Just dont get the fascination with TOOL

Jeremy1012

because at the end of the day they are one of the two best bands on the planet right now (PJ being the other obviously).

I love Tool with a passion that I can't explain. something just clicked with me and that band. There's only one other person I know who gets them. everyone else just thinks they are ok, or shite.

Explode to No Code

You only need to see Tool once each tour to get the jist of their shows...

You can see PJ 10 times on each tour and get 10 different experiences...

PJ Rules. Tool is OK.

VINNY GOOMBA

RockKing wrote:

Jambi is Tool's 2nd single. I think it will do quite well.

Whoa. Where'd you hear this? That's an interesting choice for a single... I think the obvious choice is THE POT. Anyway, as far as PJ catching 10K Days, I think is impossible, so I agree with you Mr. RocKKing. I think both albums are done selling on any kind of significant scale (10's of thousands in a week). Pearl Jam #8 may go Platinum in the US someday, and 10,000 Days will probably go double platinum someday. I dont' see both of these bands picking up that many new fans, even with good singles. Pearl Jam #8 doesn't have anything with the selling power of a 'Last Kiss' and even if it did, I doubt they'd catch Tool.

As far as the original thread goes, here's some reasons why people are so fascinated with this band:

Maynard's got an awesome voice, and is a complete BUGOUT. Everything from his choice of stage attire, antics during a show, lyrics, acting projects on the side, intervies, -- the guy is odd, but cool. He's got a certain mystery to him.

The Drumming is incredible. Some of their songs are like one big drum fill, but it sounds awesome, not as ridiculous as I make it sound.

The Bass takes almost a lead guitar part in a lot of their songs, in terms of providing atmosphere, (kind of like what Mike McCready does on a song like Nothingman, or even Army Reserve as a different kind of example) and the guitar lays the groundwork like a bass.

Their songs are epic, they have about 10 different parts to them, and sometimes everyone in the band is playing in completely different time signatures and manages to make it work. Listen to a song like 'Third Eye' and at the end when it's just the guitar slamming one D chord, and the bass drum. Even though what they're doing sounds simple, try tapping your foot along with the guitar and see how easy you can stay on time with it. It's like they gotta completely block each other out when they play, yet stay on the same page.

You could take one of their albums and listen to it for 6 months straight, dissect it, and still find something really new and interesting about it, whether it's the lyrics, or some crazy sounds you've never heard before.

The lyrics are nuts. The words Maynard uses are in a lot of cases, really out there, or perverted, or just plain fucked up, or even pretty beautiful, but the song usually isn't about any of the stuff he's saying (literally). They're just really twisted metaphors. You can't tell if they're even being serious about all the things they sing about-- some of it is probably the driest humor you've ever heard. You might think this guy's ripping on Jesus, when he's really singing about Bill Hicks... But still, who knows what the hell he really means.

Awesome videos, awesome live shows, although as a spoiled PJ fan, I'd say dont' see Tool more than 2x a tour (maybe even once). Setlists are pretty repetitive.

It's pretty original stuff. That's the attraction. Check em out if you haven't. Start with Undertow, then Opiate, then Aenima. Aenima's the best. Then you can get into more stuff like Lateralus and 10,000 Days.

Definitely a respectable band at the very least, and I'd say most PJ fans would like TOOL for many of the reasons they like PJ, even though the music is nothing alike.

FallingUp

yeah I can't get into Tool. Their songs sound pretty much the same to me. My brother loves them though. Its better than him listening to 50 Cent or something. I'm all for someone liking a rock band that write and play/sings its own stuff.
Also, record sales are nice because it allows the band to keep making more music and live comfortablely. However, comparing bands by number sold means nothing as far as quality goes. In reality if Britney Spears put out a new album it would probably outsell both (at least until recently), but that definately doesn't mean its a good artistic product.

merlyn

dudes i'm sorry but anyone who thinks tool are shite needs testing for brains. n maynard well what a dude.

UpSideDown

tool does absolutely nothing for me. maynard isnt anything special as a singer IMO, but a good writer.

ten minutes for a song to never take off....doesnt work for me. If i wanna spend ten minutes on a song that will excite me, i throw in some opeth.

patrickredeyes

I'm going to see them for the very first time in two weeks in Madison. Lookng forward to it.

Lukin05

RockKing wrote:

Somebody please step in and back me up here.

Week 1:

1. Tool ~700,000 total
2. Pearl Jam ~300,000 total
Gap=~400,000 total

Week 2:

3. Tool ~903,000 total
8. Pearl Jam ~390,000 total
Gap=~513,000 total

Week 3:

3. Tool ~1,010,730 total
10. Pearl Jam ~443,489 total
Gap=~567,241 total


How exactly, is that catching up to Tool? Is this really so hard to comprehend??? You can say that the rate at which Tool is outselling Pearl Jam is slowing down, and that is true. But that is not the same as catching up. In order to be catching up, Pearl Jam would have to be outselling Tool, which they haven't come close to doing in any week yet.

I understand your frustation. I think this guy is trying to hard to believe Pearl Jam is doing better than any other band, and he's really bad in math and statistics.

Pearl Jam is far away better band for me, every tune is different, I herd this last tool song on the radio and is the same as "pieces fit" or whatever it's name is. The song is good though it is just too similar from their former hit and that's one reason for me to loose a little respect for them.

pjhunz28

i saw Tool at Ozzfest in 1998 and they were excellent. I saw them again (alone) a few years later and i was totally disappointed! I will never pay to see them again. I thought (as fans) we deserved enough respect for him to be facing us! I was really into them until that show.

righteousbabe

Just saw Tool in Calgary. It was pretty awesome. One of my favourite bands. Pearl Jam are better though.

TheGossman

seen Tool live and it ranks up there with the worst live shows I've ever seen, while they sounded amazing, they were so boring to watch, Tool may outsell PJ is record sales, but I know they couldn't outsell PJ in tickets.

shaunmcm

i discovered tool when they released 10k days same day as new pj. both cds were displayed next to each other so i grabbed tool kind of as an impulse buy. i wanted to check them out since maynard showed up for the first alice in chains reunion show and was pretty impressed with him. i was exposed to them when undertow came out but was far too into the seattle scene to really get into them. after listening to 10k days i was hooked. i snapped up their other albums and saw em front row at the gorge. they are a fantastic band. they have a very unique sound that really defies any specific genre. you could categorize them as "smart metal", "metal jazz", "acid metal" or just brilliant. they have a heavy sound that never comes across as heavy because of a wide range of musical influences. guitar is a sludged metallica sound with lyrical structures that remind of old rush infused with a bit of punk and far eastern drum sounds. the percussion and bass playing is brilliant and the guitar playing not far behind. maynards stage presence is amazing and hes a very unique front man. i would see them again in a second.

tool isnt for everyone and theres really no comparison to pj except they both are at the top of my playlist and live show experiences. they're both right there with radiohead. ive seen pj live 12 or so times and tool only once. id go out of my way to see both but would much prefer to see tool again.

TheGossman

shaunmcm wrote:

i discovered tool when they released 10k days same day as new pj. both cds were displayed next to each other so i grabbed tool kind of as an impulse buy. i wanted to check them out since maynard showed up for the first alice in chains reunion show and was pretty impressed with him. i was exposed to them when undertow came out but was far too into the seattle scene to really get into them. after listening to 10k days i was hooked. i snapped up their other albums and saw em front row at the gorge. they are a fantastic band. they have a very unique sound that really defies any specific genre. you could categorize them as "smart metal", "metal jazz", "acid metal" or just brilliant. they have a heavy sound that never comes across as heavy because of a wide range of musical influences. guitar is a sludged metallica sound with lyrical structures that remind of old rush infused with a bit of punk and far eastern drum sounds. the percussion and bass playing is brilliant and the guitar playing not far behind. maynards stage presence is amazing and hes a very unique front man. i would see them again in a second.

tool isnt for everyone and theres really no comparison to pj except they both are at the top of my playlist and live show experiences. they're both right there with radiohead. ive seen pj live 12 or so times and tool only once. id go out of my way to see both but would much prefer to see tool again.

I just dont see what is so great about their live shows, they looked bored out of their minds when I saw them, and like someone said, there isn't much diversity in their music, and me not knowing anything but the hits made the show suck even worse, it was like paying a band to play the same song over and over

Buru

And some people probably don't understand our fascination with Pearl Jam...

it's all a matter of taste

I love Tool, I love Pearl Jam more

shaunmcm

TheGossman wrote:

I just dont see what is so great about their live shows, they looked bored out of their minds when I saw them, and like someone said, there isn't much diversity in their music, and me not knowing anything but the hits made the show suck even worse, it was like paying a band to play the same song over and over

they put on a totally different show than pj. adam jones doesnt engage the crowd like mccready does. maynard hangs out in the back but he's totally into it. hes not front and center like ed so it doesnt seem like hes as into it. danny carey is clearly one of the best drummers out there. i really dont think we can question that. justin ripped on the bass and didnt engage with the crowd until the last few songs. he kind of reminded me of jonny greenwood, he was so into the music and focused that engaging with the crowd would have detracted him from the music. once he was dialed in then he engaged a bit more. i dont know what to tell you. ive been into music and live shows for 30 years and am very particular about what i get into. i listen to just about everything and not many bands register with me like tool, pj and radiohead. granted, tool is a better small venue band and maybe something is lost in the arena shows. pj is more dialed into the arena venues so maybe that explains why pj is more enjoyable to you. i wouldnt give up on tool though. they are really really good.

humanlight

TheGossman wrote:

seen Tool live and it ranks up there with the worst live shows I've ever seen, while they sounded amazing, they were so boring to watch, Tool may outsell PJ is record sales, but I know they couldn't outsell PJ in tickets.

Me too! I was totally into them for a long long time, then I saw them live and I thought: I am not proud to say I am a fan of thiers. So I understand why people enjoy the albums, hell I still do....but I will never never never spend money to see them live. And to me that is what music is all about. So they definately went way down in my book. Very few musicians can sound just as good live as on the record. thank god PJ is one of them...I mean I believe they even sound better live. that is unbelievably rare. You go boys!!!

genevieve

I love Tool.
Just went to see them inconcert a few weekends ago.

But I love Pearl Jam more.

TheGossman

humanlight wrote:

Me too! I was totally into them for a long long time, then I saw them live and I thought: I am not proud to say I am a fan of thiers. So I understand why people enjoy the albums, hell I still do....but I will never never never spend money to see them live. And to me that is what music is all about. So they definately went way down in my book. Very few musicians can sound just as good live as on the record. thank god PJ is one of them...I mean I believe they even sound better live. that is unbelievably rare. You go boys!!!

Tool is also one of those bands, they sound EXACTLY as they do on record were as PJ has jams, and tags, and is better live. Tool is one of those bands I have tried to get into but just never could. Radiohead I am yet to see live but they are right behind PJ to me. PJ evolved more in their first 5 years that Tool has their entire career.

somebodyelsessky2020

tool is decent... but not a legendary band that will stand the test of time and be remembered 30-50 years from now... and still selling their music...pearl jam on the other hand for sure no doubt in my mind will be.... and will outsell rhcp, tool and many others big time by then.

humanlight

TheGossman wrote:

Tool is also one of those bands, they sound EXACTLY as they do on record were as PJ has jams, and tags, and is better live. Tool is one of those bands I have tried to get into but just never could. Radiohead I am yet to see live but they are right behind PJ to me. PJ evolved more in their first 5 years that Tool has their entire career.

Yep, and if I want to hear something exactly like the CD, then I will save my money and listen to the CD. Tool was honestly rude to us. they came to WV and I know they probably had more facinating places they could be, but we are always very thankful when someone comes to our state b/c we honestly don't get much. So the place was packed, and there was never a "thanks for coming" a "hello" or even "goodbye." It was like watching wax people on the stage. maynard never even turned forward the entire concert!! Major turn off for me. At least acknowledge that college students just spend thier last penny to see you and may not be eating until thier next paycheck. Damn!