Tool - 10,000 Days
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Free Music Notes for 10,000 Days
Free Music Review: It took me 25 listens, but I'm finally there!
Hit: 5 Stars
Like many others, I was definitely disappointed on my first couple of listens. It seemed disjointed, awkwardly and randomly developed, and lacking in compelling pay-off climaxes. But then again, I initially felt this way about all previous Tool songs not named "Sober." On repeated listens, when I became more familiar with where they were headed in each song, I then became able to appreciate the subtle movements that develop along the way. Now, the entire album has come together for me and I am both thrilled and relieved (it would have killed me if Tool came out with a dud).
"Vicarious" is a very catchy song with a cool guitar riff and is infused with a bright energy (as opposed to being moody and dark). "Jambi" starts with a machine gun guitar attack but then Maynard goes through several nice melodies, and then in the middle, there is a breakout rhythm jam session by the drums and bass guitar. The "Wings" suite is extremely moody and solemn with brief, loud climaxes. The barely connected interaction between the low, elegiac singing and the elegant guitar progression which finishes each part is particularly interesting. "The Pot" has surprising high-pitched jazzy (or is it Eastern-style?) vocals which blend precisely into an otherwise straight-up hard-rocking song. Though annoying at first, this is really a welcome addition to Maynard's singing repertoire. "Lipan Conjuring" is a quick, soft segue. "Lost Keys" has a bright guitar progression and includes a conversation between a doctor and nurse, which then leads into "Rosetta Stoned." This one was the hardest to swallow at first. I realized after a while, that much of the song is taken from pieces of "Third Eye"--they both have repetitive industrial noise/yelling, they have some of the same guitar riffs, and both have sweet melodies hidden within. After realizing this, this 11 minute song has become very nice to listen to. "Intension" is a beautiful, almost-acoustic guitar piece with an almost Lane Staley-like chanting by Maynard. This segues into "Right in Two," a bright, melodious song with sweet guitar picking, a loud instrumental break in the middle, and then a modest but fulfilling climax at the end.
Musically, as described repeatedly above, this album is brighter and more melodious than any previous Tool album. It's like if you took a lot of Lateralus's structures, added snippets of Aenima, and then combined them with the brighter and catchy sounds of the first two APC albums, then you'd have "10,000 Days." The progression here, then, is not to become more experimental (as Aenima did by fusing the epic metal format with jazz, industrial, and Eastern music; and Lateralus did by establishing cold, hard, "logic-based" song structures and complex time-signatures and time-signature changes, along with tribal-influenced drumming), but instead to infuse APC's brighter and catchier sounds into what Tool has already accomplished. Some may be disappointed with this development, but it has been a breath of fresh air to me. Unlike any of their previous albums, which I can only fully enjoy when it is nighttime and I am feeling really moody, I can actually enjoy this album during daylight hours while driving around or at work or running errands.
Lyrically, Maynard has again moved forward. Undertow was mostly about venting frustration and angst due to the difficult circumstances the "speaker" had been facing while growing up. Aenima was about the "speaker's" delving into an understanding of the psychology underlying all his pain and anger. Lateralus dealt with more abstract philosophies on how to live better and appreciate life more. Finally, 10,000 Days is about trying to grasp and come to terms with the immense implications of being surrounded by long-suffering and, finally, death. With each album, the "speaker" has explored, discovered, and matured, and the subject matter and the tone of the lyrics is a reflection of this maturation process. These albums are like a documentation of 16 years of a man's observations, introspection, and conclusions.
The biggest flaws in this album for me are that too many previous Tool ideas have been identically repeated throughout this album, some guitar solos are a little too uninspiring (though I loved the solo in "Jambi"), and some of the songs ("Jambi" and "Rosetta Stoned") could have ended better or more interestingly. But when you are in the business of making only epic-length songs, these problems are bound to happen. Otherwise, the new material is brilliant and fresh.
Finally, I believe that the greatest thing about Tool is their ability to create complete and thoroughly thought-out albums, each of which immerses the listener inside an exhilarating and heart-wrenching world, and then to evolve and mature compellingly with each album. 10,000 Days, then, is an appropriate next step and is executed brilliantly.
Free Music Review: This album was worth the wait, as Tool always is
Hit: 5 Stars
I am going to go out on a limb here and admit that I consider Lateralus to be Tool's worst album (although Tool's worst album is still one of the best ways you can spend $12). In a way I grew up with Tool... Undertow was the third CD I ever purchased way back in 1993 (after In Utero and Core), and only rarely left my Discman for both of my years in Junior High. I consider it one of the best albums ever made - throbbing, grinding, living music, almost frightening in its perfect musical precision, Tool is the rare combination of an absolutely amazing vocalist with fantastic lyrics and a band with more musical talent in their pinkie fingers than everything you hear on the radio added together.
I felt (and still feel) that after Undertow and the equally strong Aenima that Lateralus was a let-down. I understand it is more of a slow burn or a prog-type soundscape, and people respect it for that, but I guess I missed the direct blast to the cranium and primal drive that those first two full-length albums possessed.
That brings us (finally, 13 years later) to Tool's fourth album. On this one, Tool works to strike a balance between all of their work... and does so quite well. I am having difficultly removing 10,000 days from my cd player, or finding the strength to scroll my Ipod anywhere else. You can tell from the first song that this will be a classic. Vicarious is probably the best track on the album, exploding like the Tool of old, with sharp lyrics and a slightly more traditional song structure, while still holding onto Tool's newfound sense of exploration and song length. Its one of their greatest tracks. Jambi is a strong track as well, after which the band slows it down with Wings for Marie, which serves as an intro for the already long 10,000 days. This track sums up what I like about this album, and is a better example of Tool's recent prog leanings. Clocking in at over 11 minutes, this song is essentially three tracks in one, and they are all amazing - this one builds and swells to a peak that goes on and on, and then cools off at the end with some provactive lyrics... wow.
After that, the album's second masterpiece, The Pot, slaps you in the face - this song is classic Tool (sort of out of step with the rest of the album, this one just launches into itself, unlike the rest which ebb and flow... but that's ok). After I heard this track the first time, I couldn't contain myself... its like being a kid in a candy store for a Tool fan. I think I listened to it 10 times before I could bring myself to listen to the rest of the cd.
After the Pot, we get two intro/filler type tracks, leading into Rosetta Stoned, which is a decent track, but over 15 minutes of the album are devoted to it when you look at the three tracks together. I consider this the weak point of the album to an extent, although I think Lateralus fans would argue with me on that... again, the track is solid, but to my ears it is slightly plodding and almost just... filler, for a band of Tool's caliber. Intension is a cool track, but another more quiet and reflective piece, it does a good job of setting up Right in Two, but is somewhat weak in and of itself.
Finally, the last real song on the album, Right in Two, is the third masterpiece on this album. This track is another example of what I like about Tool as their sound has evolved, as this song would've had no place on their earlier work, clocking in at almost 9 minutes. The lyrics and religious imagery here are fantastic, questioning human nature and our inherent violent nature, and bookends the album perfectly as a counterpoint to Vicarious.
The first several times I listened to the album as a whole work, I liked it, but still not as much as their first two. That has changed a lot as I continue to listen to this album over and over again. It has three absolutely brilliant tracks, that are 27 minutes long added together, and two more that I really enjoy (Jambi and 10,000 days), meaning that those five AAA-quality tracks are about 45 minutes long. That's what seals the deal for me... even if the other half-hour still hasn't completely blown me away, there is a full-length album's worth of music here that is better than almost anything else you will buy this year, or for the next few years.
People will always argue over Tool, as they seem to be a band people obsess over, either to pointlessly bash, or praise, perhaps excessively at times. Regardless, this cd is absolutely worth a purchase. 14+ years into their career, this band is still putting out music unlike anything else in the market, music that demands repeat listening and rewards it.
Free Music Review: Relax... it is Tool all Grown Up...
Hit: 5 Stars
I have read close to 100 reviews of this album and it pains me to realize how few people get it. I keep reading phrases like "It sounds like" or "compare song "a" to song "b" and you'll see a similarity". What I have seen very little of are people who have listened, I mean really listened, to this album as music and not just as "the New Tool Album".
If I had paid $15 and the album only had Wings for Marie and 10,000 Days on it, I would have been happy. Not since I heard Mozart's Requiem have I wept at a musical composition. I leap ahead... Let's do this as people expect - shall we?
Vicarious - This is a good opener for a Tool album... Lots of force and easily deciphered lyrics that the angry youth types can sink into... Quite simply - it is a song about the TV generation and the way we have lost visceral experience... in a way, it delves into the loss of even our basic ability to start a journey up the Tree of Life because we couldn't even start to experience Malkuth.
Jambi - This is a song of adoration.. for whome, we are not privy to.. that is for Maynard to know and us to wonder.. but does it really matter? At the end of the song he sings the words "silence Leech and save your poison..." Is this the object of adoration responding to worship? Is it the worshiper losing faith? Make your own choice.. the music crunches here.. ignore the words.. just complain about the sound.. or compliment it... heh.
Wings for Marie/10,000 Days - The first time I heard this I had to hear it again.. clearly.. it felt sacred... perfect in music/word/pitch/emotion. Then I listened again.. and again.. louder and louder.. over spreakers... with headphones. I realized that I was crying at some point, but didn't care. This is a Requiem for Judith Marie, Maynard's mother... There is bitterness here.. love... thankfullness. Maynard and company have managed to take us through most of the grieving process in 13 minutes. I was exhausted and needed sleep. When I awoke... I listened again and found myself singing for his mother along with him. How many Men could write this for their mother? Ask Tool...
The Pot - I love this song... yes - it reminds me of the feel of Hooker with a Penis, but I do not compare the two.. It has that attitude.. Love it or leave it.
I am going to lump Lost Keys(Blame Hoffman), Lipan Conjuring, and Viginti Tres into one portion here.. not because they don't merit review, but because they do. They are easy to discount as "filler", but I don't buy it. Each of these short ambient pieces hold some sort of significance to the band... that is why they are here. If they were created by a band like Dead Voices on Air or Coil, they would by lauded as amazing accomplishments of experimental music, but because this is Tool.. we just can't accept that. As far as the comments I have read elsewhere about the "filler" material... if I wanted to use that ideology on this album... everything before and after Wings for Marie/10,000 Days is filler for those two songs. That being said, I would not be suprised to hear Maynard say in an interview - "Yeah, those were just fluff.."
Rosetta Stoned - This piece is a masterstroke... it took several listenings before it really struck home. At first it seems almost like stream of consciousness gibberish... but wait.. listen... There is a story here of other intelligences affecting our protagonist.. Who is it? Who cares! if you can keep up with the chaos that begets order in this song, you won't care because it is like a good acid trip... Sit back with the headphones and clear mind and just enjoy.
Intension - Will as force. Will is force. Will moves us. The music was made for these lyrics.. the lyrics for this music. It can hynotize you if you let it.
Right in Two - I can't explain why I love this one... but I really think it has something to do with Aldous Huxley and Kurt Vonnegut. Huxley wrote a book called Ape and Essence that has portions that I flash back to in hearing this song. Vonnegut wrote a book called Galapagos where the more "evolved" human race of the distant future is a form of aquatic sea life that mocks the "silly big brained humans with poseable thumbs". My God!! Is that where Maynard got the idea!?! Who cares!!!! Just listen and realize that though this song kicks you in the gut, it might just be a little light hearted..
In closing - If this was the last album Tool ever made, we could ask for no more.. everything after this is a gift.
Free Music Review: Surprisingly underappreciated.
Hit: 5 Stars
I was very surprised that the overall opinion on this album was so negative. Because this is, not only the best Tool album (Lateralus is very close, I admit), it is also one of the best albums I've ever heard, hands down - and one of the albums I've heard the most times in my life. So many times I know every passage, every awesome bass chop, every drum fill down to the last detail (well, almost) - and yet I still haven't tired of it! If anything, it keeps getting better.
I suppose I, on an objective level, can see why some of you might feel disappointed - it is a slow-moving, long, dragged-out affair as opposed to especially Undertow and Aenima, but it's also incredibly fresh and instantly intruguing in many cases. At least I was instantly awe-inspired by the guitar intro to "Jambi", the new-found highly political aspect to the lyrics on "Vicarious" (and later I discovered, to most of the album), the godlike basslines of "The Pot" as well as the unusual, awesome, high-pitched vocal perfomance.
These all rank among the very best Tool pieces, along with the melancholic, existential album closer "Right in Two".
The more indigestible, and not as instantly compelling parts would include "Rosetta Stoned" - which can be a little hard to take in at first. And it is the piece on the album that seems most out of place. It sounds like 3 or 4 songs rolled (smashed) into one, alternating between frantic ranting and soft vocals. Sometimes it actually sounds like Tool's style around the first album, sometimes it sounds more like nothing else they've ever recorded. But as with everything here it really grows on you, becoming a neatly-woven mesh of awesome riffs and evil, really evil drumming and bass-playing - ending up utterly enjoyable.
The "Wings for Marie"/"10,000 Days"-"saga" as well, can probably also be justified as being a little "inaccessible". And it certainly is long, and certainly takes some twenty more or less focused listens to fully appreciate, but certainly also is the most rewarding song here. It is so sad and spiritual it really moves me in a way Tool has never done before. It concerns Keenan's mother who was in a wheelchair for, well... 10,000 days eventually passing away, which in itself is heart-breaking; but the beauty lies in the way it's mediated. Epically, so beautifully it slowly builds up and evolves from - both literally and symbolically - rain to thunderstorm; echoing guitars, eerie cymbal/percussion work, the bass serving as the main rhythmic factor until it escalates into something with a more regular chorus-like feeling. Then it breaks apart, rips up and nearly spins out of control, and then is eventually gathered in utter melancholic tranquility. Truly the most epic Tool song ever I'd say - and a soulful, worthy goodbye from Maynard to his mother.
As demonstrated in the previously mentioned two-parter, this is, in comparison with earlier works, very much bassist Justin Chancellor's album. He seems to have really grown into a more prominent musical figure within the band, demonstrating his amazing skill and creativity throughout the album (and he is _just_ as awesome live!), but especially on "Wings"/"10,000 Days" and "The Pot", both of which rank among the best metal-bass performances ever for me.
The only negative statement I can remotely relate to, is the amount of "filler" this album has. "Lipan Conjuring", "Lost Keys", "Intension" (more or less) and "Viginity Tres" all don't sound quite as memorable or "complete" as everything else here.
But the way I have come to look at it, the album consists of the 7 "real" songs, which would actually be adequate to make up the best Tool album on their own because of the sheer quality they possess in terms of songwriting and musical craftmanship and thoroughness - with these shorter pieces serving merely as ambient interludes between them. '10,000 Days' seems like it is very much an album that is intended for listening to from beginning to end - as one coherent experience; and for those who have the time, there is something truly extraordinary in store. An incredibly spiritual, moving, impressive and complex album.
Tool continues to get better with each passing release - at least in my opinion.
Free Music Review: A work of pure genius.
Hit: 5 Stars
Tool is one of the best bands today - standing high above the dull I IV V repetitive progressions and whiny "singers", mindless thrash and talentless garbage that clutter the rock/metal genre. They are a diamond in the ruff. Always testing limits, always making music like no other.
A number of factors add up to make this band almost perfect. For one, they have one of the best rhythm sections of any metal/rock band today - Justin Chancellor on bass and Danny Carey on percussion. These two musicians are outstanding enough on their own, but locking in tight to create not only solid rhythmic structure but also almost melodic sonic texture in the background makes them unstoppable. Listening to The Pot, Jambi, Rosetta Stoned, or Vicarious makes it clear just how advanced these two are. Adam Jones, on guitar, is a perfect blend of metal and ambience, melody and rhythm. His solos, while not the shredding you would expect from a metal band, are emotive and powerful, and his harmonies with Justin are nothing short of brilliant. Maynard James Keenan, the vocalist, has an incredible vocal range, and his enigmatic lyrics and musical arrangements give a fresh, unique sound to their music. Another thing that sets them apart is their use of odd time signatures and phrases, which are often quite complex and give a much looser feel to their songs, as they are not afraid to step outside the bounds of strict 4/4 to get the sound they are going for. The first two songs are mainly in 5/4 and 9/8, respectively, yet they are able to make these odd times feel natural and not forced.
There are several songs on this album that shows their brilliance (I will give commentary on a few that stand out):
-Vicarious: A solid opening piece that carries an important social commentary, with one of the best endings on the album.
-Jambi: Truly incredible, this masterpiece almost entirely takes place in 9/8, and what's more, Danny divides each measure into 3 beats, while Justin and Adam divide them into four and a half - this creates for some MAD plyrhythms and syncopations, yet it all comes together perfectly with all parts doing their thing. Most other bands would end up with a trainwreck - not so here. And the whole arrangement is awe-inspiring, from the bass to the drums to the guitar to the lyrics.
-Wings of Mary (Parts 1 and 2): These two songs have a radically different structure compared to most other songs. Part 1 is slow and emotive, Part 2 continues this and builds and builds in intensity - the musicianship in this one is outstanding. Words can't really do it justice; just lay down on the floor in the dark, put on some headphones, and listen to these two songs for an experience you'll never forget.
-The Pot: While this is one of the only songs that takes place mainly in 4/4, it is nonetheless quite technically impressive. The bassline is pure genius, and Maynard's surreal lyrics make you wonder if the title had anything to do with the song's conception.
-Intension: This isn't a song, but more of a transitional piece and an intro into Rosetta Stoned.
-Rosetta Stoned: Perhaps the most chaotic and diabolical song on the album, this beast goes through several phases, changing time signatures often and switching moods and tones. Brilliantly executed, Justin and Adam have many off-timed counterparts that seem to float away on their own yet are tethered to the essense of the song by Carey's lines. Sounding like a dream at some points, and a nightmare at others, this is one surreal-as-hell piece that makes use of every second of its 10-minute-plus length. The solo section is perhaps the most powerful moment. Once again, no one element stands out here - it all weaves together to complete the mood. The diabolical-sounding bassline in the background (locking in with the drums) accentuates the slow, emotive and distorted guitar melody. As it progresses, the force of Justin's playing increases to match the darkening mood of Adam's playing. A work of genius.
-Right in Two: I'm out of creative words to describe things right now - suffice to say that this song is brilliant as well.
To sum it all up, if you're looking for a change of pace in music, something to get you away from the repetitive themes of many of today's rock bands, this is an ideal buy. If you're new to Tool, this is a great album to start off with, and you will not regret it. Just keep in mind that this is very different from what you normally hear, so don't get put off by its new flavor.