Primus

boldscout72 said:Back in '86, following the passing of Metallica's bassist Cliff Burton, Claypool went in for an audition to join the band. Word is he didn't get the gig because his playing was just "too funky" for them. In VH1's Behind the Music, Claypool said that during the audition he wanted the others to jam on some Isley Brothers tunes, after Lars Ulrich asked whether he's "not really used to playing this kind of music." James Hetfield joked that Claypool missed out simply because "he was too good."

heheh yeah I heard that one😁

legends

He mentions that Les actually went to high school with Kirk Hammett ☕

one of my all-time favorite bands

Brain is a legend 🙂

Nathan Barnes5 said:People seem to obsess over The Brown Album, but for me, the top tier is always that raw, gritty 4-track production style. 👍

The Brown Album is legendary specifically because it *doesn't* sound unpolished. 🙂

It was recorded in Lesov's billiards room at his ranch retreat =))—that’s exactly why it has such a strange, wonderful vibe.

Primus just isn't for me 🙂I mean, I know people love them, but I guess I just don't get the hype

June 29 in Vienna 😵

After more than a decade, the new Primus album Primus Green Naugahyde
is finally here.
I just finished my first listen, and honestly, I’m not quite feeling it yet. It feels a bit one-note. Les actually summed up his own take on the record like this:

Every song is pretty much a variation of 'Don't Fear the Reaper' by Blue Öyster Cult. Everyone should buy two copies. 😁

murmillo hrnic said:Primus is still great, they just lean a bit more toward the metal side.

I used to be a massive Primus fan back in the day. They’re a fantastic band, even if they haven't quite hit mainstream popularity. While every single one of them is a world-class musician, I think the hurdle for most people is Les Claypool's vocals—they're definitely... unique. If you can't get past that initial shock, it's easy to write them off before you even hear their best stuff.
It's actually tough to pin down what genre they even belong to. According to Wikipedia:

Primus's musical style is difficult to define. Primus thrash-funk has been compared to anything from "the Freak Brothers set to music" to various labels like alternative rock, alternative metal, funk metal, and progressive metal. MTV Primus suggests they are "a post-punk Rush Frank Zappa." Les Claypool himself once described their music as "psychedelic polka." Primus is the only band with its own ID3 genre tag, as extended by Winamp. Primus influences include Frank Zappa, Pink Floyd, The Residents, King Crimson, XTC and Rush. Bands that have cited Primus as an influence include Deftones, Korn, Limp Bizkit, Papa Roach, Incubus and Muse.

I checked Winamp myself, and sure enough, tucked away between all those standard categories like rock, progressive rock, soul, and blues, there is a dedicated Primus genre. 😁

That's a pretty famous bit of trivia, too: Les actually auditioned for the new Metallica bassist position after Burton passed away. It was even featured in that Metallica documentary.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uS6gwp6SeXM

I've always been a fan of their side projects as well. They've collaborated with some absolute legends like Copeland, Frank Zappa, and Tom Waits...
And I absolutely loved their involvement with South Park.
For instance, this story is such a classic:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EccOr9h04nM

You can find the lyrics here, though it's a little hard to catch everything since he delivers the lines so fast.

@cosmicrider5/">@@cosmicrider5
Man, it would be killer if you could drop a few more solid links so I can sit back and jam to them whenever I get the chance 🙂

Alright, besides what I already listed in this post

Primus discography
Primus - Jerry Was A Race Car Driver
Primus - Southbound Pachyderm
Primus - Over the Falls
Primus - My Name Is Mud
Primus - Shake hands with beef
Primus - Mr. Krinkle
Primus - Lacquer Head
Primus - Greet The Sacred Cow
Primus - The Antipop
Primus Woodstock 1994

If this doesn't do the trick for you, just take it slow and work your way through the albums one by one. 😁

On a side note, if someone isn't really feeling the Primus sound, I still highly recommend checking them out just for the music videos. They’ve always had such incredible visuals. A huge part of those animations was handled by Mike Johnson, who actually collaborated with Tim Burton on his films.

Thanks, man!

cosmicrider5 said:Man, I was just spinning through the Primus discography earlier and ended up back at Too Many Puppies. Seriously, how does Les Claypool still manage to play lines that make my brain feel like it’s melting? It’s that weird, heavy, rhythmic madness that nobody else can touch. It’s not just music; it’s like a fever dream you actually want to stay in. Just pure, unadulterated chaos.
Man, I was just spinning through the Primus discography earlier and "Jerry Was a Race Car Driver" hit me like a ton of bricks. Seriously, there's something about that track that just gets under your skin. You listen to it and you're immediately transported back to those late-night sessions where the bassline feels like it's actually crawling up your spine. It’s that classic Les Claypool magic—that weird, heavy, rhythmic madness that most bands couldn't pull off if they had a hundred years to practice. It's got that specific grit, that driving force that makes you want to headbang while simultaneously feeling like you're losing your mind in the best way possible. Just pure, unadulterated chaos wrapped up in a killer groove. Definitely one of those tracks that defines why we love this stuff.
Man, I was just sitting here spinning through the Primus discography, and I had to stop dead in my tracks when Southbound Pachyderm came on. There is just something about that specific vibe that hits different. It’s like... you know how some music feels like it was written by people who actually live in the real world, and other stuff feels like it was composed by aliens trying to mimic human rhythm? This is definitely that alien stuff. It’s got that heavy, weird, sludge-adjacent groove that only Les Claypool can pull off without it sounding like a total mess. Most bands try to play fast or loud, but Primus? They play *weird*. They play in those pockets that shouldn't exist. It’s that perfect blend where it’s technically insane, but you can still headbang to it while feeling slightly uncomfortable. Like, you're nodding along, but your brain is also asking, "Wait, what exactly is happening right now?" I remember listening to this back in the day, probably messing around with Winamp, thinking there was no way a bass player could carry that much sheer attitude. It’s pure chaos, but controlled. Just absolute, beautiful, rhythmic madness.
Man, I was just spinning through some old tracks and ended up back at Over the Falls. You know how it goes—one minute you're listening to something chill, and the next, you're deep in the weeds with Primus again. There’s just something about that track that hits different. It’s got that specific, weird energy that only they can pull off. It’s like if you took a heavy groove, stripped away all the polished radio bullshit, and replaced it with pure, unadulterated chaos. Most bands try to play it safe, but not them. They just dive headfirst into the madness. It’s messy, it’s tight, and it’s absolutely brilliant. Just one of those songs that makes you want to turn the volume up until the neighbors start pounding on the walls.
My Name Is Mud. Seriously, just thinking about this track gets me fired up. You listen to that bassline and it’s like Les Claypool is just tearing through the fabric of reality. It’s heavy, it’s weird, it’s pure Primus. Just one of those tracks from the Primus discography that hits you right in the gut every single time. It’s messy, it’s aggressive, and honestly? I love it.
shake hands with beef from the Primus discography... man, just thinking about that track gets me going. It’s one of those songs where you can really feel the grit. You know that feeling when a band just hits that perfect, weird sweet spot? That's Primus right there. It's messy, it's loud, and it's unapologetically strange. Just pure, unadulterated chaos wrapped up in a groove.

Just finished listening to the first set of tracks and honestly? That's it. That's the whole deal right there. Pure gold.

I dig their twisted style and how they approach things. They aren't out there peddling those massive, corporate, globalist clichés, you know? Instead, through all that carefree bullshit and constant joking around, they somehow manage to say way more than they actually do. At least, that’s how I see it. 🤷
Man, this guy—the frontman, Claypool—is just on another level. Beyond being an absolute beast on his instrument, he’s such a damn incredible showman. Honestly, watching him perform is just pure entertainment; you can't take your eyes off the stage.

Their music videos are pure gold—total treats for the eyes—and man, their live shows? Absolutely legendary.

Honestly, looking back at the tracks, the absolute heavy hitters for me have gotta be Southbound Pachyderm, My Name Is Mud, and Over the Falls. Nothing else even comes close.

cosmicrider5 said:Mr. Krinkle
Lacquer Head by Primus. Man, where do you even start with this one? It’s just pure, unadulterated chaos. You listen to it and you can practically feel the bass vibrating through your teeth. It’s that classic, weird energy where things feel like they're spiraling out of control but somehow staying perfectly on beat. Just total madness.
Man, I was just spinning through the Primus discography earlier and ended up landing on Greet The Sacred Cow. There’s just something about those early tracks that hits different, you know? It’s that raw, weird energy before everything got polished up. You listen to stuff like Greet The Sacred Cow and you can practically hear the gears grinding in Les Claypool's head. It's pure, unadulterated chaos wrapped in a groove that sticks to your ribs. Just one of those deep cuts that makes you realize how much they were pushing boundaries right out of the gate. Total trip.
The Antipop. Man, just thinking about that album gets me going. You ever sit there and realize how much of a pivot point it was? Like, we all know the drill with Primus—that wild, heavy-hitting energy where you aren't quite sure if you should dance or run for cover. But The Antipop? That’s a different beast entirely. It’s got that specific vibe where the musicianship is off the charts, but it still feels gritty, like it was recorded in some basement in Seattle rather than a polished studio in LA. You listen to those tracks and you can hear the evolution. It’s not just mindless noise; it’s calculated chaos. It's like watching a high-speed car chase through downtown Chicago—it's frantic, it's loud, and you can't look away even though you know you probably should. I remember spinning this back in the day, trying to wrap my head around how Les Claypool could make a bass guitar sound like a percussion instrument, a lead singer, and a damn chainsaw all at once. It’s that weird, beautiful intersection of being technically insane but still having enough soul to pull you in. Some people try to categorize it, but they always miss the mark. It's just pure, unadulterated Primus. If you haven't sat down with the full record lately, do yourself a favor. Turn it up until the neighbors start banging on the walls. Just do it.
Primus Woodstock 1994 - Those Damn Blue Collar Tweekers

Greet The Sacred Cow, The Antipop, and Those Damn Blue Collar Tweekers... man, what kind of absolute madness is this? 😲I mean, if you really had to pick one over the other, which one would you actually call better?

"We're Primus... Yeah, and honestly? We totally suck." 🤣🤣🤣

By the way, how did he even get into Metallica in the first place? I mean, seriously, he thinks they're some kind of geniuses.

Ahhh, Primus brings back the memories 🧐 ... those gritty high school days back in Sremski Karlovac during the rough nineties... while everyone else around us was obsessed with that terrible turbofolk scene, a few of us were busy jumping around to Harold Sten and Tom Cat 🙂

cosmicrider5 said:Les described the album like this:

Every song is pretty much a variation of 'Don't Fear the Reaper' by Blue Öyster Cult. Everyone should buy two copies. 😁

🤣🤣

I absolutely love Primus. 😍 Honestly, they are one of the most innovative and genuinely original bands to ever exist.
I find myself constantly wondering what their sound is like these days! 😲

granitebison262 said:Ahhh, Primus brings back the memories 🧐 ... high school days in some small town in the Midwest during those trashy nineties... while everyone else around us was obsessed with that garbage pop-country stuff, a few of us were actually jumping around to Harold the Rock and Tommy the Cat 🙂

Who even are Harold the Rock and Tommy the Cat?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOIa_EfOx0A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKB_cH8Sv1g

PLAY IT LOUD

Play It Loud, look—I’m certainly no professional translator, but you hit the nail on the head there, heh heh... Speaking of Metallica, there is that specific recording where Les Claypool tears through Master of Puppets at Woodstock 1994, and if memory serves, Primus also did a rendition of The Thing That Should Not Be...

P.S. And you absolutely have to listen to Jovo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXCuVJYOXCU

aha, so those are just song titles? My bad, I honestly thought someone in the group actually went by that name since it could totally be taken that way. Either way, they're solid tracks 👍

When the Metallica bassist passed away, Les reached out offering to fill in—only for the guys to basically tell him, "Stay crazy." 😁

One of those rare bands where I actually own every single original CD they ever released... well, except for the very last one.

granitebison262 said:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKB_cH8Sv1g

man, what a total banger

I've been digging Red Hot Chili Peppers since I was a kid, honestly, and I can't shake this feeling that there's some kind of DNA connection here (Out In L.A.), except these guys are just way more unhinged and extreme with their weirdness.
btw, does anyone actually know if they've ever played together or anything? (not that I'm gonna go down a rabbit hole looking it up)

I mean, once you see an album cover where a sailboat is just chilling in a sea of Morati sir, everything makes sense. 😍



And those hats and shades Les Claypool rocks? Absolute top tier stuff. 🙂

"What a total train wreck"

- Heh. That infectious little hook kept looping back like some sort of rhythmic mantra: "Say baby do you wanna lay down with me, say baby do you wanna lay down by my side, say b-b-b-b-b-b-b-baby"

P.S. Someone finally uploaded the full set from Woodstock here. I remember watching them for the first time back then—on the TV, naturally, since live broadcasts were the big thing. It features that ridiculous comedic bit at the start of "My name is Mud"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT3PMUup7Ug