Tool

[Vordhosbn]

dabblin all the way down

[A_Northern_Soul]

Tool are one of those bands that loads of people rave about, but I just Do. Not. Get.

[turquoise70]

INTERESTING.

I never liked Tool. For a while, I straight out hated them. I felt almost as if I hated every Tool fan everywhere and I hated the phenomenon that is Tool, worldwide. Tool is certainly like BoC in respect to their fanbase raving and frothing at the mouth over them. They don't give newbies much of an entry point, they tend to just press play and say LISTEN TO THIS SHIT. IF YOU DON'T LOVE IT, THEN I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO YOU ARE.

Then I just kinda forgot about Tool for a while.

Long time passed.

And I heard Lateralus on the radio. And I was like HUH. I could rock out to this. Hey, look at me, I AM rocking out to this. This is not bad. Who is this? I know that voice, that's Maynard and this is Tool. Ha! Look at me, I'm rocking out to Tool! Okay, cool!

I still don't care for the Alex Grey fascination (yeah, good art, but not my thing) or the Cult of Maynard (I really don't care too much for him as a person, just not one of those artists I find very interesting) but I have to confess, there are a few Tool songs that I definitely like. It feels good to finally feel that way, I don't like just straight up hating on bands unilaterally.

[Mexicola]

Ha! Embrace your inner teenage rock geekboy! lol

I've kind of moved on from them these days, but around 10/15 years ago I was pretty obsessive.

I think the comparison between them and BOC is an interesting one, not because they have much of anything in common musically, but simply because neither band seems to care much at all for fan interaction yet neither have ever really suffered because of it. Months and years will drift by with almost no announcements at all, and then out pops the next record with little preamble at all.

As to Maynard James Keenan, yeah, he's "interesting" to say the least. I remember one well-known rock photographer being quoted as saying "Part of me wants to hug him, but a bigger part of me wants to punch him in the face" after he spent the entire gig deliberately facing away from the photographer no matter how hard he tried to get his shot.. He seems to take great delight in being difficult - especially when it comes to their live shows. Uncommunicative, aloof, frankly well and truly up his own arse.

Add in a lack of interviews, news, promotional work and all that's really left is the quality of the music which I still love, even if I rarely listen any more. Even then, 4 albums in 17 years isn't exactly prolific output.

And yet..... occasionally show people something wonderful and the deny them it and invariably they want it all the more. Remind you of anyone?

[ryetronics]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmIUxx9O ... dded#at=13

[turquoise70]

Wow! Okay, first, I liked the side of Maynard I saw in the trailer. He's just standing there just... thinking his thoughts. You know the gears are turning in there, but he doesn't feel he has to blurt something stupid out. That is cool.

Also, WOW. Tim and Eric, Maynard, Patton Oswalt... all together in a film? It's like everyone I like is telling me "give this guy half a chance, seriously".

[mechanismj]

Wow! Okay, first, I liked the side of Maynard I saw in the trailer. He's just standing there just... thinking his thoughts. You know the gears are turning in there, but he doesn't feel he has to blurt something stupid out. That is cool.

Also, WOW. Tim and Eric, Maynard, Patton Oswalt... all together in a film? It's like everyone I like is telling me "give this guy half a chance, seriously".

Not to mention Bob Fucking Odenkirk! Yeah, I'll be going to see this. I never had a problem with Maynard. He's definitely his own guy and I respect that.