Published on Jun 30, 1999
When Les Claypool and Primus made the jump from a small
independent label to a major, one had to wonder: would a band like
this survive in the real music business? Anyone who was familiar
with their previous releases
Suck On This and
Frizzle Fry knew that Primus is a band that neither stirves
for nor cares about commercial appeal. They’re out there to play
music the way they think it’s meant to be played.
The answer, of course, seems to be that Primus held their own
just fine, as their major label debut (and third album overall)
Sailing The Seas Of Cheese proved. It’s a strange little
album – but then again, who would expect anything different from
bassist/vocalist Claypool, guitarist Larry LaLonde and drummer Tim
“Herb” Alexander?
Following the brief intro “Seas Of Cheese” (which features
Claypool on string bass), things get kicked off in the right
direction with “Here Come The Bastards,” a song that is powered
more by the groove created by Primus than the intricate basswork
and guitar stylings of Claypool and LaLonde. (And to think that
Claypool tried out for Metallica – God knows what would have
happened had they hired him.) The tempo is almost like a waltzing
march, and if this one doesn’t have you stomping your feet in joy,
chances are the following track, “Sgt. Baker,” will.
Sometimes, Claypool’s rapid-fire vocal style makes him a little
hard to understand, but that’s nothing compared to the
electronically altered voice of Tom Waits, who makes a guest
appearance on the track “Tommy The Cat”. (The live version of this
track was originally on Suck On This.) Waits is a perfect match for
the band, though I do wish they had left him deliver his lines
without processing his vocals.
One of the tracks originally pushed on this album, “Jerry Was A
Race Car Driver,” is still one of the best songs on the album, yet
again featuring Claypool and his beliefs that the bass can be a
lead instrument. (He proves often enough, of course, that it can;
Claypool could well be one of the best living bassists around
today.) Sometimes, this track reminds me a bit of “Wynonna’s Big
Brown Beaver” from their later album
Tales From The Punchbowl, especially with the ironic ending
in the verses.
Sailing The Seas Of Cheese is a technically great work,
whether it’s listening to a song in 11/8 time on “Eleven”, or it’s
working through interludes (including a pretty solo from Claypool)
on “Sathington Waltz” and the opening to “Fish On”. It might not be
the traditional straight-laced form of alternative or rock that
one’s used to, but it’s surprisingly easy to get used to.
Admittedly, if you had followed Primus’s work up to the release
of
Sailing The Seas Of Cheese, this album would seem like a
natural progression. But if it was the first album of theirs you
ever picked up, listening to it might seem like skinny-dipping in a
freezing cold pond. But the more time you spend in the album – or
the pond, for that matter – the more you get used to it, and
Sailing The Seas Of Cheese turns out to be a very
comfortable, very enjoyable album.