Corrosive grooves, minimalist noise, and surreal banjo interludes make this weird and not very wonderful. --Jeff Bateman Amazon.com
Primus is one of my favorite bands, so the fact that you can start to see their creative decline on this album is dissapointing to say the least. However, the album itself is still very good. Not nearly the brilliance of Sailing on Seas of Cheese or Frizzle Fry, but a good listen nevertheless. Still better than Tales From the Punchbowl, which I bought basically just for the song "Southbound Pachyderm."
Standouts:
"Welcome to This World"
"DMV"
"Natureboy"
November 29, 2007 |  | Even for an acquired taste, starting to sour |  |
Fans of Sea of Cheese will probably enjoy this follow-up; those who didn't groove to it will be just as lost. Primus is certainly an acquired taste, but acquired or not, there's always going to be ups and downs. Pork Soda is even more uneven than the last, but the high points are just as exhilarating (and bizarre).
"My Name Is Mud" was a small hit and excels despite the corn-fried goofiness (and thanks to an irresistible percussive bass groove). The soft/loud dynamic honed on "Nature Boy" makes it a slightly more traditional song (emphasis on slightly). And "Hamburger Town" is an epic with as many peaks and valleys as a mountain range; it essentially sums up the patchy nature of the entire album. The shorter tracks are all weird novelties, Zappa-esque teases and filler (you're better off just skipping them after a couple of spins) and any attempt at seriousness is usually a wide miss (the rather dark "Bob" is one of the least successful true songs on the album). Enough good stuff here to give it a pass, but like their other stuff, it's best in smaller doses and only when the mood strikes just right.
Best cuts: "Nature Boy," "My Name Is Mud," "Welcome to This World," "Mr. Krinkle," "The `Ol Diamondback Sturgeon (Fisherman's Chronicles, Part 3)," "DMV," "Hamburger Town"
September 11, 2007 | | virtuosity meets originality | |
Primus is one of my favorite bands and this album is a classic. Its strange, heavy, funky, funny, scary and ugly at times but always original and inventive. Les Claypool is one of the greatest and most original rock bassists of all time. Tim Alexander thunders along on the drums complimenting Les's bass style perfectly in a way later drummers, in my opinion, failed to do as effectively. And what can i say about Larry Lalonde; he's as unique a guitar player as they come, playing textures and flights of fantasy solos on guitar that never interfere with the busy bass lines of Claypool, but compliment both drums and bass in a way that is both strange and beautiful. This band doesn't trudge on, playing the same old garbage, but weave a collage of funk and metal and insanity reminiscent of Frank Zappa, Captain Beefheart and King Crimson. And they do it all with a twisted sense of humor that some feel doesn't belong in music, but that i find to be an integral part of music and life. If you like fun and original music and can appreciate the art of playing an instrument in strange, new, exciting ways, exploring sounds and styles with complete disregard for the norm. Then try Primus! This isn't Pop Music kiddies, this is Great Music.
August 2, 2007| | | Les Claypool's continued Genius | |
A must have for those who want to hear something COMPLETELY different from any mainstream band. Primus has a very unique sound that many people find unpleasant, however, I found this album quite enjoyable.
April 7, 2007The only reason I feel compelled to write a review for this album is because of the other reviewer refering to Hamburger Train as boring. What? Are you insane? I have probably listened to Hamburger Train a thousand times and still get giddy when those first notes come through the speakers. Oh wait, it's not in 4/4 time. How dare they take a unique appraoach to their music. Not only does Les continually reinvent the bass line throughout the song, but this is Ler doing what Ler does best. Thank God for Primus or the modern music scene would truly be dead. It is sort of ironic that this same reviewer listed DMV as his favorite track. That is the only one I have sort of tired of. Oh well, we are all entitled to our own opinions and that is why Primus began in the first place.
March 21, 2007More reviews at Amazon.com ...
(78 reviews)