Does Primus suck?

[IAMNathanael]

Primus sucks
https://youtu.be/CW0bdyU6KVA

[abc3643]

I am not really a Primus fan but do appreciate them. Primus is an acquired taste, but on the cutting edge of bass-dominant music.

Leader and bassist Les Claypool was friends with Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett so Claypool auditioned for Metallica after their bassist, Cliff Burton, died in 1986.

TITLE: Primus’ Les Claypool Says Metallica Would Have Kicked Me Out After a Month or Two
https://loudwire.com/primus-les-claypool-metallica-would-have-kicked-me-out/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral

Anyway, consider listening to "Wynona's Big Brown Beaver" which illustrates how fascinating and talented Primus can be. Here is their famous video for the song.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/aYDfwUJzYQg

Finally, keep in mind that Primus wrote and performed the South Park theme song.

[IAMNathanael]

Ah yes, thanks for the info abc3643! Thing is I've been a big fan of Primus for many years. So I'm very aware.

My question was based off this quote from les claypool and the running gag that fans took and ran with, making "Primus sucks" the band's unofficial slogan of sorts.

[IAMNathanael]

https://youtu.be/T5_Ufcc9lPo

[IAMNathanael]

Currently my the song that won't leave my head is Sgt. Baker.

I'll admit I haven't heard much of claypool's side projects. But he's made a lot of music with buckethead and I love buckethead as much as primus.

[GoldenAxer]

That vocalist sucks so bad in my opinion. Everything else doesn't seem so bad although I lack instrumental skills like in bass guitar to tell how bad everything else is. But that vocalist is so bad. I want to take his microphone away from him. I can do better just by shouting random shit like, "My name is MUDDDDD! You are all going to DIIEEEEEE!"

[GoldenAxer]

"Six foot two and rude as hell. I got to get him in the ground before, he, derp, starts to smell." Then the riff after sounds cool but the vocals are horrid! Somebody return the red stapler.

[GoldenAxer]

"Hello I like to ring the telephone. Telephone. And talk to somebody on the telephone. Sometimes they say mean things to me. That's when I don't like to talk on the telephone... My name is mud."

[IAMNathanael]

Les Claypool's vocals are as definitive as his skill in bass playing, and they are many. https://youtu. be/T5_Ufcc9lPo

[IAMNathanael]

Tommy the cat is my name

[IAMNathanael]

https://youtu.be/T5_Ufcc9lPo

[GoldenAxer]

That's horrid. No energy! Need the energy to match the energy of everything else! I'm not a musician and I can at least figure out what's wrong this this!!!

[GoldenAxer]

* with this!

[GoldenAxer]

I don't know enough about bass guitar playing to know what is good or bad. But I don't like this constant wobbly sound. I like Flea from RHCP on bass:
https://youtu.be/Mr_uHJPUlO8

[IAMNathanael]

Oh brother, I think we got a heckler on our hands. No worries I respect your opinion

but!

[IAMNathanael]

https://youtu.be/JqnAO3xEfPA

[GoldenAxer]

That's actually kinda working altogether very well in my crudest opinion! But very different from the live performance.

[GoldenAxer]

And the bass sounds badass there.

[IAMNathanael]

I do think this band is an acquired taste, or requires a special taste in music. It tastes like vinegar but I love vinegar. Do you have a general preference for studio recordings rather than live ones?

[GoldenAxer]

I actually don't know anything about what I like about music. The one above is much more interesting to me because it has that sort of badass guitar background but the vocals mostly interrupt it. They turn silent when the voice kicks in for the most part, except later the voice goes with it but in a more subdued way. And there's like a rhythm there.

I like this though! "You are dead!" Ba-dadadadang-dang! Dang! Da-dada-dang-dadada! Dang! Dadada... DANG!
youtu.be/Y8DekFFCE5c?list=FLd0b6KNzGmursROBKApR10A

[GoldenAxer]

I like this one as far as the live stuff. Mmmmhrmmm. Yeahhh! Arrr--huhhhh! Holy divaaaa! Holy divaaarrrraaaaa----yearrrrgh!
https://youtu.be/dO7tBeNHXyE

[GoldenAxer]

The only musical instrument I am halfway okay at is my own voice. Took singing lessons a lot when younger as well as guitar and piano, but I sucked much more at the latter two than the former even though I sucked at the former. So I tend to judge songs a lot vocally.

[FunkyMonkee]

Best bass player, best drummer, best guitarists, best drummer solo!! (Note the one-handed snare roll at the end)
https://youtu.be/4SDt1TLUbzY

[SandandWaves]

Not to me, No way. I love that song too!!

[IAMNathanael]

Well... yes but actually no : )
Les Claypool said it first.

Lookadis:

[IAMNathanael]

https://youtu.be/T5_Ufcc9lPo

[FunkyMonkee]

Oh, yeah!! Even THEY say so!!
Are they still around? I lost track of them after The Brown Album (I think).

[IAMNathanael]

For sure, you got some catching up to do

Albums after Brown Album:
- Antipop (1999)
- Animals should not try to act like people (2003)
- Green Naugahyde (2011)
- The Desaturating Seven (2017)

[FunkyMonkee]

Okay then, THIS is the only one I don't have.
- The Desaturating Seven (2017)
Do you also have Laundry or any of the Claypool solo projects?

[IAMNathanael]

I pretty much only know about Les separate from Primus if Buckethead is involved. You suggest laundry? I'll have to check it out.

[IAMNathanael]

https://youtu.be/Uq1JSqzN2Bg

[FunkyMonkee]

Laundry was basically Primus with their old drummer. Todd Huth.

[IAMNathanael]

So I should expect Larry Lalonde

[FunkyMonkee]

I'm pretty sure it's Larry, Les and Todd. For some reason, I can't find it online anywhere! If I recall correctly, the album is called, "Riddles Are Abound Tonight" but, I JUST found this version of Laundry that ONLY has Tim on drums with 3 other people so, there's TWO versions of Laundry, both equipped with Primus alum!!
https://youtu.be/5GgBttMc7tM

[FunkyMonkee]

You might find this interesting! A couple years ago I bought every episode of "Danger Man" on DVD. It's an old British spy show from the early to mid `60's. Just about any time John Drake is sent to an Oriental country, and they show the streets of that place at night, you'll see the word, "PRIMUS" a couple of times among the lights along the buildings on the sides of the road!! I think it mostly happens in the first season when it was a half hour show and he was an American spy working for NATO. From season 2, onwards, he was a British spy working for M9 and it was an hour long show.
As far as I know, "Primus" just means, "supreme" or "the best" or "number 1".

[dudewithnoname]

Theyre like beer you have to have an acquired taste

[IAMNathanael]

I compared them to vinegar. I love vinegar.

[dolemite89]

i love that people would always chant that before their shows 🤣 les claypool is a legend

[IAMNathanael]

Yeah I think that's super awesome! I've heard Claypool hates that joke now but I still think it's funny.

[In_Trance]

They were awesome

[IAMNathanael]

Indeed. Les Claypool himself said his band sucks. So primus sucks lol.

[EnglishEuropean]

Primus does not suck.

[EnglishEuropean]

To be fair I just discovered this band. I didn't know "Primus sucks" was a thing. I short, I'm a newb.

[Jmmmfi4]

Yes totally

[IAMNathanael]

Yeah man!
And they still got it \m/