Review Summary: With Frizzle Fry, the laws of tradition were defied.
That damn bass. That's the first thing that comes to mind when you first hear Primus. Primus started out in the 80s, however it took a very long time for them to release anything. The band went through numerous lineup arrangements in the early days, before settling on the iconic lineup of Les Claypool, Larry "Ler" LaLonde, and Tim "Herb" Alexander. Together, the 3 graced the music scene with Frizzle Fry. It becomes apparent from the title cover that this will be one weird record, and it is. Primus is a strange group really, and their quirkiness lyrically and musically makes them unique (along with that great instrumentation and that GOD DAMN BASS). Primus is an instantly identifiable band, because their sound is so unique and so, well, Primus. Even if they first released a live recording, they really started here. With Frizzle Fry, Primus was truly born.
But even from the first track "To Defy The Laws Of Tradition", it immediately becomes apparent that this band is going to be a lot different then what you're used to hearing. TDTLOT is an outstanding intro track, and my favorite song on the album. It completely sets up the album's feel. Dark and weird, but so damn awesome. What also becomes immediately apparent is the immense skill the band has. Les is, in all honestly, one of the best bass players of today. Les is such a diverse player. He is primarily influenced by Rush's Geddy Lee (which the two are close friends), and he mixes many different musical genres and styles into his playing. He takes a mix of funk, jazz, prog and metal. However, Les is mostly recognizable by his slapping. Les is very skilled in slap-bass, and it's hard to compare his talent on the bass to other players. They're abrasive, they're strange, they're bouncy, they're fun and all over the damn place. But aside from his slapping, it's immediately recognizable in all the different stuff he can do. Such as "Frizzle Fry" or "The Toys Go Winding Down" where he can pluck the strings traditional style, or his classic slapping such as in "Pudding Time". Les is also the vocalist, and while he obviously isn't the greatest, he works for the sound. However, he will later rely on more of a talking style of singing, and he doesn't really rely on vocal melodies. His singing style and sound is strange and all over the place, but it fits for Primus's sound. However, compared to his bass playing skill, it isn't even worth mentioning. Larry LaLonde is also an exceptional guitarist, but his iconic styles don't really show on this album as they will later. Tim is also an awesome drummer, and he really shows his skill on the instrument on this record. Overall, the instrumentation is all superb in their own.
Song-wise, the album definitely succeeds. Each of the songs are unique and different, but flow well. However, a lot of the tracks quickly become jam sessions instead of progressing anywhere. This doesn't necessarily hurt the record in anyway, but it becomes apparent the band is more focused on keeping the audience boppin' and groovin', instead of analyzing the musical construct. Is there construct? Well of course there is. But it becomes more a fun record than a musically progressive one. But it's also recognizable about how dark and heavy the record is. Sure, Pork Soda may have been dark, but it's nowhere near as heavy as Frizzle Fry. "Groundhog's Day" is a good example, as it starts slow and relaxed, but explodes into fast metal sensibilities. Even "Too Many Puppies" and "Mr. Knowitall" are good examples. "John The Fisherman" is more radio-friendly, but still holds what the band is attempting to establish. However some of the songs like "Spegetti Western" are just mostly forgettable and over-the-top. "Harold of the Rocks" is a fine one as well, but it just isn't as fun. That is just one small issue. Some of the songwriting problems strain, and become more like a jam session. While that isn't a bad thing, it doesn't show any songwriting skill, even if they have it. It is mostly a showcase of the immense talent they possess. However, song-wise this album pretty much succeeds, and it's very out of the ordinary. The laws of tradition are defied.
But what hurts this album the most is the sound production. Oh man the sound production. I can understand it may not be the best, given this album probably wasn't recorded on the highest budget, but still. The sound is just very thin. Tim's snare sounds awful, Les's bass is heavy, but also thin, and Larry's guitar is just mostly normal. While this doesn't make the songs bad, it just strains and hurts the record a bit. However, even when the sound production is a bit thin, it doesn't detract from the value of the songs. Frizzle Fry could definitely be looked at as the most distinctive sounding album from the band's releases. Some of the most brutal metal songs they've written are on here, and they don't ever really go back to the heaviness that is shown on this album. It definitely isn't the perfect record, or even the best Primus record, but it's still great and weird in every way. The fillers just back up their weirdness, to the waltzy piano tune of "You Can't Kill Michael Malloy", the orchestrated tune with Les singing a little jingle in "Sathington Willoby" and the reprise of "To Defy The Laws Of Tradition," which is titled "To Defy" is simply the main riff again. The fillers aren't really interesting, but they aren't bad either. However even with the bad sound production and some songwriting issues, this album is still superb.
Frizzle Fry is truly the moment Primus became Primus. There is still some loose segments to this album, such as the poor sound production and some downsides to SOME of the songwriting, but in the end the heaviness, fluidity, and weirdness all make one phenomenal album. Frizzle Fry was a great way for the trio to express their immense talent that became more and more over the years. No record really ever sounded quite like Frizzle Fry did, even if they did try to revert back to their jam roots, Frizzle Fry just defines it all. It stands as an excellent debut LP, and a very superb record overall. While there are some issues to the album, Frizzle Fry still stands as a superb album in the end, and is one brutally experimental and strange record that will weird everyone out, but will have them boppin' their heads.
Favorite Track: To Defy The Laws Of Tradition
Least Favorite Track: Spegetti Western
