Primus bassman/mainstay Les Claypool uses the occasion of his fifth strictly solo outing to strip his musical instincts almost to the bone; guitars are almost non-existent, with Skerik's sax and the sitar/theremin work of ... more »Gabby La La providing the punctuation. Pushing his aggressive, wickedly fluid bass work even farther into the spotlight will no doubt please Claypool's most ardent fans, but the gambit also yields an album whose hypnotic rhythms and spare but potent seasonings are often intriguing. The dozen tracks may be driven by Claypool's feverish, often willfully obtuse creative muse--imagine a smackdown between Zappa and Bootsy with Zorn as referee--yet often constrained by a sense of shrewd pop economics that are rare in similar, instrumental virtuoso-driven excursions. "Vernon the Company Man" and "Phantom Patriot" are texturally compelling, if limited by a lyrical approach that's but re-heated Frank Z. "One Better" and "Rumble of the Diesel" offer sizzling funk workouts, while "Iowan Gal" and "Robot Chicken" evoke whacked-out metallic hoedowns for cyborgs of all ages. --Jerry McCulley« less
Primus bassman/mainstay Les Claypool uses the occasion of his fifth strictly solo outing to strip his musical instincts almost to the bone; guitars are almost non-existent, with Skerik's sax and the sitar/theremin work of Gabby La La providing the punctuation. Pushing his aggressive, wickedly fluid bass work even farther into the spotlight will no doubt please Claypool's most ardent fans, but the gambit also yields an album whose hypnotic rhythms and spare but potent seasonings are often intriguing. The dozen tracks may be driven by Claypool's feverish, often willfully obtuse creative muse--imagine a smackdown between Zappa and Bootsy with Zorn as referee--yet often constrained by a sense of shrewd pop economics that are rare in similar, instrumental virtuoso-driven excursions. "Vernon the Company Man" and "Phantom Patriot" are texturally compelling, if limited by a lyrical approach that's but re-heated Frank Z. "One Better" and "Rumble of the Diesel" offer sizzling funk workouts, while "Iowan Gal" and "Robot Chicken" evoke whacked-out metallic hoedowns for cyborgs of all ages. --Jerry McCulley
"a message directed to D. Margo Berkeley Snapper, the one who gave this CD a terrible review: you're way too critical, and you don't know what the hell you're talking about. first of all, this is NOT a Primus album. so why the hell should it sound like one? it has all of Les' characteristics - the funky quirky bass playing, the cartoonish storytelling singing, and the groove oriented rhythmic song structures. yeah, it may be a little bit more raw compared to Primus, and maybe its not as "heavy" as Primus, but that doesn't make it a bad album. in fact, I think its the best record Les has done since the last Primus album. his songs are invitations into another world. his lyrics show that Les is a guy that obviously enjoys life and knows not to take anything too seriously. his descriptive words can make any topic seem interesting. he's laidback and he sure knows how to have fun while making an album. it definitely shows. this is Les' twisted, warped version of good-time happy music. I highly recommend it."
Please give this album a chance...
Johnny Z. Gonzalez | Austin, TX | 06/05/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This album could best be related to a magic eye poster; at first glance it comes off as a plethora of color with no meaning, but if you give it two or three listens a picture begins to appear. At first I was very skeptical of it, Skerik's sax was a little too distorted, and Claypool's character tales came off a little forced and uninspired, but then I thought about all the god awful [...] that mainstream record labels shove down people's throats like so much tripe, and I could do nothing but thank the Colonel for his quirky, catchy, mesmerizing bass lines, and Mike Dillon for his xylophone mastery, and began to really appreciate this album and the music for just that, the music. Unlike what some of the more brown nosing critics I wont agree that it's the most cohesive album since "Sailing the Seas of Cheese" in my opinion the two aren't even in the same league, however, as for where Mr. Claypool wants his music to go and the sound he is going for, I dare say he's got it... Yo Ho Colonel!!!"
Finally a more textured album
Kelsey Cain | 06/19/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I've been a Primus fan for a long time, and I've always noted the Residents influence. I think that it comes through more on this record than any other that Claypool has done, which is exciting to me. I didn't think that Highball and Purple Onion stood out as much as Sausage or Eyeball, so I was glad to hear something a little different this time. This album is far more textured than Onion and Eyeball, it just takes more attention to notice. This is also good, because it demands attention to digest it all instead of displaying it in an easily accessible manner. I think Primus comes across better because it's the work of 3 geniuses, but as far as a solo effort this record is very successful."
Listen to it more than once before making an opinion...
R. Forsman | NY | 06/02/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I'm a long time Les Claypool fan. He's never released an album I didn't like in some respects. That being said, I don't think it's fair to give this album a 5 star or a 1 star review. While it does have it's moments, many of the songs approach Les' strangest work. I don't mind weird Claypool, but I can't see him reaching any new fans with this work, and I can easily seeing a lot of long-time Primus fans very upset over this album. Before you brush off or praise this album, you really should give it multiple listens.
I hate to compare this to any of his other work simply because all of his work is so unique. The songs on this disc sound a lot more natural and organic compared to the music on Purple Onion. This is both bad and good. Listening to this feels more like watching Les just mess around on stage. Anyone who has seen any of his non-Primus shows will be familiar with this sound, but at the same time the songs aren't anywhere near as concise and catchy as the songs on Purple Onion. If there is any one negative thing I could say about this album, it's that it's short.. roughly 39 minutes. It'll definetely leave you wanting more.
So, should you buy it? If you're a Claypool fan that's a stupid question, because I'm sure you bought it already. If you are new to his music, pick up some Primus discs first.. or even Purple Onion or one of the Live Frogs disc. Of Whales and Woe isn't his best work, but what you get here is a decent album with some strong songs. It's not a breakthrough by any means, it's just Les doing what he does best."
Of Whales And Woe
fats | 05/31/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Les Claypool has always been an innovative mind, and has always taken steps far beyond the paths of normal musicians to create some of the most virtuostically whacked-out music in the world. call it thrash, funk metal, or whatever suits your fancy, Claypool's music is, regardless, not for the faint of heart. Whether or not your musical tastes are suitable for Claypool's...interesting style of playing, his bass playing skills cannot be denied, as he is one of the best ever, and definitely the best living.
The new album, Of Whales And Woe, is certainly an interesting little number. This album, like Purple Onion, was composed entirely by Les, but unlike that album, this has a much more personal feel to it, and warrants the name Les Claypool, not Frog Brigade, on the cover. A song-by-song analysis:
1.) Back Off Turkey- If you've heard Purple Onion (the song), Les' looping skills are not something new. Here, Les and co. (including his kids) make a nice little introduction to the new record. Doesn't get a rating, as its not a song per se, but still excellent for what it is.
2.) One Better- The "single", for lack of a better word, from the album, One Better proves that Claypool isn't getting worse with age, but much much better- his bass playing is sharp, and the music is some his most complexly written ever. Skerik and Mike Dillon compliment Claypool nicely on this track, and its one of the best off of the album. Highly recommended. 5/5
3.) Lust Stings- The rumble of a bass starts this song chugging along, and a baritone sax gives it that dirty, smoke-filled bar feel that makes it one of the coolest tunes Les has ever composed. One that takes longer to wrap the ol noggin around, its worth it. 4/5
4.) Of Whales And Woe- More like Of Whales And WOAH! or Of Whales and WOW! ok, enough puns, but seriously, this song is damn good. Harkening back to early Primus, this song features Les really playing it up, with machine gun vocals layered over a starkly different bass part (a la tommy the cat, and highball's el sobrante fortnight), as Skerik blows into his sax harder than any human being alive. The song is by far my favorite on the record, and really is classic Les. 5/5
5.) Vernon The Company Man- George Harrison/Ravi Shankar territory here, folks. Les and Gabby have a nice little duet here, with Les chugging on the upright and Gabby stumming the sitar, with Les singing some refreshingly nonsenseical lyrics. Relaxing, and while not the best track ever, its certainly nice, and something different for Les. 3/5
6.) Phantom Patriot- Another winner, this song is absolutely crazy. Les steers this tune straight ahead while Skerik and Mike Dillon compliment Les' playing with sheer virtuosity. 5/5
7.) Iowan Gal- Another ditty, written for Les' one and only. Not for everyone, but the banjo bass makes it an interesting listen. 3/5
8.) Nothin' Ventured- This to me sounds like something off of The Brown Album, and has that sort of muddy mixing that made that album as cool as it is. The song is really awesome, and will get you stompin' around for sure. 4/5
9.) Rumble Of The Diesel- This and OWAW are the best tunes on the album. Mike Dillon takes the drum seat for this song, holding down the groove leaving Skerik and Les to go absolutely nuts. This song is the grooviest tune ever, and is really worth the price of admission just by itself. 5/5
10.) Robot Chicken- If you like the show, you'll know this tune. Its a nice song, and isn't gradeable since its not a "song". Still, great stuff.
11.) Filipino Ray- Good God, Les, slow down! This song showcases Les' most insane bassline ever, with the drums barely holding the song together, and Gabby La La struggling to keep up with the main man. Thats not a diss towards Gabby, as she's a master at the sitar, but even she has trouble keeping up with Les' rapid fire bass-playing. This song should be nuts live. 5/5
12.) Off-White Guilt- A full-band piece, but its mostly just them having fun and making some noise. Features the only fretless six-string on the album though, so its a nice ender. 3/5
One Better, Phantom Patriot, Of Whales And Woe, Rumble Of The Diesel and Filipino Ray are the winners here, and the places to start, but the other songs are all great too, and make for the most interesting listen you're ever bound to have. New fans, approach with caution."
Track Listings (12) - Disc #1
