REVIEW: Primus, Rhinoplasty (Interscope)
- Paul Hanson
Primus is Primus. Either you are aurally aroused by Les Claypool's snap, crackle, pop bass technique, unique vocal style and storyteller-styled lyrics, exemplified on this E.P. by a live version of "Tommy the Cat," or you find him annoying. Following the Sailing the Seas of Cheese disc, I was a devotee. After Pork Soda , I lost interest in the direction of the band as they became too introverted for my casual listenings. Not that they suddenly were awful - - I was just moving on.
This time around, on a nine song E.P., two-thirds of which are cover songs, I remember why I liked the band when I first heard them. The playfulness of these tracks is evident, even during the first listen. Kicking off with XTC's "Scissorman," continuing through Peter Gabriel's "The Family and the Fishing Net" and Stanley Clarke's instrumental, "Silly Putty," Primus epitomizes mastery of their guitar, bass and, begrudgingly, drums. Brain, Tim "Herb" Alexander's recent replacement improves his case during the first three tracks.
Moving on, Jerry Reed's "Amos Moses" and Primus' own "Too Many Puppies" are two more standout tracks. Perhaps the most recognizable tracks, The Police's "Behind my Camel" and Metallica's "The Thing That Should Not Be" stick a bit too close to their original.
The disc closes with the epics "Tommy the Cat," which clocks in at 8:57 and "Bob's Party Time Lounge" at 7:32. Both feature Claypool's bass magic and solid drums from Brain, who stretches out for a Neil Peart ripoff solo in "Tommy."
However, by the time this disc ends, you are likely to remember why you liked Primus in the first place and, if you have yet to dive into the world of frizzle frys, seas of cheese or pork soda, Rhinoplasty is your best place to start.
