Tool: Entry points?

[indieshins]

I need a way in to Tool. Here's the background: I quite like them, particularly when I hear songs in isolation, but despite the fact that I have Lateralus on CD, when I try and listen to a whole album it all just blends together, I get bored, and never make it through the whole thing. Their albums are long and don't seem to have enough sonic variety to justify that length. Am I missing something? If so, what is it? Tool heads, have your say!

[AAL2014]

It took me a long time to click with Tool but once I did it was off to the races. What worked for me was hearing the song 10,000 Days (Wings Part 2). That song blew me away and finding out more on the lyrical content, subsequent listens became blissful. Their songs (Wings Part 2 in particular) have such an enigmatic aura about them. Very few bands have the sonic presence that Tool has. That's why I love them, but it took me a while. They are now arguably my favorite band. Danny Carey is god

While I listen to Lateralus with nothing but reverence now, it was the last of the Justin Chancellor era albums that I connected to. 10,000 Days being the first and then AEnema. Lateralus has so much to offer, but with the same token it has so much to offer. It's long as fuck, but it's so rewarding.

If you haven't heard that many songs from them, keep digging and the albums will kinda start to piece themselves together. At least that's what happened with me.
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Attention all planets of the solar federation: We have assumed control.

[manurock]

I listened to AEnima first and didn't like it, I will have to try harder and also go for Lateralus. Maybe my mistake was starting with AEnima instead of Lateralus.

[elo269megv]

Opiate is surprisingly good - more jam orientated than sprawling like their later work
The first 3 songs of Undertow are good with Sober being the highlight
Aenima is where they start to get great - Stinkfist, Eulogy, H, Forty Six & 2, Jimmy, Pushit, Aenema, etc
Laterlus is supposed to be their best album but I've only heard Schism...
10,000 Days is the last Tool album I listen to really - Vicarious, The Pot, and Wings Part 2

Unfortunately, there's really no other good way to listen to Tool unless you're going to listen to the entire album from start to finish, which means you have to endure long stretches of songs that seemingly blend together. And I don't particularly care for some of the interludes on Aenima... Like Message to Harry Manback could've been cut

[indieshins]

[AAL2014]

[RoundTheBend]

I second the 10,000 days album.

I tried getting into other albums and it was a bit hit and miss for me. It kind of still is. But 10,000 days is easily their most coherent/cohesive album (imo).

Sounds like you already like some individual songs. That's where I'm at with them - killer 10 or so songs throughout their career and then 10,000 days album.

Maybe I need more Tool and maybe I'm happy there?

I think a lot of artists are like this - you get into their greatest hits and then an album or two and sometimes it stops there and sometimes you become a fanboi. Curious if it is random or if there's some kind of logic to which bands become more than an album or two vs loving their entire catalog.

Like most things - I think it's a bit like pavlovs dog. If we have positive interactions with things, we want more of them.