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SALIVAL

Tool

Experimental/Post Metal


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frenchie
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars Salival is a boxset release for the fans as it had been four years since the band had released any material, and it also prepared tool fans for the new studio album that would follow the year after. This boxset shows of the incredible live performances of the band and also contains some exclusive studio tracks.

Third Eye is an incredible performance and a great way of opening the album. It is good to see how the band have evolved the song from the studio version and made it more suited for a live performance. "Part of Me" was originally from the debut EP "Opiate" but this new version is much better and sounds more like the modern day tool sound. As maynard proclaims at the beginning of "Push!t", "we are looking at this song under a different light". This is a very good alternate version of the song which replaces the heavy guitars and angry vocals with mellow music and soft vocals. This helps to build up the song in a different direction. This is one of the best things about Tool because istead of playing the same song ever show, they experiment with them and make them to make them fresh and exciting.

"You Lied" and "Merkaba" are covers of songs from some of the band members side bands including peach. The best song on the album is the cover of Led Zeppelins "No Quarter" which has epic effects, production and a melee of guitars and stretchy vocal harmonies. This is probably the best cover song i have ever heard, an odd one for tool who dont believe in cover songs but its just for the fans. The last track is ok if you can be bothered to listen to it.

This isn't meant to be a proper album but it strongly achieves its job of being a good collection of outakes for the fans. The album comes in a velvet laced boxset with a large colour photo collection and a bonus DVD with the bands amazing videos on.

Report this review (#31743)
Posted Sunday, July 4, 2004 | Review Permalink
nancy_boy_@ho
3 stars Its pretty good, if a little expensive, the cd is good I like the versions of third eye and no quater. The version of you lied is much better than the origional. My main problem is with the dvd the menu is so hard to navigate around i rarely watch it. Check out the hidden video for hush and the hidden track maynards dick.
Report this review (#31744)
Posted Monday, July 12, 2004 | Review Permalink
Zitro
PROG REVIEWER
3 stars 3.5 stars

This is for fans of the band only. IT is a very enjoyable CD of bonus material, songs live, and probably the best cover song ever made. The price scared me, but I've heard the material from a friend, and I borrowed this. I'll rate this record on the material, not the price. I think it is not worth the money, except for Die-hard fans.

Third Eye opens the album and it is played very professionally. IT is amazing that the four members can play this complex song live. Part of Me is slightly better than the studio version, but I still do not like it. Push It is incredible and one of the two reasons to buy this!! The band has transformed the brilliant heavy track into a mellow one, and they succeeded into making the song better. Message to HArry is of course filler and pointless, but it is saved by a nice melody. You Lied and Merkaba are new songs, and they don't disappoint. You Lied sounds like a typical good song from Tool and Merkaba is a great avant-garde instrumental.

No Quarter is easily the best cover song of Led Zeppelin I've heard from a band (even better than 'stairway to heaven' from Frank Zappa). IT begins similar to Led Zeppelin's version with a haunting keyboard (But there is also a nice bass guitar too), but the instrumental riff-chorus is much heavier and metal-like. Then the verse starts again with distorted vocals. The lyrics are different, and I believe they make the song better. The second chorus is driven by screams. That is nothing yet! A mellow section that doesn't resemble the original's begins with an impressive bass riff. The bass riff continues and transforms into a louder one. The verses lyrics are once again sung under a completely different musical background. Then, the lyrics 'uhhhh, getting colder' are in repeated until MAynard screams 'locked in a place where no one goes' and past lyrics under electric gutiar riffing. The song then reaches its climax, with loud bass guitar playing, rhythm-guitar, and the best drum line of all times!!! (Unfortunately, it was ripped off from Alan White - The Ancient, but I don't care) After that, the verse/choruses are played again with a litel variation and the song ends on a loud coda.

L.A.M.C : A simple rhythm heard over 6 minutes while hearing electronic messages of a phone. This is terrible!! Fortunately, Maynard's Dick comes as a semi-acoustic track with very nice melodies and musicianship and clever lyrics and saves the ending ofthe album.

1. Third Eye - live (8.5/10) 2. Part of Me - live (4/10) 3. Pu[&*!#] - live (9/10) 4. Message to Harry Manback II (6/10) 5. You Lied - live (6/10) 6. Merkaba (7.5/10) 7. No Quarter (10/10) 8. L.A.M.C (0/10) 9.Maynard's Dick (7.5/10)

My Grade : C+

Still, not worth it

Report this review (#46331)
Posted Sunday, September 11, 2005 | Review Permalink
TheProgtologist
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR
Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin
3 stars To keep fans waiting during the 5-year gap between 1996's landmark "AEnima" and their 2001 opus "Lateralus", Tool released the Salival boxset in 2000. This boxset comprised of a DVD of 5 of their music videos (not reviewed here) and a CD with live and unreleased tracks.

The first three tracks of this CD are live tracks from "Aenima" and "Opiate" albums. "Third Eye" and "Pu[&*!#]" are widly different from their album incarnations, with the former turning into a spectral, meandering jam in the middle section and the latter slowing and calming down. The live version of "Part of Me" is faithful to the original, but like the other two live tracks, it works better live than on album.

And what of the new songs? There are two new instumentals: the incredible, dark, 10- minute soundscape that is "Merkeba" and an altered version of "Message from Harry Manback". There are also two covers: "You Lied" from bassist Justin Chancellor's old band Peach and Led Zeppelin's classic "No Quater". In each instance, Tool take on these songs and claim them as their own. You Lied becomes a stunning backdrop for Maynard's vocal acrobatics and No Quater is slowed down and altered to turn it from a slow, calm song into a gargantuan, epic, multi-faceted stormer. This track, along with the previously mentioned "Third Eye" and "Pu[&*!#]", is the centerpiece of the CD.

On the last track, 2 totally new songs in basically a single track are revealed. The first six minutes are given to "L.A.M.C."(Los Angeles Municipal Court), and it is the only disapointment on the disc. It consists solely of a 6 minute recording of their answering machine with droning, noisy guitars occasionally chugging out a chord.The last 3 and a half minutes are given to "Maynard's Dick", an unusually simple, radio-friendly and quick song, with silly lyrics which provide proof, along with "Disgustipated" on their album "Undertow", that Tool really do have a sense of humor.

Not essential,but a good cd.Fans of Progressive Metal and especially fans of Tool will like it,3 stars.

Report this review (#53930)
Posted Sunday, October 30, 2005 | Review Permalink
5 stars This is my favourite compilation of all times. Collection contains some new versions of songs from Ænima album, new live songs, and live version of song Part of Me from Opiate EP. There is also cover of beautiful Led Zeppelin's song No Quarter. Every part of music is brilliant, higly innovative. If there is doubt whether Tool is progressive rock band or not, I believe it is unreasonable. Complex musical compositions, excellent guitar work, high level of explorations, deep lyrics, beautiful vocals. One can hear emotions running out of music every second of this collection. Some parts of songs remind me of King Crimson, because of its intelligent musical experiments guided by instruments. I wouldn't put this work in the second plan, because I believe it is essential piece of progressive rock.
Report this review (#61356)
Posted Friday, December 23, 2005 | Review Permalink
4 stars Because this is not a traditional studio album, I am reviewing it on the level of a live/b- sides collection, and the quality of the videos.

First the album:

Third Eye (live): 5/5 An excellent live performance of what I consider to be Tool's best song at that point in their career. It sounds nearly as polished as the studio version, and even includes some neat new vocal affects that weren't in the original.

Pu[&*!#] (live): 5/5 Heavily altered from the album version, and certainly an excellent live performance, featurning tabla playing by Danny's teacher Aloke Dutta, and a tasteful solo from Adam, this is not to be missed. It doesn't however, live up to Tool's studio epics, Third Eye, Reflection, 10,000 Days, or Rosetta Stoned.

Message to Harry Manback II: 1/5 ok... well, I wasn't a big fan of the segue on AEnima, and this continuation isn't any better.

You Lied (live): 3/5 So-so cover of a song by Justin Chancellor's old band Peach. Some good, cathartic guitar and bass playing, but its a little too repetetive in the end.

Merkaba (live): 3/5 Basically an excuse for the band to do some Fusion-like live freakout, and really its not bad, but it doesn't work on the emotion level of Tool's more tight songwriting.

No Quarter: 4/5 I would give this 5 if it were a Tool song, and it is very good, but it hardly compares to the original Zeppelin version.

LAMC: 1/5 This is 7 minutes of a phone robot and a very annoying repetetive guitar/drum riff.

Maynard's Dick: 3/5 It works as a joke, but not as a serious Tool song. It is really intended as an attack on mainstream music, though.

As for the videos that come with it...

Hush 1/5 - This one is only on the DVD, its really nothing special, black and white footage of the band with Parental Advisory signs over their privates. The song is nothing special either.

Prison Sex 5/5 - A very good stop-motion video, taking obvious inspiration from the works of Jan Svankmajer and The Brother's Quay. Very bleak, symbolic images dealing with sexual abuse. My favorite on the disc. The song is a classic.

Sober 4/5 - This, along with Hush, I believe, are the only videos on the disc not directed by guitarist Adam Jones. It has a few very good images, but too much repeat footage for my taste, and the animation is a little choppy, but the song is an excellent piece from Undertow.

Stinkfist 5/5 - One of Tool's best songs and videos. Lots of well done set pieces, and imagery that fits the song very well.

AEnema 4/5 - Another fairly good live action video, but it isn't quite as good as Stinkfist. Nice use of lighting.

Report this review (#80907)
Posted Sunday, June 11, 2006 | Review Permalink
2 stars The reviews that already exist say enough about this boxset, so I will concentrate more on whether its worth buying or not.

I agree that the live performances are amazing but there are a lot of bootlegs around like tool's 2001 live in san diego with King Crimson for example. This boxset is surely not a good point for someone to start listening to tool. If you have never listened to tool's work you should try the more accessible opiate ep or undertow from their earlier work, or 10,000 days, their last release (so far). Their true masterpieces are Lateralus and Aenima which are much harder starting points though. Salival is really for those who have listened to all tool's work, love them, and want to have everything this band has released. However, this album includes an amazing cover of zeppelin's no quarter and some videos (which happen to be really great). You lied and merkaba are two pleasant tracks but nothing really special. The last track is some kind of a parody. Not really a track but a smart and funny ending to this boxset (though a bit boring).

I think tool is one of the best bands of our time and this boxset is a nice addition to a tool fan's collection, however, it is surely neither an excellent addition to any prog music collection nor essential. It's mostly for tool fans. Two stars....

Report this review (#89446)
Posted Monday, September 11, 2006 | Review Permalink
4 stars Salival is a serious investment for any Tool fan. On the one hand, you're getting their video collection, arguably the best and most original of any band. On the other, you get an album with a few live tracks, some studio wizardry, and some junk. Whether it's worth it or not depends on how much you like Tool, though having their first four videos is worth it anyway.

The tracks that stand out above the rest are the live reworking of "Pu[&*!#]" and the cover of Zeppelin's "No Quarter," which is a vast improvement over the original (and I'm a Zeppelin-phile). Pu[&*!#], maybe the least interesting track on AEnima, is transformed into a slow atmospheric opus that includes tabla solos from Aloke Dutta, Danny Carey's tabla teacher. "No Quarter" is similarly more atmospheric, and breaks down into a Rage Against the Machine-worthy groove at the end.

"Third Eye" opens with a sample of Timothy Leary instead of Bill Hicks, which makes ther song more ominous and schizophrenic sounding. Other than that, it's essentially the same, with similar effects on the guitars and vocals. There's also a good live version of "Part of Me" from Opiate, which is essentially note-for-note like the album version. Other tunes include "Maynard's Dick," which sounds like a send-up of Creed, and "Merkaba," a psychedelic tribal freakout. "L.A. Municiapl Court" is hilarious the first dozen times, but "MEssage to Harry Manback II" is a skip-worthy rehash of the original minus the effects. As an album, "Salval" is disjointed, but the moments of brilliance clearly outweigh the chaff.

So is it worth it? Yep.

Report this review (#115215)
Posted Thursday, March 15, 2007 | Review Permalink
Rune2000
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR
Honorary Collaborator
3 stars Salival was definitely not the live album I was expecting after the band's first masterpiece Ænima but it definitely have aged well over the years and sounds better today than what it did upon its release.

The biggest disappointment for me here is the set-list featured on this album since there are only two tracks from Ænima and both of them sound completely different from their source material. I think that the cover of the Led Zeppelin song No Quarter was a very appropriate here since it creates the analogy to Led Zeppelin's first live album. In other words Salival is basically the live album we weren't expecting, just like Led Zeppelin's album The Song Remains The Same.

A good, but non-essential release that has become somewhat of a holy grail in Tool's discography.

**** star songs: Third Eye (14:05) Pu[&*!#] (13:56) Merkaba (9:49) L.A.M.C / Maynard's Dick (10:53)

*** star songs: Part Of Me (3:32) Message To Harry Manback II (1:14) You Lied (9:47) No Quarter (11:12)

Report this review (#257874)
Posted Saturday, December 26, 2009 | Review Permalink
4 stars "Salival" is a relatively expensive boxset released a year before "Lateralus" that provided some nourishment for starving Tool fans who had already waited four years to hear something new since the release of "Aenima". I would recommend it only to hardcore fans willing to spare the cash. Even so it is a good package.

Instead of releasing a standard live album, Tool have packed in a few surprises along the way. "Third Eye" and "Part of Me" are reasonably close to the versions performed on the albums. "Pu[&*!#]" takes thing in a totally different direction. It's a stripped back version and puts an entirely new emphasis on the song, which is refreshing to see. "You Lied" is a cover song that's not available on any other Tool release.

"No Quarter" is the highlight on this album by a long way. It's the reason I rushed out to buy the album upon release. Recorded during the Aenima sessions, this cover of the Led Zep classic is a gem. Tool expand upon the original and give it a taste of their own signature style. The result is an 11 minute epic that shows the way a cover should be done - not just by playing the same song with more contemporary guitar distortion or some other superficial change, but by actually writing some new material that complements and enhances the original.

The album closes out with a couple of 'jokey' tracks, with "Maynard's Dick" in particular a track worth more than one listen.

There is also a DVD included with several of Tool's early film clips, and a glossy hardcover booklet with photos and artwork as well. Both of these fall under the category of collector's items.

For serious Tool fans, this is a 4 Star package and one you'll want to own. For others? 3 Stars, grab it from a bargain bin for "No Quarter" if nothing else.

Report this review (#963483)
Posted Tuesday, May 21, 2013 | Review Permalink

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