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View Full Version : Ticks & Leeches - What's the point?


The_Naked_Stalk
02-25-2003, 01:26 PM
I think "Ticks & Leeches" seems out of place on Lateralus. It sounds as if Tool turned in the album to the record label and the record exec.s said, "What? Where's your really pissed of song?" And Tool's response was "Ticks & Leeches." Maybe I'm wrong but that's my perception. I find myself actually skipping over this song. I don't feel a connection between the anger of T&L and the rest of the CD. Anybody else feel this way?

fuzzo
02-25-2003, 02:58 PM
i think that has been discussed on a different post pal..

yllwcrystlstr
02-25-2003, 02:58 PM
here are a couple of explanations: watch "nightmare before christmas" synced to Lateralus.
OR this is something I've been thinking about...if the songs fit in some way onto the tree of life, and each of the sephiroh is a single song, then perhaps the sephiroh that Ticks and Leechs represents also represents something to Maynard that is hard for him to get past, or he views it in a negative way, naturally. It could be the point in a spiritual experience in which you absolutely have to give your ego up or turn back, and thats not an easy thing.
Or it could that cannibal thing.

fuzzo
02-25-2003, 03:06 PM
well he's my "explanation": this cd was made in 2001 if im not mistaken. so why worry about why did they put that shit on their or not, its too fucking late to make changes..but anyways T&L is hell of alot better than Schism..

fuzzo
02-26-2003, 03:16 PM
here's^ ...stupidass 120 minutes thing..

Professor Frink
02-26-2003, 08:03 PM
Because it's Tool's decision. As others have said in the T&L room, I believe it's somewhat of a joke--"is this what you wanted? is that what you had in mind? well this is what you're getting. i hope you choke on this" as a kind of mocking gesture towards the fan of the heavier stuff. But who knows, I think it's a great song regardless.

futile
02-27-2003, 06:12 PM
are you saying that just becouse it sounds differant, that it couldnt be on the disc? i think it does have regard to aenima. but i dont think its up to the weak minded consumer to pick apart the way an artist represents his work. if the band didnt want it on there..i think that theyd wouldnt of put it on there. if in fact the record company did want an angry song, they could have done something alot more angry.

also i dont know if there are any offspring fans in here but "pay the man" from americana sounded really outta place. but the lead singer liked it so much that he put it on there anyways. maybe it was the same situation for maynerd or anyone else in the band

Scratch
02-28-2003, 08:03 AM
Heven't you ever been pissed off? Anger is a very constructive emotion, and to ignore it might be bad.

SmallWangedMan
03-06-2003, 12:09 PM
I think it's likely that the label asked for a "harder song" so that they could market it more easily to like the Slipknot/Staind/etc crowd. The ironic part about T&L of course, is that it's terribly unmarketable, since it includes about a minute and a half drum intro and like a 3 minute ambient section smack in the middle, and you can't really bang your head to it because it has all those stop beats and additive measures. You can, after all, heard schism, parabola, lateralus and even the grudge on some stations, but I haven't heard any yet to play T&L. Thus the lyrics.

They're saying "You wanted a hard song huh? Choke on this why dontcha."

The ticks & leeches of course would be the label themselves, trying to suck all the money they can out as fast as possible, or maybe sucking up the band's creativity so that the album will be more accesible. Or maybe both, or more.

Just a possibility.

XiPHiaS
03-07-2003, 11:45 AM
It is about hate, and it would be likely that his record label was Maynard's inpiration. But it still fits in the album.

The album is about learning from experiences. The first 8 songs are about these experiences:

The grudge: grudge/letting go of it. (Good starting point...)
Eon Blue.../The patient: It's difficult to hold on to something, but will eventually pay off.
Mantra: Dunno, it might be a call for love....
Schism: Relationships
Parabol/Parabola: Loving someone, sexual expieriences, feeling alive...
Ticks & Leeches: Hate (and if it's intended to upset the record label: dealing with it...)

Then you have lateralus, which actually tells you to learn from all these experiences. After that you will go in the unknown...

So, it makes sense!

Jerk-Off
03-08-2003, 01:49 PM
Oh yeah, I'm sure Tool made this song to cater to the Slipknot/Staind crowd.

Give me a fucking break.

It's fits into the overall idea of lateralus depending on how you view it. You should go read the other threads on this because it's really discussed well.

polarforsker
03-08-2003, 03:11 PM
I agree with Jerk-Off... and if anyone told Tool to change anything artisticaly they'd recieve a proper verbal beating!

XiPHiaS
03-09-2003, 05:42 AM
Originally posted by polarforsker
I agree with Jerk-Off... and if anyone told Tool to change anything artisticaly they'd recieve a proper verbal beating!
If it is true that the label wanted such a song, i think tool gave them a proper verbal beating with this song. The lyrics tell it all, and though i have to say it is the most staind-like song on the album it still is 100% tool. They can't sell it as they would with a staind-song.

I still stick with my opinion that it fits the album. 'the thought of leaving tool' might have been the inspiration for 'the patient' as well. It still fits the album. Same goes for this song. They might have given them what they wanted, but it's useless to them and has a right to be on the album.

SmallWangedMan
03-09-2003, 09:22 PM
Oh yeah, I'm sure Tool made this song to cater to the Slipknot/Staind crowd.

You guys completely missed any sentiment of the point.

YURAKAPTIV
03-16-2003, 12:22 PM
Ticks and Leeches is dedicated to all the fans out there who kept bitching about Tool not putting an album out for so many years.The Lateralus album is so deep with info and meaning that i think 70 to 80% of the fans don't understand it for what it is.Maynards saying here it is now what are you going to do with it choke or attempt to swallow it all.YURAKAPTIV

Conan_McMurtrie
03-20-2003, 08:36 AM
I see it as a response to those fans who wont let them change, to evolve. The lyrics have a subtle feel of sarcasm in them, as in the song wasn't writen in full spirit. 'Is this what you wanted? Cause this is what your getting', here you go, anger, is that what your looking for? No? Well fuck you! Here's your anger!

See what I mean?

volcano lance
03-23-2003, 08:22 PM
Alright, heres another possibility.
To complete the spiral, you probably have to cater to all emotions. the calmness of Disposition to the anger of T&L. etc. etc.
I think the song fits very well into the record. I personally think that Triad and Grudge are far more aggresive than T&L. Just my opinion, most of you wont read this anyway.

vl

munkyman
04-10-2003, 09:00 PM
ticks and leeches is a great song.... i think it's just something maynard came up with, tool doesn't seem like the kind of band that would sell out to a record company...

tho i heard that he won't perform it live, supposedly because of the damange on his voice, maybe there's more to it

Rast
04-14-2003, 09:47 AM
I don't think that it is out of place or "harder" than other tunes on the album at all. Danny's drumming is furious and perfecty links with the fadeout of Parabol(a) and yeah, I think it is ironic with regard to the "Is this what you wanted..." lines. Also the quieter section that builds to Maynard's scream is awesome. If you wanna get deep with the whole Tool thing, look at the architecture of the tunes - the way they're put together: Listen to the guitar, bass and drums seperately, then reassemble. Then add the lyrics. THEN you can get heavy with the meaning of life stuff.

Tool are about expression and T&L does that. So there.

However, the parasites Ticks and Leeches...well I really DON'T see the point in them...:o)

Jerk off
04-21-2003, 11:14 AM
To me at least Ticks and Leeches belongs on that CD. It's just not as good of an album with out T&L. Each song takes you through an emotion. How could you leave the most powerful human emotion<anger> out?

Genatalia
04-21-2003, 11:36 AM
I'm sure Tool put that song on the album because they new somebody was going to start this thread over it. and then also wanted to dedicate this song to the person that started the thread. Because to me the song is about someone sucking the life out of something which seems to be the case here. I can relate more to this song than any. So many people take advantage of my generosity. Kind of like a Tool fan complaining after all the work they put in to their music.

astaroth
04-21-2003, 09:39 PM
Originally posted by The_Naked_Stalk
I think "Ticks & Leeches" seems out of place on Lateralus. It sounds as if Tool turned in the album to the record label and the record exec.s said, "What? Where's your really pissed of song?" And Tool's response was "Ticks & Leeches." Maybe I'm wrong but that's my perception. I find myself actually skipping over this song. I don't feel a connection between the anger of T&L and the rest of the CD. Anybody else feel this way?

To quote Maynard from the APC song "over" :Been over this before/so over this/been over this before"

Or we could just qoute Sober and say:Jesus won't you fucking whistle something but what's past and done.

Mehhico
04-23-2003, 10:25 PM
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Rast
If you wanna get deep with the whole Tool thing, look at the architecture of the tunes - the way they're put together: Listen to the guitar, bass and drums seperately, then reassemble. Then add the lyrics. THEN you can get heavy with the meaning of life stuff.QUOTE]

I could not agree with you more. Excellent work.

Just a side note. Doesn't the above quote sound a bit like Schism?
"I watched them fall away, mildewed and smouldering"
- their music ranges from calm, mildewed sounds to smouldering.
"To bring the pieces back together. Rediscover communication..................."

Sounds sort of like analysing a Tool song.

Anyhoo, I think T&L is a fantastic track. Not as "deep" as some of the others, but a fantastic track never-the-less.

Take care,
Andy

Macrame
04-30-2003, 12:46 AM
Or perhaps Hooker With a Penis: Buy my new record, send more money

:P

Just kidding ... it just seems like people are persuaded easily into buying themselves into things. People are whores even when they're the one's "pimpin yo." And you'll always find too many that aren't satisfied with the orgasm and demand refunds.

Let's just say that life is one long experience of soliciting prostitution.

random_1
04-30-2003, 05:36 AM
i think the stainedslipknot thing might be onto some thing,
not in the idea that they made it for them, they made it insulting them

like so they reocord companys makes big money or so it gets radio play like

so this is what u wanted? is this what u had in might? i hope and chooke and swallow? then maby its people asking to much of them.. they might of put it there to interrupt the flow of the cd? who knows there mad.
i have a poster of tool maynard is sitting. well i looked closer and there is no chair and he is just sitting there o_O
would take some intense muscles in the thighs and legs, i tryed it but my centered wieght only lets me do it if i poke my arse out, im sure most people have this problem. maby nearly every one.

that druming in this song nearly gets me off [figure of speech]