Dude Talk With Larry Lalonde
Of . . .

By Wesley Joost

"It's not that experimental as if we're trying to come up with a new sound. It's more experimental in the sense that it's just us jamming. There was an article in Spin about how we call ourselves weird, and asked 'weird to who?' I don't remember ever calling us weird. People have told me they think we're weird and I guess if you listen to Bon Jovi we are, but if you listen to the Residents we're probably not that weird. Zappa's my Elvis and that's weird."

Punchbowl, like all their previous albums displays their trademark snapping, crackling, and popping riffs; providing a nimble dexterous funk punk, which is accompanied by Claypool's wry and surrealistic lyrics.

An example of their quirkiness is the song Glass Sandwich -- probably the only major label song this year discussing a peep show in great detail. In a spooky narrative tone, singer/bassist Les Claypool sings, "He stands eye to thigh as she looks down from above." The tune is complete with a boyishly enthusiastic "wup, wup, wup."

But the album's quirkiest and tuneful song is Deanza Jig which sounds like a back porch jug band playing the theme to the Andy Griffith show.

Has Claypool been digging in the back waters or just channel surfing for influences?

"Probably it comes from growing up in El Sobrante. When I was there I was the only one with long hair in a ten mile radius. It's basically a bunch of guys in pickup trucks, Levi's jackets and caterpillar hats yelling at me to get a haircut. We're making fun of that lifestyle.

"Actually all our rhythms are ripped off from African Juju music, but you'd have to ask Herb about that," Lalonde joked.

Staying on a backwater theme, Punchbowl's first single Wynona'a Big Brown Beaver is a boy's leering buttered up version of the town bad girl infecting the local boys with something nasty:

"He got wind of the big brown beaver/ So he thought he'd take himself a peek/ but the beaver was quick/ and grabbed him by the Kiwis and he ain't pissed for a week/ and a half."

After dishing out a few more unique ditties (like the mildly psychedelic Space Farm, which features floating animal noises) Primus diss other rock groups in Year Of the Parrot -- bands whose secret to success is sounding like everyone else. "Take a Zeppelin riff/ and you alter it a bit/ you make lots of money." Ironically the song moves along with the same chugga chugga chugga ("That's us, that's how we've always sounded") that Primus tend to resort to when they're noodling in-between ideas.

Is it true this song expresses your distaste with the light-grunge Pearl Jam gang?

"No," Lalonde says, "but definitely in the last year I've been having a hard time figuring out if a lot of bands were Pearl Jam or not. But now it's happened so much I don't even care."

These days Primus and their hit ditties have accidentally hitched a ride on the alternative rock bandwagon, and are now doing TV spots like MTV's beach party and David Letterman. Letterman, Lalonde says, "is and radiates power. We've played some cool shows but his is the biggest one."

Lalonde feels the Primus's audience, though it has grown, has not changed for the worse.

"When we're on tour we still play a lot of clubs like the Phoenix (a small club in Petaluma). Now we play the Greek Theater when we're in the Bay Area which gives us more space. It's not fun to play places that are packed, sweaty, and uncomfortable. I remember that punk feeling at Victims Family shows, and there were always some idiots, but now that punk's mainstream you're always going to get the football players."

How about Primus's biggest venue so far, Lollapalooza: Consciousness raising or bogus?

"What it was supposed to be. I know because we were touring with Perry (Farrel) before the first Lollapalooza. Perry said that it was going to be an event that represented the people. It wasn't going to be bands nobody's ever heard of or have any kind of agenda. It was supposed to be a fun day with bands people wanted to see. It definitely got bigger and made money but I don't think it really changed that much."

Speaking of making money, how to you feel about the commercialization of punk and having Primus's music being referred to as units of product?

"There's always going to be some marketing guys talking about every kind of music that way. I think its funny. It don't feel pimped out because that's just how they talk about things. Every now and then I'll end up with a Billboard in front of me and it's funny to read about somebody's marketing plan on a punk rock band."

Explain Primus's creative process.

"It's really casual. I can't tell you how Les writes the lyrics but the music comes from jamming and hitting record on a tape recorder."

In the down-dumbing of America are Primus part of the problem or the Solution?

"Chances are probably part of the problem. We're not the biggest intelligence spawning band."

I Saw Del Davis's Tree Farm ("Here he comes with a dollar sign in his hand/ He represents the epitomized man.") sign when I was driving between Forestville and Sebastopol. (Note: dedicated Primus fans interested in meeting Les Claypool may want to hang out there during the Christmas season).

"I've been waiting for someone to say that. Basically, that's were Les bought his Christmas tree."

What were Primus doing during the floods of '95?

"We were recording that whole time by generated power. I took a lot of aspirin and got through it okay, but Les got a bit depressed and I had to explain to him it was the lack of sunshine."

Sorry to hear the Les. Okay Larry, a few questions before we go. Did you wake and bake this morning?

"No, not on his trip. It's kind of scary going on planes with pot. Santana got busted for pot recently when he was just minding his own business."

If you had a choice to be locked in a room with Connie Chung, Kermit the Frog, or Richard Simmons, who would it be?

"Richard Simmons because he's a complete mutant. He just radiates mutation."

What are Primus's political views?

"Anything Dole says goes double for us."

As if!

Issue Four
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