Primus Tracks

Easily Charmed By Fools seems to be a product of listening to Pink Floyd's Interstellar Overdrive through the Claypool filter, and Johnny Rocket helps us figure that out by modeling the bass parts and explaining the song's structure. We also get into the lyrics and how the most vulnerable people are the most exploited; all that from a song about Tinder and gun rights, because that makes sense.

Find Johnny here: https://www.youtube.com/@johnnyrocketproductions

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Is he really an ancient alien? Does he have cosmic knowledge that could course-correct humanity? No, but that doesn't stop us from discussing the curious case of Boriska Kipriyanovich. Okay, it's not that curious; like most kids, he was a language sponge and his parents filled his head with tall tales of his past lives, and he was bright enough to be able to convincingly speak about it.

ANYHOO, the song is interesting and both Lennon and Claypool do things they don't normally do, so we set out to find these eccentricities.

If you're interested in torturing yourself, you can find an extended "interview" with Boriska here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOJ-WB76Q8U

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Kello Gonzalez rejoins us yet again to discuss his affinity for the song South of Reality and what sets it apart in the Claypool catalog. Plus, what are his top ten Rush songs? Perhaps we'll never know, because we became distracted and talked about solar eclipses instead.

Find Kello @kellogc everywhere.

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Cage Claypool returns to Primus Tracks to detail the making of the well-received music video for The Ol' Grizz and his illustrations and art direction for the book Frizzle Fry:The Phantoms of Barrington Hall, available October 13 via z2 Comics. You might learn something about animation or color schemes, but you'll most assuredly enjoy this trip to the inside world of the making of these visual feasts.

Find Cage @cageclaypool on Instagram and Youtube.

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Jeff Roscher, newly-minted CLD devotee, retuns to discuss the life and times of Marvel John Jack Whiteside Parsons, as fascinating a 20th-century figure as you'll find. Oh, and we talk about the song that provides a Cliff notes version of his life story, and what makes it another attractive entry into the Delirium's psychedelic catalog.

Suggested viewing: Blood and Rockets music video.

Suggested reading: Sex & Rockets: The Occult World of Jack Parsons by John Carter.

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Lalo and Haro Fierro rejoin the pod to discuss Little Fishes, the big opening number to the track. What dynamics does it share with iconic tunes by Ozzy Osbourne and The Beatles? What's the deal with the backwards talking at the outset? What are all these lyrical references? We run the gamut so you don't have to.

Find Lalo and his basses @lalofierro on Instagram, and Haro's on TikTok, whatever that is (I'm a boomer).

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We've reached 2019's South of Reality by Claypool Lennon Delirium! It's time to dig into the nine tracks that are encapsulated by brilliant cover art from Hisaki Yasuda. We have the details on the making of the record and dig into the credits, tours, and catalogue all the formats so you can complete your skidmark vinyl collection.

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Frankie takes us back to the Jay Lane days of 2013 with this edition of LSD, which serves as a fine example of the adventurous and imaginative spirit of Jay's second tenure with Primus. This show was near the tail-end of the 3D tour which featured an evening with Primus and a wide-open songbook. This show contains numerous tracks that we do not much see anymore, and it stokes hope that they'll come back round as Hoffer masters a second wave of songs.

You can find this recording at toasterland.com - simply search for Tucson 2013!

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Primus invaded Europe to throngs of joyous concert-goers who couldn't seem to get enough of the band, which stands to reason as it's been heaps of time since Primus last played the continent. They hit some places from the past, including returning to a venue for the first time in 35 years, and performed in some new cities across 15 shows in 11 countries. We have all the details!

WERE YOU THERE? If you went to a show in Europe, please share your review with us! primustrackspod@gmail.com

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In this Primus Legacy subseries episode, Kevin Comeau of the impressive, progressive duo Crown Lands gets to talk Primus! Kevin discusses his fandom, how finding grainy videos of Les Claypool playing bass on Youtube in the mid 00s influenced his bass playing and opened doors to other influences (Rush!), and he survives our gauntlet of fandom questions. Great talk!

Find Crown Lands @crownlandsmusic on all the socials, and:https://www.crownlandsmusic.com

Crown Lands on Youtube

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The "A Handful of Nuggs" 12" is out in the world, finally! We discuss the new material and dig into The Ol' Grizz, which serves as a teaser for a forthcoming Primus LP in 2027. If this is the direction they're taking, we're all for it! Plus, some new information about an older Primus song.

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That's right! Perm Parker, the very first Primus drummer (Linn drum machine is officially number zero) joins the podcast! Perm went to De Anza High School alongside Les Claypool, Kirk Hammett, Bryan Kehoe, Marc Biedermann, the list goes on. He recollects his time in the music room with Les, getting Primus off the ground, and where his music career took him. Plus, Perm has some interesting connections to John Hoffman and Tim Alexander. Enjoy this one, and be funky!

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Primus made numerous radio appearnces throughout the 90s and into the 21st century. Two standout radio appearances are the 1989 KZSU at Stanford University and 1990 at VPRO in the Netherlands. The Stanford performance is well-known for the accompanying video footage, and the VPRO performance also has two of the songs performed on video as well. Perhaps someday we'll see and hear both performances with pristine audio quality. For now, we treat them as companion pieces to Suck On This (KZSU) and Frizzle Fry (VPRO).

KZSU: https://youtu.be/iIMh_2KH6MY

VPRO: https://youtu.be/OoUqOFtLeFQ

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We recap the madness of the Claypool Gold tour, from the stage production to the lineups and songs, sit-ins, cross-pollination, and all the little tidbits that made the tour special. Did you attend? How was it? Let us know!

Les at Berklee: https://vimeo.com/1199432977

Hoffer Grizz drum cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3LrE4BsE-o

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Former Primus manager David Lefkowitz makes his long-overdue return to Primus Tracks to discuss the Tales From the Punchbowl album cycle, whic pushed the band to their highest heights in terms of popularity, airplay, and a massive supporting tour. Dave and Soya take us behind the scenes to document seminal moments from the album promotion, live dates, and the wackiness along the way.

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CLD gave us an EPPP of four cover tunes in 2017, three of which had been performed live on the previous tour. We sample the originals, discuss some of the circumstances of the bands being covered, and compare to the CLD effort. Overall, it's a rewarding piece that might expand your musical pallette. If you're already familiar with Flower Travellin' Band, more power to you!

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We conclude our Monolith of Phobos discussions with the album closer, in which we ride stardust to the furthest edges of known space. We also debate the song title and dig into the undergarments of astronauts.

Note: we discuss the mysterious appearance of HEllbound 17 1/2 at the first Claypool Gold show, and behold! There is audio evidence: https://youtu.be/unlrRsnkZGk?si=i3kzl7-u2lPT0Ld2&t=6872

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NEW PRIMUS MUSIC. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.

I mean, it's mostly new. Handful of Nuggs is already out there on Youtube and other streamers, with a vinyl edition on the way. Collecting four tracks: a new studio song, a studio cover of Holy Diver with Puddles, and previously-released Little Lord Fentanyl and a performance of Duchess, the EP will tide us over until an announced Primus album in 2027.We get into the details of the release and what it means for the upcoming tour, and the future of all these Claypool projects. Go buy stuf!

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The penultimate track on Monolith gainded the most notoriety for its music video and demo bonus track. Sean Lennon tells the tale of hanging with Michael Jackson and his chimp Bubbles at Neverland Ranch, and Sean has a lot to say about that portrayal, which we sample from a 2016 NPR interview. Most childhood odes wouln't sound or read anything like this, so it's a fascinating glimpse inside the weirdness. Plus, the music is good, too!

Sean Lennon on NPR's All Songs Considered: https://www.npr.org/sections/allsongs/2016/06/03/480451184/all-songs-1-sean-lennons-surreal-ode-to-michael-jacksons-pet-chimp-bubbles

The Screwups - Bubbles Burst: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dh-qSeZbS4g

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Thanks for the downer, CLD! This tale of addiction (and another anti-pharmaceutical anthem) is possibly the saddest set of lyrics we've ever gotten from Les Claypool, but boy, does the song-writing, with it's catchy "so blue" repeptition and that heavy Sabbath-like riff in the middle, really make the words palatable. We now see why this one's buried in the back half of the record.

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