Semp
06-29-2006, 07:50 PM
I'll admit, I haven't really been following this forum that much, and while I have had a quick cast through to see if this idea has been floated previously, I can't find anything, so I appologise if I'm retreading old ground.
Anyway, I was listening to 10k Days tonight and I was distantly mulling over what Tool said about this being their "blues album". You've got all these immediate, quite melancholy songs... Vicarious lamenting our innante desire to entertain ourselves with the misfortunes of others, Jambi's fear of losing the one most precious thing in life amidsts the clutter of lesser treasures, Wings,10k Days and the death of Judith Marie etc. I got to Rosetta Stoned and I wondered, what is bluesy about this? Are they really that bummed that they forgot their pen? Is that all?
And then I remembered something I read in the latest issue of Sub Rosa (which all you esotericly minded types should check out). In a review of Daniel Pinchbeck's 2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl, the reviwer refers to how the author undertakes a series of psychadelic journeys and despite his contempt for the usual new age "I am the new messiah" hokum, well, he falls into the well-worn trap of post-psychadelic messanic thinking. I'm sure a lot of you guys who are the thinking types, in particular the thinking and drug taking types have run into this syndrome where you wind up getting so caught up in the amazing truths you seem to have stumbled on, and so profoundly frustrated by the seeming ignorance of those around you that you start to slide into somewhat egotistical thinking. Thinking, perhaps, that you are the Chosen One.
Obviously, on the surface, the song pretty neatly follows the progress of an intense psychaedlic experience. The feeling of divine illumination, the reciept of a message, then the unbearable fear that you'll never be coming down, and finally that hazy confusion about exactly what it was that you learnt that was so monumental. But how does that fit into the blues theme?
Well, here's my theory: Tool have always been kinda tied in with esoteric knowledge, transcendentalism and neo-shamanism. And throughout their work there is a reccurant theme of Tool trying to spread a message, trying to enlighten people, trying to expose the hypocrisy and spiritual perils of everyday life. Perhaps the story in Rosetta Stoned is something of an allegory for the journey the band has been on? Maybe after 4 albums the band has sort of reached that point where they're feeling like they forgot their pen, can't remember exactly what it was they were working toward. And in doing so now feel somewhat humbled, and more able to produce more personal music. Perhaps this could go somewhat to explaining why there is so much more Christian symbolism on this album.
Anyway, I was listening to 10k Days tonight and I was distantly mulling over what Tool said about this being their "blues album". You've got all these immediate, quite melancholy songs... Vicarious lamenting our innante desire to entertain ourselves with the misfortunes of others, Jambi's fear of losing the one most precious thing in life amidsts the clutter of lesser treasures, Wings,10k Days and the death of Judith Marie etc. I got to Rosetta Stoned and I wondered, what is bluesy about this? Are they really that bummed that they forgot their pen? Is that all?
And then I remembered something I read in the latest issue of Sub Rosa (which all you esotericly minded types should check out). In a review of Daniel Pinchbeck's 2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl, the reviwer refers to how the author undertakes a series of psychadelic journeys and despite his contempt for the usual new age "I am the new messiah" hokum, well, he falls into the well-worn trap of post-psychadelic messanic thinking. I'm sure a lot of you guys who are the thinking types, in particular the thinking and drug taking types have run into this syndrome where you wind up getting so caught up in the amazing truths you seem to have stumbled on, and so profoundly frustrated by the seeming ignorance of those around you that you start to slide into somewhat egotistical thinking. Thinking, perhaps, that you are the Chosen One.
Obviously, on the surface, the song pretty neatly follows the progress of an intense psychaedlic experience. The feeling of divine illumination, the reciept of a message, then the unbearable fear that you'll never be coming down, and finally that hazy confusion about exactly what it was that you learnt that was so monumental. But how does that fit into the blues theme?
Well, here's my theory: Tool have always been kinda tied in with esoteric knowledge, transcendentalism and neo-shamanism. And throughout their work there is a reccurant theme of Tool trying to spread a message, trying to enlighten people, trying to expose the hypocrisy and spiritual perils of everyday life. Perhaps the story in Rosetta Stoned is something of an allegory for the journey the band has been on? Maybe after 4 albums the band has sort of reached that point where they're feeling like they forgot their pen, can't remember exactly what it was they were working toward. And in doing so now feel somewhat humbled, and more able to produce more personal music. Perhaps this could go somewhat to explaining why there is so much more Christian symbolism on this album.