Skip to main content

Year in Rock 2011 Nominee: Primus

PRIMUS
Jilly's On Smack

From: Green Naugahyde
Released: September 13

For years, Primus had been teasing us; after reuniting in 2003 and touring sporadically, eight excruciating years passed before a full album's worth of new material surfaced.  With only five new songs released as an EP alongside 2003's DVD collection Animals Should Not Try To Act Like People, longtime Primus fans were ravenous by the time Green Naugahyde finally saw the light of day in September.  Of course, the first question that begged asking in this situation was "is it worth the wait?"  Upon first reflection, the answer is "not quite"; it's not a very Primus-like album, despite that definitely being their name on the cover.  Frankly, it lacks much of the silliness that endeared the band to so many in their heyday.  Anyone looking for a sequel to Wynona's Big Brown Beaver is shit out of luck with Green Naugahyde.  It's a serious album, with serious subject matter; commercialism, the dumbing of civilization through reality TV and, yes, drug abuse are covered here.  It's not an entirely new concept, of course; anyone who's given The Brown Album more than a passing glance has noticed some dark subtext in its lyrics.  It's just that on Green Naugahyde, Les Claypool doesn't sneak it in, choosing instead to speak upfront and without smokescreening.  It's a byproduct of his past decade's solo work which, while often retaining his silly exuberance, showed maturity and sensibility moreso than quirkiness and absurdity.

This isn't to say that Green Naugahyde isn't a solid album.  It's just not the album you expect if you haven't been paying attention in the twelve years that have elapsed since Antipop.  One has to accept that things have changed before they can truly appreciate this album.  It's not a 180; Les still plays a mean bass (although the central complaint from haters is the overuse of effects on Green Naugahyde, and it's hard not to see their point), and the band is still tight together.  The most noticeable difference between Primus in 1999 and Primus in 2011 is that the blow has been softened somewhat; there's not a lot of straight-up rock to be heard on Green Naugahyde, and that pill is a little harder to swallow if you read pre-release interviews where comparisons were drawn (by Claypool) to their staggering, metallic debut Frizzle Fry.  However, what they lack in punch they make up for in groove.  There's no better illustration of this on the album than Jilly's On Smack, a hazy epic that calls to mind Pink Floyd (whom Claypool has long admired, often performing their songs live) and U2, sometimes simultaneously.  With a combination like that, it was built for concert halls, which is where Primus has always shone.  And, if they didn't exactly bring the thunder in studio, we've always got live clips on YouTube.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Year in Rock 2025

  Alright, I've got some explaining to do.   By now anyone who's visited this blog is well aware of how infrequently I've used this space in recent years; aside from the occasional fertile year of content, I really haven't posted all that often over the last five years or so. There are many reasons for this, which have already been outlined in previous apology posts; but, essentially, it boils down to my own laziness and the cold reality that blogs are, like Refused (again), fucking dead. So, I wouldn't hold my breath for a triumphant return to reviews, or even semi-regular posts, but:   a) I feel like Year in Rock posts have always belonged here and, even though I've experimented with different methods of presentation recently and been satisfied, the "blink and you missed it" unveiling via Facebook stories this year was perhaps ultimately a disservice to the records I lauded. After all, cramming the list into short videos isn't too far off from ju...
Post a Comment
Read more

Year in Rock 2014: And the Winners Are...

It's been a long year, and another great one for rock n' roll. While the pop charts were overrun with barely legals obsessed with their asses, rock soldiered on undeterred even as pundits (hell, in some cases even rockers themselves) mourned the genre. Sure, rock didn't dominate the money game in 2014, but that shouldn't evoke sad nostalgia and eulogies. Even for as little perceived impact rock music made, a hell of a lot happened if people had only paid attention. From grizzled vets adding jewels to their crown (Springsteen, Petty) to new beginnings (Against Me!, Antemasque) to happy returns (Faith No More, The Tea Party) and all points in between, rock continued to thrive, evolve and thrill in 2014. Enough talk. It's winning time. Your Year in Rock winners for 2014 are...
Post a Comment
Read more

Year in Rock 2023: Album of the Year #10-1

Now we're getting somewhere; the top ten, where there are no duds or mids, only bangers. Also, no more teasing it out; let's wrap this up!  What I've learned this year from my ten faves this year is that it is indeed still possible for a dude approaching his fifties to more or less stay up to date on the new school. Of course, there are some listed here that got a boost from playing tribute to the old school, but there is an undercurrent happening in rock that points to the future. But, I'm getting ahead of myself; here come the champs. 10 MILITARIE GUN Life Under the Gun June 23, 2023 • Loma Vista Highlights Very High Will Logic Never Fucked Up Once Rising from the ranks of the still-potent L.A. hardcore scene, the debut record from Militarie Gun (following a trio of EPs) bears a dash of polish that's expected with backing from a larger label; the tension and energy remain, though, resulting in one of the catchiest hardcore albums I can think of in recent years. 9 ...
Post a Comment
Read more