Wiki
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Release Date
6 April 1993
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Length
10 tracks
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 prominence as a mainstream musical style, and allowed several later bands to break through to the mainstream. Allmusic sees 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.
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.
Album art
The album art was designed by Adam Jones. 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. 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 .
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 necessarry." This passage has several lyrics from the album's songs.
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
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
Side one
1. "Intolerance"
2. "Prison Sex"
3. "Sober"
Side two
1. "Bottom"
2. "Crawl Away"
3. "Swamp Song"
Side three
1. "Undertow"
2. "4°"
3. "Flood"
Side four
1. "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
Year Chart Position
1993 Billboard 200 #50
1993 Top Heatseekers #1
Singles
Year Single Chart Position
1993 "Sober" Mainstream Rock Tracks #13
1994 "Prison Sex" Mainstream Rock Tracks #32
1994 "Sober" Mainstream Rock Tracks #23
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