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This is from a Canadian music show called the The New 
Music, their website actually has a transcript of the interview 
of Maynard and Danny backstage in Detroit.  But I thought it 
would easy to read it by typing it up nicely.  This interveiw is 
insightful.    


Host: We'll begin with the band, Tool.  Five years since we 
got the last record from them and for Tool fans, five years is 
a long time to be away.  Maynard did whet our appetite with A 
Perfect Circle record but Tool has got something out.  It's 
called Lateralus and it's selling like mad.  Larissa Gulka had 
a chance to catch up with Maynard and Danny in Detroit. 

  [ Caption: Detroit ]

  [ HEAVY ROCK ]

  Man: Tool!!

  Larissa:   I feel like we're underwater, it's kind of nice. Like  
a rebirthing process you're putting us through here?

  Maynard: SURE.

  [ LARISSA LAUGHS ]

  [ Caption: Tool album artwork for Lateralus ]

  / Pure intentions juxtaposed /
  /Will set two lovers souls in motion /
  / Disintegrating as it goes /
  / Testing our communication/

  [ Caption: Maynard James Keenan, Tool ]

  Maynard:  Your mental, your emotional, and your physical 
body are, are inseparable if you want to evolve.  You have to 
embrace all three elements and help them all grow, nurture 
all three and if you don't, you eliminate the emotional 
because it's the most irrational, unpredictable part.  If you 
eliminate the emotional, your evolution comes to a 
screeching halt and you just become a lawyer. 

  [ Caption: Schism, directed by Tool guitarist Adam Jones, is 
the first video from the new album, which can be interpreted 
with many themes, including rebirth. ]

  Maynard:   The whole concept of the Saturn return which was 
basically interborn.....Saturn is in a particular position and it 
takes approximately 28, 29 years to come full circle all the 
way around the sun back to a position so um, speaking 
metaphysically or astrologically that represents a time in your 
life where you can re-evaluate where you are.    

  [ Caption: Tool, Concert Hall, Toronto, 1994 ]

  [ Caption: Maynard admits change is challenging. ]

 
  Maynard:  If you started art class at a very good school, the 
first thing that your drawing instructor or your perspective 
instructor is going to say is, "You need to forget everything 
that anybody has ever told you about this stuff.  We're going 
to start over, just completely drop all your preconceptions 
about what is going to happen in this rooom and then you'll 
learn.  The sooner you let go of your crap that you're holding 
onto, the sooner you can listen. 

[ Caption: Maynard formed A Perfect Circle as a side project 
after Tool's legal battles with their record label became a 
frustrating $40 million lawsuit/countersuit over contracts. A 
Perfect Circle's music became a therapeutic outlet following 
the 18 month ordeal. ]

  / It's not like you killed someone /
  / It's not like you drove /
  / A hateful spear into his side /
  

  Larissa:   The fact that Maynard has gone off and done A 
Perfect Circle stuff,  has your relationship........do you see a 
change in the way that you come to the table now?  

  [ Caption: Danny Carey, Tool ]

  Danny:   Well, I don't  know.  Along with Maynard doing his 
Perfect Circle thing, we had a lot other business things going 
on at the same time that were a kind of a drag and we had 
to grow a lot as individuals and grow together and keep our 
relationship strong just to survive and keep it, our community 
together, tight within ourselves.  So, it's kind of hard to 
separate that event from all the other things that were going 
at the same time.  We still felt like a band through the whole 
thing.  

  [ Caption: Tool, Warehouse, Toronto, 1996 ]

  [ Caption: Tool didn't perform together from 1999-2000, 
while Maynard went off to play with A Perfect Circle. ]


  Sook Yin(Muchmusic VJ):   Was there any sense of 
possessiveness on the part of the boys from Tool when you 
were going out there, worried that you weren't going to come 
back? 

 Maynard:   Oh yeah, absolutely.  They won't admit it but 
yeah, definitely.  There was a paranoia and justifiably so 
because, you know, we're all satellites.  We're all just kind of 
doing our own thing and, uh, you've heard it a million times, 
especially in light of our peers, who the hell's left?  Really?  
Soundgarden broke up.  Nine Inch Nails record didn't do that 
well.  Smashing Pumpkins is gone.  Rage.....


  [ Caption: Maynard explains the relationship between the 
four members of Tool by describing the point where they 
meet as "friction". Guitarist Adam Jones calls it  "magical". ]

  Larissa:   The point where you guys meet, there is friction, 
the point where the four of you meet and I'm wondering um, 
Adam had suggested that it was magical, you (referring to 
Maynard) call it friction, I'm wondering what you call it?      
 
Danny:  Uh, sword fighting.....humanity

 Maynard:   A great big one.
  
 Larissa:   Has it been any less of a sword fight, then?

  Danny: Any less of a what?

  Larissa: Sword fight, as you said before.

  Maynard:   What are you talking about?  Friction can be fun 
if you have the right lubricant.

  / I know the pieces fit /
  / Cuz I watched them tumbled down /
  /No fault, none to blame /
  /It doesn't mean I don't desire /
  / To point the finger, blame the other/
  /Watch the temple topple over /
  

  Maynard:   It's so much easier to point a finger and 
recognize weaknesses and faults and shortcomings in others. 
It's much more difficult to acknowledge that usually those 
shortcomings and whatnot are a reflection of what you see in 
you that you don't like about yourself.  So having four very 
dynamic characters in a room, pointing fingers at each other, 
the hard part and the growing part, is to then immediately 
remember that all these people are just refections of yourself 
and then you grow as a group. 

  Larissa: At what point do you usually concede to the others?
  
 Danny: UM...

  Maynard: About five scotches.  Five scotches in.

  Danny:  (laughs) A six pack, five scotches.

  Maynard:   If we want a decision in our favour, we 
say, "Dan, check out this scotch.....amazing......smell 
(Maynard makes smelling noises).....mmmmmmm.  

Larissa and Danny are laughing.
Posted to t.d.n: 06/08/01 15:49:36