Tool January 2016 Tour – 10 Tool Songs We Want To See Live – BUT They (Probably) Won’t Play

By now, you’ve probably already heard the good news: Tool is getting ready to embark on their first tour in years. If they follow the pattern they’ve established since just prior to Lateralus, then there’s a good chance that this tour will precipitate the release of a brand-new, honest-to-god, actual Tool album. Of course, that means that the set list will be overloaded with new songs and songs from 10,000 Days and Lateralus, with a couple tracks from Aenima (probably “Stinkfist” and “Aenema”) thrown in for good measure. While any Tool show is a good Tool show, they’ve got plenty of tracks in their arsenal that probably won’t be played much, if at all. That’s a shame, really, given how vast and diverse their catalog is.

While it’s true that they’ve evolved quite a bit over the years, fans still can’t help but have love for the early stuff and the rarely played tracks, and the desire to hear those songs live lurks in the back of your mind, even though you know it’s probably not going to happen. Even though we make our livings writing about music, we’re pretty susceptible to those same desires. The announcement of a new Tool tour kicked off some serious discussion among staffers about songs that we’d like to see when they come through our towns. Admittedly, a lot of these were just wishful thinking, but you just can’t stop desire.

So while we know that the chances of seeing all of these songs lays somewhere between slim and none, we couldn’t help ourselves. Here are ten songs you probably won’t hear on the new tour that we’re kind of hoping to hear anyway…

“You Lied”: When Justin Chancellor joined the band prior to Aenima, he’d already had a fairly distinguished run with England’s Peach, who had supported Tool during their Undertow European tour. Peach’s dark prog-metal aesthete was the perfect compliment to Tool at that period of their career, and Chancellor had no problem fitting in with his new band. During their tour in support of Aenima, Tool would often cover the best known Peach track, “You Lied,” in honor of their newest member. While there wasn’t much changed in terms of musical arrangement, Tool brought their brand of tight heaviness to the track that, when coupled with Maynard’s on point vocals, took the song to new heights of haunting pleasure. The track hasn’t been performed much following the Aenima tour, but seeing it get dusted off would be a delicious treat for all those patient Tool fans out there.

“No Quarter”: Also performed primarily during the Aenima tour, Tool’s cover of the Led Zeppelin classic was, in a way, a statement in itself. Tool fans have long held Tool up to the same standards of excellence that Zepheads held for Led Zeppelin in the 70’s. The cover, like “You Lied”, didn’t differ too much from the original arrangement, except to make it darker and heavier than its forebear. Where the original has Zeppelin’s touch of fantasy—musically recalling green forests and gently rolling hillsides—Tool’s version has been updated to reflect a more modern, industrial setting, with its droning intonations indicative of a blackened post-urban wasteland. If Led Zeppelin’s original invoked feelings of “Lord of the Rings” in its musicality, Tool’s was, then, Blade Runner. Though this hasn’t been performed much in the last 18 years or so, the band did perform it once again at their recent Halloween show in Tempe, Arizona, so maybe it’s not too much to hope for.

“Opiate”: I’ve seen Tool more times than I can remember, but only once I have seen this live. It was in Ft. Worth, Texas, which found the show beset by a group of religious protesters, carrying signs that read, among other things, “Why do you worship the Devil?” In response to this, Maynard James Keenan gave a mid-concert speech about the nature of “the word,” and how that word is, simply, “love.” He encouraged us in the audience to practice the word and do what we can to spread and live the message of love. “That being said, we have a special treat for you tonight,” he said, before the opening four notes from “Opiate” were played. The crowd went wild. I don’t expect that this experience can ever be repeated in the same way, but in this day of religious ideologues and intolerance, “Opiate” would serve as a powerful reminder about the dangers letting religious extremism cloud our personal views.

“4 Degrees”: Tool have always toyed with mystical themes in their music, thought admittedly that aspect has played heavier in their oeuvre as their career has progressed. This track, off of Undertow, set the stage for a lot of the more out there themes the band has explored in the latter half of their career. “4 Degrees” would be an excellent inclusion into their set and would serve as a reminder of how far they’ve come since the 90’s. Hell, they could even completely rework it, similar to what they’ve done with “Pushit” and let us see the song interpreted from a completely different perspective. No doubt, their thoughts and beliefs have evolved over the years, so including this would be a fantastic way to juxtapose the old with the new.

“Hooker with a Penis”: Hey remember last month, when Consequence of Sound (and other publications) completely decontextualized an interview with Maynard in the Phoenix New Times and set off an internet firestorm of offended fans who looked before they leaped and got all pissy over a statement that was, in all reality, not that big of a deal? First of all, if you were one of those fans, congratulations on proving Maynard right! Second of all, the brouhaha surrounding the interview has already fostered the perfect environment for this little love letter to the fans. Tool have never been a band overly concerned with giving the fans what they want, focusing instead on perfecting their craft and being one of the best bands ever. Fuck, they probably don’t even give a shit I just called them one of the best bands ever. They’re too busy being Tool to worry about such trivialities. Given how seriously everyone seemed to take his rather innocuous comment about some Tool fans taking things too seriously for his taste, we could probably all stand the reminder of just where we sit, exactly.

“Sweat”: Given the rest of Tool’s catalogue, this opening track off of Opiate feels almost quaint. It’s got a more traditional structure than their latter-day material, playing heavily into the rock tropes of the era. Still, there are hints of Tool’s ultimate brilliance laced between the simplicity. As with “Four Degrees”, it’s almost begging for a reworking to give Tool a chance to showcase both their old style and their new. As is, however, it’d be a perfect encore song.

“Ticks and Leeches”: This track off of Lateralus is rarely dusted off for the live setting, and it’s not hard to figure out why. Maynard may have one of the best voices in rock music, but not even he could stand the abuse to the vocal cords that singing this song night after night would cause. Like “Hooker with a Penis,” “Ticks and Leeches” serves as an admonishment of the often unrealistic expectations fans and the industry place on Tool and Maynard himself. It’s the angriest song Tool has written since their Undertow days, making it stand out somewhat from the rest of Lateralus. It’s also impossible to deny the raw intensity of the song, with its furious rhythms and vocalized screechings as it climaxes. It might be a rarity, but it’s not entirely unheard of to see live, so who knows? Maybe a few lucky fans will get to Tool treat of a lifetime on the upcoming tour.

“Prisonsex”: Hard to believe, but a lot of people missed the whole “evil begets evil” theme portrayed in this song. While it’s a theme as old as humanity itself, it feels particularly poignant in this age. I know Tool have never been an overtly political band, but their general philosophy is interesting to consider in these days of political turmoil and strife. This parable about a once abused man who becomes an abuser as a way to deal with the psychological issues developed from his being abused is, in fact, a pretty potent metaphor for the climate of today’s world.

“Jerk-Off”: They could dedicate it to Donald Trump!

“Bottom”: So this song is nothing without the Henry Rollins recitation that happens about midway through, so I was hesitant to include this here. But then I remembered they were touring with Primus, and I thought to myself. “What if they replaced ol’ Hank with ol’ Les?” Then I squealed with delight, and now I want this more than anything. Again, this is an older track, and maybe it doesn’t necessarily fit in with the overall vibe Tool is going for these days, but what the hell, right? A guy can dream.

Tool Tour Dates:

January 9 – San Diego, CA @ Viejas Arena
January 13 – San Antonio, TX @ AT&T Center
January 16 – Tulsa, OK @ BOK Center
January 17 – Grand Prairie, TX @ Verizon Theatre
January 19 – Southaven, MS @ Landers Center
January 23 – Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
January 25 – Atlanta, GA @ Infinite Energy Center
January 26 – Charlotte, NC @ Bojangles Coliseum