their children are listening to. It's funny how they will rip song lyrics and musician interview quotes totally out of context to try and prove how they are wicked. Of course, they pick on all of the usual candidates; Kiss, Ozzy, Ac/Dc, Judas Priest, The Rolling Stones; but anybody who is secular is open game. They even attacked Garth Brooks. C'mon people, Garth Brooks? I'm surprised they didn't go into Reefer Madness mode, and talk about the marijuna smoking "Negro Jazz Musicians". They even had a segment where they tried to link Rap music with higher abortion rates. I couldn't believe how much propaganda was going on in this show. My post isn't an attack on Christainity or religion, because I know this isn't what either is about; it just happened to be a show concocted by the zealots to push an agenda. I wish you guys could have seen these shows. They are so outrageous, they are a parody of themselves.

I went and checked out the Alex Grey website a little while ago. Fantastic artist.

Oh, btw; Apo pantos kakodaimonos. You are now hypnotized.