Frizzle Fry [EXTRA TRACKS]

Primus

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 23, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Extra tracks
• Label: Prawn Song
• ASIN: B0000645KT
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (69 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #39,817 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  #10 in	Music > Indie Music > R&B > Funk
  #58 in	Music > Rock > Funk Rock
  #96 in	Music > Indie Music > Alternative Rock > Rock

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Released on the independent Caroline label in 1990, Frizzle Fry documents the San Francisco Bay area thrash-funk trio at its energetic best. The bare-bones production serves the group's skeletal sound well and makes the most of nearly live performances of gems such as the antiwar "Too Many Puppies," the stoner testimony of "Spegetti Western," and the madcap litany of "Groundhog's Day." Larry LaLonde's guitar is more melodic and concise than the squirrelly avant-gardisms of later albums such as Pork Soda (many of the lines were written by original guitarist Todd Huth). Bassist Les Claypool, meanwhile, is just stunning. By turns sounding like a scrappy Larry Graham or a dirty-minded John Wetton, his four-string slaps, slurs, and squeaks form a perfect union with drummer Tim Alexander's jazz-informed power beats. Claypool's goofy vocals owe a lot to P.I.L.-era John Lydon, with lyrics about Corn Chex, striped bass, and porn films. An inspired and assured studio debut. --James Rotondi

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Frizzle Fry is the greatest Primus album ever!!, June 5, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Frizzle Fry (Audio CD)

In 1989 a trio of Les Claypool (bass, vocals) Larry LaLonde (guitar) and a drummer named Herb released "Suck on this", a live album that spawned an underground horde of fans. Not long after came "Frizzle Fry". Primus is the most original, funk/thrash band to exist. And "Frizzle Fry" is without a doubt, the BEST PRIMUS ALBUM EVER! Most people who hear Primus for the first time can be caught off guard by Les Claypools cartoonish vocals, but when you listen to the album a few times, you will be amazed at how much you'll love it! The album captures all the slap pop bass and wacky sound that makes Primus different from the regular trendy music of today, and because of this originality, YOU WILL NEVER GET TIRED OF FRIZZLE FRY!

44 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't know why my last review was rejected., January 9, 2003

By	Gordon Smith (san jose, ca United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

All I wrote about was the sheer joy of this album. I remember jamming in my basement on Groundhog Day for hours. This is great music. GREAT MUSIC! It's so innocent. It's so positive! And so much fun. So, to the early 20's student type who says these guys are "way overrated", I have news for you. You are lame. You're bitter because no one wants to hear John Zorn or Bela Fleck, or Wanko Pastorius. I mean, I've seen Victor Wooten waste the time of 3,000 people who wanted only to dance. And Jaco Pastorius was simply a (rhymes with tanker, starts with w) who couldn't loosen up enough to be half-interesting. This, however, is a band that took polyrhythm, polytonality, mad-chops-of-the-non-Bach-n-Roll-school, and a silly sci-fi sense of humor and made it all cool. Nerds, hippies, jocks, artists, stoners all got into this band. It was wonderful! It was populism on the move! It was the early nineties and things were good. As history writes its little footnote on the early days of this great band, many things will be forgotten. They will be pigeonholed as a cross between Rush and Zappa. No one will remember a delirious crowd shouting "Primus Sucks!", or the mosh pits that were actually fun and basically safe to be in. Long gone will be the good-natured chuckle of that "Damn blue-collared tweeker" who made us all feel a bit better. But I'll never forget the great times I've had with this raw, wild, pure music. They're not overrated. Being a sad, hateful snob with no sense of joy or humor is overrated. Anyone who can create fun interesting music for a diverse fan base is doing something very right. Hatin' on Primus is very wrong. If you see these: [ ], this review has been doctored.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I do believe in Captain Crunch, August 21, 2004

By	stu - See all my reviews

Frizzle Fry is still my favorite Primus album. "To defy the laws of tradition is a crusade only of the brave." And Les and friends are truly brave. With this recording, Primus invented a sound all their own. Les Claypool's style is so unconventional and Tim Alexander is one of the most innovative drummers in the business. Together, they created some extremely original grooves. It's a kind of funk metal hybrid, but primarily, it's just Primus.

Although Alexander is really the best player here, Claypools originality catapulted him to Bass Icon. I think it was cool to see someone like Less get some credit for doing something unique with the instrument. Most bass icons are technically brilliant, but ultimately musically lacking players like Victor Wooten or Billy Sheehan or whomever.

This is the best Primus recording. The live release, "Suck on This," is also great, as is "Sailing the Seas of Cheese," albeit in a completely different way. "Pork Soda" has it's incredible moments, but I lost interest after that. After Brain Replaced Tim Alexander, the band lost something. Frizzle Fry is Primus at its freshest and most unabashed. It still sounds relevant all these years later.