Tales From The Punchbowl (Edited Version)

Primus continues down its path of the quirky song. Bass phenom Les Claypool and his cohorts have previously Frizzle Fried, Sucked, and Sailed The Seas Of Cheese. Now, it seems, they have been to the Punchbowl, and have lived to tell its Tales. If you could take an element of Doctor Seuss, add some Fishbone and a bit of Tom Waits, you'd probably get something very strange, totally unlike Primus--but probably the nearest thing possible. They have harnessed the all-mighty powers of weirdness, and have made them their own: "It's alright", they say, "don't fear the worm". more...

Primus' strength lies in their ability to mix and mask the frivolousness that comes from their peculiarity with seriously dangerous music. This is loud funk, heavy funk, driving, grooving, smelly funk. Your body will move, your brain will smile. The threesome can sound like a singular voice or a multitude of synchronous twists. Each member is a stunning instrumentalist. Yet as phenomenal as their individual abilities are, what really sets them apart is the monster group groove and cohesive chemistry. TALES FROM THE PUNCH BOWL is prime Primus.

Musician (8/95, p.88)
- "...makes for a compelling odyssey....follows an old-fashioned LP format....The first half-dozen songs are more structured and accessible, while the final seven cuts...feature more esoteric noodling..."