Primus Tracks

David Lefkowitz returns for another Master Class. Dave managed Primus/Les for about twenty years, and additionally was the president of Prawn Song Records when the label pivoted to releasing albums by talented Bay Area bands. We discuss the challenges and intricacies of running a record label (Dave's advice: don't.) and why it's not the greatest idea. Great talk with a true heavy! Get involved: ht...

Our latest Legendary Show Dissection takes us back to 2004 as Primus marauded across North America to bring Frizzle Fry in its entirety to the masses in a two-set evening-with format. On this particular evening, the band graced the crowd with what we believe is a record of six consecutive songs on the six-string fretless "rainbow" bass. Considering that the rainbow is retired due to age and sentim...

The great Kello Gonzalez returns to wrap up Purple Onion in style with a breakdown of (and on) Cosmic Highway. We get into what makes this track a fan favorite, why it ends the record in a satisfying way, and what makes it so familiar to Primus fans picking up Les solo work for the first time.  Find Kello on Youtube & Instagram  Get involved: Instagram Facebook Email Burn your money  Get invol...

David Makalaster II continues the saga of our newscaster, whose manipulative messaging has taken a turn to the bellicose. Mak II stands as commentary on the media landscape post 9/11 and its exhortations to belligerence, whether abroad or domestic, and the music supports that military march to war, which we connect to Les Claypool's favorite film, perhaps finding some of the musical inspiration fo...

Sam Stewart of Flagman joins Primus Tracks to discuss Up On The Roof, and explains what makes it a certified banger in the Claypool catalogue. The track has familiar foundations in a percussive bass line and lyrics regarding drug addiction, but this tune remains fresh and vibrant over twenty years later.  Get involved: Instagram Facebook Email Burn your money LISTEN 2 FLAGMAN! Get involved Instagr...

Lights in the Sky is another structured, thoughtful piece that seems simple, but allows maximum space for Frog Brigade collaborators to shine. In this case, they keep it atmospheric and low key until a bit of a heavier, unexpected ending. Although the lyrics are fairly generic for a Claypool tune, they provide ample fodder for conversation, and we take advantage by discussing stories of alien abdu...

This week on the podcast, we address the Les Claypool live staple D's Diner, which has been performed by so many iterations of his bands that everyone has lost count, except for Frankie. Bay Area resident and D's Diner regular Anthony Garcia helps us choose what menu items will be worth our while, models the main bass lick, and explains why it's okay to have a one-riff jam track in the middle of,...

Barrington Hall is a legendary location in the Primus world, and its debauched past pairs well with the refined nature of the music from this Purple Onion track. Matt Hunter models the bass parts and harmonies, and we delve into the sordid events that led to Barrington's demise as a student housing cooperative.  Get involved: Instagram Facebook Email Burn your money  Get involved Instagram Faceboo...

Ding Dang is a forceful number, both in terms of music and lyrics. We speak with bassist Alex Dalasio about the musicality of the tune, and what makes it memorable, as well as unpacking the lyrics, which are meant to provoke, and perhaps even make us uncomfortable, but there's a lesson to be learned and a resonant, timeless message. We get to the heart of the matter and solve all of the world's pr...

Les Claypool started banging on the Whamola on February 14, 2001, at a Frog Brigade show in Boston, Massachusetts, and it's accompanied him on nearly every subsequent tour, and numerous studio records. He popularized the one-stringed instrument that an enterprising person could construct for less than $100, and put his unique spin on it with percussive playing that utilizes distortion and evelope...

With Long in the Tooth, Les Claypool takes a page from the Tom Waits book of music, and puts his own spin on the concept, evoking numerous auti-biographical details - some clear, some hazy - that act as an ode to aging and general acceptance of the process. We explicate the lyrics in depth, and sample a bit of ol' Stompin' Tom Connors in the process. Get involved: Instagram Facebook Email Burn you...

Frequent bass contributor Louis Ortega returns to model and explain the hooks behind Buzzards of Green Hill, Frankie's favorite track from the album, and perhaps his top Claypool track. This one seems to be the backwoods hick Claypool that had shone through with some Primus material, but takes the wheel here for a (sober, we hope) drive out in the county. Lyrically, we contrast drunk driving and n...

This week, we discuss David Makalaster, often referred to as Mak 1, which brings Purple Onion to life after the ambient opening track. Mak 1 and 2 somewhat bookend the Pruple Onion record, and we discuss this first installment in near-isolation, but it's difficult to separate the two. Lots of lyrical references to unpack, and the mass of instrumentation makes for a busy and full musical experience...

As we begin to peel back the layers of Les Claypool's 2002 album Purple Onion, we discuss the background of the record, its place in (and out) of its time, the inspiration for the title, and we discuss the title track's ambience and ambiguous lyrics. Purple Onion stands as the jump-start to the Les Claypoo; 2000s solo career in terms of writing and performing original material with the Frog Brigad...

No Forcefield was an experimental collaboration of Larry LaLonde, Brain, Adam Gates, DJ Disk, and Extrakd for Stray Records, which produced two albums: 2000's Lee's Oriental Massage and 2001's God is an Excuse. They're wild, unpredictable, bizarre, and good, clean fun. Both albums are long out of print, but readily available on resale sites such as Discogs. We discuss the (lack of) notoriety for t...

Sessanta spoilers abound Rejoice, for there is new Primus! As part of the Sessanta tour celebrating Maynard James Keenan's 60th birthday, Primus is supporting live and  recorded a track with Maynard for the Sessanta E.P.P.P. We couldn't wait to discuss this track, the first new Primus recording in two years. We discuss its greater context in Sessanta, the tour, and the tune itself, which is certai...

In this super-sized episode, we discuss the 1985/86 Primus demo tape informally titled Welcome To This World, and set it against its time period in the development of the band. From there, we welcome Peter Libby to the show. Peter drummed for Primus over 1984-86, and his skilled approach elevated the band in the Bay Area scene. Peter discusses those early days, his friendship with Tim Soya, his ow...

We sample Frankie's newly-acquired 1984 Primate demo tape and give context to its origin, as well as comparing the primordial Primus tunes to what they'd become on official studio releases. Who knew that so many tunes were nearly fully formed as early as 84? We had clues from some bootlegs that go as far back as 86 or 87, but this is a whole new realm, including the infamous initial recording of T...

Surprise! We're not quite through with Oysterhead yet. Weexamine the two "bonus" Oysterhead tracks created by Stewart Copeland shortly after the 2001 tour wrapped.  Soya phones in from yet another hotel room and tells stories from the Oysterhead tour, including hanging with the men of Oysterhead and integrating with the Phish crew that largely staffed the tour, as well as the mysteries of Les's Sh...

We wrap up our coverage of the sole studio release from Oysterhead in style with Owner of the World, a sunny day feel-good track that closes the record in fine form. How does the album stack up for you? What lasting takeaways do you draw from the record? We want to know your thoughts! primustrackspod@gmail.com Get involved: Instagram Facebook Email Burn your money Get involved Instagram Facebook E...

We've reached the title track of Oysterhead's lone studio album, and its medieval bent invites comparisons between the futility of feudalism and modern capitalism. Les Claypool uses classic and crass imagery to expose our class system, while maintaining the happy-go-lucky jauntiness of the music. Tamborines to armageddon! Get involved: Instagram Facebook Email Burn your money Get involved Instagra...

This one might be The Grand Pecking Order's top track for many listeners, and we get into what makes it so inviting in terms of musicality (Sabbath?!) and the tale hidden within the lyrics, some of it autobiographical for Les Claypool, and some of it hurtful to Buffalo Bills fans, me included. Dig in! Get involved: Instagram Facebook Email Burn your money Get involved Instagram Facebook Email Burn...

Have you spent endless sleepless nights wondering, "What does a Romanian dictator have to do with Oysterhead?" Friend, we understand, and will assuage these existential worries with an exploration of Stewart Copeland's lyrics and the underlying groove of the music. BARBER... Get involved: Instagram Facebook Email Burn your money Get involved Instagram Facebook Email Burn your money 

Birthday Boys is a little ditty that celebrates the accident of adjacent birth for two of the band's members, right? RIGHT? There's a bit more to it, and Les Claypool has hinted at some of the details over the years, which lend a tawdry bent to the lyrics, contrasted with the wholesome-sounding music. Rumors and innuendo swirl around Birthday Boys. Join in the intrigue! Get involved: Instagram Fac...

We are thrilled to welcome Tim Alexander to Primus Tracks! The longtime Primus drummer has stretched his rhythmical and compositional skills through numerous projects over the years, and he is ready to share what he's learned throughout his career. We discuss his newly-founded Stick Academy, the foundations of his drumming, his abstract visual art, and what it means to be back in the Bay Area. Rem...