The evolutionary process of the mind - my journey with Tool (Tool in general)

Member Name: Lateralus

Product:	Tool in general
Date:	10/12/08 (190 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Enlightening and beautiful

Disadvantages: na

The evolutionary process of the mind - my journey with Tool

Tool has been my favorite band for almost 17 years and they have helped me evolve my mind, broaden my intellectual capacity and accelerate my thought process. Although it is mostly music that has helped me become inquisitive and curious it is Tool that has been the foremost influence and inspiration on my long path.
Curiosity

Although I have always been a curious person it is music, Tool in general that has made me want to learn. Anytime I hear something and don't understand it I look it up and learn everything I can about it and then evaluate the subject and the base my opinion and belief. The majority of Tools' subject matter is more of an intellectual, yet somewhat spiritual nature in a sense. But for me it didnt stop at just their subjects. It was so motivating for me that I wanted to know everything about everything. Now I spend every moment of every waking day learning something or at least applying what I have learned.
The music

Tools music, intrumentally, is also advanced. Not only is the music written harmoncally and melodically, but it is written
mathematically as well. Like an algebraic equation who's solution is formulated with unknown factors and yet arrives at a beautiful point. Yet that equation's solution may not always be complete, it is better structured and comes closer to the definative answer - better music.

The band

Maynard James Keenan - Vocals, Song Writer and Wine Maker
Maynard James Keenan was born in Ohio in the city of Ravenna on April 17, 1964 and was the only child of Judith Marie and
Michael Loren Keenan. He had always been creative and intelligent, but was born into a very intolerant home where his creativity was held back and shunned. As a young man he joined the United States Army with hopes of getting cash for Art school. Although he was skilled in advanced training and accepted at West Point Military Academy which he declined to attend Art college. After college he moved from Michigan to L.A. to try at a career in music. There he met the rest of his band...
Maynard also has two side bands called A Perfect Circle and Puscifer. A Perfect Circle is quite famous and no less intelligent and beautiful than Tool and has its own unique creativity. I have only listened to a little of Puscifer and although I like it (it is his newest band) I don't know much about it yet.

Adam Jones - Guitarist, Art design and various other talents
Adam Jones was born in Park Ridge, Illinois, and raised in Libertyville, Illinois about a 3.5 hour drive from where I live. He has always been a music lover and played violin through elementary until his freshman year of highschool when he changed over to the accoustic bass for the orchestra. He then played bass for a band called Electric Sheep with Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine , another of my favorite bands. He then quit the band and moved to California and the learned how to play guitar by ear. Adam moved to L.A. to study art and sculpture. After college he began to work as a sculpture and special effects desinger for the show Monsters . Jones has worked on films like 'Ghostbusters 2', 'Predator 2', 'Jurassic Park', 'Terminator 2: Judgment Day', 'Dances with Wolves' and 'The Nightmare on Elm street parts 4 & 5. Then he met the rest of the band... Adam Jones has done the majority and design for the Tool videos and has collaberated with artist Alex Grey on the last two albums cover art and design and videos. Adam's unique guitar style is part of what makes Tool. There is no other with a sound like him.

Danny Carey - Drummer, the percussion
Danny Carey learned how to play the drums at 10 years old when he joined the school band and took private lessons to learn to play the snare drum. Through out highschool he was trained by two great drummers. Carey went to the University of Missouri in Kansas city where he studied the principles of geometry, science, and metaphysics. He also expanded his mind into Sacred Geometry and certain subtle parts of life and the occult (subtle). Carey played jazz music through college. He them moved to L.A. and did studio sets with Carol King and performed live with Pygmy Love Circus. He then joined another band I liked called Green Jello (later Green Jelly) and then he met the rest of the band... The percussion of Tool is another of my great inspirations. Something about Danny's amazing skill with drumming can easily changed my mood from mad or sad to happy and sends an explained euphoria through out my entire body.

Justin Chancellor - Bass, the rythym
I don't know a great deal about Justin except that he was in a band named Peach when the original Tool bassist left (who I feel
there is no need to mention) and they called him to see if he wanted to join the band. He turned them down at first and then later decided it would be a good idea. What I do know is that he has proved to be one of the most amazing bassists that I have ever heard. His rythym and time are impeccable and go naturally with the flow of Tool; which in turns evolutionizes the music even
further.

The Albums

Opiate 1992
1. Sweat
2. Hush
3. Part Of Me
4. Cold And Ugly: (live)
5. Jerk-Off: (live)
6. Opiate
This is the 1st album and of course with any evolutionary process was at the begining stages of Tools' journey and not as
advanced. But that was not to say that it was any less unique or intelligent; it was just at the beginning stages. Tool has always been an outspoken band talking all sorts of problems in the world with those about the human element and how it messes good ideas up. Although view as a "pissed off" album they were not so much being angry as they were expressing their vewis and fixes of those problems saying "this is what we should do about it".

Undertow 1992
1. Intolerance
2. Prison Sex
3. Sober
4. Bottom Rollins, Henry/Tool
5. Crawl Away
6. Swamp Song
7. Undertow
8. 4°
9. Flood
10. Disgustipated
The next stage in the process was a more advanced particle that was more of an expression of maynards anger towards the
government, his mother and just life itself. But it wasn't an expression of hate but of pragmatism. Again "This is what we should do". This album subject also conveyed Maynards struggle with heroin expressed especially in the song 'Undertow". " I think this was a very personal album to Maynard and I don't want to express too much about what I feel some of these songs mean to not disrespect Maynard in any way.

ÆNIMA 1996
1. Stinkfist
2. Eulogy
3. H.
4. Useful Idiot
5. Forty Six & 2
6. Message to Harry Manback
7. Hooker With a Penis
8. Intermission
9. Jimmy
10. Die Eier Von Satan
11. Pushit
12. Cesaro Summability
13. Aenema
14. Ions, (-)
15. Third Eye
This is my over favorite album. Every single song is my favorite and I relate to this album more than anyone can know. Have you ever listened to someone knew and understood every word they said, speaking as if it were the same mind as your own? That is how I feel about this album and Tool in general. Here they start to delve more into spiritualism (not in a religous sense) and
searching your own mind and learning your self; your third eye. And all the while still expressing the concern for the human
element and its disfunctions with always sturdy solution. This is Danny's drumming at his best, that is probably why it is my
favorite, but everything else on the album has advanced as well. And on to the next progression...

Lateralus 2001
1. The Grudge
2. Eon Blue Apocalypse
3. The Patient
4. Mantra
5. Schism
6. Parabol
7. Parabola
8. Ticks & Leeches
9. Lateralus
10. Disposition
11. Reflection
12. Triad
13. Faaip de Oiad
This album was an expansion into the mind and into spiritualism. A great album, but not as good as ÆNIMA in my opinion. It was more advanced in content and formulation however. I thought was a more poetic expression than the other albums lyrically. This album may be written in conjunction with the Qabala and its meanings are I believe explained quite well on this web page:
http://www.toolpantheon.com/lateralus_meanings.ht m . It is too much for me to go into here, but is thorough explaination.

10,000 Days 2006
1. Vicarious
2. Jambi
3. Wings for Marie (Pt 1)
4. 10,000 Days (Wings, Pt 2)
5. The Pot
6. Lipan Conjuring
7. Lost Keys (Blame Hofmann)
8. Rosetta Stoned
9. Intension
10. Right in Two
11. Viginti Tres
I have already written this review! HA! Check it out if you like right here at dooyoo.co.uk.

My Journey

This has become my journey with Tool because I started my process at the same time I heard the first Tool album. It has been the Tool that has helped me along my path and I am so greatful to them and the rest of music. I suggest to anyone who has an open mind to give it a chance, and if not listen to the music then read the lyrics.

Summary: This has been the most important motivator in the advancement of my life.