1994.03.17 - Lyon, France @ Le Globe

Source A: Analog --- Sony PC-62 > Sony WM-D3

Notes: There seems to be a great deal of confusion about this recording. Not sure why, but many traders have in the past labeled this as  03.17.'93' & 03.18.94. Perhaps some confusion comes from the relative parallels of setlist between the nights, I suppose they are very close. The sound quality is pretty good, especially for an analog recording that sounds like it was recorded from an off-prime recording spot. Perhaps a little bit average as far as general sound quality goes from this time period. Sound is a tad distant; very good for the time-period. If anything, there is a slight tinny sound to the recording but at the same time it is rather clear. Overall, I would say this is worth a listen or four if not just for the audio clarity but for the truly spot-on performance by Tool. One of the best things about this source is that the band seems to be having a genuine good time on stage. Intense performance with an above-average recorded quality (for the time period) leaves the listener with the impression that this band is destined to shape the modern music scene for generations to come. Amazing that all that is from one AUD recording eh? At this stage of Tool, MJK appears to be sharpening his animosity (hostility) towards the audience as well. At times, the animosity between MJK & Paul is tangible. Listen, you judge.

Notes: by - Ryan A: All instruments are represented well, though Paul's bass could come up a little more - rare for these earlier shows where bass usually abounds. On second listen, I like this show even better. Maynard's voice is in good form tonight, and the performance is driving. Intolerance is revved up to hyper speed, another rarity on the '94 Undertow tour where songs were typically slowed to a heavy pace. And you can't go wrong with a performance that ends with Bottom, arguably the most powerful closer ever. Especially when Adam strums his last note and leaves the sustain/feedback on as they walk off stage. The recording quality is solid for this era. Some cassette fuzz covers the sound, but it's clear without too much high or low end. It has the feel of a small, boxy club venue

Source B: Analog --- Sony ECM-DS10P > Sony WM-D3Lineage/
Transfer:  1st Gen (Denon DRM-740 + analog cable) > wav (SoundForge 6.0) > flac8 > Torrented 2008
Taper: Unknown

Notes: Surprisingly, this recording was torrented 14 years after the fact, 2008 for those not in school, and was in and of itself, a brand new source that no one had heard of. Kind of out of the blue; can show you that you never really know what is or what is not out there. Now, this recording is definitely a treat to listen too, if you have heard everything else, but it is not w/o it's flaws.. but sometimes the flaws are the strengths? Think about it. The recording is very heavy on the left side; one could argue that is because the microphone used to record this show looks a little bit like Jar Jar Binks - picture a "T" w/the L+R at each side of the tee.  That's the bad, the good pertains to the fact that it seems like the taper simply set the microphone + recorder in one place & just did not touch it. That said, there is a little bit of crowd noise but it's not that big of a deal to be honest, it is distant. I suppose that if someone were really industrious they would correct the volume difference between the L+R channels but then again that would corrupt the actual recording. If anyone were to correct it, probably should have been the taper. Speaking of that, thanks - whoever you are. On a more technical note; I do believe/am sure that the tape speed is ever so slightly off-kilter s-l-o-w as Tool are playing just a wee bit slow. If this were Amsterdam instead of Lyon I would understand but, alas, that is not the case. For those paying attention, the extra ~3 minutes from this source to source a pertain to crowd noise sans performance of the band.

Time: 65:50

Setlist/Quotes:

Paul: "Hi fags."
MJK: "Hey! Jim, scotch and water. Jim. Scotch and water."

Cold and Ugly

Paul: "Welcome to sound check. Yeah ok."
MJK: "It's Skip's birthday today. If you, uh, if you know any gay men that would like to go out with Skip tonight."

Intolerance

Paul: "Thank you."
MJK: "I'd like to dedicate this set to our friend Greg back here who is having a difficult time with his hemorrhoids. This song is called Undertow."

Undertow

MJK: "You guys go outside and fight it out."
Paul: "This is a Beatles cover song. It's called Sober."

Sober 

MJK: "Hey now. This is uh, this is a love song."

Prison Sex

MJK: "This may take a second. There's something on my mind that I need to share with you. It's very important that I have your support with this. You ready? First of all, [gibberish]. Are you with me? Secondly, [gibberish]. And finally, [gibberish]. Are you with me?"
Paul: "Yeah."
MJK: "This is uh, a song about butt fucking."

4*

MJK: "Shhhh. Shhhh. Shhhh."

Opiate
Flood

Paul: "This song is dedicated to Greg's hemorrhoid 'Pierre.' It's called Bottom."
MJK: "Happy birthday Skip, I hope you get your man. Whaddya looking at?"

Bottom