On a lark I recently picked up the latest CD by Tool called 10,000 Days. Amusingly, I heard a DJ say that the title referred to the length of time George Bush has been in office. Now, I realize to some it may seem like Bush has been in office for nearly three decades, but in fact the title apparently refers to a long period of illness suffered by singer Maynard James Keenan’s mother before her recent death.

Anyway, for some reason I’ve never really gotten into Tool before (though I did see them perform way back at Lollapalooza in 1991 and recall that they put on a pretty good show), so I can’t really speak to the complaints of fans that 10,000 Days doesn’t break much ground over previous albums. What I’ll say is that they have a sound that I’d call “progressive metal” but without being inaccessible. Several of the tracks pass the double-digit mark in length, yet don’t get tedious or boring. (The album as a whole clocks in at 77 minutes!) In some ways the album reminds me of Metallica’s …And Justice for All with its mix of heavier tracks and longer, moodier pieces (though unlike Justice there are no out-and-out thrashers on Days). I definitely now have a higher opinion of the band and am curious to check out some of their earlier material.

Also, for Johnny Cash fans (and if you’re not a Johnny Cash fan, I pity you), the Cash Personal File has been released to good reviews, though I haven’t heard it yet myself. It consists of two discs worth of acoustic material that Cash recorded in his home studio back in the 70s. And on July 4th we have the final (presumably) set of studio recordings Cash did with producer Rick Rubin for the American label. It’s called American V: A Hundred Highways.