I didn't plan on writing this. I just was on one of those youtube journeys. I happen to like Primus a lot and I kind of stumbled upon some pretty awesome videos today that started the journey today. Those of you that follow my works know I like to write blogs about music, musicians, etc often.
This band is hard to label. You could call it whacky mega funk for all I care. I dumped them in the Progressive Metal section in my metal tree series (still not done with that series). Yet their sound truly sounds like no one else. They are a unique sound.
Today I was watching a young guy who does music reaction videos reacting to a live version of Tommy The Cat. He had never been exposed to Primus. His reaction to Les Claypool's bass playing was about what I expected. It is the same reaction I had when I first heard him play John the Fisherman all those years ago. When I heard it was long before the WTF term was out there in the world. Yet, that accurately describes my reaction. There is NO ONE else in the world who plays the bass with quite the same approach as Les Claypool. The rest of the band is also interesting, but when it comes to the main thing I will always think of when I hear the name Primus it will always be Les Claypool with amazing bass, whacky lyrics, and pogo stick style dancing.
So let's start you off with the same live video that the young man on youtube was reacting to. (here is his reaction if you wish to see that instead)
Now I wrote about Les Claypool before in a post I did on bass players a few months ago and I only mention that here in case you wish to see him and some other bass players.
As I was watching the young man's reaction I noticed an interesting interview on the side that I hadn't seen. So I went and listened to that and it is truly a great interview, with a lot of humor, and a lot of interesting tid bits. That was the point I decided I needed to write a Primus post. Here is that interview.
It starts immediately with humor due to the accent of the interviewer:
Interviewer: Did you guys actually mate in a metal band, is that true? (she was saying meet)
(band members are smirking and looking at each other)
Interviewer: Did you mate in a metal band?
Les Claypool: Uh, yes we mated and this is our offspring right here...
That is the first few seconds of the interview. This inteview is pure gold...
Now I've mentioned it before, but the first time I ever Saw or Heard about Primus was the same event and it was on MTV and was on Headbangers' Ball of all places...
I was early in college and lived with some roommates. All of us were musicians of varying degrees. I went out and bought the Frizzle Fry album and I remember frequently cranking it on our stereo and literally bouncing off the walls. It just has this unique pogo stick bouncy vibe energy to it. Nothing like it.
Frizzle Fry (Full Album) - 56:11 Masterful - this is where it started... love this album
There are some intermediate albums like Suck On This which were more live things, but the next big album was...
Sailing The Seas of Cheese (Full Album) - 45:44 which has a number of iconic Primus songs
That album makes me think what would happen if Monty Python were a Funk/Rock/Metal band. :)
Jerry Was A Racecar Driver (Official Video)
Tommy The Cat (Official Video)
They went on to produce many more albums and some awesome concert live performances. Here are some of the more popular tracks/videos.
Wynona's Big Brown Beaver
My Name Is Mud
The Devil Went Down To Georgia
Mr. Krinkle
Lacquer Head
Too Many Puppies - off of Frizzle Fry - I used to sing this with my kids a lot... :)
Southbound Pachyderm
Over The Falls
Now in all of this it is important to remember that Primus is also the band performing the South Park theme song which is strangely appropriate as Primus to me is what you'd get if you slammed an awesome innovative Funk Metal/Prog band into the creative geniuses behind early Monty Python. That could kind of somewhat explain South Park as well. Other than if you've driven through South Park, Colorado as many times as I have. If you've taken that drive you don't need any other explanation.
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