page: 13
 title: Tool Let the Music do the Talking
author: Anne Leighton

Singer Maynard James Keenan, bassist Paul D’Amour, 
drummer Danny Carey and guitarist Adam Jones have got a 
good thing going and they call it Tool. Formed in late 1989 
by Jones, the group was initially inspired by a little-known 
book of philosophy, A Joyful Guide to Lachrymology, which is 
the study of crying and how tears can be used as therapy.

The EP Undertow, released in 1991, was quickly followed by a 
full album, 1992’s Opiate. The latter is already gold, and 
based on the band’s high standings in the alternative metal 
field and their strong, melodic material, it looks like it will 
definitely break platinum status.

Critics have called Tool everything from Joni Mitchell meets 
Judas Priest to Tom Waits meets Iron Maiden. I think their 
sound is sort of Bandlands blues meets Frank Zappa chords. 
Whatever, this uncompromising group of musicians is 
heading in their own direction.

The Music Paper: I guess once you start having gold records 
the pressures start to build up.

Maynard James Keenan: There’s a lot of scavengers around, 
but they’ve always been around. I don’t see any difference 
except increased numbers of people.

TMP: Is there a reason you don’t want your lyrics printed on 
your CDs or in magazines?

Keenan: The music is more important.

TMP: Why do you consider lyrics secondary?

Keenan: The emotion of the song dictates the subject 
matter. The music can probe and pry where words can’t reach. 
A lot of people will hear different things. If I give you the 
map, you might neglect all the side doors.

TMP: For years I thought David Bowie sang, “Time may 
change me but I can’t change time” in the song Changes. 
When I looked at the sheet music, I found it’s “Time may 
change me but I can’t trace time.” Writers have something 
specific they want to get across through words and obviously I 
had no idea what he was talking about ‘til I read the words.

Keenan: That’s all well and good, but whatever he said, it 
meant something to you. You took it a certain way and it’s 
more special for to come back after and hear it the correct 
way.

We’ve got an interactive record. It’s not just listener-friendly, 
it’s active-listener friendly. If a person wants to know what the 
lyrics are and they write down what they think they hear, I’ll 
gladly send then the real lyrics.

TMP: Have you actually done that?

Keenan: Yeah!

TMP: That certainly makes thing more personal.

Keenan: That’s my end. Danny coordinates with people about 
drumming and Paul is certainly a social person. Adam is very 
active in the visuals.

TMP: What does the band get out of this interactive 
relationship?

Keenan: I kind of learn things about personalities, what your 
limitations are, and how much you can bend, things you can 
hold on to. As far as it goes, you’re kind of reevaluating your 
work and who you are and how to get over stupid hurdles.

TMP: What were some of your limitations as an artist?

Keenan: It’s more about learning how to listen rather than 
dictate. I don’t know it all.

YMP: Did you know you were going to make music as a 
career? I know you also sculpt.

Keenan: I knew I was going to be an artist, but I didn’t know 
what kind. I sang in choir and I was in plays.

TMP: How would you describe yourself now?

Keenan: A guy who’s not quite sure what he’s gotten himself 
into! I like what’s happening for the most part. It’s opened a 
lot of doors for me. I think there’s a lot of doors that I’ll 
never be able to shut.

TMP: Now that you’re beginning to have some measure of 
success, do you find yourself doing things that you never 
thought you would?

Keenan: You know that stupid cliché “Never say never?” 
That’s pretty much our philosophy. We are so worried about 
whether we’re gonna sell out or not. I keep hearing people 
ragging on [Henry] Rollins about him selling out and I keep 
reminding people he’s doing exactly what he wants to do 
regardless of what everyone else wants.

TMP: Are you one of those people who writes off “hair bands”?

Keenan: The only thing I draw the line on is if they claim to 
be musicians and they’re not sitting down and playing music. 
I think a majority of hair bands are businessman, not 
musicians. If that’s what they want – a lot of money, fast 
cars, fake-titted blonde women – if that’s their goal, then 
they’re being true to their goal. If they’re musicians trying to 
make good music that’s timeless and all that other stuff is 
secondary, then be musicians. First of all, it’s all a matter of 
what they want, what they claim they want and what they get. 
And second, who am I to judge what they want or to evaluate 
who they are?

TMP: Success definitely takes its toll. You don’t know what’s 
real and what’s not anymore. Take Stone Temple Pilots…

Kennan: Those guys are catching a lot of flack, really they 
are. I don’t know what to say about it. The album sounds 
good. I’ve heard ‘em live and in my opinion they don’t sound 
as good as their album. That just tells me there was a lot of 
stuff in the studio they used to make them sound a certain 
way that they can’t reproduce live. And a lot of the sound that 
they got in the studio and other things which they portray in 
their videos… it’s like they do an Alice [In Chains] video and 
it sounds like an Alice song. And then they’re like Eddie 
Vedder. I don’t know if they’re latching on to those songs or 
if [Weiland] is genuinely unaware that he’s doing it.

Whether it’s conscious or unconscious, I think they’re having 
a lot of difficulties right now, enjoying their success and 
dealing with the pressure on them for their next record. 
Should they come out with a record that sounds like their last 
one just to prove that’s their sound or do they come out with 
a record that sounds that’s better and confirm the suspicions 
that the first one sounded like to everyone else? They should 
just tell everybody to [buzz] off and just make the album.

TMP: It’s hard to listen to what the music tells you to do when 
you’ve got so many scavengers who around as soon as 
there’s money.

Keenan: It twists you. I think Perry [Farrell]’s done well with 
it. He’s taken the opportunity of success to so what he’s 
wanted to do: get a hold of Ice-T and do a song, put 
together a really cool tour, abandon the old situation for one 
he’s more comfortable with, where a bunch of friends can tour 
and have fun rather than worry worrying about what people 
think of the music they’re making. They make the music 
together and it’s good for the four people who are together 
making it. It’s not Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, but 
who said it had to be? I think he’s doing really well with that. 
They’re turned down megabuck offers for using their songs in 
different commercials – and ungodly amount of money.

YMP: What would it take for you to do a commercial? 
Supposing you were offered an endorsement for the kind of 
running shoes you use?

Keenan: You mean if Nike wanted me to an endorsement? 
Yeah, I’d do an endorsement with Nike; I wear Nikes! I 
wouldn’t want to do if I had to do a full thing, like do 
commercials and write music for them. But maybe a one-off 
thing like an ad in a sports magazine and they can give me 
five free pairs of Nikes!

[ Note: Article is typed as is; errors and all. ]

Posted to t.d.n: 03/11/02 21:06:11