Bryan reacts to and talks about his thoughts on TOOL - Rosetta Stoned (Audio) ORIGINAL VIDEO // • TOOL - Rosetta Stoned ... ALL LINKS // linktr.ee/crit...
10,000 Days is actually my favorite Tool album. It's so rhythmically interesting and complex and Wings pt 1 and 2 and Right in Two have some of the best built up crescendos ever. And this song specifically is a fucking trip the whole way through. Lyrics are fantastic and hilarious as well.
@@RikiazGaming Tool just continues to improve IMO. 10,000 Days was my favorite album of theirs, until Fear Inoculum. And after many many listens, has taken the mantle of Tool’s best album for me. Invincible, Descending, Pneuma, 7empest, culling voices…..all of them are masterpieces. I understand why it took them 13 years to release it.
Some context was requested? I got some, I got some for sure. So, Tool released an album called Aenima in 1996. In 2001 Lateralus came out, and in 2006, 10000 Days. The last track on Aenima was Third Eye. It had generally in the pulse of 3 that gave it a fluid, wavy feeling. The whole song was like a dark watercolor painting that fixated, or painstakingly imitated a deep spiritual psychedelic experience. As the rest of the album, with a deep bite into subconscious fragments of thoughts and feelings. There is room for wild rhythmic stuff, of course, but the tones and textures and dynamics stand in the center of this creepy masterpiece. Ten years later, they make a song Rosetta Stoned (and Lost Keys (Blame Hofmann) that serves as an intro to the Rosetta one). And this song is like an evil twin of Third Eye. It mocks druggos with their "spiritual" bad trips in every way possible. 3/4 fluidity? Yeah right, here's lengthy stuttering parts in 5 and 11 for you (just this much missing a 12-beat square). Watercolor waves rolling in through of perception? Nah, but constant abrupt stops and shifts - pretty much. Even the 3/4 section is syncopated to death (also, goes in a 5-bar loop). Lyrics - well... just read it. Parallels are endless. Take the chant in the outro of each song: "Prying open my third eye" vs "Don't know, won't know". (Or Bill Hicks references, and so forth.) So, Rosetta stoned equals false truth: you feel like you got the deepest revelation, but no. It's just a really effed-up trip. "Lost keys (blame Hoffman)", now? A funny thing is that I never thought about depersonalization being personalized through music. Now it seems so obvious. One more bit to it: when the "chorus" (or whatever the heck it is) kicks in, a very in-your-face instrumental 5/8 rhythm is unsynchronized with the vocals, which have the exact same pattern but have a different "one." Again, painstaking imitation. So, do yourself a favor: get half an hour of free time, put on Third Eye, Lost Keys and Rosetta Stoned in a row, and read the lyrics along. I _guarantee_ you'll have a lot of enjoyment and probably a number of good laughs. What gets me most (except Sudafed) is how unnecessarily overcomplicated and overblown Rosetta Stoned is, compared to Third Eye. And that song goes right after The Pot on the album!
Thanks so much for this. It's interesting that this not only fits into it's own album with the previous song being a lead in but also ties back to earlier work of theirs.
@@CriticalReactions For TooL it' not uncommon to have a "precursor" song like Lost Keys is for Rosetta Stoned, Parabol to Parabola(pretty obvious) in Lateralus album or my personal favorite, Intension to Right in Two in 10,000 days album. The latter couple is really interesting.
The lyrics are having me rolling on the floor. They are really important to this song, so I guess as a first listen without lyrics it's not as interesting.
What makes Rosetta Stoned so great and how I think it should be appreciated is the actual story that it's telling. The music is the soundtrack to the story itself. The structure of it all perfectly captures the sense of delight, paranoia, dread, and then despair.
Thank you for doing this song! It’s an amazing song and one of my personal favorites. Look up the lyrics you’ll enjoy it for sure. Another great song especially for psychedelic week would be Third Eye.
Unfortunately you missed the crucial introduction "Lost Keys". It sets up all that you are to hear and juxtaposes the rest of the song profoundly, giving it a much greater impact.
The slower middle section is actually in 11/8. and that rhythmic open chord 'breakdown' section is 5/8 with a couple 7/8s thrown in, but the end of the outro that brings that riff back is all 7/8. That complex sounding guitar solo part is actually just 3/4 but I think they're doing some kind of polyrhythm over it, or maybe just complicated syncopation. So they're playing around with 4/4 and 5/8 in the first part, 11/8 and 5/8 in the middle part, and then 6/8, 3/4, and 11/8 when nearing the outro. Outro is that 11/8 riff but stretched to 11/4 then that gets overlaid and mixed into a straight 7/8 at the very end. Crazy stuff
It’s also worth mentioning that there is a lead in song to this as well that combined creates a cool atmosphere. They’re basically about a guy getting abducted by aliens and telling the doctors about his experience and the fast rambling part at the beginning is him frantically explaining the situation as he has been told about the demise of the human race but conveniently forgot his pen so he didn’t write it down and now he forgot and is trying to remember that they said. That’s a very watered down explanation of the songs lyrics. Definitely read them and give a second listen to the song and follow along. The solo section is a 3/4 but the accents from the bass land in non harmonious areas giving it an off time feel.
I've only heard a few songs from Tool also, mostly the one's that got radio play. I don't dislike them, just think most of their songs sound the same. I know that comment gets me in trouble with the hardcore Tool fans. But, I do appreciate their sound and honesty haven't given them a real good listen and understanding. I really enjoyed this song and it makes me want to give them another try. Thanks.
My first Tool reaction had a comment section of angry Tool fans so I'd say you might be in good company here :) So far I think they do a very specific, semi-unique thing very well. But it is a specific sound and isn't going to be for everyone, contrary to their fans' belief that it's perfect music.
Usually when you have the impression all songs sounds the same (in a genre or a band) it's because you're looking at them from too far away, if you "get closer" (that is listening more to the material) the differences start to become more prominent.
To Jane, if this was your first hearing of Rosetta Stoned and you somehow liked it, that's awesome. This song is a lot to digest. A LOT. Go at your own pace, try a new song now and then, I'm sure you'll find gems on that journey. Don't let fans (as myself!) stop you. If in the end you like 3-4 Tool songs and all the others still sound the same to you, it's not a problem. But if you enjoyed Rosetta Stoned, odds are you'll like more than 3-4 songs in the end. That would be my guess. Have fun!
@@STAR0SS I agree. I was a bit hesitant mentioning because I've had backlash about this comment before and it could be said of any band/genre for sure. Even my favorite bands. I have not listened to Tool with headphones/ earbuds with lyrics pulled up like I have some other bands and it does make a difference. Tool definitely has their distinct signature sound like no other. I'll have to give them a closer listen.
Your comments are interesting. For someone new to Tool and especially, with your declared musical preference, Rosetta Stoned is the very deep end. Like you say, there’s technical excellence, but you had difficulty connecting with it in a way that is satisfying. I was the same until I approached Tool differently and there was a willingness to do this since they are different. They need your full attention. The lyrics are important to their songs, with for many, the music being composed to reflect/complement the lyrics. For example, their song, The Grudge loses a lot of its delivery if the lyrics aren’t understood and followed. Finally, their music is seriously layered and require multiple focused listens to fully appreciate. One may ask why all the effort? Well, I asked that question and can say that it’s an eye opener. All three musicians are fantastic. Adam shows that simple can be extremely effective if well timed and in harmony with other instruments. Tool is a band where one can say that no musician or the vocals dominates. All get equal opportunity to shine and when they are going full steam together it’s glorious. Their final album is my favourite, with them getting better and better with each album.
For psychedelic music you can't go wrong with Shpongle, they are really good with mixing the timbre of acoustic and synthetic instruments and often manage to get a good balance between melody and rhythm of the track. A good middle of the road starter would be "My Head Feels Like a Frisbee", it's a cool mix of Latino, Asian, "world music" and trance sensibilities of music and melody.
Bruh, it’s been 15 years and I just realized the highhat is keeping the 3/4 on the instrumental. Wtf 🐙 I always heard the claps come in but thought that started all the insanity. There will never be another TOOL
Okay I've had enough. I'm sitting here working on my campground cleaning it up putting a new tent up as I listen to this guy talk away but I don't know how many minutes. Let me know who agrees that I'll come back and listen to this guy a year later after he lets this girl on him and understands where the sun is coming from stop being so serious. This is a DMT high instead of friend came and told him the story about his trip. I guarantee your attitude will be different but many things about this band especially this song the year from now. You got me nuts. Going on with your self-importance. Don't take it personal but you should have listened to the song six months down the line too early in your tool experience. Wait till you hear many other songs with the vocals his range and delivery this one almost for many different genres in areas directions. I'm going to stop trying to explain. This band will grow on you I guarantee you pretty much bet my 61-year-old experience in life that you will have this as one of your top band if not the top band in your life it just happens that way. Listen to some earlier tunes don't listen to all the new stuff work your way there. And listen to the songs and then with the lyrics put it together and understand that these words are put together after the songs are finished music is completely done it will astonish you. If it doesn't you're just a different human being from a different place. Cuz all of us in the tool army come from many different areas but meet in the middle at one place that's tools place. Stop thinking you know when you really have no idea. Your response to the song that's completely out of context of what the song is and what it's about where it came from I hope this isn't too long. If anybody agrees please respond. I think it will help him in many areas besides his music experience but in life good luck see you in the future but for now I'm out
Tool are just outside my top 10. Never associated them with psychedelia, but thinking on it I guess they do incorporate a lot of psychedelic elements, especially with Adam Jones focusing on creating weird guitar sounds/textures rather than writing traditional solos. I think many thought of psychedelia here because the lyrics are about a really intense DMT trip/coma (and being abducted by aliens). This is also a classic example of a Tool song that's grown on me with time. First listen I wasn't crazy about it and felt it meandered too much, but as time has gone on I began looking forward to slipping into its aesthetic that feels akin to the strange stream-of-conscious experience you can have when really high. Amazing how Tool nailed the feeling of that in music, at least for me. I'm not a drummer but this is supposedly one of drummer Danny Carey's most complex works. In an interview he said it was the hardest for him as well: "There’s that part where I’m playing four with my left foot, five with my right foot, and six with my hands." Also, a long while back when we discussed Tool I mentioned they had a moment where Carey did a snare roll going through all the subdivisions of the beat, and that's from this song: that moment comes at 4:20 in this video (lol @ the 4:20 coincidence). There's actually a cool TH-cam video breaking it down here: th-cam.com/video/9MGR4dnHeQQ/w-d-xo.html FWIW, here's what I wrote about Tool on my Top 100 Artists: "Metal music's philosophers. Though they started as a band that fit well with the dark alternative rock/metal scene of the early 90s, by their second LP Aenima it was clear Tool had loftier ambitions, and once Lateralus came out it was equally clear their musical skill had finally matched up with those ambitions. More than any band since Pink Floyd, Tool seems to have that ability to profoundly move audiences that are willing to give themselves over to their long, slow-burning musical compositions that often feel less like songs and more like meditative journeys into the mind's inner cosmos. But beyond the philosophy, Tool can also rock and groove as hard as any band out there; just put on The Pot for proof of that. I'd also be remiss without mentioning the genius of Danny Carey, who's certainly in the conversation for the greatest drummer in rock's history." I will say (and I think I said on another of your Tool reactions) that Tool does have simpler/catchier songs, but the hardcore fans tend to mostly recommend these longer, more complex, proggy tracks. Songs like Sober, Stinkfist, Prison Sex, Aenima, and Schism actually got A LOT of radio play back in the day.
It will never cease to amazing me how fluent Danny's polymeter is. I've been getting better at picking up polymeter and polyrhythm but Danny's always flies right under my radar. I gotta reiterate something I siad during the drum cam for Pneuma, "Danny makes hyper complex rhythms so easy to parse."
Lost Keys (Blame Hofman) is the track right before Rosetta Stoned and it adds a lot more context to the story that’s being told. It’s hilarious in its totality.
During the recording of 10,000 Days, a friend of the band came to the studio and was going on and on about how he has been abducted by aliens the night before. No one was sure if he was just pulling their leg or serious but Maynard thought it was hilarious and decided to write a song effectively moving the guy.
Oh man, if you're so crazy about multiple melodic layers in a song, you really need to listen to Pure Reason Revolution, especially their first LP - I recommend "The Bright Ambassadors of Morning", the amount of work they put into those vocals is incredible. Also, you might want to try "As The Leaves Are To The Limbs " by British Theatre - the middle part is a thing of beauty when it comes to building complex vocal harmonies.
I remember hearing this song for the first time when I was like … Nine or ten years old? Definitely left an impression, I remember being in disbelief of the lyrics and thinking “that can’t be what he’s actually singing” lol
Third EYE (Live) from the Salival album is something really special. It's a live performance taken directly from the sound board. I think you would enjoy it.
The double vocals on the faster monotone bars are Maynard in a Talkbox (left) and the audio engineer Joe Baressi on the mic for the clean vocals (right). Also protools can get a good sync easily lol.
One thing I love about your channel is how you keep track of time signatures. Is that simply experience? Or do you have a methodology for doing so? I’d love a video where you explained that.
I'm planning on doing a whole video about how I listen to music critically like this, in general. Part of that would include time signatures. But as a quick rundown, different time signatures have pulses (like feelings or grooves) to them and when that doesn't fit my expectations, like when a time signature changes, it typically is like an alarm and my brain immediately wants to check it out. I then either get an immediate feel fro the pulse and cross reference that with typical pulses for standard meters OR I count all of the beats in a single repetition of an idea and find the best way to divide that in to equal (or close to equal) bars. The former method is typically accurate to the composer's vision while the latter sometimes isn't. For instance, in Tool's Lateralus, I counted the chorus as 12 beat phrases. The way I would write this is 3 bars of 4/4. However I was told by a bunch of fans that it's actually a series of 7/8, 8/8, 9/8. Both are technically correct but I went for the simpler idea.
@@CriticalReactions I loved how you put the whole pulses defying expectations triggering an alarm. If you do make a video to that effect, it'd be nice if you started with an easy example and then get more complex, because Im guessing identifying a 9/8 is harder than identifying a 4/4. With me, I can tell when a time signature is kind off the wall and unique (e.g. 9/8), but I still cant count it out. I feel like when something is in 4/4 I can usually pick that up. Anyway, just want to say keep doing what you are doing! I recently started playing the guitar (I played violin for 11 years as a kid), and learning to listen to music in this more analytic fashion has been of great interest for me. Thank you for helping me on my own musical journey!
Also, I know that Discord gives direction to the tracklist for the weekly theme, but if by any chance you do something from early Porcupine Tree, especially Always Never or Radioactive Toy, this week will automatically become so much better, no matter how good it's going to be anyway. Thanks for the patience!
Ok so the story of the song is a guy is high and has an experience where he is abducted by aliens and they give him insight to how to world will end and how to save the world. and because this person is such a fuck up he forgot to write it down, forgot his pen, cant remember what they said. GOD DAMN SHIT THE BED ! on the album there is a track leading into this track that is a scene of a guy in an ER tripping badly and the doctor goes into to talk to him to see what is going on and then this song plays out. From what I remember it was a story a friend told Maynard that he experienced while high. Lyrics are as follows: Alright then, picture this if you will: 10 to 2 am, X, Yogi DMT And a box of Krispy Kremes In my "need to know" pose, just outside of Area 51 Contemplating the whole "Chosen People" thing with just a flaming Stealth banana split the sky like one would hope But never really expect to see in a place like this Cutting right angle donuts on a dime and Stopping right at my Birkenstocks, and me yelping... "Holy fucking shit!" Then the X-Files being, Looking like some kind of blue-green Jackie Chan with Isabella Rossellini lips and Breath that reeked of vanilla Chig Champa Did a slow-mo Matrix descent out of the butt end of the banana vessel And hovered above my bug-eyes, my gaping jaw, And my sweaty L. Ron Hubbard upper lip and all I could think was: "I hope Uncle Martin here doesn't Notice that I pissed my fuckin' pants." So light in his way Like an apparition He had me crying out "Fuck me It's gotta be Deadhead Chemistry The blotter got right on top of me Got me seein' E-motherfuckin'-T!" And after calming me down with some Orange slices and some fetal spooning E.T. revealed to me his singular purpose He said, "You are the Chosen One The One who will deliver the message A message of hope for those who choose to Hear it and a warning for those who do not." Me. The Chosen One? They chose me! And I didn't even graduate from fuckin' high school You better You better You better You better listen Then he looked right through me With somniferous almond eyes Don't even know what that means Must remember to write it down This is so real Like the time Dave floated away See my heart is pounding 'Cause this shit never happens to me Can't breathe right now! It was so real Like I woke up in Wonderland All sort of terrifying And I don't wanna be all alone when I tell this story And can anyone tell me why You all sound like Peanut's parents? Will I ever be coming down? This is so real Finally, it's my lucky day See my heart is racing 'Cause this shit never happens to me Can't breathe right now! You believe me, don't you? Please believe what I just said See, the Dead ain't tourin' and this wasn't all in my head See they took me by the hand and invited me right in Then they showed me something I don't even know where to begin Strapped down my bed. Feet cold and eyes red I'm out of my head, am I alive or am I dead? Can't remember what they said Goddamn. Shit the bed! Overwhelmed as one would be, placed in my position Such a heavy burden now to be the One Born to bear and read to all The details of our ending To write it down for all the world to see But I forgot my pen Shit the bed again Typical Strapped down in my bed. Feet cold and eyes red I'm out of my head, am I alive or am I dead? Sunkist and Sudafed, gyroscopes and infrared Can't remember what they said Goddamn. Shit the bed! I can't remember what they said to me Can't remember what they said to make me out to be a hero! Can't remember what they said Bob help me Can't remember what they said Don't know, won't know... Goddamn shit the bed!
Just got done with 9 shows on this latest tour, and they were giving the vips logo pens and paper, along with a Fanny pack. They have been playing Rosetta most of the nights. Classic Tool troll
Try Jambi, from the same album. It's just mind blowiong in time shifts and polyritmics. The song is about union - separation - union. So, every instrument has their own time signature and in the middle they unite in one single time signature, before they shift again. The marvellous thing is that, even with every instrument on their time signature, BAM!!. Just listen to it.
I think you'd enjoy their early work a lot more as its definitely more melodically focussed and less rhythmically complex. There is still complexity in some aspects but atmosphere and timbre are much more of a focus on the first two albums which I find more interesting personally.
@@CriticalReactions There's definitely some less rhythmically focussed stuff on Lateralus but yeah I would be thinking the debut (Undertow) and Aenima. It's honestly a completely different experience in my mind from the later albums.
.... no it's not. Those sections are in 15/4. You can hear Danny laying down this odd 5/8 pattern with his right foot, playing Swiss triplets on the toms/pads, and the snare lands on every 3 quarter notes... giving it this odd 3/4 over 5/8 feel... easier to just count the quarter notes on the snare to hear the time signature.
I like your commentary. Funny story: there's an early 90's interview in which Adam Jones said Tool is "metal and grunge, so yeah we're _munge...!"_ Lol!.......I'd say they were also funk, then they later added more progressive and world-beat elements.
I think A Perfect Circle might be better suited for you. Maynard still the front man, but going more on the melodic route while still keeping an edge. I like that you recognize and respect what Tool is doing. There is a lot morefor you to analyze and you probably started on some of the more challenging ones. Perhaps the more pop(ish) Tool songs might be closer to your wheelhouse. Parabola, 46 & 2, Prison Sex, The Pot, Vicarious... all "friendlier" songs.
I suspect that the vocals are separate takes. I don't think they're as perfectly repeated as you think. Tool songs frequently go back and forth between single tracked, center channel guitar and double tracked, hard panned guitars with each track having different effects or EQ. A careful listen shows that the guitars are separate takes and not a single take through different effects channels. I think the vocals in Rosetta Stoned were similarly produced.
It doesn't look like you noticed, correct me if you did, but at around 4:18 it goes into a riff and it looks like you still thought it was in 5/4 or 5/8. That section is actually in 11/8, or 6/8 + 5/8, and they bring back that 11 idea towards the end several times. Just thought I'd let you know
I feel like Third Eye would’ve been a better choice for this subject. I also could be biased since it’s my favorite Tool song and has Bill Hicks on it.
Brian, I've been watching you for a while, and I think I have a hood idea of what you like. So, I really think you need to check out some Gentle Giant. Your insights into this amazing prog band from the 1970s would be great. A great place to start for you would be with their songs "Reflection" and "Free Hand", both from the same album "Free Hand". Then there is so much more greatness to explore with Gentle Giant from there. You'll be really glad you did.
I've checked out Gentle Giant twice during livestreams and enjoyed my time with both songs. That's certainly a group I gotta get a proper reaction and analysis for though.
Do the second listen and include “Lipan Conjuring” and “Lost Keys” follow the lyrics and enjoy. Musically you got the main concepts of the song. Now just enjoy the story. You are the best Tool critic that I hate to enjoy.
Perhaps you'd like to try a band called Cultura Tres - "Crosses and Lines". They're from South America / Venezuela and sounds a bit like they have been influenced by Tool and Meshuggah. Perhaps a bit repetitive at times, but great stuff.
"influenced by Tool and Meshuggah" is certainly not going to interest me casually but I'm always eager to look at all sorts of music. I'll keep them in mind for a future video.
Based on your comments about preferring the melodic interest over the rhythmic interest, it's time to go back to Haken. 'Crystalised' or 'Visions' should do the trick ;)
I think you should count along to the song a few more times. It changes *a lot.* You seem to have missed the 9/8 and 11/8 entirely. ;) No worries. It's perhaps their most difficult song to follow the meter. Especially on first listen and providing live commentary.
The thing with counting is that I'm also trying to pay attention to the various instruments, vocal melody, and lyrics on top of dyanmics, chords, and tempo. I could certainly spend an entire listen through just counting but I'd miss so much of the song for it. So I'll usually only pick up on the more noticeable changes. And something I've mentioned before in the Lateralus reaction is that Tool tends to do a pretty good job of hiding their odd time signatures underneath tight grooves. So it makes it even more difficult to pick up on some meter shifts. However I always have an open mind and am ready to learn from the comment section. I end every video with "leave any comments regarding stuff that I missed or didn't give enough attention to" for this very reason. With that said, thanks for pointing out that I missed some meter shifts. It's certainly something that I'll be on the lookout for if I listen to the song again.
Tool is such an interesting experience... They can be cerebral, very complex rhythmically, with highly contemplative songs. And then they make songs like H.W.A.P., a song that's very on the nose with its very abrasive message. A band that can be serious, but sometimes (often) likes to be tongue in cheek, and sometimes doesn't give a fuck. Rosetta Stoned is a grand blend of cerebral instruments while also pointing a mocking finger at self-proclaimed messiahs/alien abductees that were just high off their rocker (the main protagonist is a dude who was told a live saving message, but forgot his pen and shit the bed.... Again). Musically, it's a fantastic, organic groove session with three of the best instrumentalists (Danny, Adam, and Justin), with Maynard overlaying it with his unique lyrical, but fantastic melodic vocals.
To me, what makes Tool special is their creation of cohesive products. Maybe I'm just over-fanboying it, but i don't feel like you can just listen to the different instruments and analyze them separately from each other. The melody is mainly lead by the vocals, who tell a strong story. It's a somewhat comedic story, but the feeling of the song makes it very dramatic. Each to their own though. I used to be one of those die hard, very critical Tool fans, so i appoligize if some of it still leaks out. Still, to me their songs are pure gold and it's hard to hear criticism of something you appreciate so much. With that said, i can't resonate with their last release, so maybe a lot of my love for them is connected with nostalgia. Did you notice how Maynards vocals have changed? His voice and the way he uses it is completely different in the last album (you checked out Pneumonia out of that album).
I don't think I heard to much of a difference between Pneuma and Rosetta Stoned but it has been a while plus Rosetta used a LOT of modulation on the vocals. I did check out a Perfect Circle track a while ago and made a comment along the lines of "where were these vocals in Pneuma" and people let me know that the Perfect Circle song came out a lot earlier than Pneuma did.
Dude... you missed the song that leads into this one, "Lost Keys (Blame Hoffman)." Honestly, you really shouldn't listen to Rosetta Stoned without it. It makes it a completely different flavor. Whoever recommended this song to you without letting you know about its introduction failed you and your channel, my guy. Like another commenter said, it's a "crucial" track for listening to this one.
Thank you, you have given me an understanding of why one person can be gritting their theeth because of a song, and the person next to them is getting goosebumps.
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Definitely one of the most technically impressive Tool songs. And people call 10000 Days boring. This song is huge.
10,000 Days is actually my favorite Tool album. It's so rhythmically interesting and complex and Wings pt 1 and 2 and Right in Two have some of the best built up crescendos ever. And this song specifically is a fucking trip the whole way through. Lyrics are fantastic and hilarious as well.
@@RikiazGaming Seriously! So many great moments on this album. It’s definitely S tier in my opinion.
@@RikiazGaming Tool just continues to improve IMO. 10,000 Days was my favorite album of theirs, until Fear Inoculum. And after many many listens, has taken the mantle of Tool’s best album for me. Invincible, Descending, Pneuma, 7empest, culling voices…..all of them are masterpieces. I understand why it took them 13 years to release it.
Some context was requested? I got some, I got some for sure.
So, Tool released an album called Aenima in 1996. In 2001 Lateralus came out, and in 2006, 10000 Days.
The last track on Aenima was Third Eye. It had generally in the pulse of 3 that gave it a fluid, wavy feeling. The whole song was like a dark watercolor painting that fixated, or painstakingly imitated a deep spiritual psychedelic experience. As the rest of the album, with a deep bite into subconscious fragments of thoughts and feelings. There is room for wild rhythmic stuff, of course, but the tones and textures and dynamics stand in the center of this creepy masterpiece.
Ten years later, they make a song Rosetta Stoned (and Lost Keys (Blame Hofmann) that serves as an intro to the Rosetta one). And this song is like an evil twin of Third Eye. It mocks druggos with their "spiritual" bad trips in every way possible. 3/4 fluidity? Yeah right, here's lengthy stuttering parts in 5 and 11 for you (just this much missing a 12-beat square). Watercolor waves rolling in through of perception? Nah, but constant abrupt stops and shifts - pretty much. Even the 3/4 section is syncopated to death (also, goes in a 5-bar loop). Lyrics - well... just read it. Parallels are endless. Take the chant in the outro of each song: "Prying open my third eye" vs "Don't know, won't know". (Or Bill Hicks references, and so forth.) So, Rosetta stoned equals false truth: you feel like you got the deepest revelation, but no. It's just a really effed-up trip. "Lost keys (blame Hoffman)", now?
A funny thing is that I never thought about depersonalization being personalized through music. Now it seems so obvious. One more bit to it: when the "chorus" (or whatever the heck it is) kicks in, a very in-your-face instrumental 5/8 rhythm is unsynchronized with the vocals, which have the exact same pattern but have a different "one." Again, painstaking imitation.
So, do yourself a favor: get half an hour of free time, put on Third Eye, Lost Keys and Rosetta Stoned in a row, and read the lyrics along. I _guarantee_ you'll have a lot of enjoyment and probably a number of good laughs. What gets me most (except Sudafed) is how unnecessarily overcomplicated and overblown Rosetta Stoned is, compared to Third Eye. And that song goes right after The Pot on the album!
Thanks so much for this. It's interesting that this not only fits into it's own album with the previous song being a lead in but also ties back to earlier work of theirs.
@@CriticalReactions For TooL it' not uncommon to have a "precursor" song like Lost Keys is for Rosetta Stoned, Parabol to Parabola(pretty obvious) in Lateralus album or my personal favorite, Intension to Right in Two in 10,000 days album. The latter couple is really interesting.
You gave me a lot to digest
The lyrics are having me rolling on the floor. They are really important to this song, so I guess as a first listen without lyrics it's not as interesting.
Yeah, lyrics are friggin hilarious. The music aspect is to create the chaos that was this abduction, haha.
What makes Rosetta Stoned so great and how I think it should be appreciated is the actual story that it's telling. The music is the soundtrack to the story itself. The structure of it all perfectly captures the sense of delight, paranoia, dread, and then despair.
Thank you for doing this song! It’s an amazing song and one of my personal favorites. Look up the lyrics you’ll enjoy it for sure. Another great song especially for psychedelic week would be Third Eye.
Unfortunately you missed the crucial introduction "Lost Keys". It sets up all that you are to hear and juxtaposes the rest of the song profoundly, giving it a much greater impact.
Perhaps lyrically, but not musically.. I usually skip it because I want to get to the music in this.
@@EiriUesugiKun yeah once you know the story, you don't really need to listen to lost keys every time
@@EiriUesugiKun blasphemy but yea my wife hates the feedbacky bass in LK.
The slower middle section is actually in 11/8. and that rhythmic open chord 'breakdown' section is 5/8 with a couple 7/8s thrown in, but the end of the outro that brings that riff back is all 7/8. That complex sounding guitar solo part is actually just 3/4 but I think they're doing some kind of polyrhythm over it, or maybe just complicated syncopation. So they're playing around with 4/4 and 5/8 in the first part, 11/8 and 5/8 in the middle part, and then 6/8, 3/4, and 11/8 when nearing the outro. Outro is that 11/8 riff but stretched to 11/4 then that gets overlaid and mixed into a straight 7/8 at the very end. Crazy stuff
It’s also worth mentioning that there is a lead in song to this as well that combined creates a cool atmosphere. They’re basically about a guy getting abducted by aliens and telling the doctors about his experience and the fast rambling part at the beginning is him frantically explaining the situation as he has been told about the demise of the human race but conveniently forgot his pen so he didn’t write it down and now he forgot and is trying to remember that they said.
That’s a very watered down explanation of the songs lyrics. Definitely read them and give a second listen to the song and follow along.
The solo section is a 3/4 but the accents from the bass land in non harmonious areas giving it an off time feel.
Psychedelic week : Mastodon - The Last Baron.
Yes of course I was gonna request it again haha.
I think for a psychedelic week pendulous skin might make more sense, even if the last baron is quite possibly one of the best songs ever written
@@chokovok7231 Both make sense.
I love Pendulous skin.
I've only heard a few songs from Tool also, mostly the one's that got radio play. I don't dislike them, just think most of their songs sound the same. I know that comment gets me in trouble with the hardcore Tool fans. But, I do appreciate their sound and honesty haven't given them a real good listen and understanding. I really enjoyed this song and it makes me want to give them another try. Thanks.
They do have their own signature sound so I can understand if people think it sounds all the same.
My first Tool reaction had a comment section of angry Tool fans so I'd say you might be in good company here :) So far I think they do a very specific, semi-unique thing very well. But it is a specific sound and isn't going to be for everyone, contrary to their fans' belief that it's perfect music.
Usually when you have the impression all songs sounds the same (in a genre or a band) it's because you're looking at them from too far away, if you "get closer" (that is listening more to the material) the differences start to become more prominent.
To Jane, if this was your first hearing of Rosetta Stoned and you somehow liked it, that's awesome. This song is a lot to digest. A LOT. Go at your own pace, try a new song now and then, I'm sure you'll find gems on that journey. Don't let fans (as myself!) stop you. If in the end you like 3-4 Tool songs and all the others still sound the same to you, it's not a problem. But if you enjoyed Rosetta Stoned, odds are you'll like more than 3-4 songs in the end. That would be my guess. Have fun!
@@STAR0SS I agree. I was a bit hesitant mentioning because I've had backlash about this comment before and it could be said of any band/genre for sure. Even my favorite bands. I have not listened to Tool with headphones/ earbuds with lyrics pulled up like I have some other bands and it does make a difference. Tool definitely has their distinct signature sound like no other. I'll have to give them a closer listen.
Your comments are interesting. For someone new to Tool and especially, with your declared musical preference, Rosetta Stoned is the very deep end. Like you say, there’s technical excellence, but you had difficulty connecting with it in a way that is satisfying.
I was the same until I approached Tool differently and there was a willingness to do this since they are different. They need your full attention. The lyrics are important to their songs, with for many, the music being composed to reflect/complement the lyrics. For example, their song, The Grudge loses a lot of its delivery if the lyrics aren’t understood and followed. Finally, their music is seriously layered and require multiple focused listens to fully appreciate.
One may ask why all the effort? Well, I asked that question and can say that it’s an eye opener.
All three musicians are fantastic. Adam shows that simple can be extremely effective if well timed and in harmony with other instruments. Tool is a band where one can say that no musician or the vocals dominates. All get equal opportunity to shine and when they are going full steam together it’s glorious. Their final album is my favourite, with them getting better and better with each album.
This video should have way more view. Great video.
Thank you for the reaction video 🤘... Spiral Out , Keep Going....
For psychedelic music you can't go wrong with Shpongle, they are really good with mixing the timbre of acoustic and synthetic instruments and often manage to get a good balance between melody and rhythm of the track. A good middle of the road starter would be "My Head Feels Like a Frisbee", it's a cool mix of Latino, Asian, "world music" and trance sensibilities of music and melody.
dude, shpongle is the best! I have yet to listen to any artist that gets as weird as they do
I am you is shpongles best song imo
Bruh, it’s been 15 years and I just realized the highhat is keeping the 3/4 on the instrumental. Wtf 🐙
I always heard the claps come in but thought that started all the insanity. There will never be another TOOL
To my ear, Danny was channeling Bill Bruford from the 80's incarnation of King Crimson. I highly recommend, " Neurotica".
“This is Tool, so I will be counting time signatures…”
Danny Carey: “Alrighty, then… Count this if you will…”
Okay I've had enough. I'm sitting here working on my campground cleaning it up putting a new tent up as I listen to this guy talk away but I don't know how many minutes. Let me know who agrees that I'll come back and listen to this guy a year later after he lets this girl on him and understands where the sun is coming from stop being so serious. This is a DMT high instead of friend came and told him the story about his trip. I guarantee your attitude will be different but many things about this band especially this song the year from now. You got me nuts. Going on with your self-importance. Don't take it personal but you should have listened to the song six months down the line too early in your tool experience. Wait till you hear many other songs with the vocals his range and delivery this one almost for many different genres in areas directions. I'm going to stop trying to explain. This band will grow on you I guarantee you pretty much bet my 61-year-old experience in life that you will have this as one of your top band if not the top band in your life it just happens that way. Listen to some earlier tunes don't listen to all the new stuff work your way there. And listen to the songs and then with the lyrics put it together and understand that these words are put together after the songs are finished music is completely done it will astonish you. If it doesn't you're just a different human being from a different place. Cuz all of us in the tool army come from many different areas but meet in the middle at one place that's tools place. Stop thinking you know when you really have no idea. Your response to the song that's completely out of context of what the song is and what it's about where it came from I hope this isn't too long. If anybody agrees please respond. I think it will help him in many areas besides his music experience but in life good luck see you in the future but for now I'm out
Tool are just outside my top 10. Never associated them with psychedelia, but thinking on it I guess they do incorporate a lot of psychedelic elements, especially with Adam Jones focusing on creating weird guitar sounds/textures rather than writing traditional solos. I think many thought of psychedelia here because the lyrics are about a really intense DMT trip/coma (and being abducted by aliens). This is also a classic example of a Tool song that's grown on me with time. First listen I wasn't crazy about it and felt it meandered too much, but as time has gone on I began looking forward to slipping into its aesthetic that feels akin to the strange stream-of-conscious experience you can have when really high. Amazing how Tool nailed the feeling of that in music, at least for me.
I'm not a drummer but this is supposedly one of drummer Danny Carey's most complex works. In an interview he said it was the hardest for him as well: "There’s that part where I’m playing four with my
left foot, five with my right foot, and six with my hands." Also, a long while back when we discussed Tool I mentioned they had a moment where Carey did a snare roll going through all the subdivisions of the beat, and that's from this song: that moment comes at 4:20 in this video (lol @ the 4:20 coincidence). There's actually a cool TH-cam video breaking it down here: th-cam.com/video/9MGR4dnHeQQ/w-d-xo.html
FWIW, here's what I wrote about Tool on my Top 100 Artists: "Metal music's philosophers. Though they started as a band that fit well with the dark alternative rock/metal scene of the early 90s, by their second LP Aenima it was clear Tool had loftier ambitions, and once Lateralus came out it was equally clear their musical skill had finally matched up with those ambitions. More than any band since Pink Floyd, Tool seems to have that ability to profoundly move audiences that are willing to give themselves over to their long, slow-burning musical compositions that often feel less like songs and more like meditative journeys into the mind's inner cosmos. But beyond the philosophy, Tool can also rock and groove as hard as any band out there; just put on The Pot for proof of that. I'd also be remiss without mentioning the genius of Danny Carey, who's certainly in the conversation for the greatest drummer in rock's history."
I will say (and I think I said on another of your Tool reactions) that Tool does have simpler/catchier songs, but the hardcore fans tend to mostly recommend these longer, more complex, proggy tracks. Songs like Sober, Stinkfist, Prison Sex, Aenima, and Schism actually got A LOT of radio play back in the day.
It will never cease to amazing me how fluent Danny's polymeter is. I've been getting better at picking up polymeter and polyrhythm but Danny's always flies right under my radar. I gotta reiterate something I siad during the drum cam for Pneuma, "Danny makes hyper complex rhythms so easy to parse."
Lost Keys (Blame Hofman) is the track right before Rosetta Stoned and it adds a lot more context to the story that’s being told. It’s hilarious in its totality.
During the recording of 10,000 Days, a friend of the band came to the studio and was going on and on about how he has been abducted by aliens the night before. No one was sure if he was just pulling their leg or serious but Maynard thought it was hilarious and decided to write a song effectively moving the guy.
Oh man, if you're so crazy about multiple melodic layers in a song, you really need to listen to Pure Reason Revolution, especially their first LP - I recommend "The Bright Ambassadors of Morning", the amount of work they put into those vocals is incredible. Also, you might want to try "As The Leaves Are To The Limbs
" by British Theatre - the middle part is a thing of beauty when it comes to building complex vocal harmonies.
I remember hearing this song for the first time when I was like … Nine or ten years old? Definitely left an impression, I remember being in disbelief of the lyrics and thinking “that can’t be what he’s actually singing” lol
Third EYE (Live) from the Salival album is something really special. It's a live performance taken directly from the sound board. I think you would enjoy it.
I LOVE that version
The double vocals on the faster monotone bars are Maynard in a Talkbox (left) and the audio engineer Joe Baressi on the mic for the clean vocals (right). Also protools can get a good sync easily lol.
@12:00 to the end...
This is all I need to hear to know that these guys are musical wizards.
The “slower than Animals as Leaders” reference is an interesting observation. I’ve never thought about that before, but I agree completely.
I can tell you like the time sig play, so I suggest Descending as a great Tool track with some complex time play.
One thing I love about your channel is how you keep track of time signatures. Is that simply experience? Or do you have a methodology for doing so? I’d love a video where you explained that.
I'm planning on doing a whole video about how I listen to music critically like this, in general. Part of that would include time signatures. But as a quick rundown, different time signatures have pulses (like feelings or grooves) to them and when that doesn't fit my expectations, like when a time signature changes, it typically is like an alarm and my brain immediately wants to check it out. I then either get an immediate feel fro the pulse and cross reference that with typical pulses for standard meters OR I count all of the beats in a single repetition of an idea and find the best way to divide that in to equal (or close to equal) bars. The former method is typically accurate to the composer's vision while the latter sometimes isn't.
For instance, in Tool's Lateralus, I counted the chorus as 12 beat phrases. The way I would write this is 3 bars of 4/4. However I was told by a bunch of fans that it's actually a series of 7/8, 8/8, 9/8. Both are technically correct but I went for the simpler idea.
@@CriticalReactions I loved how you put the whole pulses defying expectations triggering an alarm. If you do make a video to that effect, it'd be nice if you started with an easy example and then get more complex, because Im guessing identifying a 9/8 is harder than identifying a 4/4. With me, I can tell when a time signature is kind off the wall and unique (e.g. 9/8), but I still cant count it out. I feel like when something is in 4/4 I can usually pick that up. Anyway, just want to say keep doing what you are doing! I recently started playing the guitar (I played violin for 11 years as a kid), and learning to listen to music in this more analytic fashion has been of great interest for me. Thank you for helping me on my own musical journey!
Also, I know that Discord gives direction to the tracklist for the weekly theme, but if by any chance you do something from early Porcupine Tree, especially Always Never or Radioactive Toy, this week will automatically become so much better, no matter how good it's going to be anyway.
Thanks for the patience!
Ok so the story of the song is a guy is high and has an experience where he is abducted by aliens and they give him insight to how to world will end and how to save the world. and because this person is such a fuck up he forgot to write it down, forgot his pen, cant remember what they said. GOD DAMN SHIT THE BED ! on the album there is a track leading into this track that is a scene of a guy in an ER tripping badly and the doctor goes into to talk to him to see what is going on and then this song plays out. From what I remember it was a story a friend told Maynard that he experienced while high. Lyrics are as follows:
Alright then, picture this if you will:
10 to 2 am, X, Yogi DMT
And a box of Krispy Kremes
In my "need to know" pose, just outside of Area 51
Contemplating the whole "Chosen People" thing with just a flaming
Stealth banana split the sky like one would hope
But never really expect to see in a place like this
Cutting right angle donuts on a dime and
Stopping right at my Birkenstocks, and me yelping...
"Holy fucking shit!"
Then the X-Files being,
Looking like some kind of blue-green Jackie Chan with
Isabella Rossellini lips and
Breath that reeked of vanilla Chig Champa
Did a slow-mo Matrix descent out of the butt end of the banana vessel
And hovered above my bug-eyes, my gaping jaw,
And my sweaty L. Ron Hubbard upper lip and all I could think was:
"I hope Uncle Martin here doesn't
Notice that I pissed my fuckin' pants."
So light in his way
Like an apparition
He had me crying out
"Fuck me
It's gotta be
Deadhead Chemistry
The blotter got right on top of me
Got me seein' E-motherfuckin'-T!"
And after calming me down with some
Orange slices and some fetal spooning
E.T. revealed to me his singular purpose
He said, "You are the Chosen One
The One who will deliver the message
A message of hope for those who choose to
Hear it and a warning for those who do not."
Me. The Chosen One?
They chose me!
And I didn't even graduate from fuckin' high school
You better
You better
You better
You better listen
Then he looked right through me
With somniferous almond eyes
Don't even know what that means
Must remember to write it down
This is so real
Like the time Dave floated away
See my heart is pounding
'Cause this shit never happens to me
Can't breathe right now!
It was so real
Like I woke up in Wonderland
All sort of terrifying
And I don't wanna be all alone when I tell this story
And can anyone tell me why
You all sound like Peanut's parents?
Will I ever be coming down?
This is so real
Finally, it's my lucky day
See my heart is racing
'Cause this shit never happens to me
Can't breathe right now!
You believe me, don't you? Please believe what I just said
See, the Dead ain't tourin' and this wasn't all in my head
See they took me by the hand and invited me right in
Then they showed me something
I don't even know where to begin
Strapped down my bed. Feet cold and eyes red
I'm out of my head, am I alive or am I dead?
Can't remember what they said
Goddamn. Shit the bed!
Overwhelmed as one would be, placed in my position
Such a heavy burden now to be the One
Born to bear and read to all
The details of our ending
To write it down for all the world to see
But I forgot my pen
Shit the bed again
Typical
Strapped down in my bed. Feet cold and eyes red
I'm out of my head, am I alive or am I dead?
Sunkist and Sudafed, gyroscopes and infrared
Can't remember what they said
Goddamn. Shit the bed!
I can't remember what they said to me
Can't remember what they said to make me out to be a hero!
Can't remember what they said
Bob help me
Can't remember what they said
Don't know, won't know...
Goddamn shit the bed!
Just got done with 9 shows on this latest tour, and they were giving the vips logo pens and paper, along with a Fanny pack. They have been playing Rosetta most of the nights. Classic Tool troll
Try Jambi, from the same album. It's just mind blowiong in time shifts and polyritmics. The song is about union - separation - union. So, every instrument has their own time signature and in the middle they unite in one single time signature, before they shift again. The marvellous thing is that, even with every instrument on their time signature, BAM!!. Just listen to it.
my man, you gotta do Catching smoke by King Gizzard and the Lizzard wizard. I appreciate all of you hard work and insight !
The time sigs dance around a lot more than just 4 and 5. A lot the middle between the 5 and 3 you noticed is 11. Like. 6 + 5 or 3/3/3/2
Try Schism, Right in Two, Sober, Stinkfist, 46&2. Pretty much anything that gets radio play
At 1:20 I said “No! Where’s lost keys??”
I urge you to check out Right in Two. It may be a bit more your speed.
I think you'd enjoy their early work a lot more as its definitely more melodically focussed and less rhythmically complex. There is still complexity in some aspects but atmosphere and timbre are much more of a focus on the first two albums which I find more interesting personally.
People keep saying that. I wonder how far back I'd have to go. Lateralus was their third album I think. Are we talking debut album here?
@@CriticalReactions There's definitely some less rhythmically focussed stuff on Lateralus but yeah I would be thinking the debut (Undertow) and Aenima. It's honestly a completely different experience in my mind from the later albums.
The second half of the song is mostly in 11/4. The polyrhythmic sections you noticed is 11/4 against 5/8.
.... no it's not. Those sections are in 15/4. You can hear Danny laying down this odd 5/8 pattern with his right foot, playing Swiss triplets on the toms/pads, and the snare lands on every 3 quarter notes... giving it this odd 3/4 over 5/8 feel... easier to just count the quarter notes on the snare to hear the time signature.
I like your commentary. Funny story: there's an early 90's interview in which Adam Jones said Tool is "metal and grunge, so yeah we're _munge...!"_ Lol!.......I'd say they were also funk, then they later added more progressive and world-beat elements.
vicarious
I think A Perfect Circle might be better suited for you. Maynard still the front man, but going more on the melodic route while still keeping an edge. I like that you recognize and respect what Tool is doing. There is a lot morefor you to analyze and you probably started on some of the more challenging ones. Perhaps the more pop(ish) Tool songs might be closer to your wheelhouse. Parabola, 46 & 2, Prison Sex, The Pot, Vicarious... all "friendlier" songs.
TOOL is an experience …
That’s it
I suspect that the vocals are separate takes. I don't think they're as perfectly repeated as you think. Tool songs frequently go back and forth between single tracked, center channel guitar and double tracked, hard panned guitars with each track having different effects or EQ. A careful listen shows that the guitars are separate takes and not a single take through different effects channels. I think the vocals in Rosetta Stoned were similarly produced.
It doesn't look like you noticed, correct me if you did, but at around 4:18 it goes into a riff and it looks like you still thought it was in 5/4 or 5/8. That section is actually in 11/8, or 6/8 + 5/8, and they bring back that 11 idea towards the end several times. Just thought I'd let you know
I feel like Third Eye would’ve been a better choice for this subject.
I also could be biased since it’s my favorite Tool song and has Bill Hicks on it.
Brian, I've been watching you for a while, and I think I have a hood idea of what you like. So, I really think you need to check out some Gentle Giant. Your insights into this amazing prog band from the 1970s would be great. A great place to start for you would be with their songs "Reflection" and "Free Hand", both from the same album "Free Hand". Then there is so much more greatness to explore with Gentle Giant from there.
You'll be really glad you did.
I've checked out Gentle Giant twice during livestreams and enjoyed my time with both songs. That's certainly a group I gotta get a proper reaction and analysis for though.
@@CriticalReactions I definitely agree! 😁
I'd love to hear how you break them down in the way that only you can do. Cheers! 🍻
Puscifer - Bread and Circus off Existential Reckoning album.🙏🙏🙏
Great analysis!!!
Nice reaction - subscribed - try vicarious or the grudge next
Please for the love of God listen to 10,000 Days Part 2, it's such a beautiful song about Maynard's mother
Wonderful song - simple as that!
Do the second listen and include “Lipan Conjuring” and “Lost Keys” follow the lyrics and enjoy. Musically you got the main concepts of the song. Now just enjoy the story. You are the best Tool critic that I hate to enjoy.
Please do both parts of Wings for Marie
Perhaps you'd like to try a band called Cultura Tres - "Crosses and Lines".
They're from South America / Venezuela and sounds a bit like they have been influenced by Tool and Meshuggah. Perhaps a bit repetitive at times, but great stuff.
"influenced by Tool and Meshuggah" is certainly not going to interest me casually but I'm always eager to look at all sorts of music. I'll keep them in mind for a future video.
@@CriticalReactions fair enough 😉
you should have included "lost Keys"
does this dude live under a rock?... hasn't heard 10,000 days before? SMDH
Mabye you should go listen to the radio some more!! :-(
Unsubbed!
Based on your comments about preferring the melodic interest over the rhythmic interest, it's time to go back to Haken. 'Crystalised' or 'Visions' should do the trick ;)
Lol i see you did it already
If you want to listen to a melodic tool song, I recommend Schism. The bridge/ending is very melodic.
The main riff is addictive.
😵💫
Lmao why they give you this for your 3rd tool song 😹😹😹
I think you should count along to the song a few more times. It changes *a lot.* You seem to have missed the 9/8 and 11/8 entirely. ;)
No worries. It's perhaps their most difficult song to follow the meter. Especially on first listen and providing live commentary.
The thing with counting is that I'm also trying to pay attention to the various instruments, vocal melody, and lyrics on top of dyanmics, chords, and tempo. I could certainly spend an entire listen through just counting but I'd miss so much of the song for it. So I'll usually only pick up on the more noticeable changes. And something I've mentioned before in the Lateralus reaction is that Tool tends to do a pretty good job of hiding their odd time signatures underneath tight grooves. So it makes it even more difficult to pick up on some meter shifts.
However I always have an open mind and am ready to learn from the comment section. I end every video with "leave any comments regarding stuff that I missed or didn't give enough attention to" for this very reason. With that said, thanks for pointing out that I missed some meter shifts. It's certainly something that I'll be on the lookout for if I listen to the song again.
Tool is such an interesting experience... They can be cerebral, very complex rhythmically, with highly contemplative songs. And then they make songs like H.W.A.P., a song that's very on the nose with its very abrasive message. A band that can be serious, but sometimes (often) likes to be tongue in cheek, and sometimes doesn't give a fuck. Rosetta Stoned is a grand blend of cerebral instruments while also pointing a mocking finger at self-proclaimed messiahs/alien abductees that were just high off their rocker (the main protagonist is a dude who was told a live saving message, but forgot his pen and shit the bed.... Again).
Musically, it's a fantastic, organic groove session with three of the best instrumentalists (Danny, Adam, and Justin), with Maynard overlaying it with his unique lyrical, but fantastic melodic vocals.
To me, what makes Tool special is their creation of cohesive products. Maybe I'm just over-fanboying it, but i don't feel like you can just listen to the different instruments and analyze them separately from each other. The melody is mainly lead by the vocals, who tell a strong story. It's a somewhat comedic story, but the feeling of the song makes it very dramatic.
Each to their own though. I used to be one of those die hard, very critical Tool fans, so i appoligize if some of it still leaks out. Still, to me their songs are pure gold and it's hard to hear criticism of something you appreciate so much.
With that said, i can't resonate with their last release, so maybe a lot of my love for them is connected with nostalgia.
Did you notice how Maynards vocals have changed? His voice and the way he uses it is completely different in the last album (you checked out Pneumonia out of that album).
I don't think I heard to much of a difference between Pneuma and Rosetta Stoned but it has been a while plus Rosetta used a LOT of modulation on the vocals. I did check out a Perfect Circle track a while ago and made a comment along the lines of "where were these vocals in Pneuma" and people let me know that the Perfect Circle song came out a lot earlier than Pneuma did.
4:43: "And they looked right through me. Was I ever this hologised? Don't even know what that means." What a lyric.
With somniferous almond eyes **
Dude... you missed the song that leads into this one, "Lost Keys (Blame Hoffman)." Honestly, you really shouldn't listen to Rosetta Stoned without it. It makes it a completely different flavor. Whoever recommended this song to you without letting you know about its introduction failed you and your channel, my guy. Like another commenter said, it's a "crucial" track for listening to this one.
I am sorry, but for this extraordinary song it is such a BORING review.
Thank you, you have given me an understanding of why one person can be gritting their theeth because of a song, and the person next to them is getting goosebumps.