PORK SODA

Regardless of whether Primus are indeed progressive are not, since they are here, I will review them. Pork Soda is the studio album that followed their massively successful Sailing the Seas of Cheese. Les Claypool and co. are at their creative best on this one, creating moody, upbeat, and chaotic tones (mostly instrumental) within a cohesive structure. Les Claypool plays intricate and overly catchy beats, while Larry LeLonde provides sprawling guitar and muddy chords, and also while Tim Alexander provides a very solid and very disciplined drum effort.

The opener, Pork Chop's Little Ditty, resembles an Irish jig with stamping feet and fun mandolin, 40 seconds later, the albums first real track is played. My Name is Mud, the first single off of this album, begins with a jumpy bassline. The lyrics are about a Serial Killer whose name is Mud, but wishes to be called Allowishus. LeLonde's guitar on this one is a very muddy (no pun intended) sound that stomps along with Claypool's steady beat. Other tracks worth mentioning are DMV, which features another sprawling Claypool bassline, but lackluster lyrics. Thankfully, the music overpowers the lyrics and makes the song an enjoyable experience. Wounded Knee is among the many instrumentals in the album. What sets this one apart is the fabulous percussion that goes along with Alexander's fabulous drumming. The Pressman begins slowly, with a quiet Claypool bassline. This song has among the best lyrics on the album, and features one of the catchiest riffs they've ever done. Mr. Krinkle is a showcase spot for Claypool and his wonderful double bass work. The song has a very dreary feel thanks to the bass, along with a bizarre guitar line, and some precision drumming, it's among the best tracks of the album. The final track worth mentioning is the longest track on the album, Hamburger Train. This instrumental features a powerful chugging bassline from Claypool, some spot on and intricate drumming from Alexander, and some powerful guitar work from LeLonde.

Overall, I feel that this is a very creative album, regardless of it being progressive or not. Primus are a very unique brand of music, one that cannot be copied thanks to the bombastic and commanding bass lines from Claypool. The only faults to this album are mediocre lyrics, which are meant to be playful and quirky (in the same light as Adrian Belew), but come off as silly and overdone. The vocals are also a tad on the weak side. Claypool is able to put his message across, but is not a particularly strong vocalist. It's veryt fun and adventerous music. 3.5/5.