Jimmy Weasel - Wednesday, 4 June, 2003 - Print Version
Any fool who knows anything knows that I have a slightly more than healthy craving for what Les Claypool has created. Nay, anything bearing his name, be it his own project, or a guest appearance on the worst rapmetal album created. His music is in all my favourite lists and has a very special place in my heart. As a result, this review is assumed to carry a little bias.
Admittedly, The Purple Onion was released in late 2002, but being a lazy bastard and knowing the ins (and some outs) of the p2p music trade system, I delayed the purchase until more recent times. The dollar has recovered moderately against the greenback so it now costs much less to get music such as this into my sticky fingers.
This is their first studio release; a double live album being released in early 2001 which rocked my little socks off.
The Frog brigade is sonically similar to all of Claypool's projects; there's that prominent bass, and the strange vocals (hybrid singing & narration). But this band is bigger than Primus. Swelling to a larger group using another guitar, a keyboard and a saxaphone, The Frog Brigade provides some funky music.
Purple Onion could possibly be sold as "experimental", as it's not your standard music. It's too weird. Mainstream folks won't like it, and "alternative" kids won't understand it. Each song is a strange sonic meandering through the brain of Claypool, who constantly pleasures my aural zones. If you need it compared to a Primus album, I'd have to say it's a cross of Punchbowl and Antipop, but at the same time it's completely different.
It's 56 minutes and 9 seconds of amazing music that I'm regretting not purchasing earlier. Not to matter now; it's safe amongst the other Claypool releases & rarities in the Weasel Collection.
If you like your music creative and slightly left of "normal," then this album may or may not be right up your street. I don't want to go telling you what you will and won't like.
Hearing it, you can tell it is something special. It's hard to describe the sound. So I won't. Just know that it's damn good.
Finagle with our bagel and keep a fresh and up-to-date eyeball on our latest reviews, articles and filthy somesuch. Mmm doughy.
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