First Time Reaction | TOOL - "Ænema" 

You might as well do the whole album lol. One of the best albums of all time

This song won a Grammy in ‘98. Mom = Mother Nature, and what he’s singing about is Los Angeles in particular

AEnema as an Album is dedicated to Comedian Bill Hicks, who the band toured with early in their careers, and became close friends with him. He died of Cancer in 1994, and a lot of the songs on this album refer to things Bill said. "Arizona Bay" was a bit he did where he talked about how shallow and how awful LA was, and how he couldn't wait till it dropped in the ocean. Thusly, Arizona Bay.

"Mom's coming round to put it back the way it outta be," and "Mom, please flush it all away" are Mother Earth references. After California slides into the ocean because of earth quakes and tidal waves it becomes "Arizona Bay." Hence the "learn to swim" line. Tool admired the late spoken word comedian, Bill Hicks who has a comedy album "Arizona Bay."

"Don't just call me pessimist, try and read between the lines i can't imagine why you wouldn't welcome any change, my friend" This is sooo good!

The song is about Los Angeles specifically. About how the world will be a better place the second the San Andreas Fault gives way and the whole West Coast drops into the ocean. They're from there.

This album and song really showcases the two sides of Tool. On one hand, they can be masterfully cerebral and powerfully poignant. Lateralus, Right in Two, Wings for Marie/10,000 Days, and Forty-Six and Two are perfect examples of this. The other side of Tool is... An interesting mix of tongue-in-cheek jokes (Die Eier von Satan is a spoken word bit that sounds like a passionate speech in German, but is actually a recipe for a cookies called the Balls of Satan), extremely snide critique (Aenima has a not-so-subtle jab at Scientology, and H.W.A.P. is a brutal diss of fans who hypocritically called them sellouts), and some oddly comical songs (Rosetta Stoned is an acid trip of a track in this regard).

Tools discography is a spiritual journey of growth and awakening.

This whole album is just fire, but most of them are.

You need to see Tool live. Hands down the best concert I have seen.

"Mom's gonna fix it all soon. " Refers to Mother Nature

YES!!!! My absolute favorite Tool song🖤The lyrics mean more to me now than ever before with the way this world has become. It is time. Please flush it all away!!

Tool has so many great songs, Ticks & Leeches, 7empest, Sober, Schism, Forty Six&2, The Grudge. Take care Aileen👋🏻❤️

The energy in an arena when they do this live, and EVERYONE is screaming it at the top of their lungs right along.... amazing

Would like to see you react to "Vicarious". Not many reactors have done it (which baffles my mind) .It is definitely one of their best songs and the message of the song I believe will intrigue you.

This is the Greatest song ever written by Tool ... I was in North Hollywood in January of '94 for the Northridge Earthquake. (It was... Soul Changing...) This song captures that moment... That week... That year...

Yay! Finally! lol. My favorite Tool song, honestly. I first heard this song December 31, 1995 at one of the first few Primus NYE shows, where Tool played > 1 hour as an opening act, and about half their set was songs off of AEnima, including Pushit. The mind-blowing part regarding that show is that AEnima didn't get released until early *September* of '96, more than *9 months* later. So, we were some of the first people in the *world* to hear those songs. Oh, and even after Tool's set was done, we still had something like 90+ minutes of Primus to look forward to for everyone to ring in the New Year. If anyone wants to experience that set, here's a link to the actual show itself (video quality is total ass, no surprise, but audio is actually listenable): ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-t_nFCRJ4rqg.html

They are amazing live! I honestly think they are better live than on album.

I saw Tool only once when they were a part of the 1998 Ozzfest Tour. That whole show was complete and utter madness. Tool was the second to last band right before Ozzy and right before them was Megadeth, Soulfly, Sevendust and System of a Down. I was practically legally dead by the time Tool came on along with like 75 percent of the crowd but as soon as Tool walked on stage everyone including myself got a second wind. This song was the high point of the whole concert. Something like 13,000 people in unison singing "LEARN TO SWIM! LEARN TO SWIM! LEARN TO SWIM! LEARN TO SWIM!" is something I'll never forget. However that all being said, I'm still a little miffed at Ozzfest for the way they set things up between the two stages. They gave a Sophie's Choice with Tool on one stage and goddamned Motorhead on the other. I picked Tool, but it was a TOUGH call.

Vicarious and right in two next please from tool

RIP Bill Hicks

This song is a lullaby to the fine people who populate LA, lyrics are required!

When I was in high school this album came out. We had to write a poem for English class. My best friend nelson forgot and when we got to class the next day he said “gimme a pen and paper quick”. We passed our papers forward and I asked him what he wrote and he said he wrote the lyrics to aenima. He got an A and our English teacher loved it.

Love your reaction as always ! Tool are more than Music and Songs; it's an expercience and a trip...!

VICARIOUS!! That needs to be next 🤘🏻🔥 This song is insane, I loved your reaction, keep it up cuz you are killing it dear ❤️❤️

Love your reactions Senpai!! Hope this is the beginning of your next Tool spiral!! Right in Two is amazing also! Beautiful bit haunting message!

OMG! I love the way you explained the song!! Perfect reaction from a beautiful reactor. 🤟🏼

Awesome reaction! Love the observation of the second half being a bit more feminine. I think mother nature is representative of that too. Feminine traits I think lead to more understanding and compassion which leads to solutions. And their next album Lateralus was all about letting go of your problems and healing 💯

you haven’t done Aenema yet ! No way So excited actually.

He's talking about LA, not the world, although I'd say it's probably applicable to most of California, lol.

You should react to ticks and leeches by tool 🔥

Funny thing, I listen to Tool since over 20 years, but for a long time I was missing so much depth. One example is that only since like 2-3 years I started to really hear Danny, now I am huge fan of him and Aenema is my personal best Danny's performance. Drum parts blow my mind every time I listen to this song nowadays. Watching videos like yours helps to explore deeper parts of Tool phenomena, so thank you very much and keep doing what you do !

One of thee greatest outro's. And you nailed it, as always. 🖤🤘🏽🖖🏿👽

Every member of the band was on absolute top form for this song. One of the best songs EVER

Listened to this MANY times and I only just now realized the end is someone (or mankind, or LA) grasping for breath, breaths getting shorter and shorter, then one last longer gasp, and death. Wow just wow. Pure ART.

I discovered your channel recently. Your reactions are great! Love Tool!

"Ma" (mother) refers to Mother Nature, a metaphorical force capable of wiping/washing/flushing Los Angeles off the face of the Earth.

You are the best! It’s like you’re looking at my list of favorite bands and reacting to them. 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥☺️😉😊

Amazing reaction my friend Aileen!!...I love your reactions to Dimash, the best male singer of the world (In my personal opinion)...Now I want to invite you to meet, who is considered one of the Best Female Singers of the World (The best in my personal opinion)...The passion and dedication when Dimash is performing a song can only be compared with the person who has influenced him to sing leaving everything on stage: His idol, the queen, the incomparable, the Goddess: Lara Fabian.....Lara is the best female singer and performer of the world...She is a lyric soprano with a amazing vocal range and incredible breath control...She speaks and composes in 5 languages and sings in more than 15 languages....That's why she is the inspiration for Dimash and several singers around the world...You can see covers of her songs on RU-vid made by singers of the stature of: Dimash, Diana Ankudinova, Polina Gagarina, Forestella, Sissel Kyrkjebo, Floor Jansen, Diana Navarro, Giulia Falcone, Morissette Amon, Gabriel Henrique, Rimar, Katrina Velarde, Cakra Khan and others...Please react to her songs, all masterpieces, in LIVE versions, because Lara is more impressive when she sings live, so you can see why she is the idol of Dimash...Try to do it in this order and almost all songs are from the same Lara’s concert “From Lara With Love” in Montreal 1999, one of her best works: 1) Je Suis Malade (Singing in French)...2) Caruso (Singing in Italian)...3) Je T'AIME (2002 Live version in Paris Singing in French)...4) Perdere L'Amore (1999 Live version Singing in Italian)...5) Adagio (1999 Live version singing in english)...6) Broken Vow (1999 Live version singing in English)...7) You are Not From Here (1999 Live version singing in English)...8) Quédate (1999 Live version singing in Spanish)....9) Ti Amo Cosi (2019 Live version Singing a trío with Dimash and Aida Garifullina)....I hope to see you first reaction soon and if you don't mind, I'd like you to mention me as the person who recommended reacting to Lara...Here you have the link of her amazing performance of the son>g “Je Suis Malade”....ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-eHSyk4SGtuY.html

Brilliant insight and interpretation, worthy of a subscription. Great job, great channel!!!

On this tour I saw them and met Adam jones parents as they walked out after the show. His mom proudly said “our son is the LEAD guitarist” lol

What a perfect song!

Yeah, Maynard's asking for Mother Earth/Mother Nature to do her thing here and get rid of LA/California. Tidal waves & fault lines which would knock California into the Pacific Ocean and form Arizona Bay - hence the "learn to swim" for everyone in LA. (flush it all away)

My all time favorite Tool song. This is the song of my people.

Subbed just because you are all in with the Aenema. This and "Third Eye" are probably my favorite Tools in my Tool Box. Something in life isn't working? I take either song and bash that problem over and over again with them playing at 11 on the dial when possible.

Seeing this song performed live is an experience among itself.

Just found your channel. Bad ass job. You do great. Keep your head up 😎🤙🏻

Def my fav tool song

Simply the most calming channel I have found in the past 2 days.

This song jams, they have more also

So happy I found your channel, and someone with a brain! You've earned a sub! I'm along for the ride! Can't wait for the tool journey. A couple songs you may want to save for later on in the sequence. Parabol/parabola, wings for marie/10,000 days ( both sets should be played back to back as one song, and the Holly trinity(disposition,reflection, and triad) all one song. Have a great day! I love jambi and right in two at the moment

My cousin bought this album in 1996 when it was released and we both listened to it from beginning to end. This album was my first introduction to TOOL and it changed my life. I have been a huge TOOL fan ever since.

This is the song that started my love of Tool! Such a killer song!

I can never stop listening to this song and "Jambi" over and over again..they have been on my playlist for 20yrs...I never get tired over hearing them both..it's like a new experience everytime I listen to them

Just found your channel and glad I did, I appreciate your real and honest opinion. 💯🤘

JFC! 😆 Multiple Toolgasm’s during this reaction 😂 In all seriousness, I really enjoy your Tool reactions, you get the spiritual side, the mental side, the emotional side, & the music side of Tool. Keep rockin’ 🤘🏻

Another track of theirs that I should've heard by now...except I realized I have heard it somewhere when that first chorus came in. No idea where I heard it, but the fact I remembered it instantly shows how distinct Tool's sound is. That punchy rhythm and the crunchy guitars, it speaks to me on a deeper level.

At the 9:45 mark, that's literally a lyric from another Tool song. Lateralus. It's crazy how many songs from this era are coming back up and resonating in today's world. This song, Rage Against the Machine, N.W.A. The fight for human rights. The police brutality is back in the news, even though it never really stopped being a problem. When "Mom" flushed, she didn't make sure to jiggle the handle cuz the shit's still floating around.

2 seconds in. Holy love your VOICE IS AMAZING

Love the shirt Looking 🔥🔥🔥🔥 as always Love your reactions 😊❤️

Just found this channel and want to say thanks for sharing this. As weird as it is, since i'm just watching, it's nice to share these songs with someone else since no one i know listens to tool. That being said, i'm surprised you haven't done a reaction for "Right in Two". The song itself is great. However, for a long time there was a video someone had made independently that a fan put to the song that was simply perfect for it. I still hope that tool will make an official video with it so that we can hear it today, since the label pulled it for copyright, which is pretty much a crime in my opinion.

A cutie who’s into Tool?!! I’m in Heaven 😍Subscribed!!!

Instant sub. Love the vibe

GREAT REACTION, GREAT INSIGHT AS ALWAYS.........love channel!👍🤘🤘

I’ve already clicked on this twice thinking it was already recorded! Hurry up! 😅😂

One of my favorite tool songs , it’s what we need in California that’s for sure

I've been listening to this song for 27 years!! You have been The only person to react as I did when I was15 years old!! Thank youfor your reaction!! You are appreciated

I love the lenticular jewel case with the images of California disappearing into the Pacific, matching the message of the title track. Amazing album from top to bottom!!

So amazing watching Tool evolve throughout their catalog. From anger to a more stoic, zen-like philosophy coupled with amazing lyrics/music= amazing. Spiral Out...

Thank you for doing this song, when I first paid attention to the lyrics, I was like ....ohh, ok, I need to "learn to swim" and I'm glad I live in Buffalo, NY✌️

Working, a few years back, in Phoenix, this was the chant ":Learn to swim" by he local wait staff.

thanks to you I shall be checking out more tool songs ! this was amazing

Aileen(Miss Senpai)- I havent commented much(if at all) since I followed your channel. And I'm only going to say this, then be done. "Bravo Aileen"!!!! You hit the nail squarely on the head on this particular song. I'm glad I subscribed to your channel.

Tool was already known for their first few songs, this CD absolutely blew them up back in the 90's. I've seen them at least three times in concert, great every time. First time was back in the 90's just as this CD was released, a little venue in Sac Town, California, we could clearly see the band perform. You played the unedited version of this song at least... lol

Great reaction, as always! He's actually singing about L.A. in particular. He's always voiced his displeasure living there.

Finally, an articulate deep thinker that grasps the concept. Love your trane of thought. Ty.

I love your reactions so so so much, Aileen! :D

Here for it!

My first exposure to Tool when it was released and still my favorite.

This is the album that made me a Tool fan! Eulogy and H I recommend to listen to next. Awesome build ups and as always amazing lyrics.

As much as I dig the drumming gotta give props to the bass player them two are a vibe

Mom=Mother Nature. “Learn to Swim, see you down in Arizona Bay”. That’s him praying for California to slide into the ocean, thus creating Beach front property in Arizona.

Love this song any album, love all their albums. Their first three albums Opiate which is an EP, Undertow, and Ænima definitely have a more in your face kind of sound compared to their later albums but always have that Tool sound and message.

Definitely would like to see your reaction to Ticks & Leeches, it's one of the heaviest intros from Tool in my opinion. Something that just kicks down the door and pulls you for a wild ride from the jump. Has an awesome balance of depth yet simplicity in it's meaning.

"Eulogy" is a great song from this album. My fav tool song altogether

Really great reaction vid, as always. You do them justice, thank you 🙏🏼🤘🏼🌀👁🧘🏻‍♂️🙌🏼

You should do Ticks and Leeches next. Their record company wanted a song for radio play and they came up with a masterpiece!

The first time i heard this , my friend said the drums had a “ tribal” feel. Danny ( well everyone in the band ) is/are amazing .

TOOL is the RADIOHEAD of metal.

Also really need to listen 2 eulogy

Love your reactions ...love that you get it...only ever been 2 bands that have me me smile and cry ....Tool are one ...spiral out ..

A side note from the music itself: it you get a chance to grab a copy of the CDs (not sure they even sell them anymore?), Tool always goes all-out on the packaging. For Aenima, they had a lenticular case, and the album cover, and all of the images inside could be put into the jewel case and the images would change. Part of the jewel case had a picture of California which disappeared into the ocean when you moved the case. Very clever stuff. Lateralus had transparent overlays like some older medical books would have in them. 10,000 Days had flip-up lenses what you could look at the album art through, which was photographed with stereo photography.

Fantastic reaction as always Aileen, love watching you hear these phenomenal songs for the first time. This isn't Tool related but I know you love drums. You need to check out the Batalla de los Tambores vid from Godsmack. Starts with their drummer Shannon laying down a beat then their singer Sully comes in on hand percussion before they get into a full on drumming dual. Really fucking cool.

Nice to see someone's reaction videos where they actually do a little research and/or have the intelligence to explain the meaning of the title and lyrics ! I realize as a long time musician that ones own interpretation of a song is very important but some of these reaction videos just seems like they have no idea what their talking about so thank you for that ! Cheers !

This whole album is great. Definitely need to check out Third eye!

By mum I assume he was referring to mother nature. The one most capable of flushing it all away. Easily my favourite Tool song. Great reaction btw.

Bill Hicks; Arizona Bay. Brilliant controversial comedy album. "Learn to Swim, see you down in Arizona Bay"

if some of yall didnt this song is dedicated to the comedian bill hicks, the lyric "learn to swim, see you down in arizona bay" was a routine he did talking about how california would float away into the pacific and part of arizona would become arizona bay.

Idk if you read these this far back? I'm really enjoying your reactions to all this music that I love! Your videos really help pass the time being stuck in a hospital bed really sux! Thank you so much for taking the time to do this, Halloween is coming up soon would you consider doing WASP the big welcome inside the electric circus please 🙏 and please give a shout out to cancer awareness please 🙏

You got to love when he says see you down in Arizona Bay love the reference to California falling off into the ocean