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Rating:
First album by Primus, released in 1989, and which immediately caught the critics' attention due to its hard-to-classify genre.
A genre that the band still offers today, albeit with outcomes that are undoubtedly less original than back then, but which still grants each song a refinement worthy of their early days.
Technically speaking, the absolute monster Les Claypool is joined by two other exceptional musicians such as Larry Lalonde, a guitarist with a thrash-metal background (in Possessed) and Tim ‘Herb’ Alexander, a drummer rumored to be self-taught; the combination of 3 technically impeccable styles, intricate and so personal, would lead in 9 cases out of 10 to the impossibility of coexisting in a band, in the 10th case to Primus.
About the record, it’s a live without frills and without much talk; it starts right away with "Join The Fisherman," still a classic today and from my point of view one of Primus's best songs ever: rhythmic, catchy, and spot-on as an opening.
The album proceeds without sterile fillers, with the usual absolute mastery made even more evident by the live factor but also with the usual self-irony (and not taking themselves too seriously) that dresses Primus in a fairground rock-band attitude even when they embellish their songs with little virtuoso touches. The cover stands out (the first in a long line of cartoon absurdities so dear to Les Claypool), while the lyrics are ironic and light-hearted, in some parts purely nonsense: and the music in this case takes even more center stage.
Other beautiful tracks include "Frizzle Fry" (which will be the title track of the band's second work) with its almost 6 slower minutes and that closes the album, the flagship "Tommy The Cat" presented at almost every concert (and always performed differently), "The Heckler" with Les having the audience introduce the song with a nice ‘Larry you're a BASTARD’, "Harold On The Rocks" showing nice tempo changes.
A honest album, certainly well-played and for this reason, I would recommend it to everyone, even if Primus's style doesn't attract the listener on the first try and, above all, risks being too "difficult" for those who love other genres. For anyone who likes other work by Primus, it’s an album absolutely worth getting. (Jx)
Tracklist Lyrics and Samples
01 John the Fisherman (03:53)
One...two...
One, two, three, four.
When he was young
You'd not find him doing well in school.
His mind would turn unto the waters.
Always the focus of adolescent ridicule,
He has no time for farmer's daughters.
Alienated from the clique society,
A lonely boy finds peace in fishing.
His mother says,
"John, this is not the way life's supposed to be."
"Don't you see the life that you miss?"
And he says...
When I grow up I want to be,
One of the harvesters of the sea.
I think before my days are done,
I want to be a fisherman.
Now years gone by we find the man who rules the sea.
He sets out on a dark May morning.
To bring his catch back to this small community.
He doesn't see the danger dawning.
Four hours up, oh the ocean swelled and swelled,
The fog rolled in it started raining.
"The starboard bow! Oh my God we're going down!"
They do not hear his frantic mayday.
And he says...
When I grow up I want to be,
One of the harvesters of the sea.
I think before my days are done,
I want to be a fisherman.
"I'll live and die a fisherman."
Calling John the Fisherman...
02 Groundhog's Day (04:52)
When I woke up this mornin' I felt a pang.
I was hungerin' for some apple pie.
Stumble in the bathroom, hung my hog a little bit.
Washed the sleep out of my eye.
Oh yeah, it's gonna be a fine day.
Scratched myself a bit.
Poured me out a bowl-a corn chex.
Closest thing I could find to apple pie.
Lingerin' taste of toothpaste
Made the milk go down a bit funny.
But you know, them chex they do satisfy.
Oh yeah, this'll be a fine day.
So, after my mornin' rise-n-shine and eat-n-clean.
Had my mind set to hit them streets.
Drizzle from the night left cold puddles out.
Had my black stomp-boots on my feet.
It's my day.
Since I was in kneepants my pop had tried to make me realize. If I
set my mind down to it I could be a big man in the public eye. So
with my big blue collar on, I set out to find the easy way. What an
ice cold bath it was when I found you had to pay to play. To taste
the taste it's a tease that never would subside. The taste is strong
but soured by my learned eyes. Well, if a woodchuck could chuck wood,
he'd get down on his knees to pray. This little snappy boy might see
the light this ground hog's day.
05 Jellikit (03:59)
Jellikit
I just want to satisfy you
I would like to rectify you
Pay no attention to what you've heard
This mediocrity is so absurd. But
I won't listen to erratic advice
Don't make me ask you nice
I just want to satisfy you
I would like to contemplate you
Perhaps sometime we'll irritate you
I won't listen to sparratic advice
Don't make me ask you twice
I just want to satisfy you
Jellikit x 3
I just want to satisfy you
Jellikit
I just want to satisfy you
Jellikit x 6
06 Tommy the Cat (05:26)
" well I remember as though it were a meal ago"
Said Tommy the Cat as he reeled back to clear whatever foreign matter
may have nestled its way into his mighty throat.
Many a fat alley rat had met its demise while staring point blank down
the cavernous barrel of this awesome prowling machine.
Truly a wonder of nature this urban predator.
Tommy the cat had many a story to tell,
But it was a rare occasion such as this that he did.
She came slidin' down the alleyway like butter drippin' off a hot biscuit.
The aroma, the mean scent, was enough to arouse suspicion in even the
oldest of Tigers that hung around the hot spot in those days.
The sight was beyond belief.
Many a head snapped for double - even triple - takes as this vivacious
feline made her her way into the delta of the alleyway where the most
virile of the young tabbys were known to hang out.
They hung in droves. Such a multitude of masculinity could only be
found in one place...
And that was O'malley's Alley.
The air was thick with cat calls (no pun intended),
But not even a muscle in her neck did twitch
as she sauntered straight into the heart of the alleyway.
She knew what she wanted.
She was lookin' for that stud bull, she was looking for that he cat.
And that was me.
Tommy the Cat is my name and I say unto thee...
Say baby do you wanna lay down with me
Say baby do you wanna lay down by my side
Ah baby do you wanna lay down with me
Say baby?...Say baby?
07 Pudding Time (04:20)
You can have a lolly pop
a candy bar a jelly bean.
I'll buy you a rainbow
to hang above your door.
It's pudding time.
Laughter is a sweet
You can't put a price on.
When laughter's all gone
Daddy won't buy you more.
It's pudding time.
It's pudding time children.
Money money money
To buy you things.
Daddy's gonna buy you a
diamond ring.
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall
All the kings horses and all the kings men
Couldn't put Humpty together again.
San Francisco bay the
Striped bass are dying.
But you're gonna get
That brand new bike
Oh joy
It's pudding time
It's pudding time children.
08 Harold of the Rocks (06:18)
t was a weekend's eve,
I had sex on my breath
I was lookin' for somethin' to see.
With a borrowed black leather
And my best fishin' hat.
Well, it was just Wendy O. and me.
We called old Swamp
Up on the telephone
And said we was comin' on
Down to pick him up
and then, he said,
"Hey Swampy, me and Greeny'll come along -
But only if we can bring a friend."
"His name is Harold."
I said "Okay."
Now, we had a
Swamper, Greeny, Wendy O, Stanley,
Harold of the Rocks and me.
We hopped into my dart
And headed for the nightbreak
To see a man they call Schooly D.
Harold he's a friendly guy.
He rambles on and on.
He'll talk the balls off a rhinosaurus.
Fact is, he just doesn't make much sense.
"Well", Stan said.
"This guy's pretty bizarre, Gus."
Harold of the Rocks.
I saw Harold at a party
Trouzy threw late one night.
I said, "hey man,
Do you remember me?"
He said, "O' course
I do Snapdad and
Let me tell ya right
'Bout now I'm lit
Up like an ol' Christmas tree."
Hey bro you know I'd
like to thank you once again for let'n me
Hang with ya' all across the bay.
when I look back at that night I get me a
Warm spot across my heart."
Then he shook my hand, and walked away.
That's the last I seen of Harold.
Harold of the Rocks.
So in the end,
Swamper and Greeny
Finally succumb to
The ways of Harold.
And in doing so
Each gave just a little bit
Of his soul away.
What a couple of dumbshits.
09 Frizzle Fry (05:47)
Hello all you boys and girls
I'd like to take you to the
inside world
It's quite an irregular place
to be.
But never fear you're safe
with me.
Well,Maybe
Golden hair of macrame'
Agaisnts the face that's
cut from stone.
The white porcelain is
screaming ayee.
Thank God the boy is not
alone
I don't believe in santa claus
I don't believe in spite
I have no use for beauty
dolls.
Especially on this night.
I don't believe in miracles.
I don't believe in lies.
I don't believe in hologram.
For I am the frizzle fry.
Andy's painted green again.
This time they might take him
away.
When barrington starts to
breath again.
It may just take us all away.
I don't believe in charity.
I don't believe in sin.
And if you don't believe in me,
we'll play this tune over
again.
I don't believe in Pinochle
and I dont believe I'll try.
I do believe in Captian Crunch
For I am the frizzle fry
Yes I am the frizzle fry
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Other reviews
By De...Marga...
For yours truly, the crazy trio, led by the equally crazy (even more, even more!!) Les Claypool, represents absolute love, the number ONE in music.
With their crazy musical approach, which is not easy to assimilate it is good to remember, they have from the beginning carved bizarre furrows, transporting the listener into a never-ending vertigo of sonic oddities.
