fraser wrote:I told one of my friends who likes Tool "take away all the image and everything, you realise they sound really like silverchair right?" and he paused and thought about it for a bit.....then said "aw no!".
we both still think tool are good. but they do sound like that band.

What?

I've rarely seen such an outrageous comparison. Isn't there just a slight bit of difference in the percussion department? Not to mention just about everything else?

You krazy kids!

tool is shufistsz
Crap

Adam CR wrote:Absolute cock.

The whole 'complex music' thing is nonsense perpetuated by people who clearly don't know anything about the technical side of music; yes they sometimes play in odd time signatures, but it's consistently clear that this is done in an entirely contrived way rather than because the melodic/harmonic content dictates/demands it.

They sound like a band who count as they play.

Purest COCK.

About Tool I do not care. Too loud and pretentious for my taste, but I do remember some moments of high school stoner bliss listening to Opiate and Undertow.

I would like you, however, to please explain how "melodic/harmonic contents" can "dictates/demands" that they be in an odd time signature? I've been writing music for many years and I have never had a melody or harmony "demand" that it be in any particular time signature. In fact, I've never had music I'm writing dictate or demand anything of me. Suggest perhaps; demand certainly not. Afterall a melody, harmony or combination of both can be arranged in any time signature depending on what kind of rhythmic basis for it one desires. It is an entirely conscious choice. For example, I recently wrote out an arrangement of Gershwin's "Summertime" in 7/8. The song works quite nicely in good 'ol 4/4, but I wanted, because I really enjoy playing in 7/8, to try something different; especially with such a familiar song. So according to you I'm guilty of what - pretentiousness? Utterly ridiculous.

This idea that there is some music in odd time signatures that is "naturally" like that and therefore ok, and other music that is "contrived" to be that way is absurd for it presupposes the naturalness of 4/4, which is most certainly not the case. (If you think for some reason to the contrary, your great musical knowledge could use some much needed injection of the basics of ethnomusicology). When Stravinsky was writing "The Rite of Spring" with its constantly shifting meters, it was a deliberate conscious act to affect a certain sound, not some quasi-mystical inspiration as you seem to suggest.

You say it's "consistently clear" that Tool does it in a contrived way. How so? Again I could care less about Tool themselves, but what basis for such a claim do you have other than your own entirely subjective understanding of the music? Perhaps you could enlighten us as to bands that use odd time signatures in an uncontrived manner...

still dont get it.

once somebody turned it on and i felt embarressed, i cant explain why.

it just really doesnt do it for me.

oh, and this doesnt have to make sense to anybody.

but when i hear people talk about why tool is so great, i'd much rather go listen to the melvins. and i consistantly think they should too.

just a feeeeeeeeelin' i guess.

have seen tool a couple of times. i found that when each song started i was right into it but 5 minutes later id wished theyed stopped about 4 1/2 minutes earlier. a little too self indulgent or something. like a stoner jam. great fun if your in it, or if your stoned. boring as fuck to those who are not.

I worked with this guy. Everytime we were doing our closing duties, he would play Tool (don't know which album, they all sound the same to me).

He asks, "You like Tool?"

"Mehh", I reply.

"You should start listening to them, dude."


I was working the register this one time, this dude (nice guy) and his girl come to my register as they're waiting to be checked out. Off the bat he asks me what type of music I listen to. I reply with the same ol' answer

"You know, it really depends..."

when his girl interrupts and yells...

"You ever listen to TOOL?!"

"I've heard some and.."

interrupts again with...

"You should start listening to them, best band in the fucking world!"

"Cool!" I reply.


Also, I'm in a bowling class. This guy, he is a devoted Tool fan. He tries to explain to me how they use 5/4 signatures at 127 rpm and 3/4 drum beats blah blah blah, I really don't know what he said, for I was trying to knock down the fucking pins. Fast forward a few minutes. Class was over, it was time to head out. As I was walking to my car, he yells at me "HEY! DUDE COMEERE!" I didn't really think anything of it, so I walk over there. He tells me

"Check this shit out..."

He starts blasting the new album meanwhile doing the \nn/ and the I'm-pretending-I-know-how-the-drum-parts-go-so-I'm-going-to-air-drum-them-for-you technique. Again, he tries to explain to me how deep the lyrics are and all this other crap. I tell him that I've tried to listen and have never really found it appealing. He then gives me a blank stare, along with a copy of the new album. I walk to my car, throw it in the back seat, and that was that.


Long story short, I don't like Tool.

Carap

10,000 Days is an abomination, Lateralus was OK, and Maynard's lyrics have been indeed pseudointellectual, pseudo-existential, and highly pretentious post-Aenima. But Aenima, Undertow, and Opiate (part) are gems. One thing I miss about them is their sarcasm, songs like "Hooker With a Penis" and "Die Eier Von Satan" being perfect examples of that. To me it just goes to show you, once you're playing out arenas and have become, in essence, a tool of the music biz, your creative credibility hits a downward trend.

I dig Tool a lot. They don't half attract some weirdos though. So not crap for listening, definitely crap for having a bunch of nutters for fans.

stipendlax wrote:...Long story short, I don't like Tool fans.

Carap

You're welcome.