HALLUCINO-GENETICS: LIVE 2004

Being there was so much better. It's kind of weird watching a DVD of a concert you actually attended, as even the comfort of your living room cannot match the atmosphere of a large indoor concert venue hot- boxed with pot smoke. However, I will endeavor to make as unbiased a review as I can. The audio and visual quality on this DVD is decent, but not the best. It was recorded in simple stereo and has no alternative audio features (that I could find, anyway) such as 5.1 or even 2.1 sound. The content, however, is well worth whatever you paid for the DVD. Primus is certainly not a band who just goes on stage and runs through their songs. They put on quite a show. The show consists of two separate sets: the first is just over an hour long, and is a collection of new material from the Animals Should not Act Like People CD, as well as some old favorites; for the second set, they perform the classic Frizzle Fry Album in its entirety. But of course, they don't just stand there and play the songs, but rather often do extended jams and interludes, turning 4 minute songs into 10+ minute songs. During the second set, Drummer Tim Alexander (who was the drummer on the Frizzle Fry and Seas of Cheese albums, and later replaced) begins an amazing drum solo, only to be joined minutes later by Les Claypool on his one-string "whamola", which rather reminds me of an electric washtub bass. Apart from the enhanced music, the concert is also quite interesting visually. 3 giant orbs form the backdrop of the stage, and projected onto each was a series of psychadelic visuals that move and shift with the music. These were actually quite creepy at times, and I was sober at the show, I can't imagine what it was like for the people who were high (and there were a LOT). It is also great to be able to watch each musician's technique close up. It makes you realize that each member of Primus is a musical genius in his own way. Overall, this DVD is quite good. There is a lot of content (over 3 hours of music in all), despite the lack of extras. Any Primus fan will enjoy it thoroughly, and it can also serve as a good way to get a fan of jam music interested in Primus. However, it is probably not for the average casual prog listener, just because it's primus and they're... well, different. As concert DVD's go, however, it is among the most interesting I've seen, and it makes the connection between Primus and psychadelic/prog music quite clear, and it demonstrates a musically adventurous attitude that most prog fans can embrace.