,@^^^$$$$$^^^$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ d$$ ^^$$$ ``^T$P^```^T$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$ $$$$$ $ $ ^ ;$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$ $^^^$ $ $ $^^^$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$, ^ ,$ $ $, ^ ,$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$ $P"` `"T$$$$P"` `"T$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$ $$$$' d$$b `$$' d$$b `$b $$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$ $$$$ $$$$ $$ $$$$ $$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$ $$$$ $$$$ $$ $$$$ $$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$ $$$$ $$$$ $$ $$$$ $$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$ T$$$, T$$P ,$$, T$$P ,$$ $$$P $$$ $$$$$$$ $$$b,. .,d$$$$b,. .,d$$$ $$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$P^```$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^$$$$~ ~~$P^```^T$P^```^`$$$ $$$ List of Frequently Asked Questions $$$$$ $$$P^`` $ $ $$$ $$$ $$$$$ $$$ $ $ $ $$$ $$$ This version: July 16, 2001 $$$$$ $$$, ` $, ` $$$ $$$ $$$$""""""""""""""""""" $$' $$$ $$$' $ $' $$$ Compiled, written, edited by: $$P $ ' , `9$ $$' $b , `$ kabir@toolshed.down.net $' `""" ` "Your pal" Kabir Akhtar ' +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ C Last version: February 16, 2001 H A Changes since: D1 D2 D3 H18 H20 H26 X1 N Y1 Y2 Z3 G + numerous slight revisions E S Additions since: D11 H9 H10 H17 Section H - Questions are now numbered Section J - 22 New Questions !!! +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ C A. Tool Online O B. A Note About Salt N C. The Band and Their History T D. Brief Release Info E E. "Opiate" N F. "Undertow" T G. "Ænima" S H. "Salival" I. Section I J. "Lateralus" X. Tool Side Projects Y. The Future Z. About This Document +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ K * = updated in this release E ** = new question / answer Y *** = corrected since release +----------------------------------------------------------------------+

A. Tool Online

A1. Before I read this giant thing, how do I know that this is the most current version of this FAQ?

As a good rule of thumb, if the date at the top of this document is over 6 months ago, there is likely a new version. You can always find the most current version of at http://toolshed.down.net/faq/. If you do know the whereabouts of an old version, please contact me or the owner of the page with the outdated version. More info on this FAQ in Section Z. Also please note, there are MANY interpretations possible for each of the songs; the ones given here are just to start you off.

The Tool Page (also known as t.d.n), featured on MTV, Rolling Stone Online, Alternative Press, the official Lollapalooza magazine, the band's official website, radio stations worldwide, and the New York Post, can be found at http://toolshed.down.net; this site offers current / semi-official news, images, lyrics, articles, tablatures, video, audio, and all that other stuff you'd expect from a band page, as well as answers to questions not asked here! Some guy named Maynard has been known to help out on occasion. The Official Site is located at http://www.toolband.com, the high points include direct email to the band (see Question C8) and live chats and events. The band also has an art-based site at http://www.dissectional.com. Many other sites exist; check Yahoo! or the Tool Page's Links section for further info.

Sure is; maintained by Shane Brouse, it can be found in a couple places; at the first site listed above and even at www.tooldiscography.com.

The List's main purpose is discussion of all things related to the band, but it also serves as a forum for people who tend to have the same interests. Run forever by Greg Thompson, then briefly by Josh Lowe, it is now run by Reuven Bell. Once you subscribe, messages will be sent directly to your mailbox; other than that, it works much like a newsgroup. You can post, followup, reply, and all that fun stuff. To join, send a blank e-mail to tool-list-subscribe@topica.com.

There is an alt.music.tool; you may need to ask your system administrator to start carrying it if you do not already receive it.

From time to time, Tool fans meet on #tool, appropriately enough, on EFnet, Undernet, as well as other networks. If nobody is there, hang around, someone might show up!

B. A Note About Salt

It is worth mentioning that much of what Tool says, you need to take with a HUGE grain of salt. A lot of it is made up (an interview hinting at 24-minute songs, and an April Fools' prank about a highway accident come to mind), so be careful when you choose to believe something you are being told. If anything, it is probably a good reminder that we should exercise our best judgment and not be sheep in the herd. (One of Tool's main messages seems to be that people need to think for themselves more.) After all, the falsehoods are usually well told, but do tend to seem a bit peculiarly off-the-wall. Best of luck. [This note was quoted in the Official Lollapalooza 1997 Magazine.]

C. The Band and Their History

C1. So who's in Tool?

Until September 1995, the band consisted of: Danny Carey (drums), Maynard James Keenan (vocals), Adam Jones (guitar), and Paul D'Amour (bass). However, Paul is no longer with the band; as is often the case, due to "creative differences." He had apparently lost some interest in the band, and was consequently holding up the writing process. For more info on Paul, see Question X4. In early November 1995, Justin Chancellor (of the band Peach -- see Question X6) signed on with Tool as their new bassist. And he is damn good.

Put aside your fears; they are still on good terms.

Tool was formed in 1990, when Danny and Paul met Adam and Maynard. Danny explains, "I met Adam through Tom Morello of Rage (Against The Machine). And I was living beside Maynard. I never auditioned for them (Keenan and Jones). I felt kinda sorry for them, because they would invite people over to play, and they wouldn't show up, so I'd fill in." Danny had previously played drums for bands including Green Jelly. Paul had gone to California to work in the film business, which at the time was Adam's profession. (Adam had already done special effects for Terminator 2, Jurassic Park and Predator 2). Early on, Tool toured with Rollins Band, Rage Against The Machine and Fishbone. (Adam had gone to high school with Morello). Eventually, they moved from second stage to main stage at Lollapalooza '93, where they pretty much blew everyone away. According to Bass Player Magazine (3/97), when Tool first called up Justin, he at first turned them down: "Peach had broken up about six months before, and I was forming a new band with the guitarist. It was pretty tough; I felt really loyal to this friend of mine, whom I'd played with since I was 14. But then I decided I couldn't deny myself this opportunity." Justin had actually played bass on "Sober" at the widely-bootlegged show at Shepherd's Bush, before joining the band. Tool had met him while Peach was opening for them that year.

In a 1994 interview, Danny says that the band's name stands for how they want their music to be a tool to aid in understanding lachrymology. But if you don't buy the whole lachrymology thing, there's always the obvious answer.

That was only one of the names they were considering; they were never really called Toolshed. (It was in the context of that discussion that Maynard suggested Toolshed as the address for the WWW page.)

This was a frequently asked question back in 1994; Tool stopped spreading these rumors long ago. But for posterity's sake... It has been widely decided that "lachrymology," the science of crying as a therapy, is just another one of the elaborate wild tales Tool made up in order to keep us (or them) entertained. But because they make so much mention of it, it is worth going into here, even though it appears to be a total cock-up. (Go ahead, do a web search for "lachrymology" and see how many non-Tool pages you find). "One of the unifying forces in the band is the philosophy/religion known as Lachrymology, founded in the 1940s by Ronald P. Vincent. Lachrymology translates literally to "the study of crying." The basic tenet, evident in the band's music, is that the greatest road to advancement is through pain--emotional and physical. Hence the band's name." (Carleton Univ. Newspaper; 2/16/94). Vincent (supposedly) wrote a book in 1949 called _The Joyful Guide to Lachrymology_ which (supposedly) was the band's original inspiration. Vincent suggested that people can only advance themselves by exploring and understanding their physical and emotional pain.

At first, many Toolophiles went scrambling all over the place to find it, through the Library of Congress' catalogs, through used book stores, etc. No sign that it had ever existed. Then, in the Undertow-era bio on the band, the book was referred to in this manner: "In the summer of 1948, Ronald P. Vincent, a crop-spray contractor, moved from Kansas to Hollywood after his wife had been dismembered in a bizarre snow plough accident. Inspired by the unrelenting pain he felt, Vincent penned his first and only book, 'A Joyful Guide to Lachrymology.'" Based on that ... interesting ... story, many decided that the elusive book and religion were nothing but a red herring. After all, it is a story about a snowjob.

Yes; they apparently do receive email at maynard@, justin@, danny@, or adam@toolband.com.

Sure, and the Easter Bunny will bring you a present this spring.

Maynard was at West Point Prep School / United States Military Academy Prep School for a time, hence references to the Honor Code ("I will not lie, cheat, or steal, or tolerate those who do"), to the term for first-year cadets (4 degrees) and to the term for brownnoser (tool).

The answer here is by no means definitive; this information has been collated from various magazines as well as observant people, may not be complete, and is quite subject to change. Special thanks to Greg Pepin (gpepin@fsc.edu). Adam uses Gibson Les Pauls, 3 Different Stacks (a Marshall bass head, a Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier, a Dieselhead amp), Seymour Duncan pickups. Ernie Ball, Slinky strings. Effects (mostly Boss pedals): Delay, Flange, Chorus, EQ, a channel switcher for clean/distortion, a wah pedal, and an Epilady occasionally (!). Adam has 2 rare 1979 Les Paul Customs with Green and Silver metallic bursts. They were discontinued by Gibson because of complaints that the metallic paints was giving the guitar an odd tone. He also uses a Natural finished LP Custom when playing "Prison Sex" live. Justin uses Wal basses (which he fell for while recording "Ænima"), cabinets by Mesa/Boogie (8 inch speakers), pre-amp by Demeter. Effects: Boss Delay, Chorus, Flanger, and Distortion pedals, and a DigiTech Bass Whammy pedal, used occasionally (for example, at the beginnings of "Third Eye" and "Eulogy".) This list of Danny's equipment comes from Modern Drummer Magazine (2/97, 8/00) and other sources: Drumset: Sonor Designer Series 8x14 bronze snare 14x14 floor tom 18x16 floor tom 18x24 bass drum 18x22 bass drum 8x8 tom 10x10 tom 14" RotoTom Electronics: Simmons SDX pads Hardware: Sonor Korg Wavedrum Heads: Remo Emperor + Ambassador Pedals: Axis Evans (Power Centers) Cymbals: 14" Paiste Dry Crisp hi-hats 22" Novo China 12" S.F. Flanger Bell 13" Sound Formula Mega Cup Chime 8" Paiste splash 18" Sound Formula Thin crash 18" Paiste Full crash 22" Paiste Dry Heavy ride 20 & 22" Paiste Thin China 20" Paiste Power crash 6" + 8" Signature Splash 14" Signature Sound Edge Hi Hat 18" Signature Mellow Crash, Power Crash 20" Signature Full Crash, Thin China 5" Bell Chime on top of an 8" 3000 Bell Sticks: Trueline 5A, 5B, Signature. Vic Firth Buddy Rich + SD9.

Some of them have definitely dabbled in drugs in the past; however, specifics on who is into what (if anything) are not available.

Only the flutist.

At various shows on the west coast, Danny's tabla teacher Aloke Dutta played during "Pushit" / opened for them. Aloke plays on the live version of "Pushit" on "Salival." Aloke's Eastern style gave the song a whole new feel. For any of you drumming types out in LA, check out his book "Tabla: Lessons and Practice", which comes with a 60 min. tape. He has a tape of tabla music out also, called "Rain on the Lotus." You can get the book & tapes from the Ali Akbar College of Music store in San Rafael, CA (phone 1-800-74TABLA).

Which one? In late 1997, Volcano Records filed suit against Tool, claiming the band had violated their contract by seeking / entertaining offers from other labels. Tool filed suit against Volcano, saying that the label had failed to exercise a renewal option in their contract, and so they were free to leave. This ugly deadlock lasted for over a year, when finally, at the last minute, both parties agreed to terms (including a three-record deal), rather than going to court. The band didn't work on much new material during this period, not wanting it to wind up in the hands of the wrong label. Luckily, it all worked out. However, in 2000, the band fired manager Ted Gardner (runs Larrikin Management, and used to manage Jane's Addiction). He filed suit against the band, essentially claiming they owe him money. At present, no information is available about the resolution of that dispute.

D. Brief Release Info

The complete discography can be found at the location listed in Question A3.

* D1. What CD's have they put out?

In order, the band has released the "Opiate" EP, the albums "Undertow" and "Ænima", a live boxset called "Salival", and the album "Lateralus." There have also been various import / promo singles released; the only extras they contain are live tracks. The singles can be obtained at your local import or online CD store. Various audio bootlegs exist, which can also be found in the discography. As far as where to find those bootlegs, try used CD stores, and maybe online traders. Call around - don't ask me! The song "Sweat" also appears on the "Escape From L.A." soundtrack.

There have been six official videos released: "Hush", "Sober", and "Prison Sex", "Stinkfist", "Ænema", and "Schism." "Hush" was directed by Ken Andrews of Failure, the next two were Adam with Fred Stuhr, and the latter two were directed by Adam. He built the guy in the "Sober" video, and also the so-called "meat tunnel." The rest of the band did the video editing and production. There is an unauthorized biography video called "Toology" which has been called "the worst piece of garbage ever." This FAQ advises you to stay far away from it. The "Sober" video won Billboard Video Awards for "Best New Artist" and "Best Hard Rock / Metal Clip." Other videos have also been nominated for several awards. The "Stinkfist" video was renamed "Track #1" by MTV because the title was deemed to be offensive. Go figure. If you are interested in seeing films which undoubtedly inspired Tool's videos, check out some work by the Brothers Quay.

In late 2000, the "Salival" boxset came out, containing a live CD and a VHS or DVD of the videos ("Hush" is not on the VHS version). A "Schism" DVD-single is apparently in the works. This was a long time coming; back in 1994, the record label jumped the gun and started promoting a video release before asking the band. So the release of "Salival" sated many long-starved, salivating (...) fans. A promo-only white-label video containing the four latter videos in their radio-edit versions was once available in New Zealand. Though it was intended to be sold with "Ænima," some were put up for sale.

Tool seems big into the concept of "All Indians, No Chiefs", as it says on the shirt: the idea that there are lots of sheep, lots of people who are unable to speak for themselves. (Basically, those who follow blindly). Seems a bit ironic that you bought the shirt, hm? The other quote in question is the "Novus Opiate Seclorum" on the back. Here's an insight by Mike `Shmoo' Smuland (jsmuland@osf1.gmu.edu): "Novus ordo seclorum" ("a new order of the ages") is the motto on the great seal of the USA. Get it? But opiate is not a generic term for drug: "Opiate: 1. a drug that contains opium and so dulls pain or brings sleep. 2. anything that quiets: opiates to grief. "Throw the two together. A new opiate of the ages." Take that in context of the answer to Question E1, and you have your answer. Dave Sticher (rstiche1@nycap.rr.com) points out that "the eye in the pyramid on the dollar bill is frequently associated with the Illuminati, the legendary group who supposedly rules the world through various nefarious means" -- this may be a Toolish connection as well.

Some Tool concert tickets from early 1997 were printed with this quote. Jodi Clancy (jclancy@magna.com.au) and others offer us this insight: There are two paintings from the Baroque period (1630) by Poussin called "Et In Arcadia Ego;" translation, 'I too, in Arcadia' or 'Even in Arcadia I (am present).' The theme is "as three shepherds living in the idyllic land of Arcadia spell out an enigmatic inscription upon a tomb, a stately female figure quietly places her hand upon the shoulder of one of them. She may be the spirit of death, reminding these mortals, as does the inscription, that death is found even in Arcadia, where perfect happiness is supposed to reign. Apparently, one painting by Poussin is supposed to be a central part of the mystery of Rennes le Chateau, as outlined in the book "Holy Blood, Holy Grail" (which is listed on Tool's recommended reading list). The central tenet of this book is that there is a secret organization (an Illuminati of sorts; see Question D4) called the Priory of Zion; the supposed protectors of the bloodline of Jesus. Tool were pretty clearly referring to the phrase as it appears at the abbey in Rennes le Chateau (which is the geographical backdrop of Nicolas Poussin's painting-- Henry Lincoln subsequently published The Holy Place, which follows up on this fact). Rennes le Chateau, by the way, was also where "Ænima" was written and recorded, if you believe the Tool bio (which you shouldn't).

Tool does do a cover of this Led Zeppelin song. The original appears on the 1973 album "Houses of the Holy," and runs 7 minutes. Tool's version, roughly 12 minutes long, appears on "Salival." It was originally recorded during the sessions for "Ænima", but portions were re-recorded and re-mixed before its final release because the band "thought it could be better." In 1997, their label gave a go-ahead for its inclusion on Howard Stern's Private Parts soundtrack, but the band wasn't up for it, and said no. Bad blood galore.

At Lollapalooza 1997, lounge versions of "Hooker with a Penis" and "Third Eye" were heard over the PA between sets. The "Hooker" lounge cover was put together by Billy Howerdel, former guitar tech and current member of A Perfect Circle. Dave Ogilvie of Skinny Puppy did two remixes of "Stinkfist" and two of "Forty-Six & 2" which were buried by the band. One "Stinkfist" mix made it out to an Arizona radio station, although it was not supposed to ever be released. Copies of it are floating around somewhere.

A Tool screensaver was released when "Ænima" came out, though it is no longer available for sale. Many Tool desktop themes also exist, these are available around the web.

Tool also covered some other songs at concerts starting in 1998. "Demon Cleaner", by the now-defunct Kyuss; "Stranglehold" by Ted Nugent, and "You Lied" and "Spasm" by Justin's old band (Peach). In fact, Buzz from the Melvins and Scott from Kyuss have shown up at times to accompany the band during these songs. Justin even sang during performances of "You Lied." A live version of "You Lied" appears on the "Salival" CD. It is unknown whether live or studio versions of the other songs will ever be officially released.

Ahh. See Section X for all the info on this.

Indeed, the band was recognized by the recording industry: the song "Ænema" won a 1997 Grammy for Best Metal Performance. That year,, they were nominated for Best Music Video, Short Form for"Stinkfist", and the year before, they were nominated for Best Recording Package for the album "Ænima."

E. "Opiate"

Released April 19, 1992; certified gold US (shipped 500,000).

E1. Snappy title. Where'd they get it?

The accepted notion follows: It relates to Marx's statement that "religion is the opiate of the masses." People relied on the church for direction in their lives, and carried on with their lives. Marx felt that the church kept people from "waking up and smelling the coffee." This is one of the themes of the CD: the band makes fun of the way people let others think for them. That is, it's one thing to have religious beliefs, but it's another thing to let someone else interpret those beliefs and force them on you.

Yeah, the band does this a whole lot, filling in the beginning of a track with some form of ear candy.

This makes sense since the song and the video both seem to deal with censorship of music.

The voice before "Part of Me" can be clearly heard as Maynard saying "Yeah. Ready. I was having fun sitting down having a cup of coffee but now I have to sing." If you're wondering about "Cold and Ugly": the original theory was that during this live recording, some guy with dreadlocks kept blowing an air horn, forcing the band to start over. A telephone hotline takes credit for this; it may have been Maynard kidding around with the singer from Green Jelly.

Nothing; the band's just tooling around with you.

This is one of those untitled extra tracks bands throw onto albums. Well, it's not untitled; they claim it's actually called "The Gaping Lotus Experience." This "song" starts during Track 6, at 6 minutes and 6 seconds. Get it - 666? (If it starts a few seconds off on your CD player, that's to be expected; all CD players track times a little differently ... apparently some copies start at 6 minutes and 66 seconds). Some pressings of this album are missing this song; there's no good way to tell just by looking if a given copy is without, though it seems that copies marked "(P) 1997" may be the offensive batch. This mess is probably due to a machine screwing up somewhere. See Question E10. See also Question E11.

Here's some starting points to picking it all apart. There are four pictures in each corner; with the dogtag and $5 bill segment on the bottom, they are: _Maynard_|__Danny__ __Adam___|__Paul___ The corpse is definitely not real. It is likely a photo of Adam's pal Kevin messing around in Stan Winston's studio. This makes sense since they thank "friends at Stan Winston's studio" (Stan Winston the special effects artist (Predator, T2, etc.)), since Adam worked on effects for those movies, and since the letters "K E V" are written on the edge of that photo. Also, that dogtag belongs to Maynard. He was in the army for three years after high school. See Question C10 for more info.

Good call. Here's what Adam had to say (from the LA Times; 4/93): "When we did our first [record], we picked our heaviest songs. People went, 'Oh, you're a metal band,' and I thought that was kind of way: "On [Opiate] we were more slam and bang. Now we're using more melody."

Some CD stores don't carry "Opiate" in stock. Of course, you can always just ask them to order it for you, as well you should. The catalog number is Volcano 31027.

Indeed -- recent pressings of the CD (since Zoo Records became Volcano Entertainment) have featured the large red text on the back in a different, more Gothic font. The band didn't know about it until someone mentioned it to them, that's for sure.

This was thought to be some terrible oversight until someone figured this out: "If you'll notice, the secret song on the Opiate album appears not to be on the Opiate vinyl. I was listening quickly to the vinyl one day, lifting the needle from song to song when suddenly I noticed the secret song ... during Cold & Ugly! It just so happens that the vinyl was specially made so that depending on where the needle falls, you will hear either Cold & Ugly or the secret song ... once the secret song finished, there will be silence until the needle goes back onto the right track .. you will then hear Jerk-Off."

Maynard has expressed some discomfort with the gun violence described in the song, and consequently the song has undergone a slight rewording. After not being performed live for some time, new phrases in the song ("I should play God and fuck you myself" and "My foot in your fucking ass") clarified the message enough that it made it back onto setlists by 1998.

F. "Undertow"

Released April 6, 1993

Certified multiplatinum US (2,000,000+ copies); reached #50 in the US; reached #1, Billboard's Heatseekers Chart.

F1. Hmmm.. what's that on the cover?

Depends on where you bought your CD. If you bought it at Wal-Mart, it's a giant barcode. The gods of censorship have spoken. (You used to be able to get a real cover by writing in to an address printed in the liner notes; this offer does not appear to be valid anymore). Otherwise, it is a photo of a scuplture done by Adam, of a rib cage. And hey, did you know that if you hold the cover up to the light the ribcage encircles the fat lady on the inside?! (Little bonus trivia tidbit ... coincidence?)

Just a bunch of happy people! No, seriously, it has been suggested that it represents various things, like being controlled by someone/something. It has even been interpreted to be a visualization of the "my fear is naked" from "Bottom" (though that's pushing it). The spine of the CD has another picture of the woman: she is the little symbol on the rightmost end of the spine. There are also pictures of a cow licking itself, and an X-ray graphic resembling someone using a "rear-entry" vibrator.

Go ahead, pop off the black tray that holds the CD. There ya go!

Welcome to further confusion. Recent pressings of Undertow have varied slightly from the original version. These are some of the slight modifications across different (both domestic and foreign) versions: - A clear CD tray; the cow picture is visible immediately.

- The cow picture in the booklet; no picture behind the CD.

- "Disgustipated" is track 10, 30 or 39, not 69.

- The cover has the words "Tool / Undertow" written across the top. (The original has no words.)

- The CD was originally black with the fork + pig, some are grey with the same graphic.

- The CD simply has Tool: Undertow written in silver on black.

- "Disgustipated" is part of track 9 and starts one minute after "Flood" ends.



F5. So which one of those guys is who?

The top row is Paul then Maynard, the bottom row is Danny then Adam.

Membranophones = Danny (drums, obviously)

Bottom Feeder = Paul (bass = low end)

Bastardometer = Adam ("bastard")

Mostresticator = Maynard ("most rest")

Yep, they are pieces of songs on the CD.

It is originally from Maynard's spoken word in "Bottom" ... when Henry Rollins performed it, he edited out that part. (see Question F20).

Various ideas abound: either it is a massive bong hit, or it is a motorboat / outboard engine (the latter goes along better with the water theme of the whole album). Aaron Solomon (peschek@mail.nwlink.com) offers this explanation: "I had the immediate and distinct impression that is was the sound of a guy drowning, specifically someone hooked up to oxygen equipment, such as a scuba diver, having their oxygen run out or cut off, and helplessly suffocating. IMHO, this is closer than a motorboat or bong hit. In fact, in this context is incredibly ominous, and makes the listener literally feel like he/she is suffocating. I think it's one of the most disturbing parts of the album."

At least in its most up-front interpretation, child abuse. In early interviews, Maynard apparently was quite vocal about his dislike for his stepfather, and the video supports this theory quite well. However, the autobiographical nature of this song is purely speculative. When discussing the release of "Prison Sex" as a single, Danny had this to say: "It will annoy a lot of people ... which is half the fun."

Tune your low E string down to B, then hold down the tremolo bar so that the string is loose. If you strike it, it should sound like its just flopping there. The next thing you need to do is run your pick over the string to get that scratching sound (you should still be holding the tremolo down). Finally, hit the string one final time and slowly release the tremolo bar (if you do it right, it should sound like it is speeding up). A delay pedal may help as well. -- Thanks to len@utxsvs.cc.utexas.edu

Yes, the edited version has him saying "blood on my hands", not "shit, blood and cum on my hands."

To be sure, after playing a song a million times, you'd want to spruce it up a little. Whether it will ever be released as a live track remains to be seen. This is the new verse (inserted before the "temporary sanity" line), first heard in late 1995 and still being performed: "got me treading water" OR "show me something" (4x)

thought i could make it end

thought i could wash the stains away

thought i could break the circle if i

slipped right into your skin

so sweet was your surrender

we have become one

i have become my terror

and you my precious lamb and martyr." -- thanks to Justin McKinlay

It has appeared that way on setlists, and consequently bootlegs. What it stands for is still a mystery, though Tyler (halfdeaf@mail.com) has come up with the current favorite guess: "Over The Rainbow Mix." No, this has nothing to do with the syncing of the album to any movie. See Question G66.

Adam has said "the song and video are based on a guy we know who is at his a artistic best when he's loaded. A lot of people give him shit for that .... You can do what you want, but you have to take responsibility for what happens. If you become addicted and a junkie, well, that's your fault. " (from Guitar World; 3/94).

Yes, there is. While it was thought to be a production error for some time, it turns out now that it's Maynard shouting, though not shouting explicitly "turn that shit down" as was previously thought. If you had it up loud enough, you know, you might think it was a parent or the neighbors. It occurs midway through the song: "...trust me, trust me; why can't (*) we not (*) be sober..." , where the *'s are.

Yet again, an edited version. It has him saying something that is NOT "Jesus ... fucking whistle" ; it's "Jesus won't you try and whistle".

Ahhh... the former six million dollar question. The official lyric sheet says: "Jesus won't you fucking whistle / something but the past and done." As in, "christ almighty, can't we talk about something NEW?" A classic alternative (thanks Arsenio!): "Cheeses: don't chew. Duck: no gristle / Some tea: pour, and pass the scone."

In a 1994 interview in BAM magazine, Maynard had this to say. It sums the whole thing up pretty well: BAM: What's wrong with that little man? MJK: What's wrong with him? BAM: Yeah. What's he looking for? MJK: That...place, I guess. BAM: Will he ever find that place? [Silence] BAM: Maybe yes? Maybe no? Crapshoot? MJK: Crapshoot.

Yep, that's Hank himself, doing a guest appearance. He's doing a spoken word bit that Maynard wrote and performs live, with some slight changes that he made. Rollins offered Tool an opening spot way back, so that's where the association comes from.

This is the Rollins version, featured on "Undertow": If I let you, you would make me destroy myself. In order to survive you, I must first survive myself. I can sink no further, and I cannot forgive you. There's no choice but to confront you, to engage you, to erase you. I've gone to great lengths to expand my threshold of pain. I will use my mistakes against you. There is no other choice. Shameless now. Nameless now. Nothing now. No one now. But my soul must be iron, 'cause my fear is naked. I'm naked and fearless, and my fear is naked. And, for the curious, this is the MJK-version; he still sings this: You've left me no choice but to go inside and rebuild what's broken. Too much, too far, too late to lie down now. I must arm myself to fight you by making weapons out of my imperfections. It's all I have left. There's no other choice. I'm shameless, nameless, nothing, and no one now. But my soul must be iron for my fear is naked. I'm naked and fearless. But I'm dead inside. You see... shit adds up, now I'm dead inside. Hatred, weakness, and guilt keep me alive at the bottom.

Well, while it has been described as traditional Andean mountain music, someone has identified it as (possibly) a song called "Oruro Tierra De Ensuenos." It is also a part of the song "Fiestas De Mi Pueblo" by Suenos.

Though it's missing from the official sheet, the words are "got you in a stranglehold, baby. get up, get up, get up now." And yes, that is the chorus from a Ted Nugent song: "Stranglehold". Call it an influence.

There is at least one out there which is different, on the Sober '93 bootleg; the lyrical change does change / add to the feel of the song somewhat. Steve Reed (steve@failure.org) had this to say about it... "Instead of saying 'No one told you to come,' he says, 'Spread your wings and fly away.' It fits like this: No one told you to come. Spread your wings and fly away.

While this answer by Steve Reed (steve@failure.org) is purely speculative, it is a very good one. "Undertow is a song about repeated drug use. The voice that he hears is some sort of craving for this drug (or something), it suggests nice things to him, and beckons him. When it surrounds and drowns and wipes him away, he is obviously succumbing to this drug. Then, he regains his senses and asks 'How could I let this bring me back to my knees?' realizing that this thing isn't good for him ... The undertow represents the state of being under the influence, euphoria has it's obvious meaning."

F28. 4 Degrees... why four? Fahrenheit? Celsius? Is it an angle?

The theories abound like rabbits multiplying; someone asked Maynard about it and got this reply: "Apparently the anal cavity has 8 more working muscles and is 4 degrees warmer than the vagina. This, however, is NOT a song about violation. It is a song about opening up, completely, without reservation."

F29. What is Maynard moaning in the beginning of "Flood" ?

Listen carefully; he's saying "here comes the water..."

Most likely =) . Here's an interpretation by shade@paradoxnw.com: "'Ground breaks down right under me, cleanse and purge me in the water' sort of implies that although the world is breaking apart around him, there is some sort of purification happening to him also, as if he were better off now then he was with his false beliefs ('all i knew, all i believed, crumbling images, no longer comfort me')."

No. It is track 69 on most domestic pressings. It may be track 10, 30 or 39, though. (See Question F4). And yes, there is a little story told after roughly 7 minutes of crickets chirping.

Notice how it sounds like someone leaving a message on an answering machine? Seems Maynard's landlord called and left that message. Hence the liner notes' credit: "phone message: bill the landlord."

Here's a clip from M.E.A.T Magazine (5/94): "Paul explains it as 'getting together three pianos and shotguns smashed with sledgehammers and recorded to a six beat.' Funny how an ode to carrots could become so damn disturbing and guilt-laden." Entertainingly, Chris Haskett of Rollins Band gets a "sledge hammer" credit in the liner notes. In BAM Magazine (11/94), the creation of the song is explained: "In May 1993, Tool performed at Scientology's Celebrity's Centre, apparently not knowing that this was the home of the cult. Once they found out, they were not taking it nicely. Between songs, Keenan, staring first at the lush grounds paid for by devoted L. Ron followers and then into the eyes of his own audience, bayed into the mic like a sheep looking for his shepherd's gate. 'Baaaaa! Baaaaa!' the singer bleated."

G. "Ænima"

Released October 1, 1996 (vinyl on September 17)

Debuted #2 USA, #9 Australia, #1 New Zealand

Certified double platinum US; platinum Canada (100,000), Australia (# ?); certified triple platinum New Zealand (30,000)

Nominated for a 1997 Grammy Award for Best Recording Package.

G1. "Ænima?" What's that all about?

The Tool tradition of mystery continues with the title for their latest album. The title is reported to be a mix of the words "Anima" (a Jungian term) and "Enema" (you know). It also perhaps pays homage to a book recommended in the band's newsletter called "Ægypt."

As they do with good music, DJs across the country are butchering the pronunciation of this not-quite-a-word. Some of the band have been heard saying "enema"; though I'm told it is pronounced "ON-ima", giving a nod to the two words which comprise this title. This despite the fact that most words beginning "Æn--" should be pronounced "Een--", but they made up the word, so they can have their cake and eat it too, I suppose.

To represent that dipthong in HTML, you need to type an "&" sign, followed by "AElig;". So, to type the album title, enter: & AElig;nima ...without that space after the &. Mac users, type option-', or option-shift-'.

PC users, type ALT-1-4-5 or ALT-1-4-6, or ALT-0-1-9-8.

Depends. The LP and cassette cover are just that white-splashy-square image, properly known as the "Smokebox." That image did appear on video screens during the 1996-7 tour, in its animated form. The CD has a lenticular case, so the images appear animated. (Haha, ænimated). The CD cover has the Smokebox amidst a moving field of green eyes. That image was created by Adam and Cam de Leon. Outside the US, the animated CD came in limited quantities. The new cover is the static Smokebox image (sometimes with the words Tool and Ænima); the inside is a list of "Other Albums by Tool", complete with 16 bogus covers for these albums. These albums are, for the curious: Gay Rodeo Bethlehem Abortion Clinic Bad Breath The Other White Meat Two Weiners For Daddy Three Fat Brown Fingers Mungey the Clown I Smell Urine The Christmas Album Iced Pee Spring Boner Tetanus for Breakfast Crapsteaks Smothered in Dictators Nurse Ketimella's Kit'chen Just Up That Dirt Road: Tool Live! at the Acropolis Brown Magic and Big Appetites: Music from the Movie Soundtrack Jelly Donut Here's some trivia about the back cover image (unless your foreign copy has no image on the back). Mike (lindylou@teleport.com) shares this info on the green eye: "The eye is very unhealthy acording to the study of iridology. The lighter area around the pupil is a sign of dropped transverse colon. The darker green areas in the iris are a sign of drug use or chemicals in the body. The dark green circles are tiny deposits of the substance. The texture of the iris, the harsh waves in the background of the iris, are a sign a body of low resistance and poor inherent ability to overcome difficulties. The starting of the second iris is screwed up too, but I don't think that iridology has anything to do with that." The CD is generally a picture of the contortionist, but some foreign copies have the word "Astaroth" written around the disc, decorated with various symbols. Astaroth has some mystical significance related to the patterns on Danny's drums. See Question G7.

Yep. Here's a list of the artwork in Ænima: Vinyl Cassette CD White square x x White square * x Calif. falling into ocean * x Naked band pic * x Naked contortionist x x Bill Hicks painting x x Double-green-eye x x Double-green-eye * x Double-green-eye x (4 frames of *) Blue man w/scalpel x x 1 angel w/green monster x x 2 angels w/green monster x 4 angels w/green monster x "Contact Sheet" band pix x * = the animated / lenticular version. The cassette also has two other paintings by Ramiro Rodriguez, described here by Eddie Bitetti (edbite@buttercup.cybernex.net): "A painting of a man waist deep in water. You can't make out his face because it is very dark, but his stomach muscles are very defined. His head is back with his face up towards the sky with his arms back half covered by the water. It looks like if you were standing up and trying to get some sun, or like if you took a deep breath and throw your head and arms back. You can see his reflection in the water and there is a bluish-black colored backround. Overlapping the whole picture is sort of a spiral spiro-graph-ish drawing. [The drawing is known as the Flower of Life ... do a web search for more info. The painting can actually be viewed to be upside down or right side up, depending on how you look at things.] The other one has what looks like the bottom half of a woman's body. In front of her is a man in the fetal position. They are both nude. He seems to be floating there right in front of her, and she has her left hand on his back and her right hand goes down behind him and out of view. This also has that spiral thing overlapping it. This backround is black. I can't tell if this is the same man as the top picture, but you can see the side profile of his face and see that he has black hair." They are named "Pneuma I" and "Almus" respectively. Try http://w3.one.net/~icarus/ram for more of Ramiro Rodriguez's work.

Well, the animated images wouldn't have worked in the vinyl, that's for sure. A concrete answer not yet available.

In the second to last row on the 'contact sheet', in the second frame, is a tapestry with some arcane symbols; there are also such symbols on the center labels of each record. Someone asked around, and found this out: The seven pointed star is the symbol for the goddess Babalon, an Egyptian goddess similar to Aphrodite. She symbolizes love and sexuality (that's one of the meanings, anyway), and the symbol is familiar to practicioners of ritual magik. The pentagram in the middle, where ritual magik is concerned, represents air, water, fire, body, and spirit. Each point of the star symbolizes one of these. See also Question G20. Whether this (in conjunction with the essay on Ritual Magik in the liner notes) represents something meaningful to the band, or just another well-fabricated fib, nobody can say.

Understandable. On the sofa, first of all, left to right, are Danny, Justin, Adam, Maynard. As to the contortionist's gender, well, Alana Cain is credited for this in the liner notes, so there you go. And in case you were wondering about the item on the floor; it seems that Maynard stands up to offer "the entertainer" a flower; notice that as he stands up, he throws it to the ground. Whew.

Matt Trainor (mtrainor@juno.com) did some homework and found this: "It is definitely referring to Ketamine (Vitamin K), a veterinary anesthetic noted by psychonauts and trippers as being HIGHLY dissociative (removal of self from body). It's used on cats and to restrain apes and monkeys, just like the notes say. Apparently it also can cause something remarkably like the "near-death" experience experienced by those have been, well, near death. The out of body trip is supposed to be one of the most helpful/effective for self-development due to the completely objective view one gets of himself. This of course is highly relevent to the whole theme of the album in general." It has turned out to be a direct quote from literature accompanying the drug.

A comedian, well-liked by the band. He passed away a few years ago. Notice he is listed in the liner notes for "Undertow" as well. And no, he didn't paint that painting, it was done by Kevin Willis (see Question E7). He has four CDs released on Rykodisc last spring; one of them is entitled "Arizona Bay." Hicks had a strong influence on the band's work, which becomes clear after giving his CDs a listen. On a related note, Jordan Geiger (wngeiger@vax1.rainis.net) suggests another place you might want to check for insights into "Ænima" (such as LA falling, "Third Eye", "Forty-Six & 2", the artwork): "Nothing In This Book Is True But It Is Exactly How Things Are" by Bob Frissell (one of the many books on Tool's suggested reading list). More on Hicks as we go on...

It's a sculpture by Adam; the man has used that scalpel to open his "third eye" ("bright, blue, shimmering"). The face is based on a mold of Adam's face.

Say it one syllable at a time. Slowly. Over and over. Without an accent. To somebody else. If you really aren't up to the mental challenge, try this: "C ...".

True. Surprising, considering he was with them when they wrote "Pushit," "Stinkfist," "Eulogy," and "Ænema." (Paul's omission makes me feel better that I wasn't listed either... hehe.)

Part of that is info about this particular cult. Additionally, you may recall that this summer, an article was circulated claiming that the band did in fact sacrifice teenagers and drink their blood. Suffice it to say that the article was a perfect example of Tool's message that you can't always believe what you read, no matter who says it. (Unless it's in this FAQ, of course).

They likely just wanted a change.

Good ol' Maynard sent the lyrics in to http://toolshed.down.net, so they are all there, and for the most part, they are not discussed here.

The best answer anyone has come up with is that "lyrics will be available one way or another online; better that people read / quote / interpret the real thing than just guesses."

Entertainingly, seems that for the entire first month that Ænima was out, only one person (Two2067@aol.com) noticed that the Texas-Oklahoma border is WRONG, and had this to say: "Is Tool making some other statement; i.e. 'Oklahoma doesn't deserve such a long panhandle' or 'there should be two sets of 'four corners' in the US. ' =) " No word on how this happened.

Flock has been described as "a fuzzy type of material, reminiscent of the furry stuff on tennis balls. It's just little fuzz that you can magnetically attatch to anything really." The Undertow ribs are flocked red, for example.

Not a piece of percussion, this Enochian magic board was marked with various arcane symbols. Danny has said it helps him focus energy while playing (see Modern Drummer, February 1997). See Question G7.

On the one hand, it could be taken literally, to be about fisting (hence all the penetration). It could also be taken more as a song about penetrating on another level, about one letting another in. Jody Westmoreland (Jode8u@aol.com) offered his take on the song: "It is using a fist up the ass metaphor for the desensitizing of the public. Saying that when (in the 50's for example) there was nothing shocking, in order for the public to be shocked / stimulated, they had to see something new. It was uncomfortable at first but soon we grew used to it. The process continues so that now it takes the whole damn arm for us to feel / be stimulated by something. The speaker would have it 'no other way' ...stressing that we must be stimulated...never allowing the mind to rest."

It likely ties in to the "knuckle / finger / elbow / shoulder getting deeper within the borderline" theme. Interesting side note: there is a 1986 Clint Ruin (Jim Thirlwell) / Lydia Lunch song by the same name.

Someone who is not Tool censored out the words "knuckle, finger, elbow" from the MTV and (presumably) radio edits. Why? Because the powers that be think it's more offensive than the rest of the stuff you hear on the radio about sex, drugs, and violence.

You may have heard different lyrics at a few shows in 1998; this verse is from the Elvis Presley tune "Suspicious Minds." Maynard sings, "Caught in a trap, Can't walk out. Because I need you too much baby. Why can't you see, what you're doing to me? Because you love me too much baby." You also may have noticed a new fast breakdown section in the middle, between "anything at all" and "I'll keep digging", complete with a sample of the sound effect from the beginning of the song.

Promo singles for "H." were issued; if that constitutes a single, then we have an answer. An "Ænema" promo single came out, as did a video. A "Forty-Six & 2" promo single was also issued, followed by a "Eulogy" promo single, but no new videos.

A number of people have submitted this as their answer: "Chupa minha pica pichu ; Chupa minha pica pinto." Here's a hint: it is vaguely offensive, it's slang (so web translators don't work), and it's Portuguese.

As with most Tool songs, the song is vague enough that can be interpreted to be anyone / anything. The song is primarily about the death of something which most probably turned out to be a fake. Regarding the rumor that the band is no longer on good terms with Henry Rollins; he has recently been heard talking positively about Tool, saying he was unaware of any bad blood. In Modern Drummer (10/93), Danny mentions L. Ron Hubbard as the object of the song. One way or another, though, the song has a message that can stand apart from any specific target; the interpretation is left to you, and the specifics aren't too important.

Try "You - could be - the one - who saves - me from - my own - existence." -- thanks to Dave Conklin (conklin@bobafet.nrl.navy.mil) What he's saying later on, we don't know yet.

G30. OK, they have a song called "H." What's it stand for?

The working / early title for this song was "Half Empty." The H likely stands for that (or "Half Full"). It may represent the old "half-empty is interchangeable with half-full" notion. Of course, it could also stand for anything else. It's a safe bet that it does not stand for Heroin.

When introducing this song live in 1996, Maynard touched on the idea of having an angel sitting on one shoulder and a devil sitting on the other. In at least one interpretation, the song is about being very close to someone who is tearing you apart, someone you can't bring yourself to leave, but someone who will destroy you because you can't leave them. It is the price you pay for being close to them; they aren't doing it on purpose: "considerately."

G34. What's "Useful Idiot" supposed to mean?

This "segue" is simply the sound of a record reaching the end of a side. On vinyl versions of this album, this track appears right at the end of the first side. If you didn't know any better, you might think that "H." had ended, and that this song was missing. Qryche3@aol.com dug this info up: "The term, originated by the high ranking Soviets, referred to the Soviet citizens whose loyalty to the party was unwavering. While the top party officials were living the good life, the average "Useful Idiot" was standing in line hoping that the bread wouldn't run out. But the "Useful Idiots" never questioned their masters' actions or authority - they were perfect citizens."

While there is still no definitive word on this, Sam Rowe (riddley@geocities.com) has proposed this as a possible answer: "Join in my / Join in my child (and) Listen ... / Digging through / My old numb shadow"

You could write a whole FAQ for this one question alone; the major underlying principles relate to chromosomes and Jungian theory. Some of the ideas behind this song are based on the teachings of Drunvalo Melchizadek. Here's a snip of an interview with him (Leading Edge, 12/95): "There are three totally different kinds of humans on the Earth, meaning that they perceive the One reality in three different ways, interpreted differently. The first kind of human has a chromosome composition of 42+2. They comprise a unity consciousness that does not see anything outside themselves as being separate from themselves. To them, there is only one energy - one life, one beingness that moves everywhere. Anything happening anywhere is within them, as well. They are like cells in the body. They are all connected to a single consciousness that moves through all of them. These are the aboriginals in Australia. There might be a few African tribes left like this. Then, there is our level, comprising 44+2 chromosomes. We are a disharmonic level of consciousness that is used as a steppingstone from the 42+2 level to the next level, 46+2...These two additional chromosomes change everything." Rachel Wells (eileen@loop.com) has written this moderately long, excellent summary of all the relevant Jungian concepts: "Anima / Animus (pronounced On-ee-mah): In Jungian psychology, the anima refers to personality traits regarded as feminine that are often repressed into the unconscious of males while the animus refers to traits regarded as masculine that are often repressed into the unconsciousness of females. Although suppressed from conscious awareness, the anima/animus influences our behavior in powerful ways. In most individuals,it is projected onto people of the opposite sex and accounts for the experience of falling in love with someone we hardly know. As the unconscious pole of the self, the counter-ego represented by the anima/animus can also be a guide to one's own unconscious realm. It is often experienced as the guiding female (if you're male) or male (if you're female) presence in dreams. The Shadow: In Carl Jung's personality theory, the ego represents the individual's sense of personal self. The sense of personal identity is purchased, however, at the expense of certain tendencies that are rejected as 'not-self'. According to Jung, these rejected traits come together as a kind of unconscious 'counter-ego' which he termed the shadow. We may become unduly anxious or irritated when in an environment or around a person that in some way reminds us of repressed aspects of our self. If a person has rejected his or her own sex drive, for example, that person may feel irrational fear or anger around an overtly sexual individual. The shadow may appear as a person in one's dreams, usually as an individual of the same sex. Of all the archetypes, the shadow is the most powerful and potentially the most dangerous. It represents everything about ourselves that we fear and despise. The meaning of 46 + 2: According to Melchezedek, our planet is covered with geometrically constructed 'morpho genetic grids'. These grids extend from about 60 feet under the Earth's surface to about 60 miles above the Earth, arranged in geometric patterns (see 'Sacred Geometry'). Each species has its own grid, which supports life, and connects the consciousness of its particular species. Before any species can come into existance or make an evolutionary step, a new grid must be completed. When a species becomes extinct, that particular species' grid dissoves. A new grid was completed in 1989 - the 'christ-consciousness' grid. This grid will allow humans to evolve into our next version. We'll develop two additional chromosomes (which are really 'geometrical images' designed to resonate with our specific grid) for a total or 46 + 2. The main change will be a shift to the "unity consciousness". Every cell in your body has its own consciousness and memory. You, the higher being that occupies your body, make the millions of different consciousnesses in your body work together as one being. How does this relate to this grid? Think of yourself as a cell and the grid as the higher being. We will still have individual consciousness, but will be united in the form of a higher being in order to work as one entity." Scientifically speaking, humans don't appear to be evolving new chromosomes (or much of anything else; thanks to technology). If you want to learn more, search the web or take a class!

G39. Is "Message to Harry Manback" an actual phone message?

Yep, someone left someone a threat. Yes, they actually meant it as a threat. So no, it wasn't concocted by the band. (Though the piano part was obviously added in to make it sound more like a love poem).

Danny had this to say about it in some interview: "Message to Harry Manback is a recording of the words of an uninvited Italian guest who came to Maynard's house one day. A so-called friend of a friend of a friend of Harry's .... Before we finally managed to figure out that nobody really knew him, he had already emptied the fridge and run up a huge phone bill. He got kicked out of the house." Harry Manback is a pseudonym for the real recipient of the message, presumably a past roommate of Maynard's: Hotsy Menshot of Green Jello.

G42. Is "Hooker with a Penis" directed at anyone in particular?

It seems to be aimed at folks who abuse / don't understand the concept of "selling out."

Some folks are aware that OG commonly means "original gangster". In the context of this song, OGT may well mean "Original gangster Tool"; that is, "Original Tool Fan" since '92 -- the first EP.

As usual, Maynard is just whispering away. Most notably, at 1:40 into the song, he says something which has so far only been deciphered as "consume, be fruitful, and multiply." Originally thought to be a Bill Hicks quote, it appears he jacked it from the Bible, Genesis 1:28. Other whispering, it has been suggested, is him reading a list of merchandise, though we don't know that for sure.

G46. "Intermission" sounds awfully familiar, doesn't it?

Yep, it's just a keyboard version of the main riff to "jimmy."

The singer is referring to himself at age eleven. Go listen to the song again, it will make a motherload more sense now.

All you get is a hint: he's listed in the liner notes. Read 'em slowly. Don't give up.

Yup, he spent some amount of his childhood there. At shows in Ohio, he mentioned a small town called Ravenna. Happy hunting.

(It really is, look closely). Because he's just a kid.

This "fact", reported in Rolling Stone magazine, was actually just a (big) mistake on their part; Maynard's mother is still alive. They did print a retraction later.

The title means "The Eggs of Satan" (or "The Balls of Satan" = "Satan's Balls").

The secret is out now that everyone has translated it: it's a recipe for ... a certain kind of cookie. With no eggs. Complete lyrics are posted to toolshed.down.net's lyrics section.

"German" does not equal "Nazi."

It's yet another not-quite-a-word on this album. As Dr Teeth (Glyde@scc.net) suggested, long before we knew it was a one word title, the indeterminate "Push It on me" vs. "Shit on me" is resolved into "Pushit."

G57. I just don't understand "Cesaro Summability."

It seems that the baby crying is NOT Maynard's son Devo; it has been suggested that it is just a sample from Fried Green Tomatoes, or the show Absolutely Fabulous. The title is the name of a mathematical theorem describing a method of adding certain infinite series. As for what the segue means or why it's here, we may never find out.

In a nutshell, yep, it's about Los Angeles, California falling into the Pacific Ocean as a result of a big big big earthquake. If you take Maynard's advice and "don't just call him a pessimist / try to read between the lines", you could probably take it to be about just generally cleansing and purging (hmm, that's the last line in "Flood.")

Gotta be one of those 'hand shaking smiley-faced' types. You know. Politicians.

Clearly, since "Ænema" the song title must have a different meaning than "Ænima" the album title; that whatever "Ænema" represents must not be representative of the whole album.

Right you are; that would be a typo. Want proof? Look VERY CLOSELY at the label on Side 3 of the vinyl, and you'll see the correct spelling.

Scott Cronshaw has this to say about the title: "They are supposed to be 'good' ions. They are found in high doses near waterfalls, streams, forests, etc. Negative ions have (reportedly) beneficial effects on humans ... increased metabolism, higher resistance to ailments and a generally more happy attitude. Positive ions, on the other hand, are 'bad' ... they can be found in mass quantities in cities, airports, garbage dumps, etc. Also, computer monitors output a large amount of positive ions. And, of course, positive ions are supposed to have the opposite effects on humans: depression, weight gain, sickness, etc." -- Thanks to scronsha@nh.ultranet.com

That would be the aforementioned Bill Hicks; those are snips of comedy routines of his, from "The War On Drugs" (off his CD "Dangerous") and "Drugs Have Done Good Things" (off "Relentless"). In fact, on his CD "Rant in E Minor," he refers to the power that heavy doses of hallucinogens have to "squeegee his third eye."

"Opened my eye (3x)

And there we were" -- repeat once. Simple.

Actually, there is a part of our brain called the pineal body (a tiny gland in the brain stem) which is nicknamed our "Third Eye", which is theorized to be extremely sensitive to light, and may be linked to Seasonal Affective Disorder. Neat.

Let the endless yammering end. Lots of people seem convinced that playing the album alongside movies about Oz or Aliens proves that the album is speaking directly to those movies. The fact is, if you want badly enough to believe, you can play any CD along any movie and find synchronicities. But have fun trying.

H. "Salival"

Released December 12, 2000 USA. International dates vary.

H1. First of all ... "Salival" ?

As to pronunciation, it rhymes with "revival." The title no doubt has a few meanings (what in Tool-world doesn't?). The easy explanation is that fans had waited for so long for more Tool, they were drooling in anticipation. Then of course, there is the answer related to the little shiny square on the cover.

If you had to describe some of the sounds and artwork of "Salival" using an adjective associated with the effects of a drug, and if that drug somehow could be associated with the word "saliva," you'd figure it out.

Many Tool fans recognized it instantly as an upside down Tree of Life, a ritualistic symbol. Dane Goodman (overused_tool@talkcity.com) has this contribution to the answer: "The Tree of Life also represents the chakra points of the body. You can switch it around upside down and right side up to represent the points of the chakra on Mr. Spin-vein-hand-bald Man."

Initially distributors seemed to be having a tough time getting enough copies in; their early orders were cut due to a shortage. However, "Salival" sold over 150,000 copies in its first few weeks of release, and is still available eight months later. It remains to be seen just how "limited" it will be.

Depends. Early printings suffered from a series of factual errata, listed below. Many of these errors were actually fixed in a subsequent printing; it appears only the first hundred thousand or so are tainted. (No, it doesn't make your copy any more valuable.) Somehow, the quality control czar on the assembly line let a whole slew of mistakes slide on the first run: - "Pushit" and "Stinkfist" are listed as two words each, instead of one word.

- The first word is spelled wrong in "Message to Harry Manback II."

- Aloke Dutta and Paul D'Amour's names are misspelled.

- The videos on the VHS run in reverse order from the tracklist. This mistake is not corrected in new printings. There are a few other errors as well. Read on.

The song was one of four "Ænima" songs written before Justin joined the band. See also Question G13.

Depends. If you have the VHS, then no. Sorry. But you can find it tucked away on the DVD.

Those familiar with DVDs know that most discs allow you to choose sound formats, depending on your system setup. That said, go back and play with it and look at the choices on that two-hand page. One has two little circles, one has five plus one. Think about it. If you don't have a full-blown home theater setup, it won't really affect you anyway.

All of the hidden footage is hidden so well, you can't find it.

H11. OK, so about the CD ... where did they record those live tracks?

The liner notes list from which live performances the tracks were culled; however, no information is available on which show yielded which song.

If you have one of the original printings (See Question H5), you've found another mistake in the liner notes; "You Lied" is actually track 5 and "Merkaba" is track 6.

It is a sample of Timothy Leary talking. Check the liner notes.

See Question C14.

Actually, "Message to Harry Manback II", "No Quarter", and "LAMC" were all recorded during the sessions for "Ænima." The message is not as new as you fans of stalkers would hope.

If you read Question D9, you'd know the answer to this one.

* H18. What's a "Merkaba" ?

In ancient Egyptian, it breaks down to Mer (rotating fields of light), Ka (spirit), and Ba (soul / body). Merkaba meditations facilitate deep spiritual growth and activation. Given the head space listeners tend to enter when listening to the song, and that live performances of this song feature Maynard introspective onstage, it makes sense that the song is named for this style of meditation. As a bonus, Jeremy (jhaik@wam.umd.edu) found that the amazon.com summary of "The Ancient Secret of the Flower of Life: Volume 2" by one Drunvalo Melchizedek (see Question G36) says "Finally, for the first time in print, Drunvalo shares the instructions for the Mer-Ka-Ba meditation, step-by-step techniques for the re-creation of the energy field of the evolved human, which is the key to ascension and the next dimensional world." As a double bonus, the word also translates to 'chariot' in Hebrew ("merkavah"). The chariot (Heb. merkavah) of God was first described in Ezekiel 1:1 - 1:28. This is included more for your own edification than to explain why the song got this name. For more information, check www.merkaba.org.

This song is actually an extended intro to "Sober" which was played live on the 1997-98 tours. Then it got a name. You may recall from those shows seeing Maynard sit while the rest of the band gave birth to this screaming sound.

The origin of the "omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, without judgment" sample is currently unknown. The sample "It's some kind of psychedelic experience" seems to be the same one used in the song by Zaum - Psychedelic Experience



No; though Danny was playing drums for the other band, the two "Merkabas" are not the same song; merely named for the same thing.

This is another production error in the liner notes; he actually plays on "You Lied." See Question H5.

See Question D6.

Ahh, the joys and pitfalls of Napster. Those of you who rushed to find the songs online before release likely came across a bogus track named "Tool - LAMC" which was a fake. Such is the art of deception in the Napster era.

It's a dreadful place known as the Los Angeles Municipal Court. The kind of place you'd only want to visit once ... sort of like the song.

The one which starts six minutes and sixty-six seconds in? Many radio stations began playing it as soon as they got their hands on it, and started calling it "Maynard's Dead" - most likely because they can't say its real title on the air. But it is about, and it is titled, "Maynard's Dick." As you can probably tell by the more-thrash-than-usual style, "Maynard's Dick" is actually not a "new" song. It was rumored to exist for a long time, since the "Opiate" days, but only surfaced on this CD. The date of this recording, and whether it features Paul or Justin, is unknown.

I. Section I

You might be wondering why there is no Section I. It's because the letter I looks an awful lot like the number 1, and it just seemed like it would be confusing for somebody, somehow. In any event, take this opportunity to stretch and look away from the hordes of words in front of you. It will be good for your "I's."

J. "Lateralus"

Released May 15, 2001 USA. International dates vary.

Debuted #1 USA, Australia, Canada, #2 Norway, #5 Germany, #7 Holland, #16 UK, etc.

Certified platinum USA

Questions in this section will get actual numbers next time.

*** J1. What in the world is a "Lateralus" ?

In an interview with Aggro Active (May 2001), Maynard offered this answer: "Lateralus itself is actually a muscle and although the title does have something to do with the muscle, it's more about lateral thinking and how the only way to really evolve as an artist -- or as a human, I think -- is to start trying to think outside of the lines and push your boundaries. Kind of take yourself where you haven't been and put yourself in different shoes; all of those cliches." It is almost Latin for "to the side." To what muscle specifically he is referring is not yet known, though there are apparently two leg muscles whose names include the word.

** How do I pronounce this album title?

Some folks say "ladder-Alice", some "later Alice" and some "lateral-us." The first is believed correct.

** Did you know that it says "God" in the guy's brain in the liner notes?!

Yep. The whole sequence has a very clear message, the word "God" takes its proper place in that progression.

** OK, I see the progression in the transparent images, but what's that four-pointed bottle-opener thing on the back page?

At present, nobody has any idea.

"Lateralus" has been mastered as a High Definition CD. Tool fan Dennis Jernberg (dinogfx@hotmail.com) summarizes: "To the TOOL fans with delicate ears, the fact that "Lateralus" is a HDCD compatible release is great news . Simply put, it uses 20-bit encoding instead of the standard 16 bits. But, you need an HDCD compatible player to take advantage of the extended information." If you don't have such a player, it will sound as solid as a normal CD. Get more info at hdcd.com.

Originally scheduled for a June 2001 release, the vinyl edition of the album was delayed indefinitely. The other albums are out on vinyl, so hopefully someday LP collectors will get good news about this release. Until then, keep reminding yourself, be patient.

This is similar to the "LAMC" problem mentioned above in Question H24. You likely encountered more fakes that have spread with Tool titles on them. These Napsterized doppelgangers are not Tool songs.

Much as "Eulogy" is very subjective, this song can be interpreted to be about any two people who have had a falling out. It is not officially about any two people.

So as not to give everything away, this FAQ will only recommend that you search the web for info on Saturn ascending. Perhaps someday an answer will appear here similar to Question G36.

** What is a "scarlet letterman" supposed to be?

You'll have to ask Nathaniel Hawthorne.

"Eon Blue" is the name of a chatroom at the official site. Eon is also mentioned by name in a post to the Official Site on February 19, 2001, regarding "Adam's 190 pound Great Dane." The filename of that news post was Eon.html. Thanks to Patrick White (filosify@aol.com) for finding this.

Tool fan Yaz (yazkuge@hotmail.com) found a 2001 interview with Maynard in the Japanese magazine "Buzz" where MJK stated for the first time in public ("a treat for the Japanese fans," he says) that the track "Mantra" is the sound of him squeezing one of his Siamese cats. The cat made such a weird noise that he immediately recorded this, played it real slow and made a track out of it.

A quick trip to a dictionary tells us that it is a "a separation or division into factions."

A major theme of the whole album is reconciliation. Many of these tracks touch on the subject, though "The Grudge" is more about the actual grudge, and "Schism" focuses more on the separation itself.

Apart from being a variation on the spelling of "parable" (which this song is somewhat), it's almost a "Parabola" ...

We all know it's a geometric curve, but as far as what it is doing as the title of this song, the best theory has yet to come forward. One notion is that it approximates the shape of two bodies together, as in the lyrics of the song. Of course, another thought is that it sounds like "pair of balls."

Some say the record industry, some say obnoxious fans - this is another Tool song that could really be about anyone.

All of the songs with lyrics from "Lateralus" have made it onto setlists so far except for this one. Maynard recorded vocals for this song after all the others, and threw his voice out completely for a few days as a result of the screaming. In Oor Magazine (May 2001), he says "the band can hassle me all they want about Ticks & Leeches, I won't do it live. Three weeks it cost me. I couldn't sing a high note."

Ah, the new six-million-dollar question. As "Salival" was fraught with production errors, so too was the album "Lateralus". Unlike the intentional different spellings of the song "Ænema" and the album "Ænima", done so to differentiate between the meanings of the two, the title of this song is meant to be spelled the SAME as the album. Once the error was brought to the band's attention, two million copies had already been printed - and many of those already sold. Subsequent printings of the album are scheduled to have a corrected spelling of the song title: "Lateralus." The official site has posted interactive animations of the new album with the same misspelling, but they have also explicitly corroborated the correct spelling as being with a "U".

Unlike most songs, which stay in one time signature for at least two measures, track 9 on this album features a measure of nine beats, a measure of eight, then a measure of seven, repeating. This FAQ is not going to teach you how to count rhythms, but that will at least get you on your way.

They were originally all conceived as one song, but ultimately broke into three separate tracks. They never had any collective title, however.

"Reflection" was originally named "Resolution" - this interview was done before the album was finalized. Many of the songs had working titles, including "Lateralus" which was once called "987" ... see two questions up.

Brett (sp2drkprk@aol.com) points out that this is actually Statik, a member of the industrial band Collide, who here is credited for doing some programming in this song. Presumably he ran the vocal-sounding samples in "Triad", but this is only conjecture for now. Check out more on Collide at www.collide.net.

The title is Enochian for "Voice of God." The talking is from a radio call-in show (Coast to Coast AM with Art Bell). It is one of the classic moments from that show, during which the caller claims to be a former Area 51 employee, and that the military was out to get him. Oddly enough, the satellite which carried that show suddenly died (losing the feed to some fifty stations) during the broadcast. The caller later admitted that the story was a hoax. You can get more information on this at artbell.com.

Three songs from "Ænima" didn't make the album, but did show up on "Salival" four years later. As for "Lateralus", Danny said this in Meanstreet Magazine (May 2001): "We had more little bits and pieces that we wanted to put in between the songs, but when we went to mastering we had to leave out a lot of those. The manufacturer would only guarantee us up to 79 minutes. So our record is 78 minutes and 58 seconds long. We thought we'd give them 2 seconds of breathing room." So maybe the "bits and pieces" will show up someday...

X. Tool Side Projects

* X1. Has Maynard done anything recently besides Tool?

Quite so. He is in another band called A Perfect Circle. They were more active in 1999-2000 than Tool, playing numerous shows and releasing their first album. More info on them is available at www.aperfectcircle.com and www.aperfectcircle.org. Maynard has recorded a song with a fake band called Titannica, due to appear in the upcoming film "Run, Ronnie, Run." The song, called "Ass Kickin' Fat Kid," features Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian and ex-Hole / Motley Crue drummer Samantha Maloney, and is now said to NOT be appearing on the soundtrack.

He has recorded a song currently known as "Vacant" with members of Nine Inch Nails, due in late 2001 as part of the "Tapeworm" project.

Maynard sings a song called "Calling Dr. Love" on the Kiss tribute album "Kiss My Ass", along with bassist Billy Gould (Faith No More), guitarist Tom Morello, and drummer Brad Wilk (both of Rage Against The Machine). They are collectively known as Shandi's Addiction.

He sings the "I've got no patience now / so sick of complacence now... " part in Rage Against the Machine's "Know Your Enemy."

He sings the "not by the hair on my chinny-chin-chin" part on Green Jelly's "3 Little Pigs." (Yes, Green Jelly as in originally Green Jello as in Jello Loft where the live tracks from "Opiate" were recorded).

He appears on the first Love Jones album, "Here's to the Losers", as well. He comes in during track 4 and sings for about 45 seconds.

On January 23, 1997, Maynard appeared onstage with Tori Amos, as she played a benefit show for her charity organization, RAINN. Together, they performed her song "Muhammad My Friend", and it was quite a duet. It is available on her home video "Tori Amos Live in New York."

He has done cameo vocals at numerous live performances, including a Rage Against the Machine show.

He sings a little on a song by Tim "Herb" Alexander/Mike Bordin on the album "Flyin' Traps," which features drummers. He's listed under a pseudonym of Gaylord C.

He has also appeared on a public access show called "Colin's Sleazy Friends."

He appears on the Deftones' song "Passenger" off their album "White Pony."

A long long time ago, he was in a band called C.A.D. The Children of the Anachronistic Dynasty did record an album called "Fingernails", but no recordings are for sale. You may find a bootlegged copy on Napster or Ebay.

Also a long time ago, he was part of a project called TexA.N.S. You can find their material where you can find C.A.D. material.

See Question X5 for more details on side-project called "The Replicants."

Sure; he played drums on the western leg of the fall 1994 Pigface tour. He also used to play drums for Pygmy Love Circus, and has done percussion for Lusk, Green Jelly and even for Carole King! He also played drums for the band Zaum. He also plays drum clinics occasionally, including a recent Modern Drummer festival.

We know he worked on art / special effects for such movies as Jurassic Park and Terminator 2. You can actually see him on the Jurassic Park DVD, during the "Making of" featurette. About 10 minutes into the documentary, Adam is shown working on an early model of a dinosaur. He also played bass in a band in high school with Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine (the band name: Electric Sheep). In summer of 1998, he and Buzz from the Melvins played a few gigs as Noiseland Arcade (yes, named after the Simpsons), an experimental noise band. And don't forget, he is largely responsible for their videos.

After leaving Tool, Paul practiced with Failure (a band who have opened for Tool) a few times, but did not join that band. He was working on his own project called Lusk, with Cris Pitman (from the Replicants and Zaum), and has an album out as of mid-April 1997. Lusk has reportedly broken up. See Question X5 for more details on "The Replicants."

On November 21, 1995, an album came out on Zoo Records (Tool's label) under the name "The Replicants." The album is a collection of eleven covers of old songs by Paul McCartney, Syd Barrett, David Bowie, Pink Floyd, the Cars, etc. The Replicants themselves are Paul, Ken Andrews and Greg Edwards of Failure, and Cris Pitman of Zaum (a Danny side project). Maynard makes a guest appearance, singing McCartney's "Silly Love Songs". More information is available via the discography. See Question A3.

They had actually broken up shortly before Justin joined Tool. Note: this is not the same Peach with a few albums out on Caroline Records. Their album "Giving Birth to a Stone" was re-released in late 2000 with new cover art by Adam.

They did collaborate on a 7-minute song that is available on various websites. This unnamed song, known only as "Revolution," was apparently supposed to be on the Judgment Night soundtrack, but never made it. It features both bands playing minus Adam (and Justin, obviously).

Indeed, a 14 minute long session entitled "Divorced" appears on The Melvins' 2000 album "The Crybaby", featuring all of the band at various times.

Hey, Phil Collins did have his solo career alongside Genesis ...

Y. The Future

* Y1. When will Tool play __(city)__?

They recently ended a European tour, and are busy these days announcing and selling out dates worldwide. Check toolshed.down.net for further details.

Following the release of "Lateralus", we can expect much touring, and likely a second video sometime next year. A DVD-single of "Schism" is also reportedly in the works.

Z. About This Document

Z1. Who wrote this FAQ and why?

It was written by a Communications major at the University of Pennsylvania / Master's film student at the University of Miami, who is now trying to be a filmmaker in LA. Why write it? Until 1994, there was no Tool FAQ. And the one question everyone wanted answered was "What's the line in the chorus of Sober?" And lots of people got sick of answering. But nobody could say "read the FAQ" since there wasn't one. And the rest is history. Thanks for reading it, by the way. Hope you learned something.

Z2. Who made that big ASCII thingy at the top?

It was dreamt up and submitted by Justin McKinlay (s338171@student.uq.edu.au).

* Z3. Who has helped out?

This FAQ would never have become what it is today without the help of LOTS of people; some of whom have pointed out typographical errors, some who have submitted answers. Here is a not-nearly-complete list of a whole slew of people who have helped out since the FAQ's inception in 1994: gregt@visix.com, azrael@grex.cyberspace.org, crowell@theochem.uwaterloo.ca, pier1@rpi.edu, ba560@freenet.carleton.ca, shane@globalx.net, deathro@PrimeNet.com, arsenio@wco.com, KDWST11@vms.cis.pitt.edu, Aspainhow@aol.com, vidariv@loke.hiof.no, 75377.22@compuserve.com, charris@i-max.co.nz, shade@paradoxnw.com, SDX@aol.com, opiate@megaweb.com, jolsen@mizar.usc.edu, mch20285@pegasus.cc.ucf.edu, fr4ulan@hugin.stud.hks.se, FearOfVir2@aol.com, boink@speednet.com.au, peschek@mail.nwlink.com, quinlans@forbairt.ie, freek@mindspring.com, eric@satanic.org, jvm113@psu.edu, jdwright@pomona.edu, beejay@hecubus.engr.sgi.com, elw01@gnofn.org, mtrainor@juno.com, kspaink@xs4all.nl, eeyore@getnet.com, flood777@juno.com, forrest@manawatu.gen.nz, aklink@engin.umich.edu, jkenny@MAILBOX.SLAC.Stanford.EDU, WigginsTT99.CS31.USAFA@usafa.af.mil, cactoid@kwest.com.au, mpage@nis.net, s328150@student.uq.edu.au, conklin@bobafet.nrl.navy.mil, pete_meincke@net.com, vaillancl@lces.scbe.on.ca, dbw3e@virginia.edu, brian@technonet.com, nshinbin@interlog.com, jcats@telis.org, dboyle@liquidaccess.net, thebadger@earthlink.net, swamp666@cris.com, Brian_Mafi@smtpgate.Mitchell.Com, moloch@benthos.cox.miami.edu, Shift619@aol.com, aksesper@iinet.net.au, barton-fink@juno.com, Manning.Cameron.CJ@bhp.com.au, ironic_chick@angry.org, pajamapeople@worldnet.att.net, brian@technonet.com, lgordon@vianet.net.au, GENOCIDEXX@aol.com, undertow01@geocities.com, brian@technonet.com, j.patton@bohm.anu.edu.au, mrperry@alpha.delta.edu, third-eye@juno.com, lee5@rohan.sdsu.edu, wgh@umich.edu, spielers@earthlink.net, SCHROEDC@aol.com, creign@hotmail.com, JMTaco@aol.com, rantzjj@jmu.edu, rtiern02@student.vill.edu, sam@samrowe.com, thirdeyeeleven@netscape.net, nukem@reaper.org, bluebugkc01@cs.com, and all the folks mentioned in the FAQ. Thank you all, you've helped make this FAQ the best it can be. And of course, to Maynard for straightening out some of our unanswered questions.

Z4. Where can I get the most current version of the FAQ? Is this it?

Isn't this the same as Question A1? What's it doing here?

Z5. Can I copy bits of the FAQ? Can I put it on my home page? Can I send it to a friend of mine? Can I print it out? Can I quote it in a publication?

This document exists to answer people's questions; it wouldn't be very helpful if nobody could get to it. Private use (like printing it out / sharing it with someone) is of course, cool. Posting it to your own website is also fine, as long as you don't change it and don't charge for it. If you're going to quote it in an article or the like, just let me know, so I know. See also the next question.

Z6. Copyright and Distribution Information:

The Tool FAQ (list of Frequently Asked Questions) is (c) 1994 - 2001 Kabir Akhtar. This FAQ may not be reproduced in any form (in whole or in part) without permission. International copyright laws require that you obtain an author's permission to use any copywritten material. Permission... if you want permission, all you have to do is ask. Unless you are planning on making millions without including me, I'll say "go for it." You do not have to ask if you want to post it to your own site, print it out, show it to your mom, etc.; as long as it is free and unmodified. Thanks in advance for taking the few seconds it takes to contact me. See also the previous question.

Z7. Has this FAQ made it out into the real world at all?

Various reporters for magazines have relied on it for interviews, as have radio DJs worldwide; check the note at the end of Question B. Others have even based parts of their FAQs on this one (dig Sunny Day Real Estate and Grinspoon)! If you do use this FAQ as a reference for some form of published material (online or print), please at least mention it, my name, or "toolshed.down.net." (Either way, it's only three words). While all the information here is free, it has taken a lot of work to publish it all here. You'd be amazed how many people have lifted paragraphs from here. Thanks!

Z8. How do you pronounce that damn K-name anyhow?

It's Kabir. Phonetically, it's "k'BEER." More info on Kabir is available at www.down.net. See you at a show.

End of FAQ. Now go ask her out.