Customer Reviews

Salival

5 star:		(109)
4 star:		(27)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

This CD/VHS set was a stop gap between 'Aenima' and 'Lateralus', and consists of a CD featuring live and rare tracks, as well as a video containing the bands ambitious, biazzare and at times grotesque music videos (now sadly out dated due to the release of videos from the 'Lateralus' album). This is an essential live document for Tool fans, for the versions of some of the songs featured here surpass the originals in places. The live version of 'Third Eye', the 13 minute epic from 'Aenima' is imbued with far more atmosphere than the original, has a different sample at the start (Timothy Leary on freedom of thought), and is simply required listening for fans. 'Pushit' is also revamped, with a slower, more thoughtful opening, lengthy bong-drum interlude and alternative lyrics. Elsewhere on the disc, we have 'Part of Me' live, which is the discs weak point, as one feels a better song could have been selected for inclusion. Also, the song is very little changed from the studip recording: hardly a new criticism of live material, but when viewed against the quality of the other material here it is a severe defect. A version of Led Zeppelin's 'No Quarter' surfaces finally here, which is thankful, as Tool do a fine job of making the classic song their own. A cover of 'You Lied' by Peach (Justin Chancellor's previous outfit) is very welcome, as is the hidden track towards the end of the album, which I would urge the listener to discover for themselves. Overall the disc is very strong.
The VHS suffers immediately from being out of date, but this does not diminish the quality of the videos included. For those who have never seen a Tool video I am unable to explain their merits here: Adam Jones is evidently a genius in my eyes, but the nightmare imagery is unlikely to appeal to everyone.
This is an essential commodity for Tool fans, but for the casual listener there will be very little of interest here. For this reason I do recommend this set highly, but only to the initiated.

"Think for yourself. Question authority...."

And so starts yet another successful outing from one of history's greatest bands. Tool's "Salival" (the name being derived from the diehards' nervous anticipation for the release of what would be "Lateralus" the next year) is much different than most band's live CD's or B-sides albums. And for that matter, much MUCH different than any other band's video catalogue; but therein lies the band's appeal and mysticism that has been attracting fans for ten fascinating years. But "Salival's" diversity and strangeness also make it more of a fan commodity than something that would appeal to the world at large (argueably because the world simply doesn't "get it"). This is not the disc that you will be handing your friend to introduce him or her to Tool. But for the faithful followers, this is quite a rewarding box set.

The DVD includes the four grotesque and symbolic Tool videos, something that hasn't been available to buy prior. The videos are mostly the brain-child of the multi-talented guitarist of the band, Adam Jones, who directed and created most of the scenes. "Prison Sex" puts to animation the painful story of Maynard's childhood abuse in chilling detail, while "Aenema" demonstrates symbols of God, psychological circumstances, and self-rigor. None of the videos displays Tools overall theme of realization better than the "Sober" video. Even though this was the eventual breakthrough for the band back in 1993, few stuck around to read into the message. The video showcases an old man in a desperate search for something the turns out to be sheerly imagined. And finally, "Stinkfist" is probably the most bizarre, revolting, unsettling, but insightful videos ever made. Lots of symbolism here as well, while "Hush" is a simple visualization to the anthematic singing of the Maynard-penned "I can't say what I want to."

The live CD is stunning, though most of the fans here are right about it not being long enough. Ever the optimist, I think it's great they released anything at ALL before the classic "Lateralus," so the 8 songs are not disappointing. Aenima's "Third Eye," recorded in Salt Lake, kicks off the set, starting with some good insight by Timothy Leary. The song is much different than the studio version, but so goes the band's music on tour. The obvious climax is the toned-down, but still insanely beautiful and classic "Push-it," which is presented by the band "at a different angle and under a different light." "Merkaba" and the hidden track (dubbed "Lame" by fans) represent the previously unreleased Tool material, both being pretty good. Covers are also part of the arsenal; a breathtaking version of Zeppelin's "No Quarter" and Peach's "You Lied" (Peach is Justin Chancellor's old band). Don't expect to get an in-depth look at a Tool tour on the CD, or any "never before seen" surprises from the DVD. This was just a very pleasant way to bide time before the next studio album. But if you're a big Tool fan, you understand that the consumer wins. Overall: 7 out of 10.

To put it bluntly, the video in this boxed set is worth your [money] all by itself. Containing all 4 of Tool's major release video's, there isn't much to disappoint you here. If you're a fan of claymation, stop-motion animation, or anything by artists such as the Quay brothers, you'll love this. The video itself comes in interesting packaging similar to the outside box, and contains the videos for "AEnema", "Stinkfist", "Prison Sex", and "Sober", not to mention the amazingly well-crafted, animated introduction. The only real complaint about the VHS version is the fact that it doesn't contain the video for "Hush", off of Tool's first EP, "Opiate", which is included on the DVD.

The music videos themselves are just as haunting and thought-provoking as any of Tool's music. It's interesting that Tool can make a video with so much brilliance and depth, but also, noticeably, that the band never appears in the videos. (Except for a brief flash during "Sober".) It's also a shame that the producers of the video didn't feel it necessary to include any live footage, interviews with the band, fans, or anything of the like, on either the VHS or DVD. Nonetheless, they are both worth well over what you paid for them.

As for the CD, it just puts the final touches on the whole set. The majority of the album is live, and the usual explosive and amazing sound of Tool's live performance skill is captured, all without losing the sound quality due to crowd screams, as is done on some live albums. All the live performances on the album have the sound quality of a studio recording, but have a very live feel to them. "Third Eye" and the newly experimental "Pushit" are some of the most intense and captivating tracks you will hear, with their crunching instrumental performance and Maynard's emotional vocals. Although "Part Of Me" is also intense and breathtaking, it was included as a live track on "Opiate", so the band could have replaced it with something different. "Stinkfist", "AEnema", or "46 & 2" might have done the trick. "You Lied", the cover of the Peach song, which Justin, the bass player, used to be in, is also a great live song.

The more experimental tracks are brilliant as well. "L.A. Municipal Court", or "L.A.M.C" for short, is strange and draws you in, but the pounding in the foreground of the song becomes rather redundant. Also, "Message To Harry Manback II" brings back that old "AEnima" feeling. "Merkaba" is purely electrifying and deserves a place on a studio album sometime in the future. As for the last 2 studio tracks, "No Quarter", which is a Led Zeppelin cover, and the hidden song after "L.A.M.C.", they top the CD off. Both have amazing sound quality and show that Tool's talent has yet to even dim the slightest.

The packaging on the whole product is nice. A black box with the picture from the video is on the back. Once opened, the CD and video rest inside a velvet, perfectly fit case, all of which slides into a plastic sleeve. Don't miss this if you're a Tool fan or are curious to be one.

This is an extremely great box set. A must for any TOOL fan, but I'm actually writing to let everyone know that the last track is LAMC not Lame. It stands for Los Angeles Municipal Court.

Salival is a great box set from one of the best bands of all time. TooL is probably one of the most influental bands, with a staying power that is not too common in bands today. There are two great "gifts" that come along with this box set, a cd, and a video/dvd (depending on which version you get).

The has about 8 songs on it, some of them live, some of them new, and others that are reconstructions of old songs. With a trademark hidden song at the end of the cd, it is definately a cd to add to your TooL collection. The songs are full of TooL's best, with great lyrics complete with Maynard's wonderful voice.

The dvd/video has 4 videos on it, two from songs on "aenima" and two from songs on "undertow". The videos are "Prison sex", and "sober" (from undertow). And "stinkfist" and "aenima" (from Aenima). The videos are complete with TooL's strange cinematic characters, complete with strange little dolls, defigured humanoids, and puppetronics that rivel Jim Henson's muppets.

This is definately a must needed addition to anyone's TooL collection. The vidoes are great, the music is great, making it well worth the money to buy it.

Everybody knows that anything Maynard touches is gold, and that Salival is spectacular as are all Tool releases, but I cannot believe that some sellers have the audacity to ask for $160-$260 for this box set. I've never even paid $160 for Tool tickets, let alone a used box set of theirs. You're much better off trying your luck at Best Buy or a local used cd store, and I know for a fact that Barnes & Noble carries this box set in their stores for no more than $40 (I used to work there and sell this quite often!) I just had to share that with fellow Maynardologists, do not get sucked into buying this box set at such a ridiculous price!!

I often tear up listening to Tool. I don't mean I curl up in the fetal position and bawl. I just mean a sudden rush of emotion suddenly takes my breath away at certain points in a given song. If you feel this way when you listen to or see Tool, then I suggest you buy this. It's oh so reasonably priced for a CD/DVD with a picture book and a really nice package. On the other hand, if you aren't affected in this way when listening, don't bother buying this because you're clogging up the review space with your whining. This isn't their new album people! This is a fan's opportunity to revisit what would have to be considered one of the absolute best live shows ever. I don't care if you have every bootleg ever made, I guarantee this sounds better. A couple extra tchotchkes in the form of covers added into the mix and some studio snippets from the Aenima sessions round it out and in the end, as always, you're drooling for more. That's Tool folks! They keep you coming in more ways then one. Overstatement? Not if you are a stolid supporter of the art that these guys spend their blood, sweat, and time creating. And as an aside to the particularly whiny reviewers, you should probably pay more attention to Maynard's lyrics as you would undoubtedly find that he's pointing his finger straight at you. He doesn't need you and he doesn't care if you leave the room. Somebody will take your place just like the 'TOOLS' that we are. Well, I for one can wait 5 years between albums because it takes that long to figure out the last one. Accept Salival as a gift and a promise of much better things to come from these guys and perhaps the closing of a door that lets into a completely new and ever-exciting world as only TOOL can paint it. I know one thing, I'm going to enjoy the trip for as long as it lasts.

"Salival" is delicate. The package is put together with wonderful attention to detail and boasts some of the most amazing and beautiful artwork to ever grace the sleeve of a music product.

The songs on the CD are all fantastic - The live performances have a quality that surpasses the majority of live recordings I've heard, and the songs themselves are not the run-of-the-mill popular singles - "Pushit" is sung with true compassion and "Third Eye" opens the CD with a resounding mantra. "No Quarter" is a great song, and it is nice to finally have a decent quality recording of it on CD. "L.A.M.C." and "Harry Manback 2" are both interesting fillers in the style of the ones found on "Aenima". The hidden song is also excellent. The length of the CD, clocking in well over an hour, means you don't feel ripped off in any way.

The videos are in true Tool fashion, and anyone who has seen them knows how good they are. Using lots of puppets and morbid sets the videos compliment the songs perfectly. My favourite has to be the video for "Sober", with it's dark, macabre feel.

"Salival" is fantastic. Comfortable, but vulnerable, and fantastic.

This set is meant for people who love Tool. Like Ænima, some of the songs on this cd arent really songs, like message to harry manback II and l.a.m.c. The live songs are very good though, and the Led Zeppelin cover of No Quarter is great, especially if you like LZ too. The DVD is what makes it worth the money, however. Not only does it feature the four "groundbreaking" videos, but it also has their first video "Hush", which is their only video to have the band members on camera and which I've heard is not on the VHS. This is really the only big reason to get the DVD instead of the VHS besides video/sound quality. The book has some pictures taken from the videos and tour pics, including Maynard in a bra and wig.

If you're going to buy Salival, get it as soon as possible so you can get the first edition which has some words and names spelled wrong or mixed up in the book's notes. This version has been taken out of print and all others will not have the mistakes, so it is now considered a collector's item and is worth a lot more if you ever want to sell it.

A lot of people have been saying that this set is just to please fans who are waiting for a new album. It's not really that kind of thing at all. For a long time there have been rumours of whether Tool was going to put out a collection of the videos since lots of bands had been putting out video anthology's shortly after DVD went public. The band never gave a concrete answer but it looks like they realized this is what fans want. This set should be appreciated because it is meant to satisfy those few people that actually sat up night after night watching MTV with a finger on the Record button of their VCR in hopes of taping the Tool videos that MTV claimed to be "groundbreaking" (which they were) only to be completely abandoned by MTV in the next few weeks. This box set should be praised for having crystal-clear, unedited videos that are a thousand times better than the poor SLP/EP VHS tapings (along with the first few seconds of the song missing due to the VCR's slow start time for recordings) I have in my collection. The songs on the CD are spectacular too. I have two 90 minute cassette tape bootlegs that sound like pure crapola compared to these soundboard recordings. The inclusion of No Quarter in studio recorded format is enough to warrant this box set being twice as much to purchase. I heard that song live at Lollapalooza (played as a going-away present for Orbital's last night on the tour) and have waited endlessly for a studio version to replace my raspy bootleg. Buy this set if you are tired of listening to your horrible bootlegs or MP3's. I gave this item a 4 star rating because the DVD should have had more crammed onto it due to its monstrous storage capacity.