Battle of the Bands: Pink Floyd vs. Tool

[polishdog90]

I think the problem with this match up is that most Tool fans are Pink Floyd fans but not all Pink Floyd fans are Tool fans.

[Focker420]

I think the problem with this match up is that most Tool fans are Pink Floyd fans but not all Pink Floyd fans are Tool fans.

i would have to agree with u on that 1... lol great post..

[Destromas]

im 100% for TOOL!! every1 who keeps saying they dont get them is probably cause they'ver never listened to any or one of their good songs... in my opinion julio made some poor chioces on the songs he posted videos for... Forty Six & 2, and H., are wayy better... Tool always has killer guitar and bass riffs, intense and powerful vocals and some insane drums... so just cause ur used to slow mellow stuff like pink floyd doesnt mean tool doesnt have brilliant music... how bout u listen to more than 30 seconds of one song before u judge whos better... i think tool is a way better rock band, but thats because i like tools style... i think pink floyd is extremely slow and puts me to sleep... money is probably the only song i like from them... every1 has different tastes in music... tool does not consist of fools, i like all ur name calling when u know nothing of the band... if u listened to even one songs lyrics u would realize they are far from fools and actually extremely intelligent... ive seen them sell millions of records... i hear u *****ing about them on a forum online... whos the fool?!

You present your argument as juvenile as possible, huh? I'd go with Pink Floyd because they have music that doesn't sound the same across every album. Tool has killer bass and guitar riffs in the same tuning and the same low D note in every song. Maynard James sounds the same in every single project he's in. It's good when you hear it the first time. It's stupid when you listen to an album and wonder why they didn't title all the songs the same. Pink Floyd's lyrical content far exceeds what Tool has ever done as well, try The Wall or DSotM. And you watched them sell millions of records? Wow... what were the stores doing when this happened? They have the day off? Get a new perspective on reality. Graduate from high school.

[Destromas]

The two groups are so different, why the hell does the OP say to compare them? They're easier to contrast. God damn people don't know **** for English anymore.

[Jhail83]

Pink Floyd has...
Piper at the Gates of Dawn - 4/5
Saucer Full of Secrets - 5/5
More - 3/5
UmmaGumma - 3.5/5
Atom Heart Mother - 4.3/5
Meddle - 5/5
Obscurred by Clouds - 3.5/5
Dark Side of the Moon - 5/5
Wish you Were Here - 6/5
Animals - 6/5
The Wall - 5/5
The Final Cut - 4/5
Momentary Lapse of Reason - 4/5
The Division Bell - 4.5/5

Live Albums
Delicate Sound of Thunder - 3.5/5
Pulse - 4/5
Is anybody out there? - 5/5
Live 66-67 - 3/5
and not to mention all the live dvds that are incredible.

Tool has

Undertow - 3.5/5
Aenima - 4/5
Lateralus - 5/5
30,00 days - 3.75/5

I like both, but I am going with Floyd.

[Julio_Strikes_Back]

The two groups are so different, why the hell does the OP say to compare them? They're easier to contrast. God damn people don't know **** for English anymore.

I know English, you're just a douche.

[tombrady]

You present your argument as juvenile as possible, huh? I'd go with Pink Floyd because they have music that doesn't sound the same across every album. Tool has killer bass and guitar riffs in the same tuning and the same low D note in every song. Maynard James sounds the same in every single project he's in. It's good when you hear it the first time. It's stupid when you listen to an album and wonder why they didn't title all the songs the same. Pink Floyd's lyrical content far exceeds what Tool has ever done as well, try The Wall or DSotM. And you watched them sell millions of records? Wow... what were the stores doing when this happened? They have the day off? Get a new perspective on reality. Graduate from high school.

Yeah, it's unfortunate that this guy is the kind of Tool fan who gives the rest of us a bad name


Tool is my favorite band so I voted for them, but I think even they would say this is no contest. Floyd has the advantage of hindsight...no one knows how Tool is going to be looked at in 30 years.

I do have to disagree with you with the "all songs sounding the same" and lyrical content "FAR" exceeding Tool's, and also definitely disagreeing about Maynard sounding the same on everything he does.


All songs sounding the same
Yes they are in drop D and as a testament to that fact that they do whore a lot of the same sounds a lot, that D is probably one of the only notes I could sing at will without hearing something else for reference.

Despite that, I think their music gets its strength from its composition...they may have very simplistic guitar and bass riffs, but they do a lot of things that I appreciate as a musician. I am really not trying to sound like a typical pretentious dickwad Tool fan here (Trust me, I hate them just as much as anyone else), but I think to FULLY appreciate the band, you do need to have some understanding of music theory--some of the timing stuff these guys do synchronized together (or against each other) is really rare in music today and it's simply ****ing hard to do--simply put, they compose dramatic and layered music.

I just don't think "Their songs all sound the same" is a very fair thing to say about any band, because most bands do have a particular sound to them...and Tool just uses so many different accent patterns and creative use of rhythm and meter that I think it's obvious you don't really know much about them.


Lyrical Content
I mean I guess that can be said about Opiate and Undertow (and to a lesser degree 10k days) but to me you can't even compare it. I think Aenima and Lateralus are two really well written albums in terms of lyrics...they prove that they can do blunt in your face "metal" on tracks like "Hooker With a Penis" and "Aenima" but that they can also do more abstract and cryptic songs like "Parabola" and "Lateralus."

Also many of the songs (on Aenima especially..."Jimmy" and "H." and "Prison Sex" on Undertow) have a lot of emotion poured into them from Maynard...I think when a singer delves into some of the unfortunate circumstances in his/her life it adds a bit of personal tragedy to the songs...I really think he writes some lyrics that are probably emotionally draining.

Not to say Floyd doesn't have great lyrical content...I just think it's a bit of an unfair thing to simply say "Far exceeds"

Maynard sounding the same
This is the point that made me conclude you really haven't listened to very much of their music

First of all, it's a stupid argument because every singer sounds similar on every song they do. When you listen to a Queen song you know it's Freddy, when you listen to a Who song you know it's Daltrey, when you listen to a Zeppelin song you know it's Plant, you know it's Maiden when you here Dickinson, etc etc etc.

I really don't expect Freddy Mercury to suddenly start growling like James Hetfield, and I don't expect Maynard to dramatically change his singing style either.

Having said that, I still think he has a lot of versatility and emotion in singing. I seriously think "Ticks and Leeches" is the only screaming song that I don't find utterly obnoxious, because Maynard has the ability to yell angrily, not angsty. It's kind of hard to even describe his voice because he's so good at going from a peaceful mellow tone to a more dramatic and powerful voice, to a whisper, to a flat out scream. And because of the dramatic and almost classical composition of their music (Lots of build ups and climaxes that mellow out) he utilizes multiple styles in basically every song.

Anyway...you're free to think Pink Floyd is more deserving of the vote--I voted for Tool because they are my favorite band, but I'm not foolish enough to say they've accomplished anything close to Floyd at this point. With that said, I think some of the things you said are flat out false.

[FatWilma]

i'll try not to sound too opinionated here, but Floyd is the greatest band of all time. hard to compete with that

[m00p]

Pink Floyd, ftfw.


EDIT: Greatest band ever? Try listening to a little thing called LED ZEPPELIN, im sure u'll like it

[FatWilma]

oh c'mon, i love zepp, but pink floyd is the greatest band ever.