When Tool Was Great

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LPMojoGL

LPMojoGL

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Saw this live back in the day. Was killer


He was wearing this

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Definitely bummed I didn’t catch them back then. I had my head up Dream Theater’s ass when Undertow an Aenima came out, if there wasn’t 32nd notes and sweep picking, I didn’t give a fuck. I finally came around on the Lateralus album with that specific song, the middle section still is one of the coolest fucking moments of recorded music with all of them making this giant polyrhythm and it’s actually a catchy piece of music.

Caught them on that tour and it seems like it was the last tour Maynard wasn’t phoning in his performances. Saw them a few more times after that and nothing has been as awesome as that ’01 show with Meshuggah opening. I didn’t ‘get’ Tool until I saw them live, then it all made sense. That music needs to be played loud as fuck; those dudes write in the room and play to the dynamics, shit that doesn’t get caught on a recording the same way it does live.

I’ll still go see them whenever I have the chance, I’ll be seeing them at Rockville in a few months, but it’s more for the visuals/Danny Carey than anything else at this point.
 
Saw them long time ago at an Ozzfest (98?) and they were killer. Wish they had a producer would could reign in their songs these days. They are great musicians and still got the riffs and chops. The stuff just needs someone to distill and focus it.
 
Went to see them about a year ago. Audio was garbage. Absolutely garbage. $500 for 75 minutes of ear piercing garbage. If I didn't know any better I would say that it was the sound dude's first day. The next day someone on a tanned grandpa pants forum posted how amazing Adam Jones' tone was with tons of oohs and ahhs responses and how awesome the visual effects were despite what I could only describe as laser pointers coming from the dollar store bargain bin. I don't think they were at that show. It wasn't just a bad show, but the worst I've ever been to, and I've been to punk shows at venues with literal dirt floors and coed bathrooms being used as hotels for addicts. Saw Tool a bunch back in the 90s for $5-20. Those were good shows. This isn't a slight on Tool, just how things have gotten out of hand.
 
I've heard a lot of you post yourselves riffing to Tool and it sounded awesome. I tried listening to their songs on my streaming app and just couldn't get into them. Might have been the 5 minute intros that didn't have any guitar.
 
Funk'n Metal said:
Went to see them about a year ago. Audio was garbage. Absolutely garbage. $500 for 75 minutes of ear piercing garbage. If I didn't know any better I would say that it was the sound dude's first day. The next day someone on a tanned grandpa pants forum posted how amazing Adam Jones' tone was with tons of oohs and ahhs responses and how awesome the visual effects were despite what I could only describe as laser pointers coming from the dollar store bargain bin. I don't think they were at that show. It wasn't just a bad show, but the worst I've ever been to, and I've been to punk shows at venues with literal dirt floors and coed bathrooms being used as hotels for addicts. Saw Tool a bunch back in the 90s for $5-20. Those were good shows. This isn't a slight on Tool, just how things have gotten out of hand.
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I dunno, I saw them in CLE last year and they were incredible- as was the audio/ visual element.

Interestingly, I saw the Eagles there a few nights before- talk about musical whiplash!
 
Took my 16 yo son to see them back in 2012; pretty great show and theatrics. Maynard wasn’t the same vocalist as he used to be but still sounded good.
My kid was moshing and i seriously thought he was gonna get killed. There were some big muthafkers jumping around.
 
I saw them play a college bar on the Ohio State campus just after the Aenima album released.
 
M@tt C said:
I dunno, I saw them in CLE last year and they were incredible- as was the audio/ visual element.

Interestingly, I saw the Eagles there a few nights before- talk about musical whiplash!
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Unfortunately, the venue I saw them perform at sounded like their rigs were comprised of a string and paper cup with the treble maxed in a poor attempt to get any kind of clarity. The visuals comprised of a couple fog machines and non choreographed lasers. This very well could have been a technical issue the venue was having. But it was never addressed throughout the entire set, and left me disappointed given the cost of the tickets. Like I said, not a slight against the band.
 
Funk'n Metal said:
Went to see them about a year ago. Audio was garbage. Absolutely garbage. $500 for 75 minutes of ear piercing garbage. If I didn't know any better I would say that it was the sound dude's first day. The next day someone on a tanned grandpa pants forum posted how amazing Adam Jones' tone was with tons of oohs and ahhs responses and how awesome the visual effects were despite what I could only describe as laser pointers coming from the dollar store bargain bin. I don't think they were at that show. It wasn't just a bad show, but the worst I've ever been to, and I've been to punk shows at venues with literal dirt floors and coed bathrooms being used as hotels for addicts. Saw Tool a bunch back in the 90s for $5-20. Those were good shows. This isn't a slight on Tool, just how things have gotten out of hand.
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I saw them February ‘22 and the kick was punishing everyone. Way too much. I thought they would fix it as the night went on but it actually got worse. There were times when you could really hear AJs tone and it was great but the kick just ruined it all.

But the visuals were the best I’ve seen.

I was also into Dream Theater at the time but I loved Undertow too.
 
I saw them shortly after moving to DFW from Lubbock, in 98.
The drummer in the band I joined was a Danny fanboi.
For good reason. I've never seen a guy move so much. Every arm and leg was non-stop during every song. As a guitar player that didn't really notice drummers back then, Carey blew me away.

I got hooked on Tool watching the Undertow videos on mtv. Wore out the first cassette tape. Seems like one had a red ribcage with a pig stuck by forks, and the other was just a barcode?
Anyway, when Aenima came out, the first 50 to get the cd at Best Buy would get a pins/needles vinyl. Still have it!
So I was thrilled when I moved here and found someone to go see them with. Did not disappoint.
Lateralus was not bad, ok. 10000 days was meh. The last one I only listen to when I'm working out. The long songs are great to zone out to, kind of like Shpongle. Fun background noise.
 
Undertow is still my favorite Tool album ever. I can always like some new Tool stuff, but that music was so visceral and badass at the time.
 
japetus said:
Undertow is still my favorite Tool album ever. I can always like some new Tool stuff, but that music was so visceral and badass at the time.
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Same. Opiate is fun, too. Captured what I thought they were about back then.
Wish they'd release something fast n raw, not so produced.
 
One of the worst band's I've ever seen live. And I've seen some shit in my day. The day I saw them live was the day I stopped intentionally listening to them. Fuck that band.
 
LPMojoGL said:
Fun background noise.
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When I used to work in craft breweries (basically alone in a big warehouse but working your ass off), Tool was a favorite to listen to.

Shoegazing type of performers like AJ don’t bother me much. In fact, after a while some the hair helicoptering/etc of the 80s got weird for me. It seemed a bit juvenile. I really just want to see them ‘play’ not necessarily ‘perform’. Only saw Tool once and I think my eyes were on Carey or the amazing visuals for 90% of the show. Neither disappointed. But yeah, if you’re more prone to like performers like Angus (whom I’ve always loved) then I can see how Tool would be a massive disappointment.
 
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