Rating: 4
Les Claypool can do amazing things with a bass guitar - he makes it go "scrichity" and "ka-boing", he plays chords, lead runs, arco, and percussion. And there's a guy who can lift up barbells with his penis. Both acts are impressive, but neither keeps me entertained for long.The Primus style is mostly irritating, but occasionally interesting. The constant choppiness in the rhythm section makes me jittery, and the guitar player just makes feedback noises or repeats tiny little figures 'til you go insane.
The lyrical approach is terrific - Claypool has a skewed view of the world that seems right in line with this post-modern event we call "life" ("I've been to hell… I call it DMV"), and I can see why his followers are so devoted. It's a black view of life, but with enough humor to sustain one's spirit. I only wish the vocals were high enough in the mix to understand them.
If Primus would lay into a groove once in a while, and sing these lyrics with some gusto, this would be one of the finest albums of the '90s. As it is, you just get an hour of "ptwang", "boing" and "squiggity" noises from the bass, and a stress headache trying to make out the vocals.