Nel 2000, poco prima della pubblicazione dell'attesissimo "Lateralus", esce "Salival", canonica raccolta di brani dal vivo, cover e rarità.
Il disco apre con due versioni live di altrettanti classici del gruppo, "Third Eye" (da "Aenima"), introdotta da un sample di Timothy Leary, e "Part Of Me" (dall'ep "Opiate"), eseguiti con tecnica e precisione ammirevoli: a coloro che non hanno mai avuto la fortuna di ascoltare i Tool dal vivo bastano questi due brani per scoprire la resa on stage del gruppo, capace di riproporre con fedeltà assoluta e al contempo con molta intensità canzoni dalle partiture molto complesse. Segue un'interessante versione alternativa di "Pushit", sempre dal vivo, totalmente diversa dall'originale contenuta in "Aenima", molto più imperniata su melodia e tribalismi. "Message To Harry Manback II", invece, è il primo brano in studio del disco: si tratta a tutti gli effetti di una curiosa reprise dell'omonimo brano di "Aenima", il cui tema viene riproposto da una sezione d'archi, anziché dal pianoforte. Il soggetto è sempre lo stesso: un uomo di chiare origini italiane lascia nella segreteria telefonica di un certo Harry Manback un messaggio pieno di insulti, tra cui alcuni in italiano.
Seguono altri due brani live: la strumentale "Merkaba", in cui il batterista Danny Carey sfoggia la sua notevole tecnica mentre il resto del gruppo si diletta con feedback, samples, delay e rumorismi vari, e "You Lied", ottima cover degli inglesi Peach (il gruppo in cui militava il bassista Justin Chancellor prima di raggiungere i Tool nel '96). Ma il piatto forte viene servito alla traccia numero sette, una coraggiosa quanto straordinaria rilettura di un classico dei Led Zeppelin, "No Quarter", questa volta in studio. Coraggiosa perché è stata riarrangiata e reinterpretata in modo molto personale, d'altronde soltanto il tema iniziale riprende l'originale, il resto è tutta opera dei Tool (anche il testo è stato modificato), straordinaria perché forse è anche migliore dell'originale, una delle canzoni più belle in assoluto dello storico quartetto inglese. La traccia conclusiva, "L. A. M. C." (acronimo di Los Angeles Municipal Court), non è altro che un messaggio vocale della segreteria telefonica del municipio di Los Angeles impiastrato su una serie di rumori siderurgici, solita stranezza alla Tool. Le sorprese non sono ancora finite, perché dopo alcuni secondi di silenzio quattro semplici accordi (può sembrare strano per un gruppo come i Tool) introducono la traccia fantasma, "Maynard's Dick" (traduzione: il cazzo di Maynard), godibile canzoncina in puro stile grunge, scritta chiaramente agli inizi della carriera.
In definitiva, si tratta di un disco imperdibile. Cade un gradino sotto ad "Aenima" e al successivo "Lateralus" per la sua natura di raccolta e non di album vero e proprio, comunque è molto appetibile per ogni fan dei Tool che si rispetti. È logico che per chi non conosce il gruppo e vuole scoprirlo non è il lavoro più adatto, ad ogni modo si tratta di un disco da avere.
Elenco tracce e testi
01 Ænema (06:39)
Some say the end is near
Some say we'll see armageddon soon
I certainly hope we will
I sure could use a vacation from this
Bullshit, three ring
Circus sideshow of
Freaks here in this
Hopeless fucking
Hole we call L.A.
The only way to fix it is
To flush it all away
Any fucking time
Any fucking day
Learn to swim
See you down in
Arizona Bay
Fret for your figure
And fret for your latte
And fret for your lawsuit
And fret for your hairpiece
And fret for your Prozac
And fret for your pilot
And fret for your contract
And fret for your car
It's a bullshit, three ring
Circus sideshow of
Freaks here in this
Hopeless fucking
Hole we call L.A.
The only way to fix it is
To flush it all away
Any fucking time
Any fucking day
Learn to swim
See you down in
Arizona Bay
Some say a comet will fall from the sky
Followed by meteor showers and tidal waves
Followed by fault lines that cannot sit still
Followed by millions of dumb-founded dipshits
Some say the end is near
Some say we'll see armageddon soon
I certainly hope we will
I sure could use a vacation from this
Stupid shit
Silly shit
Stupid shit
One great big festering neon distraction
I've a suggestion to keep you all occupied
Learn to swim... Learn to swim... Learn to swim...
Mom's gonna fix it all soon
Mom's coming 'round to put it back the way it oughta be
Learn to swim... Learn to swim... Learn to swim... Learn to swim...
Fuck L. Ron Hubbard
And fuck all his clones
Fuck all these gun-toting
Hip gangster wanna-bes
Learn to swim... Learn to swim... Learn to swim... Learn to swim...
Fuck retro anything
Fuck your tattoos
Fuck all you junkies
And fuck your short memory
Learn to swim... Learn to swim... Learn to swim... Learn to swim...
Fuck smiley glad-hands with hidden agendas
Fuck these dysfunctional, insecure actresses
Learn to swim... Learn to swim... Learn to swim... Learn to swim...
I'm praying for rain
I'm praying for tidal waves
I wanna see the ground give way
I wanna watch it all go down
Mom, please flush it all away
I wanna see it go right in and down
I wanna watch it go right in
Watch you flush it all away
Yeah, time to bring it down again
Yeah, don't just call a pessimist
Try and read between the lines
And I can't imagine why you wouldn't
Welcome any change, my friend
I wanna see it come down
Plug it down
Suck it down
Flush it down
02 Stinkfist (05:09)
Something has to change
Undeniable dilemma
Boredom's not a burden
Anyone should bear
Constant over-stimulation numbs me
But I would not want you any other way
Just
[It's] Not enough
I need more
Nothing seems to satisfy
I said
I don't want it
I just need it
To breathe
To feel
To know I'm alive
Finger deep within the borderline
Show me that you love me and that we belong together
Relax, turn around and take my hand
I can help you change
Tired moments into pleasure
Say the word and we'll be well upon our way
Blend and balance
Pain and comfort
Deep within you
'Til you will not want me any other way
But it's not enough
I need more
Nothing seems to satisfy
I said
I don't want it
I just need it
To breathe
To feel
To know I'm alive
Knuckle deep inside the borderline
This may hurt a little but it's something you'll get used to
Relax, slip away
There's something kinda sad about
The way that things have come to be
Desensitized to everything
What became of subtlety?
How can this mean anything to me
If I really don't feel anything at all?
Yeah...
I'll keep digging
Until I feel something
Elbow deep inside the borderline
Show me that you love me and that we belong together
Shoulder deep within the borderline
Relax, turn around and take my hand
03 Prison Sex (04:56)
It took so long to remember just what happened.
I was so young and vestal then,
You know it hurt me,
But I'm breathing so I guess I'm still alive
Even if signs seem to tell me otherwise.
I've got my hands bound,
And my head down, and my eyes closed,
My throat's wide open.
I do unto others what has been done to me
Do unto others what has been done to you
I'm treading water,
I need to sleep a while.
My lamb and martyr,
You look so precious.
Won't you, won't you come a bit closer,
Close enough so I can smell you.
I need you to feel this,
I can't stand to burn too long.
Released in sodomy.
For one sweet moment I am whole.
Do unto you now what has been done to me.
Do unto you now what has been done...
You're breathing so I guess you're still alive
Even if signs seem to tell me otherwise.
Won't you, wont you come just a bit closer,
Close enough so I can smell you.
I need you to feel this.
I need this to make me whole.
Release in this sodomy.
For I am your witness that
Blood and flesh can be trusted.
I am your witness that
Blood and flesh can be trusted
And only this one holy medium brings me piece of mind.
Got your hands bound, your head down,
Your eyes closed.
You look so precious now.
I have found some kind of temporary sanity in this
Shit blood and cum on my hands.
I've come round full circle.
My lamb and martyr, this will be over soon.
You look so precious...
You look so precious...
You look so precious...
You look so precious, now...
You look so precious...
04 Sober (05:05)
There's a shadow just behind me
Shrouding every step I take
Making every promise empty
Pointing every finger at me
Waiting like a stalking butler
Who upon the finger rests
Murder now, the path called "must we"
Just because the son has come
Jesus, won't you fucking whistle
Something but the past and done?
Jesus, won't you fucking whistle
Something but the past and done?
Why can't we not be sober?
I just want to start this over
And why can't we drink forever?
I just want to start this over
I am just a worthless liar
I am just an imbecile
I will only complicate you
Trust in me and fall as well
I will find a center in you
I will chew it up and leave
I will work to elevate you
Just enough to bring you down
Mother Mary, won't you whisper?
Something but what's past and done
Mother Mary, won't you whisper?
Something but the past and done
Why can't we not be sober?
I just want to start this over
And why can't we sleep forever?
I just want to start this over
Why?
I am just a worthless liar
I am just an imbecile
I will only complicate you
Trust in me and fall as well
I will find a center in you
I will chew it up and leave
Trust me
Trust me
Trust me
Trust me
Trust me
Why can't we not be sober?
I just want to start things over
And why can't we sleep forever?
I just want to start this over
Why?
I want what I want
I want what I want
I want what I want
I want what I want
05 Hush (02:48)
Fuck you
I can't say what I want to
Even if I'm not serious
I can't say what I want to.
Even if I'm not serious
Things like
Go fuck yourself
Go fuck yourself
You piece of shit
Why don't you just go and kill yourself?
I said
I can't say what I want to
Even if I'm not serious
I can't say what I want to
Even if I'm just kidding
People tell me what to say
What to think and what to play
I said
People tell me what to say
What to think and what to play
I said
Fuck yourself
Fuck yourself
You piece of shit
Why don't you just go and kill yourself?
I said
I can't say what I want to
Even if I'm not serious
I can't say what I want to
Even if I'm just kidding
Go fuck yourself
Go fuck yourself
You piece of shit
Why don't you go fuck yourself?
People tell me what to say
What to think and what to play
I said
People tell me what to say
What to think and what to play
Just kidding
Just kidding
Just kidding
Carico i commenti... con calma