Primus Pork Soda CD

Primus: Les Claypool (vocals, mandolin, bass); Larry Lalonde (guitar, six-string banjo); Tim "Herb" Alexander (drums).
Personnel: Les Claypool (vocals, mandolin); Larry LaLonde (guitar, banjo); Tim "Herb" Alexander (drums).
Recording information: Ultrasound.
Once audiences got a chance to hear Primus' instantly recognizable sound, driven by Les Claypool's bizarrely virtuosic bass riffs, their audience grew by leaps and bounds. It was enough to make their second major-label album, Pork Soda, one of the strangest records ever to debut in the Top Ten. Stylistically, it isn't much different from Sailing the Seas of Cheese, though the band does stretch out and jam more often. This can result in some overly repetitive sections, since Claypool's riffs are the basis for most of the compositions, but it also showcases the band's ever-increasing level of musicianship. Their ensemble interplay continues to grow in complexity and musicality, and that's really what fans want from a Primus record anyway. The material isn't quite as consistent as Seas of Cheese, though there are numerous high points; among them are "My Name Is Mud," on which Claypool plays his instrument like percussion, and "Mr. Krinkle," where he switches to a bowed upright bass. There are hints of lyrical darkness stripped of the band's usual goofiness (especially in the suicide lament "Bob"), but for the most part, the humor is again split between eccentric character sketches, cheery paranoia, and annoying novelties (with a slightly higher percentage of the latter than before). Still, despite occasional flaws, what makes Pork Soda a success is that the band keeps finding novel variations on their signature sound, even if they never step out of it. ~ Steve Huey
While some longtime Primus fans feel that 1993's PORK SODA was the beginning of the end of the group, it was Primus' biggest commercial success to date, making them part of the 90's alternative rock royalty. Claypool's usually lighthearted lyrics take a turn to the dark side on the murder tale "My Name Is Mud" and the suicidal "Bob," but his biting sense of humor resurfaces on such tracks as "Welcome to this World," "DMV," "Nature Boy," and "Mr. Krinkle." PORK SODA was Primus first album to be recorded in the cushy confines of Les Claypool's house, giving the album a more "made at home" feel and sound than previous releases.Rolling Stone (6/10/93, p.71) - 3 Stars - Good - "...an amalgam of elements that have no reason to be joined together in a sane universe...if you think it's high time surrealism entered the mosh pits of America, PORK SODA just may be your cup of meat..."
Entertainment Weekly (4/23/93, p.58) - "...PORK SODA's alternative-metal- fusion will appeal mostly to folks who like a little fizz with their lard..." - Rating: B
Q (8/93, p.98) - 3 Stars - Good - "...bumptious and highly enjoyable nonsense....Primus' appeal remains rooted in their astounding, renegade technique..."
Melody Maker (5/29/93, p.34) - "...It takes a special kind of insanity to be this good....Primus are purveyors of acrid and idiosyncratic folk tales that are closer to the spirit of Tom Waits than anyone else...."
Musician (6/93, p.90) - "...So the songwriting sucks. So what? Primus' strength is playing..."