[QUOTE=President Dead]I just thought he was using the title Brena as a metaphor...I doubt he would directly put his wife into a song...He's to complex for that...[/QUOTE]

My brother told me Brena was his wifes name. Hes usually a good source, he is a member of the Tool fan club, but i cant be sure.

[QUOTE=In Chains 36]The song "H" is about his son?

Never would have guessed that. Like 99% of everyone else, I thought it was about heroin (before Tool said it wasn't). Interesting.[/QUOTE]

With the exception of a very few songs, Aenima's lryics are just too crazy to put my head around. Maynard said in an interview that to most people, the lryics must seem totally insane, and to me they do. He also says most of the interpretations floating around on the net are way off. I've heard Eulogy was about L Ron Hubbard, but I doubt it. To that song seems like one of the few that are easy to comprehend, but then again the rest of that album is non-sensical lol.

Is it nesecery to know what the lyrics of a song is about to love it. I never thought about Tool lyrics before I read so much about it around here. Still Tool is my favorite band if it was just music and Maynard was singing about his trouble with his wife or something.

looking at the lyrics for H., i dont think its about his son being born, but then again i really dont know what its about

I always thought "Parabol" had references to his son.. I read that somewhere. The line "So familiar and overwhelmingly warm"... but I donno

[QUOTE=James Howlett]Is it nesecery to know what the lyrics of a song is about to love it. I never thought about Tool lyrics before I read so much about it around here. Still Tool is my favorite band if it was just music and Maynard was singing about his trouble with his wife or something.[/QUOTE]

I find it necessary because I'd like to know what my favorite band is all about.

It's a shame that you, and everyone else still has no clue...

'All you know about me is what I've sold you,'

Ok, I have the album Lateralus which I like a lot. What album should I get after it?

I would suggest going backwards, getting Aenima, then Undertow, and then their debut EP, Opiate. I wouldn't have gotten Lateralus first, but hey, it was your choice and you liked it.

Aenima, you may even like it more, i know i do :)

[QUOTE=clearvision]It's a shame that you, and everyone else still has no clue...

'All you know about me is what I've sold you,'[/QUOTE]

Oh, clearvision, show me the way! :rolleyes:

Honestly, there is nothing wrong about finding out what the lyrics are about. But don't listen to me, because if you do then you're obviously a fanboy! :thumb:

[QUOTE=BlindWriting]I would suggest going backwards, getting Aenima, then Undertow, and then their debut EP, Opiate. I wouldn't have gotten Lateralus first, but hey, it was your choice and you liked it.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, it depends on what kind of music you like in general. If you like heavier stuff, then start off with Opiate or Undertow. Otherwise, start of Ænima.

[QUOTE=BlindWriting]I would suggest going backwards, getting Aenima, then Undertow, and then their debut EP, Opiate. I wouldn't have gotten Lateralus first, but hey, it was your choice and you liked it.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]Aenima, you may even like it more, i know i do[/QUOTE]
Ok, I'l get Aenima. Thanks for the responces :thumb:

[QUOTE=In Chains 36]Oh, clearvision, show me the way! :rolleyes:

Honestly, there is nothing wrong about finding out what the lyrics are about. But don't listen to me, because if you do then you're obviously a fanboy! :thumb:[/QUOTE]

*clears throat*

I don't really have a clue about what the songs mean, the only people that do are the band, and maybe some close freinds. You can't understand a song just by reading the lyrics. You can make judgements but you can't understand it. All you know about tool and their music is what they have let you know through publicity etc.

Please understand that I am not a fanboy, I completely respect other peoples opinions on stuff. So yeah.

It's fun to speculate about the meanings of songs, but we obviously have no idea of their validity. I still like to find my own personal meaning from them, so I can walk away with a greater message recieved.

Yeah, thats what i meant to say,couldn't find the words...I'm slightly tired.

[QUOTE=clearvision]*clears throat*

I don't really have a clue about what the songs mean, the only people that do are the band, and maybe some close freinds. You can't understand a song just by reading the lyrics. You can make judgements but you can't understand it. All you know about tool and their music is what they have let you know through publicity etc.

Please understand that I am not a fanboy, I completely respect other peoples opinions on stuff. So yeah.[/QUOTE]

Well, we know what a lot of songs are about, because of their clarity. But we also know what other songs mean through, like you say, what they say publicly. But I'll give the benefit of the doubt to Tool and say that they're being truthful. IMO, it would be dishonorable to mislead their fans.

And no, I don't think you're a fanboy. I was using sarcasm because I felt you were insinuating I was fanboy. Meh. Doesn't come over well on the internet I guess. :lol:

try using /sarcasm :lol:

Tool love to mislead fans...rumours maynard is gay, a necrophiliac etc

Yeah, that sh!t is funny. But I'm talking about being disingenuous about the lyrics. I think they should either give their true sentiments of the lyrics or not give them at all.

But hell, I still think H is about heroin or addiction.

Kabir already said that H was NOT about Heroin. So yeah.

:p

[QUOTE=In Chains 36]Yeah, that sh!t is funny. But I'm talking about being disingenuous about the lyrics. I think they should either give their true sentiments of the lyrics or not give them at all.

But hell, I still think H is about heroin or addiction.[/QUOTE]
Here's some writing from that Toolshed FAQ:
[QUOTE]G30. OK, they have a song called "H." What's it stand for?
The working / early title for this song was "Half Empty." The H likely stands for that (or "Half Full"). It may represent the old "half-empty is interchangeable with half-full" notion. Of course, it could also stand for anything else. It's a safe bet that it does not stand for Heroin.
G31. "H." is great, but what's it about?
When introducing this song live in 1996, Maynard touched on the idea of having an angel sitting on one shoulder and a devil sitting on the other. In at least one interpretation, the song is about being very close to someone who is tearing you apart, someone you can't bring yourself to leave, but someone who will destroy you because you can't leave them. It is the price you pay for being close to them; they aren't doing it on purpose: "considerately."[/QUOTE]

second one seems somewhat appropriate...

'I am too connected to you to
Slip away, to fade away.
Days away I still feel you
Touching me, changing me,
And considerately killing me.'

LOL, thanks. But I know. I actually read the FAQ, just commentating that I picture a spike going into a guy's vein when I hear the song. That's all.

[QUOTE=clearvision]second one seems somewhat appropriate...

'I am too connected to you to
Slip away, to fade away.
Days away I still feel you
Touching me, changing me,
And considerately killing me.'[/QUOTE]

Exactly.

Undertow has great lyrics for addiction IMO. I like the on-going metaphor in it.

I love H's lyrics.

"And as the walls come down
and as I look in your eyes
my fear begins to fade
recalling all of the times I
have died and
will die. It's all right.
I don't mind."

That's one of my favorite lyrical sections ever. Especially given the vocal delivery and the instruments going on around it.

[QUOTE=Kage]I love H's lyrics.

"And as the walls come down
and as I look in your eyes
my fear begins to fade
recalling all of the times I
have died and
will die. It's all right.
I don't mind."

That's one of my favorite lyrical sections ever. Especially given the vocal delivery and the instruments going on around it.[/QUOTE]
Thats my favorite part of any song, ever.

From Undertow (my fav lyrics)

"gone under two times.
I've been struck dumb by a voice that
speaks from deep
beneath the cold black water.
It's twice as clear as heaven,
and twice as loud as reason.
It's deep and rich like silt on a riverbed
and just as undisturbing.
the currents mouth below me opens up around me.
suggests and beckons all while swallowing.
It surrounds and drowns and sweeps me away.

But I'm so comfortable...Too comfortable. "

I was just listening to some King Crimson and I was thinking that you can't completely understand Tool unless you explore their influences at least a little bit. I read on Wictionary that they were also influenced by Rush (among others of course). I used to consider Tool a modern version of Rush before I realized that I was a bit off base. Regardless, what do you guys think about the band's peers/influences and how these are reflected in their music?

i dont really know who thier influences were/are, but id like to look into it

i think the best tool lyrics are lateralus anyone with me?

i like the lyrics to THird Eye especially

"shrouding all the ground around me is this holy crow above me
black as holes within a memory, and blue as our new second sun
I stick my hand into its shadow, to pull the pieces from the sand.
I do not recognize the vessel, but the eyes seem so familiar,
like phosphorensic desert buttons singing one familiar song."

like the way he chose to say it

Hey guys i have eben working on the new first post for the past hour...this is all i have :upset: I can't find AJIG's FA anywhere. Or the link for Lateralus' ties with the Quabla (sp?). Search functions being a be0tch too. If you have anything you want to add just post or something...I dnno who is gonna have first post, I would think it would be wise to let SFK take it so if anyone wan't to leave the thread still has control.

[QUOTE]Hey, Welcome to the new Tool thread. Please take a look at this first post before you contribute to the thread, there is alot of useful stuff compiled from pages upon pages of the old thread which can be found here. [url]http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=220438[/url]

FAQ

Please read/search this faq before posting. Most questions are answered here. Thanks to Kabir (the author) and toolshed (the host).
[url]http://toolshed.down.net/faq/faq.html[/url]

Some of the regular questions posted - answered

When is the new album out?

We do not know at this present time, but believe me this will be one of the first places to hear about it. The only information on the album we have is from snippets of interviews with the band, and Blairs articles on Toolband (see useful links)


Which Album should i buy first?

The general COncensus with the order of buying the albums is Aenima-Lateralus-Undertow-Opiate-Salival . Aenima is one of the bands middle albums and shows most angles of the band.

Could you reccomend me some songs to download?

<Will wait and see AJIG's bits from his FA>

Useful links

Toolshed - This cool site has lots of articles, a great forum, lyrics straigth from maynard and the tool videos. Definateley worth checking out!
[url]http://toolshed.down.net[/url]

Toolband - This is the most official tool site out there. It is run by Blair, a friend of the band. There is regular updates with all kind's of tool-related news.
[url]http://www.toolband.com[/url]

Featured artist:Tool - This article, compiled by 'Adam jones is god' outlines tool for new members.
<insert link here> (search wouldn't find it for me)

Live Tool Videos - Various live tool videos here, just search tool and enjoy.
[url]http://www.musictelevisionsucks.net/search.php[/url]

Tool interpretations book - A book compiled by some dude about what he thinks the songs mean. Worth a download + read. PDF format.
[url]http://www.vanillacircus.net/[/url]

Fibbonaci sequence in Lateralus - A document explaining the way the band use the sequence in lateralus, the song.
[url]http://www.bofe.org/overthinking.htm[/url]

Fibonnaci Tracklist in Lateralus - Very cool article on the alternate tracklisting of lateralus, sometimes reffered to as 'the holy grail'.
[url]http://www.angelfire.com/ma4/question/insight7.html[/url][/QUOTE]

Opinions?

[url]http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=258213[/url]

I feel so inadequate :(

Just have a link to the FA in the first post.

But if we did that we may aswell not have another thread...It just saves the same topics of conversation coming back round again and again.

In a thread dedicated specifically to one band there can only be so many topics of conversation anyway.
If you put all of the info from the FA in the first post it would be too long and most people would simply skip it and out ask questions covered by it, and if you leave it out then you're missing some vital info.
It's your call anyway, I'm just trying to help :)

It's not my call it's the threads call. It's not so much stamping out the topics of conversation it's more stopping people just coming along and saying 'have you seen this?' and posting a link that most people have seen. This way we cut out those posts and make sure that everyone can look at the links without wading through a massive thread.
There is loads of stuff that was spoken about in the 50pages that i read tonight. The chemical links to lateralus. The ticks and leeched thing involving one of the bands dad. Enochian magic...was pretty cool sifting through it all again.

Sticking it all in the first post is a great idea, but I think the majority of people will just click on last post, and then post anyway :-/
Same as what happens with the Official recommendations thread. :-/*2

There's not much you can do about it though.

[QUOTE=Maynard's Dick]I was just listening to some King Crimson and I was thinking that you can't completely understand Tool unless you explore their influences at least a little bit. I read on Wictionary that they were also influenced by Rush (among others of course). I used to consider Tool a modern version of Rush before I realized that I was a bit off base. Regardless, what do you guys think about the band's peers/influences and how these are reflected in their music?[/QUOTE]

I think its hard to deny the influence of Rush on Tool, for me personally. I hear more Rush than Crimson in Tool. Songs like Natural Science, Jacob's Ladder, Subdivions and Even Tom Sawyer have pre-Toolisms. Carey plays lots of fills reminiscent of Pert, and at least one 'borrowed' fill from The Patient. i still think of Tool as an evolution of Rush, But maybe because I like Rush more than Crimson, my ears are not very objective.