Shows / Primus Tracks
Primus Tracks
Primus Tracks chronicles the recordings of the rock band Primus, one track at a time. Join Josh, Frankie, & Primus friend/assistant Tim Soya as they create the ultimate Primus companion - for beginners and hardcore fans alike.
Episodes
- Primus Tracks
Little Lord Fentanyl - NEW TRACK ALERT
NEW TRACK ALERT! Primus have released Little Lord Fentanyl, the first track to include newly-minted drummer John Hoffman. The track was a part of the final…
- Primus Tracks
OWAW - Phantom Patriot w/ Matt Hunter
Today's track tells the tale of Richard McCaslin, a self-proclaimed superhero, who, disguised as the Panthom Patriot, invaded the Bohemian Grove in search of…
- Primus Tracks
OWAW - Vernon The Company Man w/ Gene Meyer
The great Gene Meyer (@genemeyelol on the socials) of Bandit fame returns to the pod to discuss Vernon the Company Man. We get literary with some associations…
- Primus Tracks
OWAW - Of Whales and Woe w/ Lalo Fierro
We tackle the title track this week with the help of old friend Lalo Fierro, who, even as a seasoned gigging bassist, maintains an uneven relationship with…
- Primus Tracks
OWAW - Lust Stings
After the bicep of One Better, we head straight to the crotch for Lust Stings. Les seems to want to highlight the body parts that the people want to see. Lust…
- Primus Tracks
OWAW - One Better w/ Luke Bemand
The great Luke Bemand returns to Primus Tracks to tackle One Better, the "bicep" of the Of Whales and Woe record. Luke shows us how Les flexes all over this…
- Primus Tracks
Of Whales And Woe - Album Overview
Les Claypool followed up his Electric Apricot jaunt with a collection of taut, focused tunes in 2006's Of Whales And Woe record, which largely sees Les on his…
- Primus Tracks
Inter-Album Interview: Steve "Extrakd" Freeman
We are thrilled to speak with Soya and Steve Freeman, aka Extrakd, who has created loads of diverse music over the years with the likes of Brain, Disk, Mirv…
- Primus Tracks
5 Gallons of Diesel & Fancy DVDs
Les Claypool was quite productive in the mid 00s, including these two discs - one a smattering of videos and live cuts from his numerous non-Primus projects…
- Primus Tracks
Electric Apricot
In 2005, Les Claypool spawned an idea that would form Electric Apricot, a fictitious jam band of goofballs and misfits chasing their dream gig at Festeroo. The…
- Primus Tracks
Inter-album Interview: Dave "Flapjax" Libby
Flapjax has been there since the beginning and seen it all in the world of Primus and Les - the long, slow rise to notoriety, life on the road, making music a…
- Primus Tracks
Primus Legacy - Tye Zamora
In our newest sub-series, Primus Legacy, we speak with pro musicians who have a fondness for Primus, and how the music impacted their musical paths. We begin…
- Primus Tracks
c2b3 - Ignorance Is Bliss w/ Peat Rains
We conclude our c2b3 experience with the towering album closer, Ignorance Is Bliss. Peat Rains of You Bred Raptors? joins us to explicate the music and lyrics…
- Primus Tracks
c2b3 - 48 Hours To Go
Note: We recorded this episode prior to NYE, and I thought it fitting to include our postulations as to what we'd witness, you know, for s&g. 48 Hours To Go is…
- Primus Tracks
NYE 2024 Recap
WE WERE THERE. The two-night stand for 2024 New Year's Eve dubbed Claypool Gold contained numerous surprises and delights to the senses as Les and Larry…
- Primus Tracks
c2b3 - Jackalope w/ Lalo Fierro
Jackalope is the third of three instrumental tracks on the c2b3 record, and it doesn't stick around too long. However, it does have some unique aspects to it…
- Primus Tracks
c2b3 - Big Eyeball in the Sky w/ Matt Hunter
The title track of the c2b3 record inspires divergent thoughts from Josh and Frankie, but Matt Hunter holds us together with his bass breakdown and a look the…
- Primus Tracks
c2b3 - Scott Taylor w/ Luke Bemand
The heavy instrumental Scott Taylor attracted the attention of our old pal Luke Bemand, who had to marvel at its wildness with us. This tune's title was a…
- Primus Tracks
c2b3 - Junior w/ Sam Stewart
The first of many tracks on the c2b3 that airs grievances and frustrations with the George W Bush administration, Junior directly derides W through a variety…
- Primus Tracks
c2b3 - Hip Shot From The Slab
Possibly the most challenging track of the album for its messiness and seeming lack of structure, there are redeeming qualities - Bucket's strange guitar…
- Primus Tracks
c2b3 - Elephant Ghost
The epic instrumental positioned at track 4 is mix of wistful pathos and chill dub, eliciting a wide range of interpretations and emotional responses. At…
- Primus Tracks
c2b3 - Tyranny of the Hunt
The tyranny of the hunt will take you by surprise, and so will the origins of this track! We have deep background on the lyrics of this track thanks to some…
- Primus Tracks
c2b3 - Thai Noodles w/ Rory Dolan
The great Rory Dolan of Lespecial rejoins Primus Tracks to deconstruct Brain's unusual drum performance on the second track of the c2b3 record, which…
- Primus Tracks
c2b3 - Buckethead w/ Kello Gonzalez
The great Kello Gonzalez rejoins Primus Tracks amid his jam-packed schedule to discuss the fiery opening track to the lone Bucket of Bernie Brains release…
- Primus Tracks
Making of c2b3 with Brain and Les Claypool
As we turn our attention to Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains, Tim Soya made sure we opened proceedings in style with two of the band members, Brian…
- Primus Tracks
Primus DNA - XTC
We continue our DNA sub-series with a less obvious influence on Les Claypool and Primus: XTC. This English band influenced Les in his formative years, perhaps…
- Primus Tracks
Hot Rod Lincoln, Locomotive Breath, Number Two
Les Claypool was busy enough in 2002 with the release and support of Purple Onion, but he also found time to complete a cover of Hot Rod Lincoln for a…
- Primus Tracks
2024 Summer Tour Wrap
As the 2024 Primus summer tour concludes, we take a look at the number of set list surprises and other goodies that packed the 33-date sojourn with much mirth…
- Primus Tracks
Master Class with David Lefkowitz - Prawn Song Records
David Lefkowitz returns for another Master Class. Dave managed Primus/Les for about twenty years, and additionally was the president of Prawn Song Records when…
- Primus Tracks
LSD - Minneapolis 2004
Our latest Legendary Show Dissection takes us back to 2004 as Primus marauded across North America to bring Frizzle Fry in its entirety to the masses in a…
- Primus Tracks
Purple Onion - Cosmic Highway w/ Kello Gonzalez
The great Kello Gonzalez returns to wrap up Purple Onion in style with a breakdown of (and on) Cosmic Highway. We get into what makes this track a fan…
- Primus Tracks
Purple Onion - David Makalaster II
David Makalaster II continues the saga of our newscaster, whose manipulative messaging has taken a turn to the bellicose. Mak II stands as commentary on the…
- Primus Tracks
Purple Onion - Up on the Roof w/ Sam Stewart
Sam Stewart of Flagman joins Primus Tracks to discuss Up On The Roof, and explains what makes it a certified banger in the Claypool catalogue. The track has…
- Primus Tracks
Purple Onion - Lights in the Sky
Lights in the Sky is another structured, thoughtful piece that seems simple, but allows maximum space for Frog Brigade collaborators to shine. In this case…
- Primus Tracks
Purple Onion - D's Diner w/ Anthony Garcia
This week on the podcast, we address the Les Claypool live staple D's Diner, which has been performed by so many iterations of his bands that everyone has lost…
- Primus Tracks
Purple Onion - Barrington Hall w/ Matt Hunter
Barrington Hall is a legendary location in the Primus world, and its debauched past pairs well with the refined nature of the music from this Purple Onion…
- Primus Tracks
Purple Onion - Ding Dang w/ Alex Dalasio
Ding Dang is a forceful number, both in terms of music and lyrics. We speak with bassist Alex Dalasio about the musicality of the tune, and what makes it…
- Primus Tracks
Purple Onion - Whamola
Les Claypool started banging on the Whamola on February 14, 2001, at a Frog Brigade show in Boston, Massachusetts, and it's accompanied him on nearly every…
- Primus Tracks
Purple Onion - Long In The Tooth
With Long in the Tooth, Les Claypool takes a page from the Tom Waits book of music, and puts his own spin on the concept, evoking numerous auti-biographical…
- Primus Tracks
Purple Onion - Buzzards of Green Hill w/ Louis Ortega
Frequent bass contributor Louis Ortega returns to model and explain the hooks behind Buzzards of Green Hill, Frankie's favorite track from the album, and…
- Primus Tracks
Purple Onion - David Makalaster
This week, we discuss David Makalaster, often referred to as Mak 1, which brings Purple Onion to life after the ambient opening track. Mak 1 and 2 somewhat…
- Primus Tracks
Purple Onion - Album overview & title track
As we begin to peel back the layers of Les Claypool's 2002 album Purple Onion, we discuss the background of the record, its place in (and out) of its time, the…
- Primus Tracks
No Forcefield
No Forcefield was an experimental collaboration of Larry LaLonde, Brain, Adam Gates, DJ Disk, and Extrakd for Stray Records, which produced two albums: 2000's…
- Primus Tracks
Pablo's Hippos
Sessanta spoilers abound Rejoice, for there is new Primus! As part of the Sessanta tour celebrating Maynard James Keenan's 60th birthday, Primus is supporting…
- Primus Tracks
Peter Libby & "Welcome to this World" Demo
In this super-sized episode, we discuss the 1985/86 Primus demo tape informally titled Welcome To This World, and set it against its time period in the…
- Primus Tracks
Primate Demo 1984 - Frankie's Tape Collection
We sample Frankie's newly-acquired 1984 Primate demo tape and give context to its origin, as well as comparing the primordial Primus tunes to what they'd…
- Primus Tracks
Oysterhead Tour and Bonus Tracks
Surprise! We're not quite through with Oysterhead yet. Weexamine the two "bonus" Oysterhead tracks created by Stewart Copeland shortly after the 2001 tour…
- Primus Tracks
Oysterhead - Owner of the World
We wrap up our coverage of the sole studio release from Oysterhead in style with Owner of the World, a sunny day feel-good track that closes the record in fine…
- Primus Tracks
Oysterhead - The Grand Pecking Order
We've reached the title track of Oysterhead's lone studio album, and its medieval bent invites comparisons between the futility of feudalism and modern…
- Primus Tracks
Oysterhead - Pseudo Suicide
This one might be The Grand Pecking Order's top track for many listeners, and we get into what makes it so inviting in terms of musicality (Sabbath?!) and the…
- Primus Tracks
Oysterhead - Wield The Spade
Have you spent endless sleepless nights wondering, "What does a Romanian dictator have to do with Oysterhead?" Friend, we understand, and will assuage these…
- Primus Tracks
Oysterhead - Birthday Boys
Birthday Boys is a little ditty that celebrates the accident of adjacent birth for two of the band's members, right? RIGHT? There's a bit more to it, and Les…
- Primus Tracks
Tim Alexander - A Man of Extreme Power
We are thrilled to welcome Tim Alexander to Primus Tracks! The longtime Primus drummer has stretched his rhythmical and compositional skills through numerous…
- Primus Tracks
Oysterhead - Polka Dot Rose
It seems antithetical to describe anything Claypool-related as pleasant, but that's the word which comes to mind for this jaunt. The vocal layering is a…
- Primus Tracks
Oysterhead - Rubberneck Lions
The title "Rubberneck Lions" suggests a strange word soup, but there's some kind of meaning underneath the opaque lyrics, and they trend towards familiar…
- Primus Tracks
Oysterhead - Army's on Ecstasy
Army's on Ecstasy, or as I call it, Military on Molly, is a an uptempo, art-rock exploration of musical compormise. That is to say, with three strong-willed…
- Primus Tracks
Oysterhead - Radon Balloon
We can all breathe and drift away after the heavy subject matter and oppressive aura of Shadow of a Man, and perhaps it's a relief that the music of Radon…
- Primus Tracks
Oysterhead - Shadow of a Man
Despite being an Oysterhead track, we suspect this is a tune that Les had at least formulated during the Primus Antipop cycle, and was revived for the…
- Primus Tracks
Oysterhead - Mr. Oysterhead w/ Kello Gonzalez
For the mighty thematic track underpinning the formation of Oysterhead and the purpose behind its record, we turn to a favorite, Kello Gonzalez, to discuss the…
- Primus Tracks
Oysterhead - Oz is Ever Floating
Who is Oz? Why is he floating? What does this have to do with John C. Lilly? We tackle all of these questions and more to gain an understanding of the second…