Pinback Ranks Primus Albums

[pinback]

There are many sites with such rankings, and they are all wildly different after you get past the top three or so. I'm posting mine here because I agree with myself.

1. Sailing the Seas of Cheese -- If there is an "essential" Primus album, this is it. The success of the previous/first album Frizzle Fry made this sound much better, and they were at the peak of creativity, in between being found out and having arenas full of fervent fans yelling at them that they sucked.

2. Animals Should Not Try To Act Like People (EP) -- This never gets listed in other folks' rankings, which I don't understand. My Friend Fats might be my all-time favorite Primus song, and the rest of it is of a similarly high quality, as Les balances on the borderline between the pure Primus sound and his later psychedelic leanings.

3. Frizzle Fry -- An amazing debut, changing the landscape of progressive rock forever. There is a reason that it begins with the opening percussive licks from Rush's YYZ. They were announcing that the baton was ready to be passed from Rush, and they were there, willing and able to receive it. Someone called Primus "Rush's goofy younger brother", and that is a perfect description.

4. Pork Soda -- Fun songs about murder, suicide and desperate isolation. What's not to like? Plus, My Name is Mud is the first and possibly only song you ever heard from them, and it's still great every single time.

5. Tales from the Punchbowl -- Uneven, but with extremely high peaks. And if My Friend Fats isn't my favorite Primus song, then Electric Grapevine definitely is.

6. The Desaturating Seven -- Underrated. A concept album featuring a story about a bunch of douchebags stealing rainbows and the locals' attempts to stop them. Spoiler: they do.

7. Rhinoplasty (EP) -- An eclectic mix of covers and random other stuff, the highlight for me is Peter Gabriel's "The Family and the Fishing Net", one of my favorite songs from my absolute favorite album ever. It's like they did it just for me. Thanks, guys!

8. Green Naugahyde -- After many years, they returned to the scene, to great effect. I don't know if I'd miss any of these songs if they didn't exist, but it was more solid than you'd probably expect for a band that had been out of action for a dozen years.

9. Antipop -- Real fans don't like this album. Les Claypool has stated it was his least favorite. I like it more than both real fans and Les, but the sound is less nuanced, it feels more aggressive and loud and... I dunno, it sounds different. But I still like it.

10. Brown Album -- Golden Boy is a great song, but the bizarre, thin sound that permeates this one, I can't get past. The music is good, but it just sounds bad. They were experimenting and having fun. I'm happy for them. Don't do it again.

NOT RANKED
===========
Suck on This
Primus and the Chocolate Factory
Miscellaneous Debris
Conspiranoid
They Can't All Be Zingers

[AArdvark]

Whatever album Tommy The Cat is on ( no google) is the best one

That and My Name Is Mud are the only two songs I know ( unless you count South Park)

[pinback]

Whatever album Tommy The Cat is on ( no google) is the best one

That's Sailing the Seas of Cheese, listed #1 above. Finally, someone on this BBS agrees with me about something.

[Tdarcos]

I'm posting mine here because I agree with myself.

1. Sailing the Seas of Cheese -- If there is an "essential" Primus album, this is it.

So you're saying this album is primus inter pares?

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

Which one has the beaver song?

[pinback]

Punchbowl.

[Flack]

It's weird to think "My Name is Mud" would be anyone's introduction to Primus. "Jerry was a Race Car Driver" and "Tommy the Cat" were all over MTV in 1991, first on Headbanger's Ball and later in regular rotation. "Jerry Was a Race Car Driver" was in Tony Hawk Pro Skater and Rock Band, and "Tommy the Cat" (with Primus performing it) appeared in Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey. Primus was a breath of fresh air that bridged the gap between hair metal of the late 80s and grunge of the early 90s. Sailing the Seas of Cheese wasn't my first Primus CD; it was my first Primus cassette.

A few years back when Susan talked me into making one of those t-shirt quilts, she raided my stash of old concert shirts and my Primus "Suck On This" shirt ended up on the quilt (upper right), along with other shirts I bought at shows like Motley Crue, Suicidal Tendencies, Metallica, Faith no More, Pantera, and Slayer. Not sure the Spam or Edward Scissorhands shirts would have been my first choice, but those quilts are huge and take a lot of shirts.

[Jizaboz]

Yeah if you were a skateboarder back then you knew all about Primus via Sailing the Seas of Cheese.

I dunno I'd rate Brown Album a little higher. Fisticuffs, Camel Back Cinema, Puddin Taine, Over the Falls.. all some of my favorite Primus songs. And that nasty sound just makes it even more enjoyably obnoxious lol.

[pinback]

It's weird to think "My Name is Mud" would be anyone's introduction to Primus. "Jerry was a Race Car Driver" and "Tommy the Cat" were all over MTV in 1991, first on Headbanger's Ball and later in regular rotation. "Jerry Was a Race Car Driver" was in Tony Hawk Pro Skater and Rock Band

Well, I was listening to nothing but Zeppelin at that point. And I didn't watch MTV and didn't play Tony Hawk or Rock Band.

Whaddya want from me.

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

Also, you guys are kidding around, right? That this is a good band?

[pinback]

They're no Death Cab for Cutie, I'll give you that.

[Bugs]

Primus sucks.

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

Wait, you're a bass guy aren't you, Bugs?

[pinback]

...he doesn't know!!

[Bugs]

Tee her!

[Bugs]

that should read tee hee. Can we not edit or delete posts?

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

I'll get that setup shortly.

[Bugs]

Fuckin internet.

[Tdarcos]

that should read tee hee. Can we not edit or delete posts?

I'll get that setup shortly.

Don't forget to restore the ability to inline YouTube videos through the [ media ] tag.

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

Righty-ho! On it!