RHINOPLASTY

Primus pays tribute to their musical heroes on this 1998 EP release. Like 1992's EP Miscellaneous Debris, this album contains mostly cover songs, which run the gamut from post-punk to countryto jazz-funk to metal. Fun is the operative word here as in Les, Ler, and Brain had a lot of fun making this EP, not to mention that it is just plain fun to listen to.

"Scissor Man" gets a textbook reading by Les and the boys. The manic feel of the original is well-preserved. These guys do XTC songs really well, and I would love to hear Primus cover "Real by Reel" someday. Peter Gabriel's "The Family and the Fishing Net" also gets a textbook reading. The highly textured and ethereal feel of the original is redone with perhaps a bit more oomph in the bass and drums. "Silly Putty" and "Amos Moses" are not quite as textbook, but they still do the originals proud. "Behind My Camel" is perhaps the most spot on of all the covers on Rhinoplasty. Ler LaLonde vividly recreates Andy Summers' arid sonic portrait.

Primus covers Primus with "Too Many Puppies". This version is quite different from the original. It's as if the goal was to rework the song in such a way as it would assuredly somehow fit in with the other covers, particularly "The Family and the Fishing Net" with which it shares a similar feel. Next up is a bone-crushing version of "The Thing That Should Not Be". Having seen Primus live a number of times and heard them cover songs like "Thieves" onstage, metal seems like old hat to them.

The last two tracks of Rhinoplasty were recorded live at their New Year's Eve show in San Francisco. "Tommy the Cat" is a rippin' tune, and this live version features some fantastic drum & bass with Brain and Les. "Bob's Party Time Lounge", one of my favorites off the Brown Album, is a fitting end to the EP with it's homage to all things party time such as champagne and imported beer. It's not really the end. There is actually one more tune, a cover version of a a famous Charlie Daniels song complete with a hilarious Quicktime video.

If you were ever curious about what makes Primus tick as band, you certainly get a glimpse of it on Rhinoplasty. These guys certainly do not take themselves too seriously, but they do take their inluences and their cover songs seriously. However, in the end it's all about fun, and that's what Rhinoplasty is really all about.