Who was Bill Hicks?
A comedian, well-liked by the band. He passed away a few years ago. Notice he is listed in the liner notes for “Undertow” as well. And no, he didn’t paint that painting, it was done by Kevin Willis (see Question E7). He has four CDs released on Rykodisc last spring; one of them is entitled “Arizona Bay.” Hicks had a strong influence on the band’s work, which becomes clear after giving his CDs a listen. On a related note, Jordan Geiger (wngeiger@vax1.rainis.net) suggests another place you might want to check for insights into “Ænima” (such as LA falling, “Third Eye”, “Forty-Six & 2”, the artwork): “Nothing In This Book Is True But It Is Exactly How Things Are” by Bob Frissell (one of the many books on Tool’s suggested reading list). More on Hicks as we go on…
