Undertow (Tool album)

Infobox Album
Name = Undertow
Type = Album
Artist = Tool


Released = April 6, 1993
Recorded = October - December 1992 at Grand Master Studios, Hollywood, California
Genre = Progressive metal
Length = 69:13
Label = Zoo Entertainment
Producer = Sylvia Massy, Tool
Reviews = *Allmusic Rating|4|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:49821vy8zzpa link] (CD/VHS)
*"Entertainment Weekly" (A-) [http://www.buy.com/retail/proreviews/product.asp?sku=60016173&loc=109&PageFormat=7 May 28 1993]
*"Q" Rating|2|5 [http://www.q4music.com/nav?page=q4music.artist.review&fixture_review=121984&fixture_artist=146841 October 2000]
*"Spin" (Favorable) [http://www.buy.com/retail/proreviews/product.asp?sku=60016173&loc=109&PageFormat=7 October 2003]
Last album = "Opiate (EP)"
(1992)
This album = "Undertow"
(1993)
Next album = "Ænima"
(1996)
Misc = Extra album cover 2
Upper caption = Alternate cover
Type = studio


Lower caption = The censored artwork edition sold in some U.S. stores

"Undertow" is Tool's first full-length album, released in 1993. At the time, grunge was at the height of its popularity, and pop punk was slowly beginning to gather mainstream attention. "Undertow" helped heavy metal remain prominent as a mainstream musical style, and allowed several later bands to break through to the mainstream.cite web | title = Undertow Review | publisher =AllMusic.com| date =July 2, 2001 | author =Rob Theakston | url =http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:0vfrxq8gldke~T1 | accessdate =2007-05-22 |quote = Just as grunge was reaching its boiling point and radio-friendly punk-pop loomed on the horizon, Tool released Undertow, which firmly reinforced metal's prominence as a musical style [...}. At the forefront of Tool's commercial explosion were striking, haunting visuals that complemented the album's nihilistic yet wistful mood. Drawing equal inspiration from Black Sabbath, alternative theories of science, and Eastern religions, Tool's abrasive sonic assault begins from the opening notes and continues through the final moments of the last composition, an open mockery of organized religion and its incapacity for original thought. With its technical brilliance, musical complexities, and aggressive overtones, Undertow not only paved the way for several bands to break through to the mainstream [...] , it also proved that metal could be simultaneously intelligent, emotional, and brutal.] Allmusic saw the album's success in the "striking, haunting visuals that complemented the album's nihilistic yet wistful mood." It was eventually certified double platinum by the RIAA on May 14, 2001. [cite web | title =British Rock Royalty Add More Awards | publisher =RIAA | date =July 2, 2001 | url =http://www.riaa.com/news/newsletter/press2001/070201.asp | accessdate =2007-05-14 |quote =..."Aenima" and "Undertow" are currently double Platinum®... ]

The album was recorded between October and December 1992 at Grand Master Studios, Hollywood, California, by Sylvia Massy. It includes songs that the band decided to not release on their previous EP, "Opiate".cite journal
url=http://toolshed.down.net/articles/text/gsch.mar.94.html
last = Gennaro
first = Loraine
title = Tool Guitarist Adam Jones is a Master of Many Trades
journal = Guitar School
volume = 03
pages = 16
date = 1994
accessdate = 2006-04-07]

Album art

The album art was designed by Adam Jones.cite web | url=http://toolshed.down.net/articles/text/gsch.mar.94.html | title=Tool Guitarist Adam Jones is a Master of Many Trades | work=Guitar School | year=1994|accessdate=2006-04-07] Photos in the liner notes of a nude obese woman, a nude thin man, and the band members with pins in the sides of their heads generated controversy, resulting in the album being removed from stores such as KMart and Wal-Mart.cite web | last =Griffin | first =J.R. | title =TOOL on Videos, Censorship, Art, And Why You Should Never Let A G | work =Axcess | date =1994 | url =http://toolshed.down.net/articles/index.php?action=view-article&id=Sometime_1994--Axcess.html | accessdate =2007-05-13
quote=It came as no surprise when Wal-Mart and KMart refused to carry the album. Rather than miss out on a large audience, Tool decided to censor itself and released a plain white album cover that contained nothing more than a giant bar code, the band's name, and the album tracks. ] [cite news
url = http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-884297.html
title = Keeping Those Risque Covers Undercover
author = Richard Harrington
work = The Washington Post
date = 1994-04-06
accessdate = 2008-02-02
format = fee required] The band reacted by releasing another version, which depicted a giant bar code on a white background. This version of the album included a note from the band (see right).

When the original cover is held up to a light, the obese woman inside is seen encircled by the ribcage.

The message on the photographs of the band members reads "Trust me trust me trust me trust me trust me I just want to start this over say you won't go this is love I'll make weapons out of my imperfections lay back and let me show you another way only this one holy medium brings me peace of mind cleanse and purge me in the water twice as loud as reason euphoria I've been far too sympathetic no one told you to come I hope it sucks you down life feeds on life this is necessary." This passage has several lyrics from the album's songs.

In some versions of the CD, when the black backing of the CD case (where the CD lies) is removed, an obscure picture of a cow licking what appears to be it's genital region is revealed.

Track listing

CD

All songs written by Tool unless otherwise noted.

:1. "Intolerance" – 4:53:2. "Prison Sex" – 4:56:3. "Sober" - 5:06:4. "Bottom" - 7.13 (Tool, Henry Rollins):5. "Crawl Away" - 5:29:6. "Swamp Song" - 5:31:7. "Undertow" - 5:21 Audio|Tool_-_Undertow.ogg|listen:8. "4°" - 6:02:9. "Flood" - 7:45:69. "Disgustipated" - 15:47

"Disgustipated" is track 69 on most pressings in North America (causing most CD players upon reaching the end of track 9 to advance through tracks 10-68, which contain no data, at a rate of about 2 per second until track 69 is reached). It also appears as track 39, track 10 (mostly in Europe) or as a hidden track following "Flood" on track 9.On certain Japanese imports, "Disgustipated" is track 70, with a short live version of "Flood" as track 71.The exact breakdown of "Disgustipated" is as follows:

:Percussion/Animal sounds - 0:00 - 1:10:Preacher - 1:11 - 2:32:Disgustipated - 2:33 - 6:45:Crickets - 6:46 - 13:50:Phone message - 13:51 - 15:47

LP

ide one

#"Intolerance"
#"Prison Sex"
#"Sober"

ide two

#"Bottom"
#"Crawl Away"
#"Swamp Song"

ide three

#"Undertow"
#"4°"
#"Flood"

ide four

#"Disgustipated"

Personnel

;Band members
*Maynard James Keenan – Vocals
*Adam Jones – Guitar
*Paul d'Amour – Bass
*Danny Carey – Drums

;Additional personnel
*Henry Rollins – Vocals on "Bottom"
*Statik - Programming on "Disgustipated"
*Sylvia Massy - Production of album and mixing on "Disgustipated"
*Ron St. Germain – Mixing

Charting

Albums

(*) designates unordered lists.

Notes