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The Grand Pecking Order
 
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The Grand Pecking Order

Oysterhead
4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (103 customer reviews) More about this product

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Frequently Bought Together

The Grand Pecking Order + Riddles Are Abound Tonight + The Big Eyeball in the Sky
Price For All Three: $39.97

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  • This item: The Grand Pecking Order ~ Oysterhead

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  • Riddles Are Abound Tonight ~ Sausage

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  • The Big Eyeball in the Sky ~ Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains

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Product Details

  • Audio CD (October 2, 2001)
  • Original Release Date: October 2, 2001
  • Number of Discs: 1
  • Label: Elektra / Wea
  • ASIN: B00005OL93
  • Also Available in: Vinyl
  • Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (103 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #13,539 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Listen to Samples

To hear a song sample, click on "Listen" by that sample. Visit our audio help page for more information.
 
1. Little Faces
2. Oz is Ever Floating
3. Mr. Oysterhead
4. Shadow Of A Man
5. Radon Balloon
6. Army's On Ecstasy
7. Rubberneck Lions
8. Polka Dot Rose
9. Birthday Boys
10. Wield The Spade
11. Pseudo Suicide
12. The Grand Pecking Order
13. Owner Of The World

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
It's not difficult to see why Trey Anastasio (of Phish) and Les Claypool (of Primus) have a musical attraction to each other: they both revel in a balance of technical proficiency and head-spinning absurdity. Of course, Frank Zappa was a pioneer in this realm and you can hear his influence throughout. With former Police drummer Stewart Copeland on board as the third accomplice, Oysterhead pretty much wear out the lines between creativity and self-indulgence, between the clever and the goofy--a fact that is not at all surprising given the histories of Anastasio and Claypool, neither of whom are known for their self-editing abilities. Still, Oysterhead earns considerable points for the level of musicianship, originality, and sheer abandon of the project. And Copeland seems liberated by the setting, showing ingenuity and dexterity in driving these ultra-quirky tunes. In the end, this mix of clunky funk and decadent weirdness is maddening almost as much as it is rewarding, but The Grand Pecking Order has a sinister futuristic quality that is simply too peculiar to ignore. --Marc Greilsamer

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Customer Reviews

103 Reviews
5 star:
 (52)
4 star:
 (29)
3 star:
 (10)
2 star:
 (8)
1 star:
 (4)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.1 out of 5 stars (103 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Eclectic, wonderful, and ohhh the potential these guys show, December 7, 2001
By Moses Alexander (Alabama, USA) - See all my reviews
  
I wasn't sure what to expect when I first heard of plans for the Oysterhead album. I think people make the mistake of imagining that it will somehow magically be a combination of Phish's jamming, Primus' weirdness and the Police's catchy anthems. Part of this is true, but mostly its not. Approach this album like you would any other new band, because that's what it is - a new band. If you go in expecting The Police, Phish or Primus, you will be disappointed.

There are a few songs that do sound distinctly like Primus ("Shadow of a Man," "Army's on Ecstasy," and "The Grand Pecking Order" in particular.) Even then, they are still great songs.

"Radon Balloon" definately could have been on "The Story of the Ghost" or "Farmhouse." Once again, that doesn't deter from the fact that its a great little ditty. "Birthday Boys" is definately a Trey Anastasio tune, but with a little tweaking.

My favorite songs though, are the ones that have a flavor that is specifically Oysterhead. "Rubberneck Lions" is the best example of this (and the best tune on the record.) It utilizes all of the group's strengths: two unique and totally different lead singers, amazing instrumental prowess, and driving jazzy-rock rhythms. Everybody in this group has a great sense of rhythm and melody, which makes for some cool tunes.

"Wield the Spade" utilizes the brilliant weirdness of these three individuals. The best way I could describe this song would be "audio in liquid form." It feels like floating on gently rocking water.

The lyrics on this record are weird. That's not really surprising given Trey Anastasio's and Les Claypool's past. The interesting thing though, is that they don't really come off like lyrics to Phish or Primus songs (with the exception of a few tunes.) "Shadow of a Man" deals with suprisingly serious subject matter for these clowns. Even stranger is the fact that perhaps the weirdest lyrics of all were penned by Stewart Copeland.

While this CD is excellent, I think one of the most exciting things about it, is that its apparent that future albums (if we're lucky enough to get any) have amazing potential.

One thing that's so wonderful, is that Oysterhead seems so liberating for all three guys. If any of their former bands had put this record out, their fans would probably not have been pleased. This is allowing them to tread new ground. That's pretty cool they've forged a mostly original sound considering they had only played one live show before this record came out.

This disc is definately recommended, and I look forward to more from them in the future.

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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Opposing Viewpoint: Oysterhead shows the Artists Limitations, October 5, 2001
By Brendan Heddle (New York City) - See all my reviews
First off let me say there are few people who are as big a fan of Phish, Primus, and the Police as I am. However, I felt this album left me wondering exactly how much I SHOULD appreciate these three incredible artists. I think my viewpoint of Les Claypool has totally changed after hearing this album. Ive learned that although he is an incredible musician, he has a pretty limited scope of musical range.

For all intents and purposes the songs on "The Grand Pecking Order" written by Les Claypool are Primus. I write specifically of the songs where either the music or lyrics were written specifically by Claypool alone, such as "Shadow of a Man" and "The Army's on Ecstasy." There is little to no difference from the songs he wrote on this album to what you might find on Primus or Les Claypool's Flying Frog Brigade.
You can tell Try didnt really know how to approach these songs.

To a lesser extent, the two songs written by Anastasio alone, "Radon Balloon" and "Birthday Boys" follow the similar scheme. These songs could easily be passed off as Phish songs.

I think Copeland is the only one who benefits from working with the other two. I think his talent is realized to its full extent, and you can tell he was challenged by working with Trey and Les. You can hear that his talent goes far beyond what was expected of him with the Police.

It is only on the songs written by the collective that you really see the potential of these 3 artists working together. All of these songs have incredible
compositions, and they gel together beautifully. It is for these songs that you should purchase this album. But the songs written by only one person in the band, makes you wonder if they have the ability to look past the scope of their own musical scope.

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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A highlight for 2001, October 2, 2001
By Gizmo Sparkle (Theodore, AL United States) - See all my reviews
I admit, I was fanatical when i first heard about the Oysterhead project. My favorite drummer, guitar player, and one of my favorite bass players decided to start a band. How cool is that?I immediately found a bootleg of the 5-4-00 show from the NO saenger and was quite impressed, despite some very obvious rough spots. Since that time, I've been waiting for what seems like forever for the release of the album.

Today the wait was over, I travelled to my local record store at 11 am and bought this album without even looking at anything else (quite unusual for me). I then found the first CD player I could and put this in. It is amazing how much these three musicians, whose usual bands (primus, phish, and the police) have such a signature sound, could create something with such a unique sound. You can hear definite touches of these bands in the songs, but they compliment each other in new ways. Claypool's heavy bass tone has forced Trey to play in a more metallic, yet still funky fashion. consequently, Copeland's drumming has reached new funky heights never reached with the Police (in addition, its awesome to finally hear from stewart copeland again.). the addition of copeland also brought new production values to the project. If you listen, there are all kinds of cool electronic effects, drum machines, etc. in the background that enhance the project immensely.

All in all this is an awesome project. Highly reccomended.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Best Claypool since Seas of Cheese
I am a huge Les Claypool fan and this CD in my opinion is his best work since "Sailing the Seas of Cheese" when he was with Primus. Read more
Published 3 months ago by J. Sweet

4.0 out of 5 stars Les Claypool you rascal, you!
I'm a big fan of Primus, and all of Les Claypool's assorted side projects. I've also listened to some Phish and though I prefer other jam bands such as moe. Read more
Published 7 months ago by elfo19

5.0 out of 5 stars Different is good!
This is a great CD to listen to because it shows you a different side of Les. This lets you see the jam band inside him. It is exactly what every Primus fan needs..... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Kevin M. Skiba

4.0 out of 5 stars Cohesive trio of three strong musicians
I wound up getting this disc and Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains in the same shipment, so it becomes hard to talk about one without referring to the other... Read more
Published on January 20, 2007 by Mr. Richard K. Weems

3.0 out of 5 stars Primish?
This is one of those albums that once you hear who is involved, assuming you like these people, you say "I have to check that out". Read more
Published on August 22, 2006 by H3@+h

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing effort
Trey Anistasio, Les Claypool and Stuart Copeland deliver something really original and fresh on this album. Read more
Published on May 26, 2006 by Aiptasia

4.0 out of 5 stars Claypool Dominates . . . As Usual
If you like Primus or any of the myriad side projects of uber-bassist Les Claypool, you will probably go for this one. Read more
Published on January 26, 2006 by Rich Latta

5.0 out of 5 stars When all else has been done and said...
...buy this album! Although the weakest of Les' side projects, Oysterhead is still goofy and fun enough, with the right bit of rock to boot, to make this a compelling release... Read more
Published on September 15, 2005 by fats

4.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing
I was first exposed to Oysterhead on HBO's "Reverb;" I was instantly intrigued by what I heard. Well over a year later, I picked up their CD. Read more
Published on July 6, 2005 by PSM/Bokor

2.0 out of 5 stars Doesn't mix well
These three guys are amazing musicians in their own right but this album just doesn't work. From a theory and technical standpoint it's very good (some would say brillant). Read more
Published on January 23, 2005 by The Real Deal

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The Grand Pecking Order opens new browser window by Oysterhead opens new browser window is mainly Progressive Rock, quite Jam, with hints of Funk”

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