Publication: The Music Paper
Date: April, 1994
Transcribed by
K[elly] (spiral.out@deadohiosky.net)
K[elly] (spiral.out@deadohiosky.net)
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