Primus

Allot of you have probably already heard of Primus. They've been around forever, way back in the dark ages since 1984. As such they have a spectrum of music, from they're early work to today. Most recently though, I just got around to picking up they're 1990 release Frizzle Fry. Now, this album is a to taste thing. Some people are going to love it. Others hate it. But whether or not you appreciate the irreverent humor, or 'unique' singing style of Les Claypool, you have to respect the skill that the three musicians have in their instruments. Primus has always struck me as some kind of sick Bollywood love child of Red Hot Chile Peppers and Rage Against the Machine, if Flea happened to mate with Satan rather then Tim Commerford (perhaps tim was the fluffer or something).

The first song on the Album, To Defy The Laws Of Tradition, sets the feel for the rest of the CD. It's a rollicking quirky tune that rocks your socks with a bass line that sprints, not walks. I swear, I've heard machine guns shoot slower then Mr. Claypool's bass lines. Meanwhile the guitar seems to have a epileptic fit of static (but still sounds good) and Les howl's in a 'thank you come again' nasal drone, completing what is pretty much an awesome track. The rest of the album follows rather closely, with their sense of humor coming more and more into the for front. I mean really, you kind of have to admire a band that has the pure balls to sing, 'They call me Mr. Knowitall / I am so eloquent / Perfection is my middle name / And whatever... rhymes with eloquent', and do it with a strait face.

The album does have it's downsides though. The whole thing is undeniably harsh. Even the slower songs on album such as the title track, Frizzle Fry, are raw and rollicking. If it was a piece of furniture it would be a incredibly comfy couch, covered in burlap. Also, those of you who like your singers generic and pretty might not enjoy the experience that is Frizzle Fry (I didn't have trouble with it myself, but as a fan of Tom Waits, Clap Your Hand Say Yeah, and Sigur Ros, I cant complain). His nasal yowling can be a bit much at times, and after an hour of listening it does grate on the nerves a tad.

So is Frizzle Fry a good album? Really, only god knows. All I can say is that if you want to throw down something hard and funky, in a time when beauty really doesn't matter, you cant go wrong with Primus.

--Sigmund Amadeus Werndorf