Review Summary: They call me Mr. Knowitall I will not compromise. I will not be told what to do. I shall not step aside.
Immense creativity meshed with a good sense of humor can go a long way, especially if you’re a world class bass player. These were the key ingredients to the making of Primus, the brilliantly whacky, yet cleverly creepy trio out of San Francisco. A band with an extremely eclectic sound, Primus mixes funk, metal, and alternative rock all into their own rambling, yet very organized sound. Frontman Les Claypool used his bass and whimsically raspy vocals to create a sound and a band that is truly one of a kind. In the late 80’s, as Claypool was coming off of being turned down by Metallica for being too good (yes, too good) he formed Primus. The band started out playing shows around the bay area and quickly began to build a cult following with the release of Suck On This, a recording of one of their first live shows. Many were a bit puzzled by the band as they did not seem to understand them, and with good reason. Nobody had ever heard a band with a sound quite like theirs, and it was perfect timing, mainly because by 1990, the music industry was changing. Bands like Guns ‘N Roses and Metallica were on their way out, and bands like Nirvana and Soundgarden were on the rise. Music fans were beginning to gravitate more towards grunge and indie rock. Primus would take them down a bit of a different path and expand their taste for alternative rock at the beginning of the decade with Fizzle Fry, their first studio album, and best record to date.
Les Claypool is obviously the backbone and mastermind of the band with his strong and ferocious bass lines, but his partners, Tim Alexander and Larry LaLonde’s contributions seem to never get the full appreciation they deserve. Alexander’s up-tempo drumming that he builds up wonderfully throughout the album is a crucial part of their sound. LaLonde’s dark soaring guitar notes add such a perfect finishing touch over Claypool’s boisterously crafted bass playing. Fizzle Fry was an extremely bold debut as the band sounds as confident as ever throughout the record. Right from the beginning of “To Defy the Laws Of Tradition,” a name that not only is a perfect way to introduce the band to the world, but also perfectly sums up Primus as a whole. The band even manages to get a little political on the album with “Too Many Puppies,” a darker song with lyrics that protest the draft: “Too many puppies with guns in their hands/Too many puppies in foreign lands/Are dressed up sharp in suits of green and/Placed upon the war machine.” Despite his brilliantly odd sense of humor, Les Claypool is also respectably clever when it comes to writing darker lyrics, which he showcases throughout the record. The trio also put together some heavier tracks on the album such as “The Toys Go Winding Down,” with its barracking bass riff and aggressive drumming.
Perhaps the records finest track comes near the halfway point with “John The Fisherman,” an energetic tale of an outcast child who daydreams of roaming the sea as a fisherman. “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 are missing?"/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.” This song contains one of the best, if not the best build-up on the record. Another highlight comes towards the end of the album with “Spagetti Western,” a track with stellar drumming from Alexander and raucous and eerie sounding bass and guitar with rambling vocals. The album contains so many quirky build-ups into instrumental outbursts, with a truly original rampant style you will not hear anywhere else, just ask people who have tried to classify which “genre” Primus falls under. Part of what is so astonishing about the band is that fact that even with all of their individual talent, they never seem to trip over each other, each instrument glides along perfectly with the others, giving them a surprisingly clean sound.
They were ripe with ideas, they were eccentric, they were…different, to say the least and it was the perfect storm for Fizzle Fry’s creation. Primus is much like the new professor you meet on the first day of class that is unorthodox and strange, but has so much charisma you just can’t help but like them. Their free-wheeling style makes them generally easy to enjoy upon first listen. Fizzle Fry for sure was one of the best releases of 1990 and started the career of one of alternative rocks most important, yet underappreciated bands. You won’t find a whole lot of deep emotion in Primus’ music, but you will find twisted thrills mixed with energy to create a trippy yet rollicking sound. This plus the fact that Primus is truly one of the most carefree bands around, makes this a must listen for any curious and open-minded alternative rock fan.
