Tool - 10,000 Days
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Free Music Notes for 10,000 Days
Free Music Review: an experience all its own
Hit: 5 Stars
admittedly if i had reviewed this the first few days i got the album, i would've torched it. I guess thats how it works with bands who try something new. Honestly I don't think this reaches the height of Tool's music - Aenima/Lateralus - but it is a very good album nonetheless; Tool has become a much more progressive rock-sounding band with this release.
Tracks- "vicarious" is probably the best song on the album. It's intro sounds very much like the stuff off of lateralus, but it soon falls into the distortive riffs we expect from these guys. MJK's voice has changed with age, it seems, as this track has him singing with a breathier, raspier sound. Later in the album it becomes more recognizable. Danny/Adam/Maynard do a great job of syncing their works together as they normally do, especially on this track, all with Justin's bass in the background. 10/10
"Jambi" is another one of the good tracks, and I thought it was interesting how they could make such a good sounding track using mostly open strings for the guitar. Pay close attention, its cool how Adam uses different rhythms to disguise the simplicity of the guitar. 9/10
"Wings for Marie"- alot of people like this one, but I find it somewhat disjointed when it randomly shifts to a single riff that sounds completely different from the mellow, enlightened tones the song puts forth 6/10
"10,000 Days" is one of my favorite songs. I think many people dont appreciate how much of himself MJK put into this album, its a beautiful song lyrically, and the 11 minutes doesnt seem drawn out. 9/10
"The Pot"- another good song on the album, really revealing that MJK still has an elegant, yet powerful command of his vocals (he opens the song with a high pitched voice resembling the stuff of Mars Volta). Nothing lacking here in guitar bass or drums, tho Danny isn't as prevalent as he is in Vicarious.
9/10
"Lipan Conjuring" Nothing to say here, its filler, but i think it sounds cool.
"Lost Keys"- another "filler" track, but it does segue into Rosetta Stoned so unlike Lipan it does seem to serve a purpose. Basically some guy shows up at a hospital, and somethings happened to him, the doctor asks whats wrong, and in Rosetta he explains the situation.
"Rosetta Stoned" - I think this is 10,000 Days "third eye", but I do not think it is as good. The lyrics are rather simple, but that could be because of who the speaker of the words is supposed to be, a witness to an ET sighting, so i guess its understandable, being so rattled, that he doesnt use the best most elegant language. Overall though i think this song drags on and i didnt get the same feel as i did with 10,000 days, or prior releases Reflection, or Third Eye. THis song probly should've ended after the words "But I forgot my pen......" to "typical", but im no one to tell them how to do this.
6/10
"Intension"- very few words, and softly sung, so this definitely has a lateralus feel to it. ultimately i dont listen to this track very often, its not worth it.
5/10
"Right in Two" very good song, the ending is probably the best part, which sort of closes off the album. its a shame they had to put in the next track, all filler, which sort of interrupts the closure you get from this song. 9/10
"Viginti Tres"- filler, see above
Ultimately this album is definitely worth the buy, it definitely recalls to a Lateralus sound. I think its a shame Aenima and Undertow's anger and sheer power in the guitar and vocals is somewhat lacking, but the band has definitely shown an ability to grow. 10,000 Days is not like any other Tool album. Give it a few listens to sink in.
Free Music Review: Amazing music, but with a warning
Hit: 5 Stars
The album is amazing. Like all good progressive music, it takes a few listens to get all the songs.
1 Vicarious - Amazing song about violence, generally considered the star of the CD. Vicarious has some of the best guitar work you'll ever hear.
5/5
2 Jambi - Starts off with a great riff. Near the middle there is a breath taking guitar solo. Great bass 5/5
3 Wings for Marie (Part 1) - This is the intro for "10,000 Days". It is a lot slower than the first two songs. The beginning makes me think of Pink Floyd, for some reason. Over 11 minutes long. 4/5
4 10,000 Days (Part 2) - The song starts off slowly. This is one of Tool's most thoughtful songs. It is about Maynard's mother. 10/10 (This song takes a few listens)
5 The pot - Starts off with Maynard showing off his singing skills. The song is overall weaker than the other songs on the album, but has a hook to it that makes up for lack of technicality. Nice guitar solo. 4.8/5
6 Lipan Conjuring - This is an interlude. I am not sure of it's meaning or purpose. It sounds like some kind of native ritual. I would give this a 3.5/5 but I am a fan of interludes and their artsy stuff... You might not like it.
7 Lost Keys (Blame Hoffman) - This song is the intro to "Rosetta Stoned". It is mostly art not so much music until the end of the song. During the last minute or so, you hear voices talking about how "the patient won't talk". 4.5/5
8 Rosetta Stoned - This song starts off hard and heavy. The vocals are rapidly telling the story in first person, of a man who was abducted by aliens. I believe this is actually a story about a man who was "Stoned". This is possibly the best drumming on the album. Also the heaviest song on the album. This song is over 11 minutes. 5/5
(This song has excessive swearing, so watch out) (If you care)
9 Intension - This one is very artsy. The first time I heard it, I didn't like it at all. It grows on you a lot. Don't give up on it. 4.5/5
10 Right in Two - Nothing weird about this one. Great bass, and guitar. Also this is some impressive drumming. 5/5
11 Viginti Tres - Very weird song. The first time I heard it I had to look up the writing credits because I thought I heard a little Trent Reznor on this. (Nine inch Nails). This song is quite artsy. It is like "(-) Ions" from Aenima. There is some vocals near the end, but you can't really tell what he is saying, and I'm pretty sure it isn't in English or German. 4.5/5
The album is great. The only thing that is lesser about it is the interlude "Lipan Conjuring", I didn't find it as strong as the interludes on "Lateralus" or "Aenima".
Like all of the Tool albums, this will take a few listens to get used to.
4.9/5
Ok now for the warning.
The packaging is amazing. It comes with little stereoscopic eyeglasses, they are attached to the artwork. When you set the album on the table, and look through the glasses, while turning the pages of the booklet it comes to life.
The glasses on mine had a little extra glue on them... When attempting to get the CD out of the little paper thing it is held in (I know.. I hate those too) the glasses went down onto the artwork. I then pulled them up, so I could get to the CD, the glue stuck on the back of the booklet and ripped a tiny piece of it up. It is hardly noticeable, but be careful.
Also because of the paper packaging (for the CD) it is really easy to scratch. So after you get it out CAREFULLY, put it in an empty CD case, do NOT put it back in the "10,000 Days" CD slot.
Free Music Review: Unconditional One
Hit: 5 Stars
My cousin once described the boys in Tool as being "off in their own little world." And while this can be seen in any of their albums, it is never more true than in 10,000 Days.
The album starts off strong with "Vicarious" as the band shows its metal side. It features the syncopated (off-beat) rhythm Tool is known for and gives you something you can rock you head to.
The next song is my least favorite on the album. I still like it, but ever album seams to need to have at least one song I just don't care for. The rhythm moves a little too fast for me, and the syncopation is just a bit more than I can take. Still, it is one of only two or three Tool songs I've heard played on the radio and my brother maintains that it's their best so- to each his own I guess.
The next two are part one and two of "Wings for Marie" and together they clock in at 17:25 making them easily the longest song on any Tool album. At first I didn't really like these two, but they grew on me. Part 1, "Wings for Marie", starts with about a minute of a quiet, building guitar riff. The bass (possibly a keyboard) comes in with the low tones that drive the rest of the two parts. As with most of Tool's work, the depth and open-endedness of the lyrics is pinnacle of this song and all the others for that matter: "Feigning all the trials and the Tribulations, none of us have actually been there. Not like you." I'll admit, the songs on 10,000 days are a little easier to interpret then on Lateralus, but that in no way diminishes their beauty and intelligence.
Now we're on "The Pot." Maybe it's a drug reference, maybe a reference to the old saying "The pot calling the kettle black." Having heard it a couple dozen times, I can tell you, it's probably both. Interesting delay on the vocals which are almost unnoticeable without listening carefully through headphones. Great lyrics once again: "Liar, Lawyer, Mirror, Foyer. What's the difference."
One of Tools' trademark "filler" songs, Lipan Conjuring is actually quite enjoyable to listen to. This is one of those songs I still have no idea what the meaning is... or if there is a meaning at all...
The next pair is of "the conversation song", Lost Keys (Blame Hofmann), and Rosetta Stoned. Easily the funniest song title on the album, whether that's good or bad I don't know, but despite the humorous lyrics: "a slow-mo matrix descent," I interpret this song as being a very serious message about the influence of media on our culture, like "Vicarious." Or possibly, the message is people who do drugs are funny, I'm not sure once again.
As the album winds down, the somewhat conjoined songs "Intention", "Right in Two", and "Viginti Tres" finish off another of Tools' masterpieces. Much more mellow than the other songs, these seam to feature a progression of humanity from the beginning on time (whenever that is). A unique guitar riff and industrial drums coupled with a Tabla-like instrument (Indian Drums) make this my favorite of the three. And, despite being mostly ambient, Viginti Tres has a lot of creative value to it.
Last of all, I would like to mention the album art. Tool, in keeping with its tradition of having amazing and unique packaging for their albums, included a built-in stereopticon. This is an instrument from the mid 1800s that makes a 3-D images from two, slightly different images. The pictures included are pretty weird, like the rest of Tool's art, but it is fun to look at and completely unique.
If you are a Tool fan, or not, "10,000 Days" is a must-have. Even if you just get it to look at the packaging.
Free Music Review: Tool Hits the Wall and Smashes It
Hit: 5 Stars
Tool sound here as if they did what any artist's got to: go as far as one can and then try to extrapolate. I believe they swung it. When CDs first appeared I wasn't too happy with how the idea of the 'album' had changed since I started buying music. How the hell is a composer supposed to fill all that damn space? Suddenly filler is a tantalizing concept. Not so hot if you value the way an 'album' flows from song to song. In the 1950s Elvis Presley could get away with 10 minutes on the side of an LP. When the LP died an 'album' was considered to be about 45 minutes. Now a band's got to come up with 70 minutes of music to fill a CD, in the case of this one 75. No wonder it took the guys 5 years to get this CD on the market.
Was worth the wait though, in my humble opinion. No filler here, I even get a kick out of 'Viginti Tres'' slow voices and muddied synth. Tool take a hell of a chance on '10,000 Days': they expand their vocabulary, they toy with tempos, dynamics and structures a lot more than on 'Lateralus,' and they barely crook a finger at the listener while walking away, never really bothering to look back and see if we're following. You gotta like that. Geez, they think we have brains and we can use them. 'Aenima' and 'Lateralus' took over the listening room; '10,000 Days' prefers to mesmerize, dragging you into the speakers. Subtle and hammering by turns, the 'Wings' suite, for example, builds from a whisper to a scream again and again. Adam Jones' flamenco electric guitar figure is a joy, Maynard James Keenan's voice thrums in a net of bass and cymbals. No, it won't make your dorm mate bring you up on charges with the residence moderator (not until later in the song, anyway), but it's what can be done with the form in the hands of a master. Danny Carey's cymbal work could be a jazz drummer's, as melodic as some keyboard players are, and the slow boil of 'Part 2' is nicely underlined by rainstorm sound effects. Made me flash on the Doors' "Riders on the Storm"... what is it with L.A. bands doing tunes with rain in them? Because it almost never does, over there? But Keenan has other things on his mind, doing a 'Prodigal Son' thing ("My time now! Give me mine! Give me mine!"). Very effective. Another reviewer name-checked President Junior (among other dubious personalities) while listening to this one... thanks, my man, gave me a big laugh. Seeing what's going on in the Middle East lately, I need one. "Vicarious" sports a trademark Tool bass riff, Justin Chancellor doing a near 'rhythm guitar' motif that's similar to what I used to hear from Peter Hook in Joy Division. This melody is so damn good, I almost forget to listen to the words (the nice thing about televisions is, they all come with 'off' switches... yeah, why CAN'T we just admit it?). 'Right In Two,' by turns murderously taut and jouncing with odd percussives, recalls the opening scene of Stanley Kubrick's '2001' ('Monkey killing monkey killing monkey,' and so forth; 'my bad' if I didn't hear that right); kicks ass. Doesn't even bother me that it and the even more lunatic "Rosetta Stoned" do ricochet a little bit off 'Third Eye.' The only tune I'm not too fond of here, and this is just me, is "Jambi"; I don't know, I get the feeling that the productions's a little off, or maybe the guitar needed to be louder. But then, over the years I've worn out 4 copies of 'Black Sabbath Volume 4': maybe I'm finally going deaf.
Well, I'm glad my ears still sort of work. Try this. You will too. And yes, I agree with a lot of the other listeners here: it might even be a cure for ADD.
Free Music Review: Give me my wings !!
Hit: 5 Stars
This is a terrific album and worth the wait for all Tool fans and a must listen for anyone looking to get into some terrific music. As some reviewers have noted before me, this is an album that needs to be savored in its entirety for a complete experience. I stress the word experience because 10KD is a mindblowing audio trip. Initially I wasnt blown away, not disappointed but the songs sounded like "Tool" (if you know what I mean) but a
couple of listens in, I was completely hooked. The sounds kept reverberating through my head. Tool has scaled new heights with this album.
First the etymology:
Maynard explains that his mother Judith Marie Garrison (November 22, 1943 - June 18, 2003) suffered a stroke that left her partially paralyzed and wheelchair-bound. The length of time between her paralysis and her death was 27 years, or approximately 10,000 days.
Track listing and times:
1. Vicarious - 7:08
2. Jambi - pronounced "jam bye" - 7:30
3. Wings For Marie (Pt 1) - 6:13
4. 10,000 Days (Wings Pt 2) - 11:15
5. The Pot - 6:24
6. Lipan Conjuring - 1:13 (*)
7. Lost Keys (Blame Hofmann) - 3:48 (*)
8. Rosetta Stoned - 11:13
9. Intension - 7:23
10. Right In Two - 8:57
11. Viginti Tres - 5:02 (*)
* - soundscapes.
As noted, all the songs are well over 6 minutes !! A terrific prospect for any prog metal lover and Tool more than delivers. The longest songs "Rosetta Stoned" and "Wings for Marie" are easily amongst the strongest tracks in the album.
Its a showcase not only of MJK's fabolous voice (he indulges in interesting vocal effects on songs such as Rosetta stoned) but also the rest of the band's awesome musical talents. Danny Carey has really outdone himself and in addition to his (usual) fabolous drumming, he seems to take advantage of interesting percussion sounds such as the tabla that shows up in some songs. Adam Jones and Justin Chancellor provide great support with signature Tool chords and rhythms.
Lyrically, the band continues some of the dark themes, satire and use of metaphors to convey their own version of social and lyrical commentary. Imagery in "Right in two" - "silly monkeys give them thumbs they make a club and beat their brother down" seems very Roger waters-ish in its darkness and cynicism. They also dont miss a shot at the "law" with lines like "Who are you to wave your finger?" and make no secret of which side they're on with "Ganja please" at the end of "The Pot".
I must add that this album amply substitutes for the need for any synthetic mood enhancers.
All Tool fans have by now gotten used to the soundscapes that seem to be segues for songs.
My ONLY grouse with the album are these pieces . Lipan (an Apache tribe) Conjuring is a Native American chant that kind of disrupts the flow of the songs. I cant seem to get into Viginti Tres (which luckily for me is at the end of the album)
I actually like "Lost Keys (Blame Hofmann)" which has a rather eerie soundtrack of a nurse talking to a doctor.
In some places, the chords sound remarkably similar to earlier Tool songs and I found myself almost breaking out into the other song. But thats cool since those songs were terrific too !!!
Finally a word about the CD itself. Fans of Tool have always loved its artwork and this album is no different. The album art is pretty cool and seems to further explore the themes seen in Lateralus (not surprisingly the artist is Alex Grey)
I salivate at the prospect of seeing them live this tour.