Publisher Description

An oral history of the legendary band Primus, with a star-studded cast of interviewees (Tom Waits, Phish front man Trey Anastasio, etc.)Usually when the 'alternative rock revolution' of the early 1990s is discussed, Nirvana's Nevermind is credited as the recording that led the charge. Yet there were several earlier albums that helped pave the way, including the Pixies' Doolittle, the Red Hot Chili Peppers' Mother's Milk, Jane's Addiction's Nothing's Shocking, and especially Primus' 1991 album Sailing the Seas of Cheese.This fascinating and beautifully curated oral history tells the tale of this truly one-of-a-kind band. Compiled from nearly fifty all-new interviews — including Primus members past and present and many more fellow musicians — conducted by journalist/author Greg Prato — this book is sure to appeal to longtime fans of the band, as well as admirers of the musicians interviewed for the book.Interviewees include: Tim Alexander, Trey Anastasio (Phish), Matthew Bellamy (Muse), Les Claypool, Stewart Copeland (The Police), Chuck D (Public Enemy), Kirk Hammett (Metallica), Larry LaLonde, Geddy Lee (Rush), Mickey Melchiondo (Ween), Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine), Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Matt Stone (South Park), Tom Waits, and many more.'It's a wild ride that's vividly captured in Greg Prato's excellent oral history...' — Bass Player Magazine

Author Biography

"Tommy the Cat." "Jerry Was a Race Car Driver." "My Name Is Mud." Yessiree, Primus is responsible for some of the most cutting edge and original rock music of the 1990s. Although originally formed in 1984, it was not until shortly before the end of the decade that the classic Primus lineup featuring Les Claypool (bass/vocals), Larry LaLonde (guitar), and Tim Alexander (drums) was solidified. With most hard rock/heavy metal acts at the time either neatly falling into either "thrash" or "glam" categories, Primus joined a variety of underground bands that refused to be pigeonholed (and by the early '90s, had fully infiltrated the mainstream)--merging metal, funk, alternative, punk, country, roots rock, and experimental music, along with Claypool's penchant for witty and often humorous storytelling lyrics. Building a large and loyal following first in and around San Francisco (before eventually, going global), Primus kicked things off with a string of releases that are now considered classic alt-rock titles: Suck on This, Frizzle Fry, Sailing the Seas of Cheese, Pork Soda, and Tales from the Punchbowl. Along the way, Primus toured with some of rock's biggest names (Jane's Addiction, Public Enemy, Rush, U2, etc.), headlined the third Lollapalooza Festival, and issued a variety of crafty music videos, which stood out in sharp contrast to the ultra seriousness of most other video clips at the time. Greg Prato is a Long Island-based music journalist, whose writing has appeared in Rolling Stone. He is the author of numerous books, including A Devil on One Shoulder and an Angel on the Other: The Story of Shannon Hoon and Blind Melon, Grunge Is Dead: The Oral History of Seattle Rock Music, and MTV Ruled the World: The Early Years of Music Video.

Review

A book about the highly strange San Franciscans Primus has been overdue for years, so Greg Prato's excellent oral history of the band is welcome--doubly so, given that the key band members, Les Claypool, Larry Lalonde and Tim Alexander, are involved . . . Great stuff.-- "Record Collector Magazine"
At Phish practice, we used to listen to Sailing the Seas of Cheese . . . [Les] is the most unique bass player.--Trey Anastasio, Phish
Definitely one of the greatest live bands, and I think that is always a sign of music that holds up . . . It's very timeless . . . Primus was very influential in the formation of [Muse] and what our priorities were.--Matthew Bellamy, Muse
I just remember listening to some of those clips over and over again, just the bass solo, over and over again, sitting there trying to figure it out. Those records were a huge part of me growing up.--Tom Blankenship, My Morning Jacket
I think [Les] is one of the greatest lyricists in America right now. He has a turn of phrase that always just evokes a kind of hidden world. It's like Grapes of Wrath kind of stuff. It's really the mettle of America.--Stewart Copeland, the Police
I was very enthralled by their whole enthusiasm at what they did. That was infectious.--Chuck D, Public Enemy
It was '89 or '90 that I heard about them . . . I was fascinated by the band, but more so intrigued and mesmerized by Les, because he was such a cartoon character. And his bass playing was obviously phenomenal.--Linda Perry, 4 Non Blondes
It's a wild ride that's vividly captured in Greg Prato's excellent oral history . . .-- "Bass Player Magazine"
Primitive, animated, dinosaur, Halloween, trailerfunk. I felt Les was a kindred spirit. Someone I could learn from and collaborate with. Quick, schooled, humble, with an amazing musical lexicon and down home as hell, with a bent sense of humor.--Tom Waits
There's an unbelievable batting average there in songs . . . There are so many songs that I like and so many different feels and so much different sh*t in there. It's a huge body of work.--Matt Stone, South Park
They have a body of work that I'm always impressed with. Really, that's a band that never failed to deliver the goods on why you enjoy them . . . It actually gave me the feeling that there was some kind of justice in the world--watching them ascend. It's kind of like one of those moments, like sometimes those things happen, and it makes you think there's a possibility that the universe can have balance.--Norwood Fisher, Fishbone
They were real musicians' musicians . . . Primus had their own thing, for sure. Nobody really does that Primus thing--they have their own personality, which is something difficult to do.--Chad Smith, Red Hot Chili Peppers

Long Description

One of BookRiot 's Must-Read Books from Indie Presses for 2014 "Prato has curated a collection to attract the uninitiated as well as preach to the unwashed converted masses." -- Examiner.com "It's a wild ride that's vividly captured in Greg Prato's excellent oral history, Primus: Over the Electric Grapevine ." -- Bass Player Magazine "A book about the highly strange San Franciscans Primus has been overdue for years, so Greg Prato's excellent oral history of the band is welcome--doubly so, given that the key bandmembers, Les Claypool, Larry Lalonde and Tim Alexander, are involved....Great stuff." -- Record Collector Magazine "A master storyteller, skilled in the art of assembling oral histories that not only examine their subjects in great depth but also spin a great yarn, Prato is able to combine a thorough study of Claypool's eccentric genius with a relaxed, free-flowing narrative of the Primus's origins story, detailing influences and lineup changes, early performances and the making of landmark Primus albums....[The book] doesn't get bogged down by minutiae, and although it could be called an 'exhaustive' work, it's far from an exhausting read." -- Backstage Auctions "Esteemed journalist and rock historian Greg Prato brings his estimable literary skills in unwrapping the enigma of Primus....If you loved Primus before but maybe didn't understand everything they did, that will change after reading this. In fact, when you finish the last page here, race over to your Primus CD collection and re-listen to all their music with new and educated ears. Their music will never have sounded so good." -- Curled Up With a Good Book "Almost as if you're sitting across from them at the bar as they reminisce about the past...this book was the most fun I've had reading a book all year. Go get it!" -- Erlenmeyer's Mind Praise for Primus: "They were real musicians' musicians...Primus had their own thing, for sure. Nobody really does that Primus thing--they have their own personality, which is something difficult to do." -- Chad Smith, Red Hot Chili Peppers "Primitive, animated, dinosaur, Halloween, trailerfunk. I felt Les was a kindred spirit. Someone I could learn from and collaborate with. Quick, schooled, humble, with an amazing musical lexicon and down home as hell, with a bent sense of humor." -- Tom Waits Usually when the "alternative rock revolution" of the early 1990s is discussed, Nirvana's Nevermind is credited as the recording that led the charge. Yet there were several earlier albums that helped pave the way, including the Pixies' Doolittle , the Red Hot Chili Peppers' Mother's Milk , Jane's Addiction's Nothing's Shocking , and especially Primus's 1991 album Sailing the Seas of Cheese . This fascinating and beautifully curated oral history tells the tale of this truly one-of-a-kind band. Compiled from nearly fifty all-new interviews conducted by journalist/author Greg Prato--including Primus members past and present and many more fellow musicians--this book is sure to appeal to longtime fans of the band, as well as admirers of the musicians interviewed for the book. Interviewees include: Tim Alexander, Trey Anastasio (Phish), Matthew Bellamy (Muse), Les Claypool, Stewart Copeland (The Police), Chuck D (Public Enemy), Kirk Hammett (Metallica), Larry LaLonde, Geddy Lee (Rush), Mickey Melchiondo (Ween), Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine), Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Matt Stone ( South Park ), Tom Waits, and many more.

Review Quote

"A book about the highly strange San Franciscans Primus has been overdue for years, so Greg Prato's excellent oral history of the band is welcome--doubly so, given that the key band members, Les Claypool, Larry Lalonde and Tim Alexander, are involved . . . Great stuff." --Record Collector Magazine "They were real musicians' musicians . . . Primus had their own thing, for sure. Nobody really does that Primus thing--they have their own personality, which is something difficult to do." --Chad Smith, Red Hot Chili Peppers "Primitive, animated, dinosaur, Halloween, trailerfunk. I felt Les was a kindred spirit. Someone I could learn from and collaborate with. Quick, schooled, humble, with an amazing musical lexicon and down home as hell, with a bent sense of humor." --Tom Waits "There's an unbelievable batting average there in songs . . . There are so many songs that I like and so many different feels and so much different sh*t in there. It's a huge body of work."--Matt Stone, South Park "I was very enthralled by their whole enthusiasm at what they did. That was infectious." --Chuck D, Public Enemy "I think [Les] is one of the greatest lyricists in America right now. He has a turn of phrase that always just evokes a kind of hidden world. It's like Grapes of Wrath kind of stuff. It's really the mettle of America." --Stewart Copeland, the Police "Definitely one of the greatest live bands, and I think that is always a sign of music that holds up . . . It's very timeless . . . Primus was very influential in the formation of [Muse] and what our priorities were." --Matthew Bellamy, Muse "It was '89 or '90 that I heard about them . . . I was fascinated by the band, but more so intrigued and mesmerized by Les, because he was such a cartoon character. And his bass playing was obviously phenomenal." --Linda Perry, 4 Non Blondes "At Phish practice, we used to listen to Sailing the Seas of Cheese . . . [Les] is the most unique bass player." --Trey Anastasio, Phish "I just remember listening to some of those clips over and over again, just the bass solo, over and over again, sitting there trying to figure it out. Those records were a huge part of me growing up." --Tom Blankenship, My Morning Jacket "They have a body of work that I'm always impressed with. Really, that's a band that never failed to deliver the goods on why you enjoy them . . . It actually gave me the feeling that there was some kind of justice in the world--watching them ascend. It's kind of like one of those moments, like sometimes those things happen, and it makes you think there's a possibility that the universe can have balance." --Norwood Fisher, Fishbone

Feature

10,000-copy first paperback printing; the hardcover edition sold through its 10,000-copy printing. Primus and Les Claypool have extensive touring plans throughout 2022 & 2023. Akashic is in its 11th printing (over 25,000 copies) of South of the Pumphouse, a novel by Les Claypool, the lead singer of Primus. The book has a star-studded cast of interviewees: Tim Alexander, Trey Anastasio (Phish), Matthew Bellamy (Muse), Les Claypool, Stewart Copeland (The Police), Chuck D (Public Enemy), Kirk Hammett (Metallica), Larry Lalonde, Geddy Lee (Rush), Mickey Melchiondo (Ween), Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine), Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Matt Stone (South Park), Tom Waits, and many more. Photos and artwork liven up the pages and are a major draw for fans of Primus.

Details