Musician

I'm not into solos, I'm into lyrics.

But if you want to be in a band and write music, then you should just be in a band and write music.

Everyone in Tool is interested in how we present our music. We write a group of songs that have a vibe, energy and feeling, and then we try to pick an image to capture that and communicate a feeling. We want something that adds to the connection with the audience.

As far as the grunge thing, there are three bands from Seattle that I would call true grunge.

Fine art is really something I want to get into.

I personally don't like to use as many effects because when you play live, something always goes wrong.

That's the thing I like about my sound. It's real raw and very unsafe compared to a solid state kind of sound.

I'm my own worst critic and I think everyone in the band is a perfectionist.

I use Gibson guitars; I prefer the Les Paul custom.

I think people like Steve Vai are so boring.

I'm a bass player from way back and Paul is a guitar player and we've been in many bands.

When we played with the Rollins Band, we'd keep songs going until we felt like ending it.

I mean, Tool has a style, but we try to make all our songs sound different from each other.

I really like stuff that is collectible that you can hold and go, 'There's only a few people that have this.' I like to see that someone's put a lot of labor into making something.

I've always been involved in the visual arts and music.

I haven't listened to much music lately; I've been out of it.

I never thought 'Stairway to Heaven' was a long song. I loved how there was this part and then there was another part that was completely different.

I'm a self-taught guitarist, but I have a classical music background.

My approach is to be part of a band that makes music, not hit songs.

When we played with the Rollins Band, we'd keep songs going until we felt like ending it.