Review Summary: This shit is quirky.
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Primus - Frizzle Fry/U]
Primus: the quirkiest band to ever grace the metal scene. Some people may not even think they belong in the genre. No matter what they really are, they still make amazing music, and this album is no exception. If you've heard anything about the band at all, it's probably about Les Claypool's incredible skill on the bass. This is the reason that everyone listens to the band, but that doesn't mean that the rest of the band still doesn't have plenty of time to impress the listener.
The band is:
Les Claypool: Bass and Vocals
Larry LaLonde: Guitar
Tim "Herb" Alexander: Drums
What was good about the album:
" I guess it"s best to just start this off with coming out and saying it once again. The bass playing is unbelievably awesome. Les Claypool has often been thought as one of the best bassists to ever live, and you"ll probably be thinking that too after hearing some of the songs off of this album. He plays some really catchy and memorable lines, and they"re really technical in some parts too. He"ll play every type of technique too. He"ll play slap bass (To Defy the Laws of Tradition), do some tapping (Mr. Knowitall), strum chords (Groundhog"s Day), and everything in between. And on top of that, Les sings!
" The guitar. It"s often overlooked because you"ll probably be paying attention to the bass lines, but the guitar parts are still great. Larry is a good at adding some amusing guitar parts (like in Groundhog"s Day). Guitarists, don"t be disappointed by this album. Larry is still a great musician.
" The drumming. Once again, Herb is put out of the spotlight because of Les, but he still plays some very cool drum beats and technical fills. He"ll still get some time to show off (like in John the Fisherman), but most of the time he"s just bringing the band all together. Herb does a very good job on this album.
What was bad about the album:
" I know several people that have listened to Primus before, and they all seem to complain about the same thing: the vocals. I"ll actually agree with them, they aren"t very good. They"re certainly amusing, but not amazing in any sense. It adds to the band"s quirky image, but some people won"t like them. The vocals are only there to be icing on the cake though. The main focus of the band is the music.
" The second half of the album can"t compare to the first half. They"re still good songs, but the first six songs are completely flawless. After hearing the first six tracks, the remaining ones just don"t seem to compare.
" This is the band"s first album, and also their best. So once you hear this, it can only go downhill from here. How sad.
Recommended Songs:
To Defy the Laws of Tradition " Has an amazing intro and a great backing groove during the verse.
Groundhog"s Day " Very funny lyrics and a catchy verse riff
Too Many Puppies " Another very catchy bass line and a funky breakdown.
Mr. Knowitall " The album"s high point. This song is flawless.
Frizzle Fry " The longest song on the album. The lyrics are very funny and more great bass parts.
John the Fisherman " There"s great drumming in this song, and this is also a very famous Primus track.
This album is certainly a high point for music in the 90"s. It contains many different styles of music and combines them into one awesome sound that is Primus. Bassists should already own this album, but if you don"t then you should really get to a record store as soon as you possibly can. Guitarists and drummers would also be impressed by this album. It"s certainly an awesome experience.
Final Rating " 4.5/5
