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TOOL - Help Needed

jack_bass_playerjack_bass_player Posts: 1,126
edited April 2006 in Other Music
Hey, I'm looking to get into Tool. Can anyone recommend any individual tracks or albums that would be a good starting point?

Cheers, Jack.
2006 - Astoria, Dublin, Leeds
2007 - London
2009 - London, Manchester, London
2010 - Dublin, Belfast, London
2011 - Alpine Valley x2
2012 - Isle of Wight, Manchester x2
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    uninnocentuninnocent Posts: 1,565
    songwise, i'd recommend starting with (in order of album):
    jerkoff
    opiate
    part of me
    prison sex
    sober (radio hit for some reason)
    eulogy
    the patient
    the grudge
    disposition
    ticks & leeches
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    Drifting AwayDrifting Away Posts: 270
    buy aenima
    Run to the hills
    run for your life
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    uninnocentuninnocent Posts: 1,565
    Drifting Away wrote:
    buy aenima

    that should go without saying. perfect starting point.
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    danedane Posts: 1,062
    I didn't become a fan untill Lateralus. IMO their best (don't flame me)
    Roskilde 30-06-00
    Berlin 23-09-06
    Copenhagen 26-06-07
    :-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-
    "This is not wine that I'm drinking tonight. This is Gatorade!" EV-Copenhagen 26-06-07
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    InkdaubInkdaub Posts: 235
    They get better with each release so Lateralus is a good favorite. I will suggest the songs "H" from Aenima and "Opiate" from Opiate.
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    facepollutionfacepollution Posts: 6,834
    Yeah I'd go with what everybody else has said, but also check out the song Stinkfist, it's probably their most accessible.
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    molemanmoleman Posts: 8
    I only just got into tool at the end of last year but I now have all their albums and would say that they are now one of my favourite bands. Although I would say I am still becoming familiar with alot of their music I'll suggest a good starting point off each of their albumns

    Sober- Undertow

    The guitar on this track sounds amazing. Pretty mournfull song really but has lots of passion.

    Stinkfist- Aenima

    You probably would have heard it before. Cool little guitar riff and the song just explodes in the chorus. Not one of my favourite tool songs now, but as someone else said its pretty accessable.

    Lateralus- Lateralus

    This goes for over nine minutes but you'll want to listen to it over and over. Its got this great intro that builds up and then the main riff just kicks in. Its a magical moment. The lyrics are really uplifting and there are heaps of cool tempo changes.

    These are all good starting points. Not nessesarily the best songs, but these will be stepping stones to others. Getting into Tool can be a bit of an effort, but its well worth the reward. Also check out the song Opiate, off the EP of the same name, and the live version of Pushit, off Salival.
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    BradassBradass Posts: 88
    As for songs You should try (In this order)

    Stinkfist
    Eulogy
    Sober
    Schism
    Lateralus
    Hooker with a Penis
    Ticks and Leeches

    But you're better off buying Aenima and Lateralus.
    One time I was trying to print a picture of me so I could give it to a friend to cheer him up after he was diagnosed with cancer, but the printer jammed, and my friend died.
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    murph83murph83 Posts: 122
    all the recommendations for tool are great. But I think tool are a band that when you throw the cd in the player you are not instantly like, "holy shit, this is awesome". My reaction at first was kinda mixed. Tool music is music that you have to sit down and listen to the detail and work that goes into their music. I am still picking up on stuff in tool songs i have listened to many, many times. IMO
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    Oh, JimmyOh, Jimmy Posts: 957
    Do this. Buy Aenima and Lateralus. Go home. Load a bowl. Put on some headphones and crank those puppies. Don't forget to plug Aenima in. Turn the lights low or off and use candles. Alright you should be ready. You should really hit the main tracks off of both albums. On Aenima play tracks in this order.

    Stinkfist-a rocker, really accessible yet still Tooly

    Eulogy- badass song, long, but only b/c the 2 minute build. If its annoying at first fastforward to about the 145 mark

    H-just a good tune

    46 & 2-you get an idea of what they drummer is about

    Hooker With a Penis-a big fuck you to people that talk about sellin out all the time

    Aenima- I like this song, but what comes after it is the reward, 3rd Eye ;)

    Pushit- a 10 minute song kinda like black lyrically, starts pretty mellow but just build and builds. Its downright amazing.

    Remove Aenima and replace with Lateralus and just let it play. Highlights

    The Grudge, Eon Blue Apocalypse, The Patient, Schism, Parabol/a, Ticks and Leeches, Lateralus.

    I know I am forgetting something. Ah well. Just go buy their 4 albums and listen to them until their new album comes out. I had a Tool cd for over a year before I even listened b/c I used to be a bit close minded about them.

    Glad I discovered them.
    They have been surprisingly influential on me, as a musician.
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    murph83murph83 Posts: 122
    Oh, Jimmy wrote:
    Do this. Buy Aenima and Lateralus. Go home. Load a bowl. Put on some headphones and crank those puppies. Don't forget to plug Aenima in. Turn the lights low or off and use candles. Alright you should be ready. You should really hit the main tracks off of both albums. On Aenima play tracks in this order.

    Stinkfist-a rocker, really accessible yet still Tooly

    Eulogy- badass song, long, but only b/c the 2 minute build. If its annoying at first fastforward to about the 145 mark

    H-just a good tune

    46 & 2-you get an idea of what they drummer is about

    Hooker With a Penis-a big fuck you to people that talk about sellin out all the time

    Aenima- I like this song, but what comes after it is the reward, 3rd Eye ;)

    Pushit- a 10 minute song kinda like black lyrically, starts pretty mellow but just build and builds. Its downright amazing.

    Remove Aenima and replace with Lateralus and just let it play. Highlights

    The Grudge, Eon Blue Apocalypse, The Patient, Schism, Parabol/a, Ticks and Leeches, Lateralus.

    I know I am forgetting something. Ah well. Just go buy their 4 albums and listen to them until their new album comes out. I had a Tool cd for over a year before I even listened b/c I used to be a bit close minded about them.

    Glad I discovered them.
    They have been surprisingly influential on me, as a musician.


    I'd agree to do what he says. I was the same way, I bought undertow, listened to it once, didn't like it, was in my cd rack for years and I didn't listen to it. After listening to Aenima and Lateralus, i went back to it and I love it. Since there hasn't been much talk of Untertow, here are the highlights in my opinion

    Sober (obviously, it is their most well known track)
    Flood (fast forward to about 4 1/2 minutes in)
    Prison Sex (kick ass song)
    Crawl Away

    the whole cd is awesome, but those are the ones to pay attention to first if you are just starting off on tool.
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    Oh, JimmyOh, Jimmy Posts: 957
    murph83 wrote:
    I'd agree to do what he says. I was the same way, I bought undertow, listened to it once, didn't like it, was in my cd rack for years and I didn't listen to it. After listening to Aenima and Lateralus, i went back to it and I love it. Since there hasn't been much talk of Untertow, here are the highlights in my opinion

    Sober (obviously, it is their most well known track)
    Flood (fast forward to about 4 1/2 minutes in)
    Prison Sex (kick ass song)
    Crawl Away

    the whole cd is awesome, but those are the ones to pay attention to first if you are just starting off on tool.


    Dont forget Bottom. Just hearin Henry Rollins say "naked and fearless" is worth the price of admission
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    Dick JonesDick Jones Posts: 777
    A MUST NEED:

    Pushit [Live] - Salival

    MUST
    Are you too good to tango with the poor poor boys?
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    murph83murph83 Posts: 122
    Dick Jones wrote:
    A MUST NEED:

    Pushit [Live] - Salival

    MUST


    Yes! that is great

    so is the cover of No Quarter (may have already been mentioned)
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    Dick JonesDick Jones Posts: 777
    murph83 wrote:
    Yes! that is great

    so is the cover of No Quarter (may have already been mentioned)

    Fuckin' right!!!!
    Are you too good to tango with the poor poor boys?
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    LBC1076LBC1076 Posts: 224
    Hell, just go get all 4 studio albums and play them every chance you get, even in your sleep. By the time May 2 rolls around you will be so primed for 10,000 Days, that your head could possibly explode.

    Lateralus - Parabol/Parabola, tracks 6 & 7. Turn it up loud, enjoy.
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    harrymanbackharrymanback Posts: 435
    start with opiate ... their first and very straight forward. then move through the catalog.

    OGT
    I don't want to be hostile. I don't want to be dismal. But I don't want to rot in an apathetic existance either.
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    MCGMCG Posts: 780
    Opiate is what did it for me, that song is nutz.
    Which came first,
    the bad idea or me befallen by it?
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    genevievegenevieve Posts: 1,203
    harrymanback wrote:
    start with opiate ... their first and very straight forward. then move through the catalog.

    OGT

    I agree.
    Start at the beginning.
    Listen to each album lots.
    You can see the genius early but with every album they become just a
    bit more polished, just a bit more creative. And every album is more in
    depth into a certain area they are interested in. But you see Maynards
    and the bands growth not only in music and art but also thier growth in
    thier religion.
    And then start buying some A Perfect Circle.
    the person below me smells like cat pee and raisins...
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    MagnusonPark82MagnusonPark82 Posts: 180
    dane wrote:
    I didn't become a fan untill Lateralus. IMO their best (don't flame me)

    I for one would not flame you. That album is flat out amazing.
    _____________________________________________

    "Sitting on a cornflake, waiting for the van to come...."
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    scratched vinylscratched vinyl Posts: 742
    LBC1076 wrote:
    Hell, just go get all 4 studio albums and play them every chance you get, even in your sleep. By the time May 2 rolls around you will be so primed for 10,000 Days, that your head could possibly explode.

    Lateralus - Parabol/Parabola, tracks 6 & 7. Turn it up loud, enjoy.

    I'd agree to this. Except I thought Lateralus was their least good to this point, I'm hoping for something more with 10, 000 days! But their first three are some of the best albums I've ever heard, especially Undertow and Aenima.
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    thunder_ballsthunder_balls Posts: 117
    You should really just try getting all the albums. It depends on your tastes. If you're into more straightforward heaviness look towards the earlier albums (Opiate, Undertow). If you want to probably get the best image of Tool and want to see their more progressive side, get maybe the latter albums (Aenima, Lateralus). But, overall, you will probably end wanting them all. I find almost every Tool song to be good in some way, so it won't be a problem selecting any really. Just go with what people say on here.
    7/10/06
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    El_KabongEl_Kabong Posts: 4,141
    moleman wrote:
    Lateralus- Lateralus

    This goes for over nine minutes but you'll want to listen to it over and over. Its got this great intro that builds up and then the main riff just kicks in. Its a magical moment. The lyrics are really uplifting and there are heaps of cool tempo changes.


    i liked the fibonacci pattern he used in the vocals

    Black | 1
    Then | 1
    White are | 2
    All I See | 3
    In my in*fan*cy | 5
    Red and yell*ow then came to be | 8
    reach*ing out to me | 5
    Lets me see | 3

    There is |2
    So | 1
    Much | 1
    More and | 2
    Beck*ons me | 3
    To look through to these | 5
    In*fin*ite poss*ib*il*it*ies | 8

    As bel*ow, so ab*ove and bey*ond, I im*ag*ine | 13
    Drawn out*side the lines of rea*son | 8
    Push the En*vel*ope | 5
    watch it bend | 3



    you lied off of salvia is pretty good, too
    standin above the crowd
    he had a voice that was strong and loud and
    i swallowed his facade cos i'm so
    eager to identify with
    someone above the crowd
    someone who seemed to feel the same
    someone prepared to lead the way
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    EchoesEchoes Posts: 1,279
    straight up honestly how many people here knew the word fibonacci before reading about it in an article about Tool?
    printf("shiver in eternal darkness\n");
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    El_KabongEl_Kabong Posts: 4,141
    Echoes wrote:
    straight up honestly how many people here knew the word fibonacci before reading about it in an article about Tool?


    i didn't...but i still think it's cool :)
    standin above the crowd
    he had a voice that was strong and loud and
    i swallowed his facade cos i'm so
    eager to identify with
    someone above the crowd
    someone who seemed to feel the same
    someone prepared to lead the way
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    reeferchiefreeferchief Posts: 3,569
    This is the first time I have heard of the word fibonacci! LOL and still I'm none the wiser, enlighten me, please?
    Can not be arsed with life no more.
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    know1know1 Posts: 6,763
    All of Undertow, Aenima and Opiate are incredible. I've not ben a big fan of anything after Aenima.
    The only people we should try to get even with...
    ...are those who've helped us.

    Right 'round the corner could be bigger than ourselves.
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    smartass1235smartass1235 Posts: 136
    know1 wrote:
    All of Undertow, Aenima and Opiate are incredible. I've not ben a big fan of anything after Aenima.

    Agreed! I've been a fan of tool for almost as long as PJ.(92ish). Laterulus is my least favorite. though still good. just doesnt have the kick the albums prior have.
    4-30-03
    7-06-03
    7-11-03
    9-28-04
    9-29-04
    5-13-06
    6-03-06
    6-27-08
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    know1know1 Posts: 6,763
    smartass1235 wrote:
    Agreed! I've been a fan of tool for almost as long as PJ.(92ish). Laterulus is my least favorite. though still good. just doesnt have the kick the albums prior have.

    Aenima seems to have flushed their "edginess" right out of them ;)
    The only people we should try to get even with...
    ...are those who've helped us.

    Right 'round the corner could be bigger than ourselves.
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    DieasGreyDieasGrey Posts: 124
    Lateralus is their best piece of work...actually has depth to it .
    I love them all though but therer growth has been amazing.



    Is the single floating around yet for Vicarious?
    No one is Righteous.......
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