Scarlet Fever
Oct 6, 2007, 09:16 AM
I haven't done an album review in years, and I'm particularly bored at the moment. So here goes.
Personal background: I've been into Tool since early this year. The first time I really listened to them was at Big Day Out 2007, where they played. I didn't know many of their songs, only the stuff that my mates had shown me, but they blew me away. It was a phenomenal gig. I had never seen anything like it before. The timing was all messed up, but the band sounded tight and in control. The band weren't playing as four people with instruments; they were playing as a band. It sounded like a rock band, but the stuff the guitarist and bassist were doing with their sound was like nothing I had ever heard before.
Since that gig, I've had an ongoing love for the band. The way I play bass has changed as a direct result of the band. 4/4 is now a timing for those who aren't open-minded enough to mess around. At the moment, I'm considering putting $850 down for a effects board so I can play around with my sound. Tool will go down as a band which has changed the way I view music.
Album background: The mother of lead singer Maynard Keening suffered a stroke 27 years ago. She was wheelchair bound and partially paralyzed. The time between her injury and her death was approximately 10,000 days, hence the album title. Many songs on the album are written about her.
Now, to the album;
Vicarious: Nominee for the "Best Hard Rock Performance" Grammy Award. It deserves it. Its hard, and in some points damn rocking, but still not offensively hard. It's written in 5/4 timing, which when you listen to it is pretty trippy. According to Wikipedia, the song "describes the vicarious thrill (a thrill experienced through someone else) the public receives from hearing about the misfortunes of others in the media, despite their refusal to admit it". It's an awesome song, and a great way to start the album.
Jambi: This song is more guitar-biased than their other songs. It starts with Adam (guitarist) playing one of the dirtiest guitar tones i've heard in a long time, while Justin (bassist) tools (pun intended) around in the background with various chorus and delay effects for a while. This one was awesome to see live; the people in the pit had no idea when they should be jumping, because the timing is so skewed. This song has one of the best breaks i've heard; the band stops while Justin slides down the fretboard, then the drums and guitar come in. After a few bars, Adam gets the talkbox happening for an awesome solo. He doesn't shred the guitar, but the sound he makes is amazing. A fan also made a film clip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sm__8yL1Wdc) for this song, which I think is pretty sweet.
Wings For Marie (Part 1): They tone it down a bit here. If you feel like being tripped out, get a good set of in-ear headphones, and listen to this song at night with your eyes closed. The guitar spins around your head in stereo, which can make you feel as if you're spinning. It isn't a short song at 6 mins 11 seconds, but it's well worth the listen. At 4:45, Justin plays one of the most fitting bass lines i've ever heard. Nothing could have suited this song more than the riff he plays. It's the perfect intro to...
10,000 Days (Wings Part 2): No song I have ever listened to has sent tingles down my back like this one has. This is the song about Maynard's mother. The lyrics are nothing short of beautiful; he knows his mother is about to die, and he knows he can't stop it. Instead of whining about his pain and suffering, he gives his mother a clear passage into the afterlife. Have a read of the lyrics here (http://www.metrolyrics.com/10000-days-wings-part-2-lyrics-tool.html).
Should you see your maker's face tonight
Look him in the eye
Look him in the eye and tell him
I never lived a lie, never took a life,
But surely saved one
Hallelujah,
It's time for you to bring me home
This has to be the most delicately written songs about death there is. It's not about whining and moaning that his mother has died, its acceptance that her soul will finally be resting in a much more peaceful place. It's got some killer bass riffs as well; I just wish I had enough frets to play it.
The Pot: I remember this song being played as if they played it yesterday. The bass intro messed with my head for ages, but eventually I nutted it out. It's the most complex riff I've learnt on bass so far. I would easily have spent a month trying to learn this song. See what I saw here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKn_Mr8JKCU). Damn awesome song. It's one of my fav songs from the album.
Lipan Conjuring: I think this song has more significance to the band than it does for me. Tool put these weird songs in their albums all the time, but I can't understand this one. Maybe someone here knows something about it that I don't.
Lost Keys (Blame Hofmann): Theres a guy on YouTube who works out and plays Tool songs. He is so proficient at it, the band have actually linked to his site from the official Tool website. He figured out how to play this song, and the method is awesome. Watch it here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQnId2w2aLQ).
I like this song because the voiceover is of an Aussie doctor. He reminds me of Chase from House, M.D. This song flows into...
Rosetta Stoned: No subtlety has been spared in this song. It is a story about a persons experience on acid. The lyrics (http://www.metrolyrics.com/lyrics/2147430442/Tool/Rosetta_Stoned) are awesome :D
**** me
It's gotta be
the Deadhead Chemistry
The blotter got (right) on top of me
Got me seein' E-mother*******-T!
I don't think there is any real meaning behind this song, other than the amazing trip this person had. The music behind it is pretty awesome, with parts of 5/4 and 4/4 alternating to add to the tripped out effect. Awesome song, best (meaningless) lyrics ever :D
Intension: This song has an awesome, spacey guitar riff in it at about 3:52. It doesn't sound too complex, but it takes a little while to get your head around it. The bass, however, is too good even for the likes of Brad (the guy on YouTube). To his credit, it does sound like the bass is overdubbed. It leads straight into...
Right In Two: the guitar and the bass sound brilliant together in the intro to this song. They know how to play together. If I had the effects needed, I would have a good stab at this song.
Lyrics (http://www.metrolyrics.com/lyrics/2147430444/Tool/Right_In_Two), as usual, are brilliant. They seem to be about the stupidity of human behaviour over the millennia.
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.
damn, I wish I had a slice of Justin's talent.
Viginti Tres: The first time I really listened to this song was with my new in-ear headphones, at night, and half asleep. By the end of the song, I felt like I was moving around so much I nearly fell off my bed. It's a weird song, but somehow fitting to the album. A great finish to a great album.
Summing up:
Tool continued to experiment with effects, techniques, timing and themes in this album. It's different to their previous works of art such as Lateralus and Aenema, but its good. I like the direction they have taken, and I wait eagerly for their next release or tour of Melbourne.
10,000 Days - 4.5/5
Personal background: I've been into Tool since early this year. The first time I really listened to them was at Big Day Out 2007, where they played. I didn't know many of their songs, only the stuff that my mates had shown me, but they blew me away. It was a phenomenal gig. I had never seen anything like it before. The timing was all messed up, but the band sounded tight and in control. The band weren't playing as four people with instruments; they were playing as a band. It sounded like a rock band, but the stuff the guitarist and bassist were doing with their sound was like nothing I had ever heard before.
Since that gig, I've had an ongoing love for the band. The way I play bass has changed as a direct result of the band. 4/4 is now a timing for those who aren't open-minded enough to mess around. At the moment, I'm considering putting $850 down for a effects board so I can play around with my sound. Tool will go down as a band which has changed the way I view music.
Album background: The mother of lead singer Maynard Keening suffered a stroke 27 years ago. She was wheelchair bound and partially paralyzed. The time between her injury and her death was approximately 10,000 days, hence the album title. Many songs on the album are written about her.
Now, to the album;
Vicarious: Nominee for the "Best Hard Rock Performance" Grammy Award. It deserves it. Its hard, and in some points damn rocking, but still not offensively hard. It's written in 5/4 timing, which when you listen to it is pretty trippy. According to Wikipedia, the song "describes the vicarious thrill (a thrill experienced through someone else) the public receives from hearing about the misfortunes of others in the media, despite their refusal to admit it". It's an awesome song, and a great way to start the album.
Jambi: This song is more guitar-biased than their other songs. It starts with Adam (guitarist) playing one of the dirtiest guitar tones i've heard in a long time, while Justin (bassist) tools (pun intended) around in the background with various chorus and delay effects for a while. This one was awesome to see live; the people in the pit had no idea when they should be jumping, because the timing is so skewed. This song has one of the best breaks i've heard; the band stops while Justin slides down the fretboard, then the drums and guitar come in. After a few bars, Adam gets the talkbox happening for an awesome solo. He doesn't shred the guitar, but the sound he makes is amazing. A fan also made a film clip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sm__8yL1Wdc) for this song, which I think is pretty sweet.
Wings For Marie (Part 1): They tone it down a bit here. If you feel like being tripped out, get a good set of in-ear headphones, and listen to this song at night with your eyes closed. The guitar spins around your head in stereo, which can make you feel as if you're spinning. It isn't a short song at 6 mins 11 seconds, but it's well worth the listen. At 4:45, Justin plays one of the most fitting bass lines i've ever heard. Nothing could have suited this song more than the riff he plays. It's the perfect intro to...
10,000 Days (Wings Part 2): No song I have ever listened to has sent tingles down my back like this one has. This is the song about Maynard's mother. The lyrics are nothing short of beautiful; he knows his mother is about to die, and he knows he can't stop it. Instead of whining about his pain and suffering, he gives his mother a clear passage into the afterlife. Have a read of the lyrics here (http://www.metrolyrics.com/10000-days-wings-part-2-lyrics-tool.html).
Should you see your maker's face tonight
Look him in the eye
Look him in the eye and tell him
I never lived a lie, never took a life,
But surely saved one
Hallelujah,
It's time for you to bring me home
This has to be the most delicately written songs about death there is. It's not about whining and moaning that his mother has died, its acceptance that her soul will finally be resting in a much more peaceful place. It's got some killer bass riffs as well; I just wish I had enough frets to play it.
The Pot: I remember this song being played as if they played it yesterday. The bass intro messed with my head for ages, but eventually I nutted it out. It's the most complex riff I've learnt on bass so far. I would easily have spent a month trying to learn this song. See what I saw here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKn_Mr8JKCU). Damn awesome song. It's one of my fav songs from the album.
Lipan Conjuring: I think this song has more significance to the band than it does for me. Tool put these weird songs in their albums all the time, but I can't understand this one. Maybe someone here knows something about it that I don't.
Lost Keys (Blame Hofmann): Theres a guy on YouTube who works out and plays Tool songs. He is so proficient at it, the band have actually linked to his site from the official Tool website. He figured out how to play this song, and the method is awesome. Watch it here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQnId2w2aLQ).
I like this song because the voiceover is of an Aussie doctor. He reminds me of Chase from House, M.D. This song flows into...
Rosetta Stoned: No subtlety has been spared in this song. It is a story about a persons experience on acid. The lyrics (http://www.metrolyrics.com/lyrics/2147430442/Tool/Rosetta_Stoned) are awesome :D
**** me
It's gotta be
the Deadhead Chemistry
The blotter got (right) on top of me
Got me seein' E-mother*******-T!
I don't think there is any real meaning behind this song, other than the amazing trip this person had. The music behind it is pretty awesome, with parts of 5/4 and 4/4 alternating to add to the tripped out effect. Awesome song, best (meaningless) lyrics ever :D
Intension: This song has an awesome, spacey guitar riff in it at about 3:52. It doesn't sound too complex, but it takes a little while to get your head around it. The bass, however, is too good even for the likes of Brad (the guy on YouTube). To his credit, it does sound like the bass is overdubbed. It leads straight into...
Right In Two: the guitar and the bass sound brilliant together in the intro to this song. They know how to play together. If I had the effects needed, I would have a good stab at this song.
Lyrics (http://www.metrolyrics.com/lyrics/2147430444/Tool/Right_In_Two), as usual, are brilliant. They seem to be about the stupidity of human behaviour over the millennia.
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.
damn, I wish I had a slice of Justin's talent.
Viginti Tres: The first time I really listened to this song was with my new in-ear headphones, at night, and half asleep. By the end of the song, I felt like I was moving around so much I nearly fell off my bed. It's a weird song, but somehow fitting to the album. A great finish to a great album.
Summing up:
Tool continued to experiment with effects, techniques, timing and themes in this album. It's different to their previous works of art such as Lateralus and Aenema, but its good. I like the direction they have taken, and I wait eagerly for their next release or tour of Melbourne.
10,000 Days - 4.5/5
