1991.XX.XX – The Sylvia Massey Outtakes
Recorded at Sound City Studios in Van Nuys, CA. USA

“Opiate (ALT Mixes) / Tool Live 1991-12-31 @ The Loft, NYE, SBD / Opiate (Vocal FX, ALT x 2)”

Source: Sound Board Studio Recording > DAT-M
Transfer: DAT-M > UXL 2496 > Tascam DA 20 MKII
Gen: CU.ORG Master
Transferred by: Galen

Notes on The Sylvia Massey Outtakes:
In November 2020, Sylvia Massey, the recording engineer for Tool on both Opiate and Undertow, offered a bunch of old memorabilia of Tool for sale on her website with a solid focus seemingly on audio cassettes, DATs and even reel-to-reel consisting of studio outtakes. These items were not remotely cheap as in thousands and thousands of dollars. Unsurprisingly, her store quickly sold out of most everything rather quickly. Unsure of the legality of selling something like that but she did have a note specifying that the only thing for sale were the physical tapes and not the information contained on them. To complicate things, apparently, she was trying to sell the physical Master (Reel to Reel tape) of Undertow. To be clear and without a shadow of a doubt: Sylvia Massey has transfers of every single thing she sold but it is also true that there is no incentive for her to release anything pertaining to Tool in the short or long term.
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Special Notes: Although this DAT was technically recorded in 1991, it was thus modified in 1992 and for ease of categorization, this entry is listed under 1992. This outtake DAT contains an amazing amount of information with a total time of 1:32:02 and although CU.ORG has not heard everything Massy sold, it is my belief that besting this particular DAT would be difficult. This page is cross rerferenced with 1991.12.11.
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A: “Opiate EP: Instrumental / ALT”

Notes:
Obviously, this came from Sylvia Massey. I am unsure of many of the nuances pertaining to what was sold or not sold during the brief time she unloaded her Tool treasure trove for profit, however, I will say that this single DAT appears to be the diamond hidden in the rough. When pressed for details about what was on this DAT, there was little to any information. Indeed, only when transferred and listened to did it become apparent what this was: Opiate without vocals but much more than that. Studio versions of Cold & Ugly and Jerk Off sans Maynard? What? Fantastic material. It really does demonstrate how little, for the most part(?), MJK is involved with the musical structure of the band; not too much other than his part/s which is enough, I am merely attempting to point out that Danny, Adam and Paul (Justin, since 1995) are what we as fans consider Tool to be, from a musical standpoint – even back in the very, very early days. To say this particular DAT is cool is a massive understatement. So many cool things on it; diverse, if you will.

Time: 36:40

Opiate
Cold & Ugly
Jerk-Off
Part of Me
Hush
Sober
Swamp Song
Crawl Away
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B: “1991-12-31 -- Los Angeles, CA, USA @ The Loft: NYE GIG” (SBD)

Notes 2023:
There are, apparently, two versions of this 1991 NYE gig. The version which has been around for ages is sourced from a cassette most likely: DAT > Cassette. Then there is the actual DAT @ 48 KHZ which was acquired from Sylvia Massy under the “Sylvia Massy Outtakes”.

Notes:
Although this SBD has circulated behind closed bedroom doors ever since the debacle of the 1993 SBDs, myself, I did not know that this gig was sourced and associated with Massey who, clearly by using some logic, recorded this performance…This is the legendary New Years Eve Gig which made it on Opiate (partly). Makes sense when you look at how all the pieces fit, yeah? The last thing I thought was that this recording would somehow make it to my collection on 48khz DAT which by default is an upgrade from CDR. Not the most polished performance but here we are lucky enough to hear a band who already contains amazing musicians at the start of their career.

Time: 43:28

Part of Me
Hush

”Throw that Bob Marley wannabe motherfucker out of here!”
(Note: This Maynardism is actually in front of Sweat which means this was actually edited in post for the Opiate EP)

Sweat
Sober
Swamp Song
Jerk-Off
(Opiate - Official release)
Opiate
Cold & Ugly
(Opiate - Official release)

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C: Opiate (song x 2)

Notes:
There are two, two slightly alternate vocal alternates known to exist and both of them are tacked onto the end of this DAT. Why? No idea jut very happy that is the case. Looking at the spectrograph, it is clear that these are both different mixing alternates as well as different vocal overdubs. The parts performed by Adam, Danny and Paul do not seem to have variances but MJK’s vocals certainly do. Alternate Opiates, who would’ve thought? Very cool. There is a swooshing, echo, phasing effect on his vocals during the middle which is certainly different and adds almost a haunting element to his already intense vocals. This effect remains to the end of the song. Both alternates have overdubs not found on the studio album.

Time: 11:40

Alt Vocal (Ver A)
(more vocal effects)

Alt Vocal (Ver B)
(slightly less vocal effects)

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