page: -
 title: A Perfect Circle
author: Danny Koks

I met a boy wearing Vans, 501ís and a dope Beastie T. He told me that 
he thought we were selling out. Well now Iíve got some advice for you 
little buddy ÖI sold out long before you even heard my name I sold my 
soul to make a record, dip shitÖ

Just some lines from the song HOOKER WITH A PENIS from Tool. If you 
know these lines, where the hell you get the idea from to talk about 
sell-outs with Keenan? Alright, my mistake. But I asked the question, 
so Iíve to put up with Keenans sarcastic tirade:
ìYou think that Tool is one of the few bands that people see as a non 
sell-out band? Ridiculous! We signed a contract at a major in 1992. 
With the intention to sell records. If  ìUndertowî totally failed, 
would we have sold ourselves out? And if it failed, but we would have 
continued, than we had real integrity and we stayed an underground 
band, right? But the first step we have made back then, will stay the 
first step weíve ever taken: sign a record deal and make a record. 
Why are the Backstreet Boys sell-outs? Maybe they started with the 
idea to become really popular with 12-year-old girls. I donít think 
theyíve got integrity, donít get me wrong on that, but who am I to 
judge? Fuck, I want to sell 10 million records as well. That would be 
amazing. But I wonít change a thing to achieve that.î 
The Backstreet Boysí record label has invested millions in their 
imageÖ
ìOh, so they were sell-outs before the even were in a band? Has to 
be. They are probably superhuman. Yeah, thatís it. They are created 
in a laboratory somewhere. The Backstreet Boys are test tube babiesÖî

When itís about the power from the record companies and the present 
musical climate, the most musicians yell that the Internet is their 
savior. Somebody like Chuck D for instance. Maynard J. Keenan doesnít 
think so, but what theyíve got in common, is their antipathy against 
the majority of todayís popular music. Keenan has an interesting 
explanation for that:
ìIn the beginning of the 90ís there were bands like Nine Inch Nails, 
Soundgarden, Tool. People that wrote music from their hearts, music 
with passion. But these bands waited (too) long to put new records 
out. They wanted to take their time for it, to create something 
special. And they created gaping gaps for the worthless, aping bands, 
which are willing to do almost everything to become part of rock & 
roll stardom.  And donít want to make fine art necessarily. So you 
have got a lot of ska-stuff, rapmetal-stuff, Backstreet Boys-stuff. 
Theyíve found out how they can play the game. They arenít good 
artists, they are good businessmen. The relapse from that is that 
they sell enormous amounts of their records, but all of a sudden: 
pfffft. Itís washed outÖî  

Tool and A Perfect Circle: how to combine the first one with the 
second one, and how about the record of the first one? Keenan:
ìAt this moment the other members are still writing music. When 
theyíre ready, the A Perfect Circle tour is at its end. Directly 
after that Iím going to finish the lyrics and record with Tool. 
During the tour with Tool, I will be writing other material for A 
Perfect Circle.ì
Maynard said that working with Billy Howerdel opened up is eyes. When 
something was finished, it was really finished:
ìWeíre trying to work like that with Tool also. With A Perfect Circle 
it wasnít like running around in a circle with four personalities. 
The rest of Tool is very busy now with writing and arranging the 
music, and in a little while Iíll join them with something weíve 
never had: an objective opinion. We were used to chase our own tails; 
we couldnít use someone who listened to our music with a fresh pair 
of ears. Now with this approach I can add an extra element to our 
music.î
 That seems like an ideal situation?
ìI donít know if it is. Itís a situation, and that situation is just 
how it is right now. Weíll see how things turn out. If it doesnít 
work, Iíll have to erase my schedule, and we (Tool) have to discuss 
how weíll go further. Itís still all about the result in the end. If 
that isnít good or less than perfect, weíll start all over again. If 
the result is interesting, and weíve our hearts in it, than weíll 
leave it that way. I still have input, itís not that when I get back 
from the tour with A Perfect Circle, and I join the band the music is 
completely finished and recorded, so that I just have sing my lines 
and thatís it. At this moment the music is somewhat arranged. Thereís 
still interaction. You must not forget that weíre already working for 
four years on this record. I was involved in every song, I just take 
a step back in the final fase.î


THIS ARTICLE IS TRANSLATED!!! PLEASE CHECK THE ARTICLE FOR BIG FAULTS.
THIS ARTICLE FEATURES SOME QUESTIONS THAT WERE ANSWERED BY MJK DURING 
AN INTERVIEW FOR APC. I TRANSLATED THE TEXT FOR SCHOOL, AND THESE AR 
THE PARTS THAT HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH TOOL. I HOPE YOU CAN USE 
THIS, PLEASE MAIL ME BACK ABOUT THAT OR IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT 
THE TRANSLATION. BEST REGARDS, JANH

PS: I LOVE WHAT YOU DO, KEEP IT UP!!!
Posted to t.d.n: 12/01/00 11:53:32