Music Collection - T (Part 2 of 2)
Progressive Metal band Tool perform an ambient, melodic flavor of rock, fronted by the beautiful voice of Maynard James Keenan, and backed by an inventive rhythm section. Their dark, angry subject matter is not for everyone, but if it lends weight to some incredible music, I can put up with it. They come out with a highly-wrought opus every five years or so.
Tool - Aenima - This mid-nineties effort has epic after epic of mind-blowing rock music, on par with Metallica’s best albums. It’s catchy, challenging, and engrossing all at once. On Stinkfist, Keenan switches effortlessly between a metal growl and a charismatic, melodic voice that sounds like he might have sold his soul to get it. He tends to process his voice slightly, giving the music an unsettling edge. Eulogy is a bitter send-off for Christ which is hypnotic and creepy. H., Forty-Six & 2, and Pushit are all career-defining epics. But my favorite is Aenema, an apocalyptic song about how California will fall into the ocean - the album art even shows this happening as you look at it from different angles. If you have any angry teenager left in you, or if you appreciate progressive, masterful performances and writing by professionals, or especially both: check this out. 5 stars
Tool - Lateralus - Lateralus was a rather crushing disappointment for me. The epic-length, engrossing, interesting music is still here. And the level of professionalism is still quite high. And tracks like Schism and Parabol achieve the heights of their early albums. But there is not enough energy to sustain such a long album - the performances are languid and distant. 3 stars
Tool - 10,000 Days - 10,000 Days feels like it’s the length of time between each Tool album. Luckily, this effort manages to recapture some of their youthful vigor, and Vicarious hits home as much as their earlier smash, Stinkfist. Roseta Stoned is a cathartic 11 minute epic that just goes by too fast. Even the more ambient, instrumental numbers have an inherent passion. And they’ve achieved a creepy sort of beauty on Right in Two, where Keenan laments about the human race: “Monkey killing monkey killing monkey over pieces of the ground.” His magic is this: he sounds wise no matter what he says. 4.5 stars
Train - Drops of Jupiter - Train is another post-grunge rock band with a southern bent, which is odd since they hail from California. But they broke into the mainstream with Meet Virginia, and on this album, they went for it again with Mississippi. As much as I’d like to be cynical about them, both songs are absolutely gorgeous. The title track is a soaring hit that appeals to basically everyone, even if some won’t admit it. And this album runs surprisingly deep, with the soulful Let It Roll and the dissonant Something More as standout examples. 4 stars
Tina Turner - Simply the Best - This album chronicles soul singer Tina Turner’s comeback in the mid 80s. It launches with the triumphant The Best and doesn’t let up until about three quarters through. The album is instantly dated based on the production, and yet, it’s understated by the standards of the 80s. The power of Turner’s performances is undeniable. What’s Love Got to Do With It is perfectly paced and voiced, and We Don’t Need Another Hero (Thunderdome) is easily good enough to overcome the many criticisms you might level at it (or Mad Max, the movie it’s from). Private Dancer features her empathic channeling of a stripper, and it’s an amazing performance and tune. I recently found out that Mark Knopfler wrote this song, which instantly raised him from Very Awesome to Most Awesome Ever status. As a comeback career, this is astonishingly good, and we forgive her if she starts to sound too old for this stuff toward the tail end of the album. 4 stars
Type O Negative - Bloody Kisses - Type O Negative do theatrical goth rock with an ironic twist. It’s clearly parody of metal and punk, gothic horror, Anne Rice, and the like. Consider song titles Kill All the White People, Dark Side of the Womb, and Fay Wray Come Out and Play. And yet it embraces many of the idioms it makes fun of: some songs are simply too good to pass off as merely fun stabs: Blood & Fire is riveting theatre. Their terrifying and hilarious cover of Seals & Crofts’ Summer Breeze has to be heard to be believed. The singer sings bass, which is fun for me because it’s easy to sing along. Overall, this is one where you’re either in the club or you’re not. I’m in, though I do feel a little bashful about it. 3.5 stars
Next Up - U - Bono and Friends