No need to reply to this, but do you listen to these songs that you listen to for the channel after you record? I'm not necessarily meaning in the car or on the treadmill or anything, but even once, off camera? I think you should for all of them, as it is a good practice to give the artist their full respect, but Tool songs benefit more from that than most due to their rhythmic tension and release style of composition. That said, thank you for the videos, I've seen a few of them and you have a great love for music and it is nice to hear your point of view in all of them.
Hi Amy - Have you come across the (Japanese) Koto ensemble arrangement of Lateralus? Simply amazing! ruclips.net/video/dm2glu3WLGk/видео.html Also, a harpist (also named Amy!) has done an arrangement of the song. ruclips.net/video/6VHvutlgf80/видео.html
As a tool fan, I can say you’re more than likely gonna get a good amount of views on this video. Tool fans love seeing reactions to this band because we love to live vicariously through others first times so we can relive it through your eyes.
Black - 1 Then - 1 White are -2 All I see -3 In my infancy -5 Red and yellow then came to be - 8 Reaching out to me - 5 Let’s me see -3 As below so above and beyond, I imagine - 13 Drawn outside the lines of reason -8 Push the envelope - 5 Watch it bend - 3
@@CS_Sardine It's the Fibonacci sequence in the Lyrics. 1-1-2-3-5-8-5-3 (goes up then down), then 13-8-5-3 (begins high then low). These are all mathematical numbers of the Sequence written down in a lyrical sequence to mimic the Fibonacci...the Golden Ratio.
Maynard on Joe Rogan is a bit embarrassed about the whole Fibonacci sequence. Actually called it sophomoric. But once you know about it you think about it whenever you hear it.
You can do as many of these videos on Tool as you’d like to. For Tool fans, seeing your reaction is the closest we’ll get to hearing it again for the first time.
nope. i went from the cheap headphones that came with cd players back when this was new, to actually good audio, and THAT was literally like hearing it for the first time again. so much i didnt hear before
I've seen a ton of Tool reaction videos. I think you gave a very deep, intellectual and thoughtful reaction, more so than most videos I've watched. Excellent job
FINALLY someone who knows what they are talking about and can define why this is so good. Refreshing to find someone who doesn't sensationalize it with basic bs and dramatic presentation. awesome breakdown.
I find it difficult not to listen to the entire album rather than just one song. The album flows together so perfectly. It was my first introduction to Tool. The only band that gives me goosebumps after hearing the same song thousands of times.
I played this for a friend. I might as well have been taking fingernails to a chalkboard in front of him. I don't know if Tool has a gene and you're required to have the gene?? I don't know but if so I'm very glad to have the gene.
Also the fact they were able to stay objective and didn't become partisan political hacks and could see the flaws on both left and right from 2015-present day. I've become very jaded with how one sided and or partisan all forms of media has become. From actual news, to music, movies, sports, etc. I just wanna be able to enjoy something without feeling like I'm being lectured to by a political partisan hack, left or right. I respect the band on lots of levels. Same with his views on religion, he can talk/sing about his dislike of it, without casting hate on people that are religious. It takes a lot of self control to not cast a wide net over people when it comes to religion and politics, especially with how easy it is to fall into the trap of groupthink. It deserves a lot of respect imo.
Did I just get suggested a well spoken classical musician doing their first Tool reaction? Well, I know what I'm watching this winter, can't wait to go on this journey with you.
@@MaRINoL It made me laugh to hear her explain the structure and intent of the song in greater detail than 99% of tool fans could, only for her opinion of the song to finally be: 'meh.. its alright'
@@dribblesg2 kinda like Joe Rogan geeking out over it while Maynard was on his podcast, only for Maynard to cringe and basically say the same "meh.. it's alright" lol
And most Tool fans just cling to what they read, they couldnt count much less explain the time signatures, or the philosophy behind the lyricism, if you wanna call it that. It's an annoying fanbase to be part of, I tend to avoid them at all costs.
I love how much you picked up with your first listen, very impressive, you picked up on the "joke" of it being highly technical and analytical and Maynard criticizing over analyzing. It's one of the best songs ever IMO. Thank you so much for giving us your perspective on it.
In my opinion, this is the best song TOOL has written, and one of the greatest songs ever written. Twenty years later and it still gives me goosebumps. Pure perfection.
Not once, since hearing it for the first time, has it left me with dry eyes. Sometimes sobbing. Sometimes smiling with tears at the beauty of it all. Fully agree with you. It's my number one of all time. I can't imagine anything will dethrone it but I welcome the possibility.
Yeah man. Totally. Not the song I have the strongest connection to (Stinkfist), but definitely the best objectively. The album is one of the greatest albums of all time.
"Overthinking, over-analyzing, separates the body from the mind. Withering my intuition leaving all these opportunities behind." Maynard's lyrics in Tool's most analyzed song ever.
I mean its not meant as a hit to the listener. The whole song is literally based on a mathematical concept, so its most likely them realizing they have separated the body from the mind.
You brought tears to my eyes about a song I've listened to thousands of times. Thank you, you made it feel as if I had listened to it for the very first time ever. It was awesome and so cathartic.
Danny Carey of Tool is now the torch holder for rock drummers since Neil Pert passed away, the drumming world is in good hands and this is coming from life long Neil Pert fan.
Coming from a background where I am the only person in my local area who loves progressive rock / metal and my only friends who love this kind of music are online friends I must I say that I would expect a classical music teacher or someone with a classical background to approach this kind of music with horror. I must say you have such an open mind and I really respect / appreciate that. Amazing attitude ma'am, I wish more people had an attitude like yours. Makes me feel even I should be more open to things. Amazing channel, look forward to more great content from you.
Many have described the intro percussion as sounding like being inside the womb. The song lyrically kind of walks you through the progression of life. So the beginning of the song is, basically, birth. Amazing song. It is absolutely a perfect song.
Nothing more pleasant than to watch a studied musician genuinely and organically let the rhythm move their body. Your detailed analysis of this song was very interesting. I appreciate your content.
Lateralus as an album is Tool's Magnum Opus. As a drummer, Pneuma is their one track keeps me up at night. Nevermind Forty-Six & Two. With the passing of Neal Peart, Danny is our greatest living treasure.
The Fibonacci sequence in this song is utilised by the singer , Maynard James Kennan ,in the rhythmic pattern in which he sings the verse. The beginning of verse one : Black = 1 And = 1 White are = 2 All I see = 3 In my in-fan-cy = 5 Red and ye-llow then came to be = 8 (Then he goes backwards ) Re-aching out to me = 5 Let's me see = 3
What I love most about Tool is that it is super deep, but it is not at all gratuitous. It sounds 'interesting', but it doesn't sound like they are trying really hard. They're just making some music. And that's why it's fun to geek out over. Whereas some other technical bands sound like they're trying to play something really complicated, as if they're challenging the listener to figure out how clever they are.
I agree. While Tool is very technical and precise the music flows in a very organic way. You can tell that they are not trying too hard. I like progressive music but I don't like it when the music sounds forced.
@@dansimmons5382 Yeah, to be honest I think sometimes even the classic progressive bands sounded pretentious sometimes; ELP for example. But the classic prog band equivalent to TOOL's effortlessness is Jethro Tull.
Well some bands make music for other musicians. And to us laypeople who don’t understand the “language” that well it sounds pretentious as you describe. Obviously to other musicians it’s not as much of a challenge to figure out what clever music theory things were being done. The rest of us just want a tune that makes us feel good.
First reaction video where the person actually got the score to look at while reacting. Well done !! Watched many tool reaction videos. I would love to see more Tool reactions.
Love this! Adam Jones Tool’s guitarist, is a classically trained violinist so his guitar playing kind of mimics that. Danny Carey has quite a jazz background and is considered the best drummer in the world right now and Justin just kicks ass as a bassist who also has a degree in music theory. MJK is a singer, songwriter who can actually sing, beautifully. You don’t see that in rock very often. I think it’s awesome to hear a classical musician critiquing Tools work. This is one of my favorite Tool songs. Happy you chose it. You should listen to Schism, Descending and Reflection next . Bravo on this! 👏👏👏👏
Glad you brought up the juxtaposition between the lyrics and the complexity of the composition. It's a very Tool move to make a song warning against overthinking, and have it become the most analyzed and picked apart song in their discography. Not the first time they've created such tongue in cheek oxymorons.
In my humble opinion, although Lateralus and Schism are the more talked about songs on this album, and probably with good reason, The Holy Trinity (Disposition, Reflection, Triad) is their magnum opus. Absolutely soul touching stuff
The sound of the precussion building at the begining of the song represents an unborn child hearing it's mothers heartbeat. The guitar then intensifies signaling the birth, then Maynard sings about the child becoming aware of the world around it through it's developing senses.
Well it's actually in a 9/8, 8/8, 7/8 and it was called 987, so you got your time signatures reversed there. And they realised that 987 was a number in the fibonacci sequence after the fact and thought it was pretty cool.
I started listening to this band when their first single came out back in 92-93ish. They're the only band that I've listened to consistently since then. Like I was a HUGE Pink Floyd fan; had every album (including the obscure soundtracks they did for art house films) and gladly missed my Senior Prom to see them in 94 at Foxboro stadium. I've been a guitar player since that time, and David Gilmore was my favorite player, literally everything I do now from the fact that I'm mostly a Strat player, his I use vibrato and bends, and the way I tend to use phrasing when I'm improvising over music finds it's genesis in his playing. I've been a luthier for 20+years, and have been modifying/servicing and building guitar amps for about 15 years: that all started trying to get his lead tone on Comfortably Numb, which required a vintage 70s Big Muff at a time before the effects pedal explosion in the 2000s where you can find clones and modified clones of vintage pedals. The only choice I had besides laying out $600 for an actual vintage one was to get a schematic, learn how to read it and how to solder, and then build one. That said, I honestly can't really even listen to them anymore: I just played them out. I wasn't even aware that I had been listening to Tool that long, I realized it when I was ragging on a friend who's basically listened only to Rush for 35 years and said "I can't understand how you can still listen to it after all this time, I don't listed really to anything that I did in highschool…except for MAYBE Tool." Then I thought more about it and realized that while I didn't consider myself a Tool freak, in a way I was. I've always found this song to be the culmination of the band's (& Maynard's in particular) sense of humor, specifically that Gen X aloof, trolling sense of humor. The songs structure almost forces you to pay attention to what's going on, I mean REALLY listen. While that's going on the lyrics are saying "psst, hey…hey, are you listening? (Yes, I'm listening)…are you sure? Are you listening closely? (Yes…I'm listening) {in an almost whispering voice} okay, now pay attention…pay close attention (I am) good, okay now what you need to do is…… {shouting in your ear} STOP LISTENING SO CLOSELY AND F'CKING RELAX!! Side note: while I've been a dedicated guitar player for over 30 years, there's always at least one moment when listing to Tool where I think to myself "ahh hell…I should have learned the drums instead." Danny Carey's playing always lights a spark of envy because of how good he is.
In the 70’s, it was Yes, Floyd and ELP for me. Early genesis is also good. I’ve been a musician for 50+ years, and 4/4 three chord songs bore me to death….
I love TOOL and I love Maynard James Keenan's voice. He is an absolute GENIUS when it comes to his lyricism, his amazing voice, and the way the music's set up in such ebbs and flows. He is such an amazing musician.. it's alternative rock, which is different than metal or just plain rock. I love watching peole break down a band I've been listening to for 30+ years! ❤❤❤
The whole album in itself is a Fibonacci mind screw.....Lateralus’s title-track’s introduction lasts one minute and 12 seconds and the numbers 0, 1, 1, 2 are the first four in the Fibonacci sequence. The first verse kicks in on 97 seconds, which is approximately 1.618 minutes, i.e. the golden ratio. Each verse is also 55 seconds long, which is the 11th number in the sequence. The syllables in those verses match the sequence too, peaking at 13 (coincidentally, the same number of total album tracks) and then again in a descending order thereafter. Furthermore, the time signature of the song’s main riff is 9/8, 8/8 and 7/8, and 987 is the 17th number in the sequence. The final lines Maynard sings are, ‘Spiral out. Keep going.’ Following so far? Lateralus, the song is kind of puzzle that signposts the truth of the record - the real one.. To hear it, the Fibonacci pattern must be applied to the songs as a whole, dividing them into two figurative sets, or spirals, and entirely overhauling the tracklisting. THE REAL RECORD starts with Parabol/Parabola and then goes into Schism, Ticks & Leeches, Mantra, Lateralus, Faap De Oiad, The Grudge, Triad, Eon Blue Apocalypse, Reflection, The Patient and finally, Disposition. In that order, each set of two songs in the new sequence add up to 13 (using their original track numbers: 6+7, 5+8, 4+9, 13, 1+12, 2+11, 3+10), with the former 13th track acting as a kind of pivot (‘To swing on the spiral’). In this order also the otherwise choppy, rumbling end of Schism doesn’t feel so jarring and abrupt when it flows into Danny Carey’s virtuosic rhythms on Ticks & Leeches. Another notes how Mantra - a warped sample of Maynard gently squeezing a mewling Siamese cat - sounds like choking, which would tie in with the last lines on Ticks & Leeches, ‘I hope you choke.’ Largely, the transitions from one track to the next feel neater, and more logically.
Yeh thanks for typing all this out, as it saved me from it. She completely missed all of that and too hung up on the musical score rather than the whole as a complete piece to understand its significance.
Have you watched Maynard's first interview with Joe Rogan? He talks about the idea behind incorporating the Fibonacci sequence in Lateralus and pretty much slams it. He called it a stupid idea and pretty much shat all over it... Why does he have to be such a dick about it..? Lol
@@Pohgrey Maynard is known for doing that when people analyze TOOL songs. No idea why. Maybe he thought people weren't smart enough to figure it out and its his way of getting back by shitting on the songs. IDK...it'd be a billion to one odds it just happened by accident.
Once i learned that Tool writes the music first then the lyrics, i started to feel the lyrics were narating how the guitar develops through the song. It is such a rhythm driven song that the guitar has to keep growing to fill it's place in the song.
There is a 3 piece cello group called Break of Reality that covers this and it is absolutely brilliant. I agree with your take, I'd really love to hear the entire album performed by an orchestra.
Yes, Tool really approaches things more through rhythm than melody. A large amount of their music stays entirely in D (the most common alternate tuning for guitars in metal is called drop D).
The lyrics in the later parts of the song always spoke to me. Don't listen to tool much these days, but this song still makes the skin on the back of my neck tingle.
I don't know why it took so long for me to find you but you are by far the best reaction channel her on RUclips (only viewed this video so far)!! The editing, the care, the choice of words. I can see this is not a one shot, rather it speaks to your dedication to music. Thank you please make more! I am a Tool fan, still to this day, but there is more out there to check out so I don't listen to them as much. The way you explained all of those details and how they fit into the song and the artists intention is what makes you stand out. I watch another 2 channels regularly one is more for their entertaining reaction while the other is for their analysis. The latter would be more similar to your style of reaction but there is a level of care/attention to your production that is much better!
Absolutely. He is so awesome, unique and brilliant. I think Adam Jones flys under the radar because of how beautifully subtle he is. He’s not showing off and annoying everyone with the “look at what I can do” guitar player nonsense. If you’ve ever seen Tool live, the beauty of his style of playing is something to behold. I’m not a musician, but I know greatness when I see it.
Best thing about Adam Jones imo he never does more than needed, unlike most guitarists "showboating" everything has a purpose as part of the music. Massively underated guitarist.
By a wide margin one of the most eloquent reactions I have ever seen. I also appreciate the use of a second camera as a device to show the viewer that we are to receive a well thought out , yet very honest, examination of what you have just heard. This is wonderful.
I'm a huge rock fan, I admit I had never heard Laterus although I like Vicarious and Schism, I never listened to more Tool, shame on me I know but this gave me the advantages to share in this experience with Amy. It's fascinating Listening to the reaction from an educated music perspective, and it's eye opening. And you are right, this would sound even better with an orchestra
@@Gideonite There were a couple string tribute to Tool albums in the early ‘00s and even a baroque tribute. They were great, but i was thinking along the lines of what Metallica did with _S & M,_ the band plating with the orchestra. Thanks for the recommendation though! 👍
Lateralus is an album that demands to be listened to on a pair of really good headphones, with no distractions, in a comfortable environment, and preferably plenty of ganja and a drink.
Melodically they can be complex, but what is fascinating about them is that typically the melodic leads come from Justin Chancellor (bassist) and Maynard James Keenan (Vocals). Adam Jones (guitar) plays much more often with texture and rhythm than he does with melody. It creates this fantastic musical dynamic that is different from any other band I've ever heard. Danny Carey, the drummer, is also an incredibly melodic player who attended the Conservatory of Music in Kansas City and studied classical and jazz percussion for three years at the University of Missouri before leaving school to pursue the drums full time in LA in the late 80s. They're an absolutely amazing band. Check out their songs The Grudge from the same record, and Invincible from their 2019 record Fear Innoculum.
I loved watching your reaction to one of the best songs ever written, you earned another subscriber! See this today, you uploaded this 8 months ago, by now im sure you've seen an orchestra play it. Us old TOOL fans have seen lots of covers of Lateralus over the decades!
Every TOOL fan lives for that moment around 2:40+ where your smile is just naturally working it’s way out as you first hear a piece as brilliant as Lateralus!
My guilty pleasure. Watching tool reaction videos. Greatest band of all time. I can't listen to one song and not have to fight the urge to listen to the entire album from start to finish. God help you if you try and skip a track on me! Lol
I follow a few excellent folks that break down popular music, and I am just finding your page...and loving it. As someone who played percussion for almost 2 decades it is nice to get perspective from someone with a refined music knowledge. Once I saw you were doing this track I was ecstatic. And you share sheet music no less! Very glad to have found your page.
When I was 13 years old I rode 3700 km across our country in my late grandfather's Ford Windstar; for hours upon hours I listened to this album while playing Super Mario Brothers 2 on Gameboy Advance. A lot of the music from my adolescent years doesn't hold up now, but this Tool album sounds even better to me now.
Oh my goodness, you may be a Tool fan! Lol. A lot of their music is like this with interesting shifts in time and also odd time signatures and polyrythms. They're all great musicians, but their drummer, their percussionist, Danny Carey, is otherworldly and highly educated in music. You caught the jazz feel too. He does take inspiration from some of the jazz greats. He's truly something special and Tool absolutely would not be the same without him.
Love how you casually break down the time signature. Rock fans can often dwell on these patterns as if they are some form of mathematical wizardry, but for classical musicians (and other schooled musicians, especially drummers) it's just dividing and counting the groupings.
"we can't just tap our toes here, we need to sit up and get involved" I love this statement, and it's so spot on for how we experience this music. I love your review of the song..."spiral out"
Totally loved your lovely Analysis of TOOL's Lateralus. I'm a 71 year old BIG FAN of this band, these individual artists, and their powerful, engaging, provocative music. It's clear from your analysis, you get them! That's a real delight to see. Because these artists are so remarkable, so powerful, they should not be overlooked. You honor their craft thoughtfully, and I think properly. TY ~ IMHO
@@iantrolington6594 I see where he is coming from. Tool does have a strange quality to it that is intentional left for interpretation. And even if that's not how you interpret it, you can give others the room to express their own experience with it. Maybe you could learn something
The strategy of announcing the next listen, publicly, on the day you post to Ko-fi is *very effective*. I will testify! Been enjoying your education and analyses for some time, but tonight I could not resist the early look and listen. Thank you for approaching TOOL with such enthusiasm and interest. You'll find that fans of the group have an unusually deep appreciation for their canon, moreso than most bands' followers. Their brilliance attracts deep thinkers and emotionally intuitive listeners. If I might recommend you watch (not just listen) Danny Carey in the drumcam video of a live performance of "Pneuma", released by Vic Firth. It's gotten tons of reactions by now, but I really want to see *you* experience his genius and hear your analysis. It might be fun to have along your friend from the video you made for an introduction to rock drumming.
That drum cam video is nuts. In the intro where he plays those double stroke rolls on the pad, he smoothly transitions to single strokes as the roll slows. That intro alone is impossible for 99% of drummers. And it’s the most simple part for him in the entire piece. That’s how great he is.
I call this song the most spiritual song in my life. I'd say about 96% of the times I've listened to that line with ".....whatever will bewilder me..." I cry. Sometime, uncontrollably. The way my tale has unfolded, I've seen so much, heard so much, felt...so, so much. To this day, the hope for something else to overwhelm me with awe is still what my soul screams for. Maynard's voice, delivering that verse generally destroys me. In a....good way?
The lyrics of the first verse are also in the Fibbonacci sequence if you count the syllables 1 Black 1 and 2 White are 3 All I see 5 in my infancy 8 red and yellow then came to be 5 Reaching out to me 3 lets me see
It might be an interesting idea to get someone to walk you through guitar pedals and effects, similar to how your introduction to the instruments videos work. Getting an idea of the different ways a guitar tone can be constructed would both give you a better vocabulary to work with when discussing guitar tone/timbre as well as give you some additional insight.
@@QuirqUK yeah I've previously suggested three of Emily Hopkins's videos, but it didn't seem like anyone supported the idea. Or maybe RUclips is still blocking my every comment outside of my own channel for no apparent reason (though I have a couple of theories about that).
@@MotorbreathChannel maybe not as a musician, just to demonstrate pedals with harp, it'd be quite interesting to have her teaching instead of showing what the pedals sound like, by the by... you comment isn't visible, i couldn't read it, youtube is still shadow banning your comments.
I could never really catch anything from the instruments that made me think of the fibonacci sequence. It’s always been the syllables of the lyrics counting up and then back down, but at the same time using subject matter dealing with spiraling out as creative individuals. There are many different Tool songs that often give me the sensation of listening to crickets. Where something can seem chaotic and random, but somehow perfectly organized in nature , and soothing in a way. Eulogy, Lateralus, pushit, and Invincible have moments that give me that vibe. Anyway, loved your reaction!!! I’ll subscribe and see what you explore next.
The more you analyse the more complicated it gets. If you feel it, you feel it:) This the first I watch your video I love it so much! Thanks for helping me to understand why I love this band so much.
I think the interesting guitar sound you are hearing and referring to starting just after about 19:45 is a short example of using a wah-wah pedal (sometimes just called 'wah'). It is a foot pedal that you rock back and forth, creating that wah-wah sound. It does this by altering the tone and frequencies of the guitar's electronic signal. It is just used briefly here, often a guitar player will use it over a longer period of time. Jimi Hendrix often used a wah, with 'Voodoo Child (Slight Return)' being an example song. It is a really fun pedal to play around with. The Cry Baby is probably the best known brand of this pedal, and is the one I have.
It was one of the shortcomings of the “rock” guitar presentation , IMO. The special effects widely used for the guitar in rock music were never mentioned nor was Amy given an example to hear. I specifically spoke of the wah wah peddle and the whammy bar as being hugely important.
@@helenespaulding7562 Yeah, rock guitarist are crazy about their pedals, and usually develop quite a collection. Guitarists are often collectors at heart, and different kinds of pedals are a lot cheaper to collect than different guitars. Although some guitar players are not that pedal crazy, and might just settle on just a few that becomes a signature part of their sound, such as reverb or chorus effects. Modern amps have taken over some of the duties with their built in modeling effects. They not only model certain popular amp models, but often provide pedal like effects, sometimes having their own pedals for controlling the amp.
Much of guitar based rock/metal is more focused on timbre than melody. Guitarists work to develop a signature tone. The use of tube amps allows for dynamics of tone depending on playing. For example in the solo of this song you can hear transitions from overdrive to broken up distortion in parts while playing one note. That's on purpose. Pinch harmonics are used at a certain point, wah is used breifly, and Adam generally uses delay and flanger to give a sweeping feeling. Even feedback can be used musically. Rock/Metal is rhythm and timbre. I love different types of sounds and how the same note can feel so different from itself.
What a concept you have come up up with, tool/orchestral crossover, like Metalica's s+m. Love it. I'm glad one of the more interininteresting metal bands has been explored and I hope enjoyed too.
Your reaction was thought provoking, close to your heart, genuine, and it made me smile. I loved your insight and your explanation of your experience. TOOL is the greatest band of all time. Thank you for being you. OGT '92 EP
I've never done any drugs in my life, but some pieces of music take me on a long, relaxed and deep journey that almost allows me to exit my own body for their duration, while also giving me a profound sense of soft pleasure through peace. Tool does this for me on many levels, and the rhythm of all the layers, the instruments and the lead singer's voice feel incredibly pleasant and very intimate. There's something so organic and natural, so much like a heartbeat or the actual workings of our bodies and our minds in their music. It makes a lot of sense to me that this kind of structure follows an order that feels natural to living beings, whose bodies rely on rhythms, cycles, vibrations. The music of the band Tool is honestly the closest I think I'll ever be to what is like to be "high". And it's amazing that it's completely safe and enjoyable.
First of all, loved the breakdown! As a fan of Tool for thirty years now (oh wow!) I always knew that their music was complex and relaxed, free-flowing and structured, beautiful and coarse, but I don't think I quite understood that as well as I do just listening to you breakdown this one song. This is definitely one of my favorite songs of theirs, but you may have just convinced me it is my favorite song ever. It's like a musical representation of holding two truths at the same time that are equal and contradicting, which I always say is the perfect metaphor for our current world.
I think its a mark of praise when someone from an orchestral background listens to a piece and says 'I wish this was played by an orchestra'. You know you're listening to a great song when you hear it in a context that isn't as familiar to you and think 'I really want to hear it in the context I'm used to'.
I've seen music reviews you've done before, and the impression I got is that you're really strongly bound to the classical world you musically grew up in. (Don't take this the wrong way.) Now it seems you are (finally?) really stepping outside of your comfort zone and discovering there is a whole world of music that isn't pop nor classical, and that is extremely rich and profound. First with Rammstein, now with Tool. I wish you all the best on your journey. This is a really deep rabbit hole you just entered. Have a great ride. I'm not going to give you any specific suggestions. Now that you've opened this can of worms I'm sure you will find your way to all the good stuff out there.
Welcome to the TOOL ARMY... we've been waiting for you! Open arms and minds all about here, we hope your rabbit hole journey is everything it needs to be for you, your mind and soul.
Please list here only your questions.
Can you provide an example of how you would apply the golden ration melodically?
We dont need Tool if exists King Crimson... the Fathers of Prog Rock (you need check them KC)
No need to reply to this, but do you listen to these songs that you listen to for the channel after you record? I'm not necessarily meaning in the car or on the treadmill or anything, but even once, off camera? I think you should for all of them, as it is a good practice to give the artist their full respect, but Tool songs benefit more from that than most due to their rhythmic tension and release style of composition.
That said, thank you for the videos, I've seen a few of them and you have a great love for music and it is nice to hear your point of view in all of them.
Hi Amy - Have you come across the (Japanese) Koto ensemble arrangement of Lateralus? Simply amazing! ruclips.net/video/dm2glu3WLGk/видео.html Also, a harpist (also named Amy!) has done an arrangement of the song. ruclips.net/video/6VHvutlgf80/видео.html
There is a 3 piece cello version of this song. Very interesting as well.
As a tool fan, I can say you’re more than likely gonna get a good amount of views on this video. Tool fans love seeing reactions to this band because we love to live vicariously through others first times so we can relive it through your eyes.
heh, vicarious
The artistry of Tool is so deep that I find the analysis of others can often shed new light on their music or lyrics, which adds to the enjoyment.
I see what you did there.
100% you can only lose your Tool virginity once. We long to relive that deflowering over and over.
That's really well said. We love seeing people first hearing Tool because we can't listen to Tool for the first time again ourselves.
Black - 1
Then - 1
White are -2
All I see -3
In my infancy -5
Red and yellow then came to be - 8
Reaching out to me - 5
Let’s me see -3
As below so above and beyond, I imagine - 13
Drawn outside the lines of reason -8
Push the envelope - 5
Watch it bend - 3
Was going to point this out so thanks for saving me the trouble 😈
What's the significance of this thought? 🤔
@@CS_Sardine It's the Fibonacci sequence in the Lyrics. 1-1-2-3-5-8-5-3 (goes up then down), then 13-8-5-3 (begins high then low). These are all mathematical numbers of the Sequence written down in a lyrical sequence to mimic the Fibonacci...the Golden Ratio.
@@CS_Sardine The syllables in each line are the Fibonacci numbers in sequence
Maynard on Joe Rogan is a bit embarrassed about the whole Fibonacci sequence. Actually called it sophomoric. But once you know about it you think about it whenever you hear it.
You can do as many of these videos on Tool as you’d like to. For Tool fans, seeing your reaction is the closest we’ll get to hearing it again for the first time.
For sure! 🔥🙌🏼
10 months in, this is the most viewed video in this channel.
Absolutely. Feels like the first time, every time.
nope. i went from the cheap headphones that came with cd players back when this was new, to actually good audio, and THAT was literally like hearing it for the first time again. so much i didnt hear before
Yes dude
I've seen a ton of Tool reaction videos. I think you gave a very deep, intellectual and thoughtful reaction, more so than most videos I've watched. Excellent job
FINALLY someone who knows what they are talking about and can define why this is so good. Refreshing to find someone who doesn't sensationalize it with basic bs and dramatic presentation.
awesome breakdown.
this entire album is just a masterpiece. the fact that these 4 people got together and made music is a miracle honestly. i love this band.
I find it difficult not to listen to the entire album rather than just one song. The album flows together so perfectly. It was my first introduction to Tool. The only band that gives me goosebumps after hearing the same song thousands of times.
I played this for a friend. I might as well have been taking fingernails to a chalkboard in front of him. I don't know if Tool has a gene and you're required to have the gene?? I don't know but if so I'm very glad to have the gene.
Thank you Green Jelly!
The crazy part, is that they don't get together, they do their parts separately.
Also the fact they were able to stay objective and didn't become partisan political hacks and could see the flaws on both left and right from 2015-present day.
I've become very jaded with how one sided and or partisan all forms of media has become. From actual news, to music, movies, sports, etc.
I just wanna be able to enjoy something without feeling like I'm being lectured to by a political partisan hack, left or right.
I respect the band on lots of levels. Same with his views on religion, he can talk/sing about his dislike of it, without casting hate on people that are religious.
It takes a lot of self control to not cast a wide net over people when it comes to religion and politics, especially with how easy it is to fall into the trap of groupthink. It deserves a lot of respect imo.
Did I just get suggested a well spoken classical musician doing their first Tool reaction? Well, I know what I'm watching this winter, can't wait to go on this journey with you.
She says "This is some of the most badass shit i've ever heard" EXTREMELY elegantly. I love it, you earned a sub.
Yesss exactly
On God
@@MaRINoL It made me laugh to hear her explain the structure and intent of the song in greater detail than 99% of tool fans could, only for her opinion of the song to finally be: 'meh.. its alright'
@@dribblesg2 kinda like Joe Rogan geeking out over it while Maynard was on his podcast, only for Maynard to cringe and basically say the same "meh.. it's alright" lol
And most Tool fans just cling to what they read, they couldnt count much less explain the time signatures, or the philosophy behind the lyricism, if you wanna call it that. It's an annoying fanbase to be part of, I tend to avoid them at all costs.
It made me giggle when at 6:20 you said that you decided to "keep going". I was like, "yep, and spiral out!"
I love how much you picked up with your first listen, very impressive, you picked up on the "joke" of it being highly technical and analytical and Maynard criticizing over analyzing. It's one of the best songs ever IMO. Thank you so much for giving us your perspective on it.
It’s always a pleasure to watch a review of a TOOL song by someone with extensive musical background.
Totally agree!
They are my favorite reaction video band and I like Radiohead and Yes as well.
Completely agree!
Although she's a bit condescending
And also that has never listened to tool, and plays a completely different genre of music.
In my opinion, this is the best song TOOL has written, and one of the greatest songs ever written. Twenty years later and it still gives me goosebumps. Pure perfection.
Pneuma
Not once, since hearing it for the first time, has it left me with dry eyes. Sometimes sobbing. Sometimes smiling with tears at the beauty of it all. Fully agree with you. It's my number one of all time. I can't imagine anything will dethrone it but I welcome the possibility.
Yup! 🔥🤘🔥👁️🔥🌀🔥
to be honest, hooker with a penis is unironically my favorite tool song.
Yeah man. Totally. Not the song I have the strongest connection to (Stinkfist), but definitely the best objectively. The album is one of the greatest albums of all time.
Played by an orchestra, but with Danny Carrey still playing drums for the percussion element. I'd love to hear that.
I've wanted that for a long time. Or at least a talented and creative orchestra.
I found a cello group playing it!
ruclips.net/video/NYR4AjMAX7g/видео.html
Check out Break of Reality’s cover of this…it’s 3 cellists
Perfect for strings.
not only danny, but the whole band, with a concept like metallica did with S&M.
This one would be called STOOL with the musical key-like S!
"Overthinking, over-analyzing, separates the body from the mind. Withering my intuition leaving all these opportunities behind."
Maynard's lyrics in Tool's most analyzed song ever.
Reminds me of Terrence McKenna's quote "Do not give in, to astonishment"
I may not have that verbatim but I appreciate this idea
He got us good, eh?
I mean its not meant as a hit to the listener. The whole song is literally based on a mathematical concept, so its most likely them realizing they have separated the body from the mind.
Yeah, but not all analyzing is over-analyzing. But I don't know, maybe I'm over-thinking it
Only if it's withering your intuitions :V
You brought tears to my eyes about a song I've listened to thousands of times. Thank you, you made it feel as if I had listened to it for the very first time ever. It was awesome and so cathartic.
Dude you are not alone
Also crying here 😂
Since you've done the Neil Peart drum cam, you need to do the Danny Carey drum cam to Pnuema. I would bet you would enjoy that.
I agree,. Pneuma is as good as Lateralus and the Danny Carey drum cam is just brilliant.
I thought she would have done a RUSH song after the Professor video.
Pneuma has as an awesome intro.
Mind melting
Not a drummer myself, but my top four favorites (in no particular order) are Danny Carey, Neil Peart (RIP), Mike Portnoy, and The Rev (RIP)
Danny Carey of Tool is now the torch holder for rock drummers since Neil Pert passed away, the drumming world is in good hands and this is coming from life long Neil Pert fan.
Bran Dailor from Mastodon is pretty talented too.
🎯
Gavin Harrison
@@wildbushman420 plenty of people are talented, that wasn't the point
Brann Dailor would like a word!
Coming from a background where I am the only person in my local area who loves progressive rock / metal and my only friends who love this kind of music are online friends I must I say that I would expect a classical music teacher or someone with a classical background to approach this kind of music with horror. I must say you have such an open mind and I really respect / appreciate that. Amazing attitude ma'am, I wish more people had an attitude like yours. Makes me feel even I should be more open to things. Amazing channel, look forward to more great content from you.
Many have described the intro percussion as sounding like being inside the womb. The song lyrically kind of walks you through the progression of life. So the beginning of the song is, basically, birth. Amazing song. It is absolutely a perfect song.
Absolutely correct, I think you can even hear the heart beat thumping until blends into the intro
I believe the initial lyrics, where Maynard is describing the colors he sees, also alludes to the way human eyes develop at infancy.
@@TheGoIsWin21 yes, a multilayered analogy. both of birth and growth of maturity
Beginning in the centre of the spiral
Nothing more pleasant than to watch a studied musician genuinely and organically let the rhythm move their body.
Your detailed analysis of this song was very interesting. I appreciate your content.
i love the fact that it also describes how color perception develops in the human eye in the opening lyrics
ruclips.net/video/D1-WuBbVe2E/видео.html
Skip to 1:37. You're welcome.
i've always taken it to indicate Maynard's growing perception of race when he was child.
I always thought he's referring to stages of alchemy.
@@windyhead7960 Yeah. The whole album is about alchemy/gnosticism and Jungian thought.
Your observation of the 3/4 with 4/4 time is spot on!!
You not only feel and react.
But you are humble enough to teach us.
Thanks. Greetings from Chile 🇨🇱
What a wonderful channel. Hugely open minded lady with a lot of knowledge and insight
Lateralus as an album is Tool's Magnum Opus. As a drummer, Pneuma is their one track keeps me up at night. Nevermind Forty-Six & Two. With the passing of Neal Peart, Danny is our greatest living treasure.
The Fibonacci sequence in this song is utilised by the singer , Maynard James Kennan ,in the rhythmic pattern in which he sings the verse. The beginning of verse one :
Black = 1
And = 1
White are = 2
All I see = 3
In my in-fan-cy = 5
Red and ye-llow then came to be = 8
(Then he goes backwards )
Re-aching out to me = 5
Let's me see = 3
The guitars chord progression are as well, but backwards.
And the theme of beginning life in a tight spiral and then ... spiral out
I wasn’t familiar with Tool. I think I really liked it. I’ll have to give them a direct listen and dig in to them some more.
10,000 Days is a good starter album
@@aceshelman That or Aenima I would say
Spiral out my friend! I think Lateralus would be good starting point for you. Just keep in mind that they are really focused on rhythm.
Just make sure you listen to Fear Inoculum last :)
Invincible is beautiful
What I love most about Tool is that it is super deep, but it is not at all gratuitous. It sounds 'interesting', but it doesn't sound like they are trying really hard. They're just making some music. And that's why it's fun to geek out over. Whereas some other technical bands sound like they're trying to play something really complicated, as if they're challenging the listener to figure out how clever they are.
I agree. While Tool is very technical and precise the music flows in a very organic way. You can tell that they are not trying too hard. I like progressive music but I don't like it when the music sounds forced.
@@dansimmons5382 Yeah, to be honest I think sometimes even the classic progressive bands sounded pretentious sometimes; ELP for example. But the classic prog band equivalent to TOOL's effortlessness is Jethro Tull.
I swear, it seems like Tool’s songs are just them jamming in the studio and someone pushed the record button
Well some bands make music for other musicians. And to us laypeople who don’t understand the “language” that well it sounds pretentious as you describe. Obviously to other musicians it’s not as much of a challenge to figure out what clever music theory things were being done.
The rest of us just want a tune that makes us feel good.
First reaction video where the person actually got the score to look at while reacting. Well done !! Watched many tool reaction videos. I would love to see more Tool reactions.
Schism is the Tool song with the most time signature changes.
Their song Penuma is all polyrhythms.
Both very different for rock music.
Pneuma is totally an all Danny song.
TOOL fans take their music very, very seriously ;) Excellent analysis, btw.
I agree . Its cultish imo. Lol. If you don't know every detail you are not in the club lol.
@@harlanmonk569 you don't even know the handshake! You can't talk about Tool like that! Begone with you! 😜
In all fairness tho, I do take my Tool music pretty seriously... lol. They are hands down my favorite band.
No not the super duper secret handshake ! You got me I'm leaving now. Lol.
We all have our faves. Can't dispute that friend. Have you checked out NeObliviscaris?
Love this! Adam Jones Tool’s guitarist, is a classically trained violinist so his guitar playing kind of mimics that. Danny Carey has quite a jazz background and is considered the best drummer in the world right now and Justin just kicks ass as a bassist who also has a degree in music theory. MJK is a singer, songwriter who can actually sing, beautifully. You don’t see that in rock very often. I think it’s awesome to hear a classical musician critiquing Tools work. This is one of my favorite Tool songs. Happy you chose it. You should listen to Schism, Descending and Reflection next . Bravo on this! 👏👏👏👏
You do not just listen to Tool, you experience it… deep into your soul.
Agree…back in the 70’s, it was Yes for me. Much too deep for non musicians.
@@williamsporing1500 yes does have that same feeling of connection
Kind of like psychedelics
I don't think I have a soul so I mostly experience it in my general crotch area
@@stevenlee7 that's the herpes
“Reaching out to embrace the rhythm” gives me goosebumps every time for the last 20 ish years. Only Tool does that.
Glad you brought up the juxtaposition between the lyrics and the complexity of the composition. It's a very Tool move to make a song warning against overthinking, and have it become the most analyzed and picked apart song in their discography. Not the first time they've created such tongue in cheek oxymorons.
More TOOL!!! Awesome reaction and great information. I think you would love the song “Schism”
In my humble opinion, although Lateralus and Schism are the more talked about songs on this album, and probably with good reason, The Holy Trinity (Disposition, Reflection, Triad) is their magnum opus. Absolutely soul touching stuff
I would say Parabol / Parabola is the best from the album if not comparable to the Holy Trinity.
Bookended by that Grudge scream
@@futurebreedmachine9302yeah parabol/parabola is my favorite song
Guys maybe all of the sings are masterpieces why argue
@@captainflappyarms8277 I don't think anyone was arguing :) Tool is amazing and you're probably right, all of their song are masterpieces
The sound of the precussion building at the begining of the song represents an unborn child hearing it's mothers heartbeat. The guitar then intensifies signaling the birth, then Maynard sings about the child becoming aware of the world around it through it's developing senses.
My Band director used to say that Tool was a mix of dark metal and cerebral post-modern-Sit down band
Wonder if they ever noticed the mosh pits at their concerts lol
Fun fact (as far as I know) this was originally called 987, which is a Fibonacci number but also the chorus is in a 9/8, 8/8, 7/8 meter.
Well it's actually in a 9/8, 8/8, 7/8 and it was called 987, so you got your time signatures reversed there. And they realised that 987 was a number in the fibonacci sequence after the fact and thought it was pretty cool.
Not just the time signatures, the lyrics have syllable counts based on the fibonacci series. Spiral out!
@@chelfyn Someone has been overanalyzing ;)
@@chelfyn Yes and it reverses.
@@jbird4478 Someone has been visiting the wikipedia entry to try and sound educated :)
Great reaction! Omw over to your analysis vid. Thanks for doing this one Amy! Looking forward to more Tool, such a great band!
I started listening to this band when their first single came out back in 92-93ish. They're the only band that I've listened to consistently since then. Like I was a HUGE Pink Floyd fan; had every album (including the obscure soundtracks they did for art house films) and gladly missed my Senior Prom to see them in 94 at Foxboro stadium. I've been a guitar player since that time, and David Gilmore was my favorite player, literally everything I do now from the fact that I'm mostly a Strat player, his I use vibrato and bends, and the way I tend to use phrasing when I'm improvising over music finds it's genesis in his playing.
I've been a luthier for 20+years, and have been modifying/servicing and building guitar amps for about 15 years: that all started trying to get his lead tone on Comfortably Numb, which required a vintage 70s Big Muff at a time before the effects pedal explosion in the 2000s where you can find clones and modified clones of vintage pedals. The only choice I had besides laying out $600 for an actual vintage one was to get a schematic, learn how to read it and how to solder, and then build one. That said, I honestly can't really even listen to them anymore: I just played them out. I wasn't even aware that I had been listening to Tool that long, I realized it when I was ragging on a friend who's basically listened only to Rush for 35 years and said "I can't understand how you can still listen to it after all this time, I don't listed really to anything that I did in highschool…except for MAYBE Tool." Then I thought more about it and realized that while I didn't consider myself a Tool freak, in a way I was.
I've always found this song to be the culmination of the band's (& Maynard's in particular) sense of humor, specifically that Gen X aloof, trolling sense of humor. The songs structure almost forces you to pay attention to what's going on, I mean REALLY listen. While that's going on the lyrics are saying "psst, hey…hey, are you listening? (Yes, I'm listening)…are you sure? Are you listening closely? (Yes…I'm listening) {in an almost whispering voice} okay, now pay attention…pay close attention (I am) good, okay now what you need to do is…… {shouting in your ear} STOP LISTENING SO CLOSELY AND F'CKING RELAX!!
Side note: while I've been a dedicated guitar player for over 30 years, there's always at least one moment when listing to Tool where I think to myself "ahh hell…I should have learned the drums instead." Danny Carey's playing always lights a spark of envy because of how good he is.
Same, Tool has been on my soundtrack of life since early high school. Will definitely be my top favorite band until my final days.
In the 70’s, it was Yes, Floyd and ELP for me. Early genesis is also good. I’ve been a musician for 50+ years, and 4/4 three chord songs bore me to death….
'I know, it's heresy, i did it it' 🤣 love it. Your reactions are so good! Please react to more Tool!
I love TOOL and I love Maynard James Keenan's voice. He is an absolute GENIUS when it comes to his lyricism, his amazing voice, and the way the music's set up in such ebbs and flows. He is such an amazing musician.. it's alternative rock, which is different than metal or just plain rock. I love watching peole break down a band I've been listening to for 30+ years! ❤❤❤
The whole album in itself is a Fibonacci mind screw.....Lateralus’s title-track’s introduction lasts one minute and 12 seconds and the numbers 0, 1, 1, 2 are the first four in the Fibonacci sequence. The first verse kicks in on 97 seconds, which is approximately 1.618 minutes, i.e. the golden ratio. Each verse is also 55 seconds long, which is the 11th number in the sequence. The syllables in those verses match the sequence too, peaking at 13 (coincidentally, the same number of total album tracks) and then again in a descending order thereafter. Furthermore, the time signature of the song’s main riff is 9/8, 8/8 and 7/8, and 987 is the 17th number in the sequence. The final lines Maynard sings are, ‘Spiral out. Keep going.’
Following so far?
Lateralus, the song is kind of puzzle that signposts the truth of the record - the real one..
To hear it, the Fibonacci pattern must be applied to the songs as a whole, dividing them into two figurative sets, or spirals, and entirely overhauling the tracklisting. THE REAL RECORD starts with Parabol/Parabola and then goes into Schism, Ticks & Leeches, Mantra, Lateralus, Faap De Oiad, The Grudge, Triad, Eon Blue Apocalypse, Reflection, The Patient and finally, Disposition. In that order, each set of two songs in the new sequence add up to 13 (using their original track numbers: 6+7, 5+8, 4+9, 13, 1+12, 2+11, 3+10), with the former 13th track acting as a kind of pivot (‘To swing on the spiral’).
In this order also the otherwise choppy, rumbling end of Schism doesn’t feel so jarring and abrupt when it flows into Danny Carey’s virtuosic rhythms on Ticks & Leeches. Another notes how Mantra - a warped sample of Maynard gently squeezing a mewling Siamese cat - sounds like choking, which would tie in with the last lines on Ticks & Leeches, ‘I hope you choke.’ Largely, the transitions from one track to the next feel neater, and more logically.
That's the brilliance of Tool .
Yeh thanks for typing all this out, as it saved me from it. She completely missed all of that and too hung up on the musical score rather than the whole as a complete piece to understand its significance.
Have you watched Maynard's first interview with Joe Rogan? He talks about the idea behind incorporating the Fibonacci sequence in Lateralus and pretty much slams it. He called it a stupid idea and pretty much shat all over it...
Why does he have to be such a dick about it..? Lol
@@Pohgrey Maynard is known for doing that when people analyze TOOL songs. No idea why. Maybe he thought people weren't smart enough to figure it out and its his way of getting back by shitting on the songs. IDK...it'd be a billion to one odds it just happened by accident.
holy fucking hell
"Swing on the spiral of divinity and still be human"..... such an epic line
Once i learned that Tool writes the music first then the lyrics, i started to feel the lyrics were narating how the guitar develops through the song. It is such a rhythm driven song that the guitar has to keep growing to fill it's place in the song.
I just love the way you talk; so smooth and with a very good choice of words. Thank you!
There is a 3 piece cello group called Break of Reality that covers this and it is absolutely brilliant. I agree with your take, I'd really love to hear the entire album performed by an orchestra.
Yes, Tool really approaches things more through rhythm than melody. A large amount of their music stays entirely in D (the most common alternate tuning for guitars in metal is called drop D).
When you have one of the best percussionists alive on the planet in your band it's okay to play into that strength and focus on rythm!
Tool isn't metal
@@GeorgeTropicana correct. They're more than just metal.
@@Pohgrey they're not metal at all and they themselves say that
@@GeorgeTropicana okay, where did I say they were metal? Lol
The lyrics in the later parts of the song always spoke to me. Don't listen to tool much these days, but this song still makes the skin on the back of my neck tingle.
Give fear inoculum a go its incredible, but its a grower, after 2 years of listening to one or more tracks every day its still getting better
Tool is very much a "feel" band. They don't play to a click on their albums or live. Pretty incredible.
they don't? that's weird in this day and age, especially with a production like theirs.
I think Danny's wearing something in the Pneuma drum cam video, first few seconds? Is that a lead down his back?
@@MrPablo616 In ear monitors to hear the other musicians on a big stage and over the drums.
They do use a click. They have videos of the recording process. Danney probably isn't using a click live, but he does in the studio.
@@blipbobeep8345 Yeah that's what I thought
I don't know why it took so long for me to find you but you are by far the best reaction channel her on RUclips (only viewed this video so far)!! The editing, the care, the choice of words. I can see this is not a one shot, rather it speaks to your dedication to music. Thank you please make more!
I am a Tool fan, still to this day, but there is more out there to check out so I don't listen to them as much. The way you explained all of those details and how they fit into the song and the artists intention is what makes you stand out.
I watch another 2 channels regularly one is more for their entertaining reaction while the other is for their analysis. The latter would be more similar to your style of reaction but there is a level of care/attention to your production that is much better!
Adam Jones is such an under appreciated guitarist in my opinion
Absolutely. He is so awesome, unique and brilliant. I think Adam Jones flys under the radar because of how beautifully subtle he is. He’s not showing off and annoying everyone with the “look at what I can do” guitar player nonsense. If you’ve ever seen Tool live, the beauty of his style of playing is something to behold. I’m not a musician, but I know greatness when I see it.
@@rubaidaallen2764 yeah totally agree, he's not a lead guitarist, but just an equal part of the band.
Best thing about Adam Jones imo he never does more than needed, unlike most guitarists "showboating" everything has a purpose as part of the music. Massively underated guitarist.
He shines with his compositional and rhythmic work; people overlook him because he expresses it in the same key.
He creates great sonic textures.
Danny Carey the drummer for tool used to play jazz for years before you join the band. That’s why he likes to play a lot on the high hat and snare.
Check out the videos of him with Doug Webb.
I've watched many reactions to this song, and you're the only one to comment on the themes of the song. Subscribed.
This song changed my life!!
Incredible how you broke this down. I really enjoyed this
By a wide margin one of the most eloquent reactions I have ever seen. I also appreciate the use of a second camera as a device to show the viewer that we are to receive a well thought out , yet very honest, examination of what you have just heard. This is wonderful.
I'm a huge rock fan, I admit I had never heard Laterus although I like Vicarious and Schism, I never listened to more Tool, shame on me I know but this gave me the advantages to share in this experience with Amy. It's fascinating Listening to the reaction from an educated music perspective, and it's eye opening. And you are right, this would sound even better with an orchestra
Try 46&2 its awesome look up kids covering it 👍
Omg Tool with an orchestra?!!
@@Egoblivion I think you can find the recordings online or on RUclips the Kronos orchestra did a cover of sober and a few other tool songs orchestral.
@@Gideonite There were a couple string tribute to Tool albums in the early ‘00s and even a baroque tribute. They were great, but i was thinking along the lines of what Metallica did with _S & M,_ the band plating with the orchestra. Thanks for the recommendation though! 👍
Lateralus is an album that demands to be listened to on a pair of really good headphones, with no distractions, in a comfortable environment, and preferably plenty of ganja and a drink.
Well done! Enjoyed your informative presentation along with the reaction.
Melodically they can be complex, but what is fascinating about them is that typically the melodic leads come from Justin Chancellor (bassist) and Maynard James Keenan (Vocals). Adam Jones (guitar) plays much more often with texture and rhythm than he does with melody. It creates this fantastic musical dynamic that is different from any other band I've ever heard. Danny Carey, the drummer, is also an incredibly melodic player who attended the Conservatory of Music in Kansas City and studied classical and jazz percussion for three years at the University of Missouri before leaving school to pursue the drums full time in LA in the late 80s. They're an absolutely amazing band. Check out their songs The Grudge from the same record, and Invincible from their 2019 record Fear Innoculum.
Wow. Your intelligent commentary is a breath of fresh air.
I loved watching your reaction to one of the best songs ever written, you earned another subscriber! See this today, you uploaded this 8 months ago, by now im sure you've seen an orchestra play it. Us old TOOL fans have seen lots of covers of Lateralus over the decades!
Every TOOL fan lives for that moment around 2:40+ where your smile is just naturally working it’s way out as you first hear a piece as brilliant as Lateralus!
I've heard this so many times and I just got goosebumps again. Every damn time.
It's an absolute trip of a song total masterpiece
Sonic DMT.
My guilty pleasure. Watching tool reaction videos. Greatest band of all time. I can't listen to one song and not have to fight the urge to listen to the entire album from start to finish. God help you if you try and skip a track on me! Lol
Mine too have seen dozens and every single one has the same mind blown reaction!
that happened to me the other night, next thing I knew, I'm listening to the whole Undertow album
I follow a few excellent folks that break down popular music, and I am just finding your page...and loving it. As someone who played percussion for almost 2 decades it is nice to get perspective from someone with a refined music knowledge. Once I saw you were doing this track I was ecstatic. And you share sheet music no less! Very glad to have found your page.
When I was 13 years old I rode 3700 km across our country in my late grandfather's Ford Windstar; for hours upon hours I listened to this album while playing Super Mario Brothers 2 on Gameboy Advance.
A lot of the music from my adolescent years doesn't hold up now, but this Tool album sounds even better to me now.
I love hearing a professionals opinion on my favorite band! 🙏
Oh my goodness, you may be a Tool fan! Lol. A lot of their music is like this with interesting shifts in time and also odd time signatures and polyrythms. They're all great musicians, but their drummer, their percussionist, Danny Carey, is otherworldly and highly educated in music. You caught the jazz feel too. He does take inspiration from some of the jazz greats. He's truly something special and Tool absolutely would not be the same without him.
Love how you casually break down the time signature. Rock fans can often dwell on these patterns as if they are some form of mathematical wizardry, but for classical musicians (and other schooled musicians, especially drummers) it's just dividing and counting the groupings.
"we can't just tap our toes here, we need to sit up and get involved" I love this statement, and it's so spot on for how we experience this music. I love your review of the song..."spiral out"
Totally loved your lovely Analysis of TOOL's Lateralus. I'm a 71 year old BIG FAN of this band, these individual artists, and their powerful, engaging, provocative music. It's clear from your analysis, you get them! That's a real delight to see. Because these artists are so remarkable, so powerful, they should not be overlooked. You honor their craft thoughtfully, and I think properly. TY ~ IMHO
Tool always kinda sounds like a record being played in reverse.. but they do it on purpose and it sounds amazing ..
that's a nice way to see it
What are you talking about? Have you ever heard a record being played in reverse lol?
@@iantrolington6594 I see where he is coming from. Tool does have a strange quality to it that is intentional left for interpretation. And even if that's not how you interpret it, you can give others the room to express their own experience with it. Maybe you could learn something
@@stagger9660 How is playing a record backwards an intention for interpretation? It isn't.
@@iantrolington6594 that's how the other guy interpreted it. I'm simply stating I agree. I also suggest you listen to what I'm telling you
The strategy of announcing the next listen, publicly, on the day you post to Ko-fi is *very effective*. I will testify! Been enjoying your education and analyses for some time, but tonight I could not resist the early look and listen.
Thank you for approaching TOOL with such enthusiasm and interest. You'll find that fans of the group have an unusually deep appreciation for their canon, moreso than most bands' followers. Their brilliance attracts deep thinkers and emotionally intuitive listeners.
If I might recommend you watch (not just listen) Danny Carey in the drumcam video of a live performance of "Pneuma", released by Vic Firth. It's gotten tons of reactions by now, but I really want to see *you* experience his genius and hear your analysis. It might be fun to have along your friend from the video you made for an introduction to rock drumming.
That drum cam video is nuts.
In the intro where he plays those double stroke rolls on the pad, he smoothly transitions to single strokes as the roll slows.
That intro alone is impossible for 99% of drummers.
And it’s the most simple part for him in the entire piece.
That’s how great he is.
...I would definitely like to hear this with an orchestra. Yes, please!
I call this song the most spiritual song in my life. I'd say about 96% of the times I've listened to that line with ".....whatever will bewilder me..." I cry. Sometime, uncontrollably. The way my tale has unfolded, I've seen so much, heard so much, felt...so, so much. To this day, the hope for something else to overwhelm me with awe is still what my soul screams for. Maynard's voice, delivering that verse generally destroys me. In a....good way?
weep like a widow always catches me red handed.
The lyrics of the first verse are also in the Fibbonacci sequence if you count the syllables
1 Black
1 and
2 White are
3 All I see
5 in my infancy
8 red and yellow then came to be
5 Reaching out to me
3 lets me see
It might be an interesting idea to get someone to walk you through guitar pedals and effects, similar to how your introduction to the instruments videos work. Getting an idea of the different ways a guitar tone can be constructed would both give you a better vocabulary to work with when discussing guitar tone/timbre as well as give you some additional insight.
I immediately thought of Josh from JHS Pedals. He'd have to curb down his sense of humor a bit perhaps but only a bit. :)
Or maybe Emily Hopkins, the harpist
@@QuirqUK yeah I've previously suggested three of Emily Hopkins's videos, but it didn't seem like anyone supported the idea.
Or maybe RUclips is still blocking my every comment outside of my own channel for no apparent reason (though I have a couple of theories about that).
@@MotorbreathChannel maybe not as a musician, just to demonstrate pedals with harp, it'd be quite interesting to have her teaching instead of showing what the pedals sound like, by the by... you comment isn't visible, i couldn't read it, youtube is still shadow banning your comments.
@@MotorbreathChannel Your comment is clearly visible, so don't worry.
I could never really catch anything from the instruments that made me think of the fibonacci sequence. It’s always been the syllables of the lyrics counting up and then back down, but at the same time using subject matter dealing with spiraling out as creative individuals. There are many different Tool songs that often give me the sensation of listening to crickets. Where something can seem chaotic and random, but somehow perfectly organized in nature , and soothing in a way. Eulogy, Lateralus, pushit, and Invincible have moments that give me that vibe. Anyway, loved your reaction!!! I’ll subscribe and see what you explore next.
The band plays mainly in 9/8 8/8 and 7/8.
As a drummer i learn so much from your perspective of the song
Danny is a beast…maybe the best drummer alive right now
The more you analyse the more complicated it gets. If you feel it, you feel it:) This the first I watch your video I love it so much! Thanks for helping me to understand why I love this band so much.
Such a peaceful way in your demeanor. Cheers, from a TOOL fan.
I think the interesting guitar sound you are hearing and referring to starting just after about 19:45 is a short example of using a wah-wah pedal (sometimes just called 'wah'). It is a foot pedal that you rock back and forth, creating that wah-wah sound. It does this by altering the tone and frequencies of the guitar's electronic signal. It is just used briefly here, often a guitar player will use it over a longer period of time. Jimi Hendrix often used a wah, with 'Voodoo Child (Slight Return)' being an example song. It is a really fun pedal to play around with. The Cry Baby is probably the best known brand of this pedal, and is the one I have.
Yes! Wah really does give a "vocal" quality to a guitar. Or even a keyboard when it's occasionally used there.
It was one of the shortcomings of the “rock” guitar presentation , IMO. The special effects widely used for the guitar in rock music were never mentioned nor was Amy given an example to hear. I specifically spoke of the wah wah peddle and the whammy bar as being hugely important.
@@helenespaulding7562 Yeah, rock guitarist are crazy about their pedals, and usually develop quite a collection. Guitarists are often collectors at heart, and different kinds of pedals are a lot cheaper to collect than different guitars. Although some guitar players are not that pedal crazy, and might just settle on just a few that becomes a signature part of their sound, such as reverb or chorus effects. Modern amps have taken over some of the duties with their built in modeling effects. They not only model certain popular amp models, but often provide pedal like effects, sometimes having their own pedals for controlling the amp.
Much of guitar based rock/metal is more focused on timbre than melody. Guitarists work to develop a signature tone. The use of tube amps allows for dynamics of tone depending on playing. For example in the solo of this song you can hear transitions from overdrive to broken up distortion in parts while playing one note. That's on purpose. Pinch harmonics are used at a certain point, wah is used breifly, and Adam generally uses delay and flanger to give a sweeping feeling. Even feedback can be used musically. Rock/Metal is rhythm and timbre. I love different types of sounds and how the same note can feel so different from itself.
@@digibirder Didn't know that about the keyboard, but it makes sense, I can see where that could sound cool.
What a concept you have come up up with, tool/orchestral crossover, like Metalica's s+m. Love it. I'm glad one of the more interininteresting metal bands has been explored and I hope enjoyed too.
There are a couple string quartet tribute albums out there that I had on repeat for months when I was in my 20s.
This video is fantastic. So interesting to hear it musically analysed.
I love how much passion you place into your individual points, and so many of them give us a lot to digest.
Your reaction was thought provoking, close to your heart, genuine, and it made me smile. I loved your insight and your explanation of your experience. TOOL is the greatest band of all time. Thank you for being you.
OGT '92 EP
I've never done any drugs in my life, but some pieces of music take me on a long, relaxed and deep journey that almost allows me to exit my own body for their duration, while also giving me a profound sense of soft pleasure through peace. Tool does this for me on many levels, and the rhythm of all the layers, the instruments and the lead singer's voice feel incredibly pleasant and very intimate. There's something so organic and natural, so much like a heartbeat or the actual workings of our bodies and our minds in their music. It makes a lot of sense to me that this kind of structure follows an order that feels natural to living beings, whose bodies rely on rhythms, cycles, vibrations. The music of the band Tool is honestly the closest I think I'll ever be to what is like to be "high". And it's amazing that it's completely safe and enjoyable.
You should do drugs, they’re fun. More so than listening to music.
My new hobby is watching people who have never listened to Tool and seeing their reaction.. It's classic ✌️
Agreed
I like how even the SYLLABLES of the lyrics swing up and down the Fibonacci sequence: 1,1,2,3,5,8,5,3. 13,8,5,3
Swing on the spiral!
First of all, loved the breakdown!
As a fan of Tool for thirty years now (oh wow!) I always knew that their music was complex and relaxed, free-flowing and structured, beautiful and coarse, but I don't think I quite understood that as well as I do just listening to you breakdown this one song. This is definitely one of my favorite songs of theirs, but you may have just convinced me it is my favorite song ever. It's like a musical representation of holding two truths at the same time that are equal and contradicting, which I always say is the perfect metaphor for our current world.
Earned my sub, love the way you talk about music, composition, time signatures and seamless transitioning within music.❤
I think its a mark of praise when someone from an orchestral background listens to a piece and says 'I wish this was played by an orchestra'.
You know you're listening to a great song when you hear it in a context that isn't as familiar to you and think 'I really want to hear it in the context I'm used to'.
This song is so seductive, and intellectual. The ebb and flow is so soothing, it's impossible to not to move to it. So compelling.
I've seen music reviews you've done before, and the impression I got is that you're really strongly bound to the classical world you musically grew up in. (Don't take this the wrong way.) Now it seems you are (finally?) really stepping outside of your comfort zone and discovering there is a whole world of music that isn't pop nor classical, and that is extremely rich and profound. First with Rammstein, now with Tool.
I wish you all the best on your journey. This is a really deep rabbit hole you just entered. Have a great ride. I'm not going to give you any specific suggestions. Now that you've opened this can of worms I'm sure you will find your way to all the good stuff out there.
She's spiraling out !
Welcome to the TOOL ARMY... we've been waiting for you! Open arms and minds all about here, we hope your rabbit hole journey is everything it needs to be for you, your mind and soul.