The final Tool installment, which actually came before Lateralus...is an interesting compliation of stuff on this CD/DVD/VHS boxset. The CD only contains 8 tracks...but the songs are mindblowing....the video or DVD gives you some of their music videos, Stinkfist, Sober, Prison Sex, Aenima..and I heard, but cannot confirm that Hush is on the DVD...
Maynard James Keenan - Vocals
Adam Jones - Guitar
Justin Chancellor - Bass
Danny Carey - Drums
(in case anyone's been living under a rock)
Third Eye (live, 14:05)
This song is covered in the Aenima review...and believe me, hearing this song live only makes it better. They open with some spoken word intro, from...Tim Leary I think? I don't remember...this song kicks all sorts of as
s
Part of Me (live, 3:32)
I covered this on my Opiate review. Same basic stuff, they don't really add much to it...maybe they make it a bit longer, and I think, at least for the opening riff, Justin had distortion on. Still a good straight-up-metal track
Push
it (live, 13:56)
This was covered on Aenima no doubt, but I'm going to delve into it a bit here. Why? Out of every Tool song I've ever heard, this is one I can't stand hearing...but this one starts out differently, so I'll go into it. Opens up with Maynard talking about doing stuff differently on that tour..and they wanted to try out some new stuff with the fans...they agreed, of course, so here we go. The guitar in the background is really quite haunting I think...Maynard comes in a few moments later, singing slow, and with warmth...band comes in, slightly, at three minute mark...it's quite reserved though...Danny starts some almost tabla-like playing behind Adam...I think Justin does some playing back there too, not sure....this style of reserved Tool carries on for quite a while actually...it's not loud and raucous, and the drums give it a middle-eastern feel almost...drums pick up about 6:10...band's crescendoing now...ah, now it sounds like a Tool song...bout 7 mins or so..some sort of guitar solo? Doesn't last long, they go back into that reserved style of playing...Danny gets a tabla solo actually...no guitar, no bass, no Maynard...it's very interesting to hear...and it's long too...guitar comes back in at almost 8 mins...about 9 mins, Justin can actually be heard...the tone on the bass reminds me of Schism or something....it's cool...gets loud again at 9:53...guitar solo about a minute later..and we end on a heavy note a two minutes later...(phew)
Message to Harry Manback II (1:14)
This one wasn't as funny, in my opinion, as the one on Aenima...I skip this one all the time for that reason
You Lied (live, 9:47)
This is where I get pissed off at myself...I had written the review for this song, but I come back to find that it's not here...ugh...anyway...This is Tool covering Justin's old band, Peach. And it's a very cool song. Justin has a very nice melody going on...and Adam adds some harmony that gives it an eerie, but calming vibe to it...they break into a heavy, but slow 'verse' section at 1:39, and this will become the basis of the song, in a way...this combined with the cool bass melody that is...Maynard's singing reminds me of an ancient Gregorian chant...can't understand a da
mn bit of what he's saying, but it doesn't bother me...anywho..they repeat the pattern of softer to heavier...Adam gets a solo at 6 minute mark, roughly...and GASP, you can still hear Justin behind it all...this song seems far too easy for Danny...the drumming is solid, as always, but it's not insane...we end on that heavy, slow pulse sort of feel...
Merkaba (9:49)
This one opens up with alot of pickscrapes and weird sampling...drums come in about 1 minute in.....some very odd distortion sounds nearing the 3 minute mark, all over some weird talking behind it all...I *think* the bass comes in at 3:21...I don't know what it is...very odd sample thing starts at 3:47...as I listen to this, it sounds like one very strange, mildly long jam session....I don't really know how to comment on this song any further, as it boggles my mind...
No Quarter (11:12)
Yes, Tool covers Zeppelin. This has easily become one of my favorite Tool songs. I'm going to try to keep this one from being the marathon review that was Push
it..but it might be hard...fade in with guitar...and a melody that becomes the base for the rest of the song....band gets heavier at 1:25 mark, only to drop back to that eerie sort of silence at 2:05...Maynard comes in, some distortion or w/e on his vocals at 2:21...gets partially louder at 3:00...much louder 20 seconds later...back to that silence at 4 minute mark...it's almost like a guitar solo, since Adam's the only one playing..but it's not a *true* solo, I don't think...bass and drums reenter fully at 5:15 or so...Justin has a cool sort of counter-melody thing going...I love it *is biased..* anyway...:D...and they keep going...and going..and going....something that sounds like a sax almost...I think it's Adam...but interesting...Maynard comes back in right before 6:30..another loud, full chorus..I think it's a chorus..at 7:16 or so...Danny adds some nice fills in here and there in this section...GONG...now Danny goes mildly insane...not Grudge or Ticks insane, but he abuses his double bass alot..as if that was news to anyone..while Adam does some odd soloish thing...another chorus at 9:06...Adam gets another little solo thing right before 10 minute mark...Maynard screams, and that soloish riff continues w/ Adam + Justin...just changes the scales a few times, but it still sounds really cool...a long chord...Danny goes ape...this one seems more like Grudge...but without the planning...he just hits shi
t...haha....excellent
L.A.M.C / Maynard's Dick (10:53)
Two songs, rolled into one. Maynard's Dick is the Gaping Lotus of Salival...anyway...I strongly advise everyone to fast-forward through the LAMC part (which stands for Los Angeles Municipal Court). It is roughly a 7 minute nightmare of what is purported to be the actual automated phone thing for the LAMC. No music to it at all, but a very irritating droning noise that sounds like a washing machine has gone haywire, or something...so, fast-forward until 7:10 or so..Opening guitar riff is simple, but sounds cool...band joins in...this sounds like a fun song, if you can imagine Tool doing such a thing. It's not necessarily heavy, but it's got a good vibe going...I'm not really sure what Maynard is saying...so let's consult the source.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Toolshed.down.net
It's all an open center
Opens up and lets the wind lift him away
It doesn't have to feel water
? It's just a place that feels right with him ?
Kinda like the way you're breathing
I kinda like the way you keep looking away
Would you like to glide on
Slide a mile six inches at a time on Maynard's dick
There's a shyness found in reason
Apprehensive influence swallow away
You seem to feel abysmal take it? then you're careful grace for sure?
Kinda like the way you're breathing
Kinda like the way you keep looking away
Would you like to climb on
Climb on my six inches and go down on Maynard's dick
Took you out in the back of the toolshed
Put it right on top of your forehead
Took you out in the back of the toolshed
Now you know what you're fuckin with... Maynard's dick!
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So now you know exactly what Maynard's saying in this ode to his wang...know that this song does pick up a bit in intensity...and Adam has a really bitc
hin solo...this song ends on the weird notes of belching, farting, odd drum hits, and some very unusual bass work. What can I say, this is the song where Tool said "Let's write a song about Maynard's cock..and go nuts with it.." (no pun intended). And they did. Very cool.
Rating: 4.5/5
Yes, the one Tool album I don't give a total 5. Why? The disaster that is LAMC (not Maynard's Dick) and the unrealism that is Merkaba. The two covers were excellent, and they made their own songs a bit better. Add another idiotic phone message and you get Salival. Every Toolophile should own this...it's a marathon listen for only having 8 tracks...but you can easily get lost in the music...which is not a bad thing...let's not forget the videos that come with it...which I won't be reviewing, but I will say are interesting to sit and watch..and then scratch your head and go...WTF, mate?