Les Claypool's Of Fungi and Foe

A Brief History of Les Claypool

Those of you not familiar with Les Claypool then you should. His genius is far reaching and is respected on a high level across the rock and roll community. His bass playing is virtuosic that spans tapping, plucking and bowing metal, funk, punk and rock rhythms. He is best known for playing in and leading the band Primus. Songs like "Jerry the Race Car Driver", "John the Fisherman" and "Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver" are the most famous Primus songs. There last full length album was in 1999, Antipop, and they have only toured sporadically and recorded an EP once since that time. During the start of the millennium Claypool’s focus has been on his side projects (I say that because Primus is one of my favorite bands and I yearn for a new full length album). The bands/projects include Les Claypoool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade, his current band, the movie The Quest for Festeroo and a book coined South of the Pumphouse.

Les Claypool’s current band is Sam Bass on cello, Mike Dillon on vibraphone/percussion and Paulo Baldi on drums in which he recorded the album Of Fungi and Foe as well as being his touring band. Of Fungi and Foe was inspired by writing music for the video game Mushroom Men and the movie Pig Hunt. With a cello and a vibraphone accompanying him it allows exploration of music that is darker, creepier and earthier then past projects. The drums are muddy, his vocals mysterious, the cello eerie and the vibraphones add a cheesy yet talented element to round out the band.



Of Fungi and Foe

Of Fungi and Foe opens with the psychadelic “Mushrooom Men” that boasts the crazy four string Whammola that Claypool plays with a drum stick, dark tom based drums from Baldiand chirpy vibraphone. This track sets the tone for the rest of the album in both its lyrics, strange rhythms and psychadelic inspiration. “Amanitas” is one of my favorite tracks on the album as it reminds me of Primus and I truly enjoy the cello on this track. The lyrics on “Amanitas” draw me in because of lines like “I can feel your poison” referring to the fact that amanitas can alter your state of mind. “Red State Girl” will probably draw the ears of unlikely listeners because of its reference to Sarah Palin.

Throughout this album you can hear the influence Tom Waits has had on Claypool. Listen to Tom waits album Alice as a reference. “Booneville Stomp” features an acoustic bass that exudes a dancy tapped bass line with hi-hat rhythms and dark toms looming in the background. “You can’t Tell Erol Anything” speaks about a man who was a jack of all trades and joined a prog rock band which highlights the storytelling ability of Claypool. The cello bows in and out of “Erol” in a swirling manner with the vibraphone painting notes on the top of the song. “Primed by 29” is a bit heavier and a barely heard snare drum makes an appearance. “29” features the entire band babbling through lyric sections and on others Claypool chanting lines like “Gee what a terrible song, stinks like big wet donkey dong.”

Over all this album is fantastically original through its zany lyrics, odd rhythmic bass lines and the addition of a cello to Claypool’s already strange band.


Les Claypool @ The House of Blues Boston - The Oddity Faire
March 26, 2009

Seeing Les Claypool in Boston was the second time I was able to catch him on his current tour called The Oddity Faire. Saul Williams and The Secret Chiefs 3 opened the show and added to the mayhem of both evenings I attended. Seeing a hip-hop band, a eastern influenced metal band and Claypool was quite the experience.

Claypool’s band touted masks throughout the entire show that looked like former presidents. I noticed W. Bush on the vibes and tricky Dick on the Cello but wasn’t able to identify the third president on the drums. Claypool started the show in a mask with a long white nose and throughout the show he changed to a pig, monkey and Elvis. Claypool featured his six string bass, whammola, acoustic bass, banji bass and stand up bass.

The set opener “Buzzards of Green hill” was from his Frog Brigade days and a handful or so Of Fungi and Foe tracks were played. Including highlights like “Amanitas”, “Red State Girl” and “Booneville Stomp.” He played “One Better” from his last album Of Whale and Woe and went as far back as his Holy Mackerel bands 1996 song “Hendershot”.

In both Boston and Salt Lake City there was a drum solo interlude that blended into Mushroom Men that followed Mor. Following the drum solos in he brought out three of the members from Morphine and played one of their tunes. Throughout the set list he teased a few Primus bass lines; “Mr. Krinkle” and “Bob’s Party Time Lounge”. He started the encore by playing “Iowan Girl” solo on Banji bass and then ending the night with “Fisticuffs” from Primus’ Brown Album! What a show, I was so pumped he played a Primus track!

Track List:

Buzzards of Green Hill – Long White Nose Mask
Amanitas
Cosmic highway
Red State Girl – Mr. Krinkle tease - Pig Mask
Hendershot
Who Can Tell Erol Anything
Booneville Stomp
Drums/Vibes solos
Mushroom Men
Morphine song
One Better – Bob’s Party time tease
---- encore break
Iowan Girl – Elvis Mask
Fisticuffs