Quote:
Originally Posted by Hodge
i'd compare them more to floyd just in terms of their live show, all the artsy stuff, the aura of mystery and the thought they put into their music. to me, zeppelin was just a really really talented and amazing rock band
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I'd like to add that their live shows are a lot more similar than you may think! I've had this in my head for a while, and I thought of making a new thread, but I'll just write it here.
In the beginning, PF played experimental setlists with new songs all the time (there are a bunch of random live only tunes, especially from the Barrett era). As they started to get better and more popular, they started expanding their technology, getting the Azimuth Coordinator (their quad sound system) and they started expanding their setlists. They honed a lot of material in their live performances that would later be used for other things (More/Man & the Journey suite, Eclipse: A Piece for Assorted Lunatics, Echoes, tons of other crap). Eventually, after their biggest success (DSOTM), their live performance started focusing more on the show and less on the originality and creativity. Sure, they always improv'd with Echoes, and they did pretty much do Animals on the road, but if you look at the incredibly varied and exciting setlists of 66-72 and compare those to the stale arena touring setlists of 73-77, you'll see that there is a huge difference. Eventually Waters snapped and they stopped playing massive arenas until he left the band.
In the beginning, Tool played experimental setlists with new songs all the time. They played a lot of the tracks from Undertow before even Opiate came out. They started to get more creative after Undertow, and they toured in 94 and 95 playing great songs like Prison Sex OTRM, H., Stinkfist, Eulogy, Pushit, and No Quarter. Ænima came out and they started playing bigger venues. They got more creative--they made Merkaba, they covered Stranglehold, You Lied, and Spasm, they started extending/rethinking other songs, like Stinkfist and Pushit.
But then around the Lateralus era, they started playing bigger venues. Their live performance wasn't necessarily about the presentation of new material or an outlet for their creativity, but more about the experience. They had a message, and it seemed like that, in addition to their growing perfectionism, was the main focus, rather than making a 'surprising' setlist. I think at around this time, their mainstream audience was growing, so playing a setlist composed of entirely weird tunes and covers (which they had done extensively in 94/95 and to some extent on the Ænima tour) was just not gonna jive. They still shook it up, inventing new things like Flood > Grudge without a pause and the various interludes (i.e. Eon Red Apocalypse), ramping up the number of guests, and adding a ton of visuals. It seemed that the most important part now was the visuals. Osseus Labyrint, bigger/better screens, Alex Grey's massive artwork all over the stage, lights, etc were all brand new.
And then the 10,000 Days tour. The tour started off in a strange fashion, with setlists consisting of "the hits" interspersed with their attempts at playing new songs. At first I had no idea what was going on with the tour but when I eventually saw them in September (and watched/listened to almost every show of the 06/07 tour), I understood perfectly what they were doing.
Tool just wants you to have the experience, I don't think that they're in this game for the same reason they used to be. That's why they play pretty much the same setlists made up of pretty much the same tunes (and a hell of a lot of hits). I really think that Tool needs to just hand people acid tabs at the door so they'll "get it". Sit back, be amazed, and listen to what they're giving you.