With all members of this quartet represented in the band's rather clunky name (Primus mainstays Les Claypool and drummer Brain, P-Funk keyboardist Bernie Worrell, and post-rock/occasional Guns N' Roses guitar madman Buckethead), this would seem to be more than another Les Claypool side project. Ultimately it's not, as the Primus leader's inimitable carnival-styled music and fun-house vocals drive the sound more than the other contributors. The jam element is highlighted, especially in the four instrumentals, two of which ...
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With all members of this quartet represented in the band's rather clunky name (Primus mainstays Les Claypool and drummer Brain, P-Funk keyboardist Bernie Worrell, and post-rock/occasional Guns N' Roses guitar madman Buckethead), this would seem to be more than another Les Claypool side project. Ultimately it's not, as the Primus leader's inimitable carnival-styled music and fun-house vocals drive the sound more than the other contributors. The jam element is highlighted, especially in the four instrumentals, two of which push the six-minute mark. Not surprisingly, the funk factor is also upped considerably, with Worrell and Claypool pushing that aspect, as Brain and Buckethead gamely follow along. The songs are little more than frameworks for Claypool's quirky vocals; offbeat, occasionally offensive lyrics; and distinctive, if at this point predictable, version of post-punk funky avant-garde rock fusion. In other words, established Claypool fans should lap this up, while those who haven't bought into his shtick before now won't hop on board with this entry into his ever-expanding non-Primus catalog. All four members lay out with blinding proficiency as the tunes twist, turn, twirl, and somersault through more changes than Claypool has basses, barely pausing for breath. It's a head-spinning, generally interesting, and usually frantic collaboration, with a few tracks underwritten but nothing underplayed. The eyeball-dominated graphics seem like an homage to the Residents and the music similarly aims for an experimental collision between that legendary far-out band's non-commercial approach and a Zappa-styled jazz-rock blend. It never quite succeeds over the long haul, but there are enough impressive moments for any fan of Primus or even Buckethead to revel in the musical insanity of what might end up as a moderately successful but consistently intriguing one-off project. ~ Hal Horowitz, Rovi
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