Article response -- Tool's _Lateralus_ and getting lost in a record

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Having already hinted at such things, I took the plunge and talked about the album I've been playing to death at the expense of all others for the past two months. You can talk about that, you can talk about how crazy I am...or, if it hasn't been talked about before (probably has), I'd be interested in hearing about what records took you over, played at least once a day or more for weeks at a time, and why, and if it still connects...

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 24 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

You don't talk about the lyrics all that much. Are they important for you?

― nathalie, Tuesday, 24 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

In general, no. Lyrics are usually the last thing I look for in music -- you can find my thoughts on the matter in another ILM thread over here, currently about a fourth of the way up from the end of the thread. As I say there, this is not to say lyrics can't become crucial or more deeply felt with time.

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 24 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I'm lost in the Avalanches album right now. After ealy scepticism I'm forced to agree that the general ILM opinion was on the money after all.

― Dr. C, Tuesday, 24 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Ned, you so CRAAAAAAAAAAAAZY!

― Sean Carruthers, Tuesday, 24 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I thought that was implicit. ;-)

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 24 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Damn it, Ned - thanks to your article, I've finally been kablowed by the hype & have bought the bloody album! (It better be good, boyo...)

Albums I Have Taken To Like Fish To Water After Eons In Desert = too many to mention. Some that still resonate emotionally (Tsunami's _A Brilliant Mistake_, Franklin Bruno's _A Bedroom Community_, Slint's _Spiderland_, anything by the Verlaines & Ida), some that are substantially fun dalliances (Verbow's _White Out_, that dog.'s _Retreat From the Sun_ & _Totally Crushed Out_, Veruca Salt), and some torrid affairs that have become quaint friendships (pre-WB Husker Du, _Double Nickels on the Dime_, most stuff by Kristin Hersh).

Why? Well. I have an affinity / weakness for overdriven guitar rock/pop stuff - hence the cavalcade of 90s / 00s bands that have fallen off the popular radar. Most of the albums that still hit me hard had both an ideological impact on me, as well as musical. And the folks in the "torrid affairs" section were the building blocks that led me to the stuff I listed in the "still hits me" category. Funny - my overwhelming love of guitar-based music relegates everything else to "friendly acquaintance".

I know I'm missing other super-crushes, but I guess they're not that important if I can't remember them.

― David Raposa, Tuesday, 24 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

(It better be good, boyo...)

Caveat emptor. Your mileage may vary. Objects in mirror, etc. ;-)

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 24 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I really like the album as well...then again, I'm a drummer (and his name is Danny Carey btw). It also probably helps that I don't care about the lyrics at all (some of them are pretty high-school-goth- black-notebook-poetry).

During the first couple listens I thought that, though it all sounded good, it wasn't nearly as hooky as it's predecessors. After I became more familiar with the album, every little 5/4 riff now seems catchy as hell. I always love when that happens.

― Jordan, Tuesday, 24 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I'll have to go back and correct that. This is what happens when you write straight through. ;-)

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 24 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

loved the article, really did. i think that we need more stuff like this to really take our minds to the music and out of all the media history and whatnot, at least thats what i got from it. so, i agree, but i have to ask, how did you like aenima. for me in high school that was a huge record and i really loved it despite its difference from much of my non-metal or whatever record collection. so, im asking, didnt you feel, as i have, that lateralus isn't very repetitive of the aenima stuff, in a way making it seem less of an engrossing listen? just a thought, and maybe im missing the point, but whenever i hear lateralus, i think, why am i not listening to aenima instead.

― andrew, Wednesday, 25 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

one year passes...

Just read this article now (I'm slowly working my way through the FT archives) and your first paragraph is horribly prescient, Ned.

"And while part of me is convinced that somewhere somehow right now the past products of American foreign policy are about to result in something horrific, that's something most people who have put their mind to it have expected for years anyway."

― James Ball (James Ball), Friday, 17 January 2003 09:30 (twenty-three years ago)

six years pass...

damn dudes check this out...lateralus for japanese zither ensemble!!! holee fuk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dm2glu3WLGk

― Mountain Dewm (M@tt He1ges0n), Monday, 30 November 2009 23:52 (sixteen years ago)

wow!

― m the g, Tuesday, 1 December 2009 09:15 (sixteen years ago)

rad

― a. cole, u thic (acoleuthic), Tuesday, 1 December 2009 09:54 (sixteen years ago)

just wanna bump this again because it is super duper awesome if you haven't checked it out

― Mountain Dewm (M@tt He1ges0n), Tuesday, 1 December 2009 17:03 (sixteen years ago)

It is!

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 1 December 2009 19:35 (sixteen years ago)

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