I'm in total disbelief. You guys all love this song? Seriously? You're really not seeing all the key parts to this song that have been completely taken from other tool songs? Really? Or is it that you just don't care? Yes, I’ve seen all the threads noting "similarities" between songs. But that's not quite accurate. Because these aren't similarities, they're blatant rip-offs.

The first time I heard this song, I loved it. It was my favorite on the album. Then I listened to it again, and noticed how many parts of it were DIRECTLY taken from other tool songs, most notably Third Eye. Then I looked at the ridiculous joke lyrics. Wow, was I ever let down. Sure they're funny, but of course then I know it's a joke song. Even if the lyrics seem to be making a connection to the excerpt at the beginning of third eye (today a young man on acid...) it still doesn't seem justified. So, of course I was irritated at the fact that instead of getting a new fresh 11 minute epic song, Tool put a total joke song on the album. Granted, on it's own, disregarding everything that makes this wrong, the song is pretty good. But I’d prefer something new, something that hasn't been recycled, and something that's not a joke. When I looked at the forums, I expected to see a million threads of people saying exactly what I'm thinking. Turns out I'm just about the only one....how about that. I look at the forums, and find out everyone thinks this is the most original and best tool song ever. At which point I become slightly ashamed I'm a tool fan.

As a musician, guitar player, and sober person, let me take you on a very short and obvious journey to why this song isn't original. Instead of listing timing signatures or the notes being played, I’m just going to list the times. Listen to them side by side, and please, try to tell me you don't see how identical they are. Don't just dismiss what I'm saying, try to listen to what I’ve listened one after the other. Don't be trying to prove me wrong, just listen. And don't try to link the parts to what comes before or after, listen to them for what they are.

Rosetta Stoned 0:00-0:18 compared to H 0:00-0:21

Rosetta Stoned 2:25-2:45 compared to The Patient 4:42-5:14

Rosetta Stoned 3:00-3:50 compared to third Eye 9:55-11:17

Rosetta Stoned 6:04-7:04 compared to H 3:30-4:26

Rosetta Stoned 7:45-8:20 compared to The Grudge 7:38-8:03

And I'm pretty sure there's more. If that doesn't show you, I really don't know what to say. It's too profound to ignore: Rosetta Stoned is largely compiled of previously used riffs.

I refuse to believe that Tool would just recycle all these riffs. Taking the lyrics, it's easy to see how this song would be a joke. Add in all these lifted riffs. Add in all the fans thinking this is the most amazing and original tool song ever. Add in the sense of humor of the band.

"Hey, Adam!"
"Yeah Maynard?"
"Remember when we wrote that song using riffs from all our old songs, and made it about aliens? And everyone thought it was the greatest song ever?"
"Yeah, that was fucking hilarious!"

Don't get me wrong, I like the song. It's pretty damn cool. Too bad it's just a joke, and it uses riffs from at least four other tool songs, and the song was made as a complete joke. And so many people bought into it. There are even all these "Rosetta Stoned or Third Eye" threads. How can Rosetta Stoned be better then Third Eye if Rosetta Stoned is just a cheap rip-off?

Come on. You're taking a person saying "God damn, shit the bed!" as the greatest piece of music ever written. You really think it isn't a joke? I'm amazed.

The beginning of Rosetta Stoned sounds nothing like the beginning to H.

See...now this is why I love Tool..and Tool fans. Always something fresh to ponder.
I like where both Outlaw and McRoggles are going with this. Thanks for giving me something else to listen for. Always a new treat around the bend....even when you've heard a song 10,000 times ;-)

dont compare everything you retards this song is just brutal @ beginning and beautiful @ the end

awesome song

....and re-using riffs is not wrong

I'm in disbelief that people cant see that the title has everything to do with the older riffs being used again, in a disjointed fashion.

That is exactly why we all love the song. Read McRoggles post again. This is Tool laughing at themselves in a way.

I appreciate the time counts and totally agree that there are most likely even more. However, I disagree about it being a joke. Vicarious, The Pot, Wings for Marie, and Right in Two all have pieces of their previous work in them as well. To top it off, Right in Two begins with a counterpoint melody to Rosetta Stoned's climax, which if RS is a joke would jocular-ize that song too. The whole album is filled with references lyrically as well. Either you must dismiss the entire album as a joke with all of these references, or realize what the intention (I think the homophone-entitled song actually may apply to this) of the album's message is. So I think that while Rosetta Stoned is the most blatant case, Paraflux is right and it needs to be used as the interpretive center. Either toss out the whole CD as a well-crafted joke (which, hey, maybe it is) or figure out what's going on, but I don't think there are other intermediate options given the way the songs all build off others.

Sorry but half your comparisons are way off. Let me guess, it sounds like The Grudge in that one part because of that ONE drumkit sound that's played similarly to The Grudge? Wow, good one chief. I think the whole song sounds like Aenima because it has a high-hat in it.

This shit is crazy. I gotta wonder do people sit around and analyze Nickelback like this? Oh thats right WHO CARES! Tool music is purposely vague and personally interpretable for the individual listening....just enjoy....

HAHAA YES EXACTLY.. TELL THAT FOOL TO GO JERK-OFF (pun intended)

Well I just saw Tool open with this song (as others have) last Saturday and they sure didn't play it like it was a joke...

Don't pieces of Lateralus (the album) have bits and pieces of older songs in them? What about the bass line from Lateralus (the song)? At parts, it sounds like the bass line from Eulogy. Maybe that's just me noticing it, but I can swear that it does at certain points.

Point is... who cares? The whole album isn't a carbon copy of their older stuff... there are just bits and pieces that are similiar. Honestly, the only one I noticed upon my first listen of 10,000 Days is the "Third Eye riff" found about halfway through Rosetta Stoned. The beginning of Rosetta Stoned sounds nothing like the beginning of H to me.

I couldn't agree with you more. This song is way too hyped up. It's Tool, I dont believe there is such thing as a bad Tool song--but this one comes pretty close. It sounds like recycled jibberish and makes me cringe. Perhaps I am not seeing "the big picture" like everyone else.

Or perhaps you're being too closed-minded. Most people that don't like this song are the ones that were expecting 10K days to be Lateralus II. Then when they feel like some of the songs sound like old shit, they complain. Kind of contradictory, isn't it?

Besides, the only song that Rosetta Stoned arguably sounds like is Third Eye, and I'm sure that's more than intentional. Any other comparison is just bitching that Tool sounds like Tool.

Well, look what I found!

I've noticed the similiarties pointed out by "The Outlaw", but I don't think the song is a joke at all.

An analogy: Sure, you've seen posts by GaryRoberts on other message boards before, but seeing GaryRoberts post in a different forum doesn't make GaryRoberts any less awesome. Or something.

Okay, time to go back to the 705 page.

I was not expecting Lateralus II. I happen to love 10,000 Days, but do NOT see what all of the excitement about Rosetta Stoned is. Perhaps in time I will eat my words, but it doesnt look like it will be any time soon.

Rosetta Stoned is brilliant.

I don't care if riffs are re-used (they're not), or if they're old un-used riffs (they are) from Adam.

If you really are a musician, you KNOW music is one big recycle fest, and that its not in the actual notes/riffs itself, but the chemistry of the band, the FEELING you put into it, and the structure and quality of performing it.

Get over yourself, please! THE OUTLAW needs to drop the mind a little bit, and get with the FEELING, and all will be good.

This album is meant to be FELT, not deciphered with the brainage.

I say we go after Steve Harris of Iron Maiden for using the same E-D-C chord progression in almost every song he's written!!!!!!! Yeah. Let's get him!

Or let's whine about AC/DC writing the same song their whole career, instead of just enjoying the flat-out rock they produce. YEAH!

enjoy Rosetta Stoned, and it will make you have a natural HIGH. It's like a drug. Just enjoy it, man.

the thing is, i'm not overanalyzing this. these are things i noticed very quickly, and then just took the time to write down. CaseLogic, as far as what you're saying, i haven't heard that drum beat used in any other song i've ever heard. it's unique. or at least it was, until they decided to completly re-use it. i'm getting a lot of interesting feedback that i'm enjoying here.

oh, and sorry for my shitty screen name, it's several years old.

Agreed, for the most part. I just think the brainage should be used in determining what the basic message should be for you. But from that point on, it's all feeling. I do think that Lateralus was largely like that, too, I mean, you're supposed to feel the spiral, feel the tedium in the Patient, feel the Reflection, feel the power of the Triad.

Its not a rip off if you're taking it from your own work.

Give me a fucking break guys.

Yup. Apparently that's a hard concept for people to grasp.

\m/ \m/ \m/ Exactly! "Oh no, listen, they used the 7/9/9 to 3/5/5 to 5/7/7 power chord progression! Linch them!" Think about all the songs that have ever been written. They ALL contain some similar notes, some arranged the same as other songs and some arranged the same, mostly out of pure chance. To write or type you draw from the same alphabet, just like with writing music it has an "alphabet" of its own that you draw from. People complain about this, then when Tool go do something totally off-the-wall like Lipan Conjuring or Caesaro Summability or Mantra or any of their weird interludes they get jumped on. They can't wain. ENJOY THE DAMN MUSIC ALREADY!

*goes to listen to some Motorhead* ;)

What is so wrong with re-visiting themes of your other works? Frank Zappa did this all the time, its called Conceptual Continuity, and this is part of what so many people find to be great about his music. I think it is brilliant that they are able to incorporate themes from older works in this album in a way that makes both the original and the newer piece bigger than what they are alone.

I ponder the existence of Nickleback quite often. Is that the same thing?

That is exactly it. Why does eveything need to be orignally original. As far as songs go, Tool is pretty original, but there's only so much you can do, as much as I hate to say it.

Agreed, I dont know why people(not pointing anyone out here) feel the need to hear something totally different from TOOLs' previous material. Since you liked their old stuff, whats wrong with hearing bits and pieces of it mixed in with the new?

you were right until the pot came out.

I looked at the similiarities of Third Eye found in Rosetta Stoned to be sort of a cameo, if you will, to Third Eye. Like in TV shows they have certain characters show up as cameos. I thought that the same guitar playing from Third Eye was making sort of a cameo appearance in Rosetta Stoned. Also considering the similiar content of lyrics, this cameo is sort of a nod or hint at Third Eye. Well, thats my thoughts.

The screen name is old. Look under it, signed up march 2003.

Of course tool sounds like tool, that's why i love them. Because they have that "tool" quality to them, and you know what i'm talking about. Hell, the entire album sounds like tool, and that's fine. But there's a difference between a band having a quality, and reusing old material. I'm not trying to verify my existence. I made an observation. And i'm going to make another observation. You're not enlightened, you're just one of those arrogant people that claims to be enlightened because he can't come to terms with the fact that he's unremarkable. It seems to me that an "enlightened" person would probably consider the possibility that maybe one human being just wanted to post an opinion on a forum called OPINION. But then again, i'm not enlightened, so I guess I wouldn't know.

This song re-uses riffs and it's silly, simply because of the fact that the riffs are re-used. Not because the song just sounds similar to other songs.

Can i hear some more feedback on this? I've actually heard some interesting things from people talking about things such as this having an overall theme to connect it to other tool songs. Interesting concept, I'd like to hear your explanations why.

I am sure this has been said a hundred times in this thread and others already. I believe that this song is indeed a look back at their stuff and kind of half jokingly (shit the bed) from a sad place (blues album!). I am sure NO ONE will respond to this since it has probably been said but you know..I just cant explain it. I love the song. I 'get the bigger picture' (hopefully, if there is one, that is). Its hard to explain and to be honest I dont want to. If I did in a way in which you could understand where I was coming from..well then I just robbed the song of its purpose(s). So I say to all you doubters..keep listening. It will come to you...hopefully. Like I said earlier...none of you care. My favorite part is " Overwhelmed is what you would be
If placed in my position.
Such a heavy burden now to be the one.
Born to bear and read you all the details of our ending.
To write it down for all the world to see.
But I forgot my pen.
Shit, my bad again. Typical."
which pretty much sums up the song..for me atleast.

Ok, so let me get this straight because I'm not sure I understand exactly what you're saying. Are you implying that this song is just a JOKE?

The intro still sounds nothinkg like H, therefore the entire argument is flawed.

It's not the same riffs. Some of the times you quoted don't even sound very similar. Some do sound similar though, but they're still different in some way.

Why do they sound similar? Because that's Adam's style, that's how he plays, how he writes music. As a guitarist and musician you should know that everybody has their own style, their own flair that's repeated throughout their music, sometimes it's radically different, sometimes it's not so different.

My point is, SOME of the riffs sound SIMILAR, but are in fact different -- none of which detracts from the song because quite simply, it fucking rocks.

That's what I think too. You are God damn right, couldn't put it bettter.

I'm just going to blantantly say this song isn't as great as its made out to be...I think the reason though that I think this is simply because I feel like the CD is lacking in the amount of soungs it has, for there to be joke songs and filler. I mean 5 years later and I kind of wanted more, not saying the Cd itself is bad but I mean if your going to do a joke song in which you recycle your old material it helps if there are more songs altogether to enjoy...I mean I'm just looking at this from the perspective that we might not get another album untill 5 years later.

i love rosetta stoned.. anyone ever thing they rehashed riffs on purpose??
the guy is talking about an acid trip, and it brings back a riff from a song that they wrote about *gasp* ACID..

Third eye comes in (with different notes and a different time signature mind you..) at about 2:56.. then he starts talking about his acid trip and stuff.. i dont know about you guys, but whenever i did any type of substance, it was always a similiar feeling, but not exactly the same.. maybe thats why they put the third eye esque riff in there to give you feelings nostalgia just like what happens when you are under the influence..

also if you guys are too blind to see past this to the actual "new" music in this song then i feel very sorry for you..

the bass drum break down starting at 7:03 is so complex it blows my mind..

the electronic drums / snare are playing in 3/4, and the bass drum is playing in some other time signature.. (15/4 ? ) playing two notes and then a rest, then two notes and a rest.

i'll try to tab it

edit: doesnt work

that complex pattern with the electronic drums at the same time :O

Expectations, sigh, they can really suck. Shed them now.

The title of this song, combined with these lyrics, says it all:

Overwhelmed is what you would be
If placed in my position.
Such a heavy burden now to be the one.
Born to bear and read you
All the details of our ending.
To write it down for all the world to see.
But I forgot my pen.
Shit the bad again. Typical.

If you know what the Rosetta Stone is, you will see how this how this song could be seen as a big "we don't take ourselves half as seriously as a lot of you do. And that's fine, just don't listen to this album that way." Fans have been doing so much endless deciphering with this band, and while there are certain messages that I believe the band did purposely put in their past works, I think that people, myself included, have indeed taken it a bit too far. Thus, the play on words with the Rosetta Stone to Rosetta 'Stoned'.

That doesn't mean this is a joke song, or that they did it half assed, but the self-referencing all makes sense in this context and isn't a symptom of a loss of ideas. It was completely intentional.

The song fucking rocks, just stop thinking about it so much. And I'm sorry, as simple as it might have been for you, I think actually documenting and plotting out all the times of the parts of the song you think sound like prior works could be considered "overthinking, overanalyzing".

definitely.. its all about the fact that the guy was too stoned to decypher what was said. thats it