Primus Songs Ranked
Primus is an American funk metal band formed in El Sobrante, California in 1984. The band is currently composed of bassist/vocalist Les Claypool, guitarist Larry “Ler” LaLonde, and drummer Tim “Herb” Alexander. Primus originally formed in 1984 with Claypool and guitarist Todd Huth, later joined by drummer Jay Lane, though the latter two departed the band at the end of 1988. Featuring LaLonde and Alexander, Primus recorded the live album Suck on This in 1989, followed by four studio albums: Frizzle Fry, Sailing the Seas of Cheese, Pork Soda, and Tales from the Punchbowl. Alexander left the band in 1996, replaced by Bryan “Brain” Mantia, and Primus went on to record the original theme song for the TV show South Park and two more albums, Brown Album and Antipop, before declaring a hiatus in 2000.
In 2003, Claypool and LaLonde reunited with Alexander and released a DVD/EP, Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People, before touring sporadically through 2009. In 2010, Lane rejoined Primus, replacing Alexander, and the band released their seventh album, Green Naugahyde, in 2011. In 2013, Lane left the band to focus on other projects, and Alexander rejoined once again. They have released some of their records on Claypool’s own label Prawn Song Records. Primus is characterized by its irreverent, quirky approach to music. In 1993, Robert Christgau remarked: “[Primus is] quite possibly the strangest top-10 band ever, and good for them.” Here are all of Primus’ albums ranked.
Don’t miss out on the music of Primus below! Click to check the5. songs that influenced the nu-metal genre of the ’80s!
20. My Friend Fats (Animals Should Not Try To Act Like People, 2003)
“It feels so villain. Its like the idea was to make them feel like this dark brotherhood. Each with their own unique style and sinister presence.”
19. Frizzle Fry (Frizzle Fry, 1990)
“Frizzle Fry is truly the moment Primus became Primus. There is still some loose segments to this album, such as the poor sound production and some downsides to SOME of the songwriting, but in the end the heaviness, fluidity, and weirdness all make one phenomenal album.”
18. South Park Theme (South Park Theme, 1998)
“You know a band made it big when they made the theme song to one of the most well known shows of all time.”
17. Mr. Know It All (Frizzle Fry, 1990)
“I love how playful the lyrics and concepts are, Too many puppies is such a funny track to listen to and sing along with. The start and stop concept works great with the odd lyrics about well puppies.”
See more: Primus Albums Ranked
16. Lacquer Head (Antipop, 1999)
“Such a unique and solid bass line, combined with a very climactic chorus, make this a favorite primus song in my book. Not to mention the high speed bass solo in after the first chorus. An impressive composition overall.”
15. The Toys Go Winding Down (Frizzle Fry, 1990)
“My favourite by a good stretch, superb basslines, great dynamic changes, trippy music video and best of all great album.”
14. Professor Nutbutter’s House of Treats (Tales from the Punchbowl, 1995)
“This song is so catchy. I mean, they all are, but right now, I’d give this #1. Also, the video rules. Gotta love anything edgy enough to be banned from MTV. Solid bassline and drums”
13. Mr. Krinkle (Pork Soda, 1993)
“Really couldn’t choose one song to vote, but this is one of my favorite and cannot be down here. Old Primus are the best.”
12. Southbound Pachyderm (Tales from the Punchbowl, 1995)
“One of Primus’s darkest pieces. Great bassline all throughout, but nearing the end the bassline becomes incredibly powerful.”
11. Shake Hands with Beef (Brown Album, 1997)
“Anyone who plays bass can hear this line and appreciate it. Easy to learn, hard to master. Still trying to figure it out.”
10. Fish On (Sailing the Seas of Cheese, 1991)
“Tasty banjo intro, then nice groove with light lyrics about fishing. And after this part, a long, excellent bass solo follows. This song finishes with a repetition of the chorus. They really nailed it, as usual.”
9. Those Damned Blue Collared Tweekers (Sailing the Seas of Cheese, 1991)
“Have to listen to it live to fully appreciate it! One of the overlooked songs compared to their most well known hits but still one of the best”
8. American Life (Sailing the Seas of Cheese, 1991)
“Look, I’m not a primus fan and I don’t like their music but I can’t deny that this is a good song. It’s got everything from the killer bass to the guitar shred and the lyrics. This is the only primus track I like and it’s for a good reason”
7. DMV (Pork Soda, 1993)
“It’s catchy, and it demonstrates how awesome Les Claypool is, and how down to earth he is compared to other artists out there.”
See more: Testament Albums Ranked
6. Too Many Puppies (Frizzle Fry, 1990)
“This song is so good that Korn had to copy the intro. I love this song because even though the metaphor may seem silly it perfectly conveys his message.”
5. Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver (Tales from the Punchbowl, 1995)
“Fun, obscure, upbeat, nonsensical, quirky, this song is the best song to cheer anyone up. Strange western influences in this song, Larry Lalonde is very underrated!
4. John the Fisherman (Suck on This, 1989)
“The best by far! Love it! Very tight and polished track beats! This song made me want to learn bass and it did well at it.”
3. Jerry Was a Race Car Driver (Sailing the Seas of Cheese, 1991)
“Jerry was a race car driver is a pretty awesome track, it is at least one of the very best songs the ever did (If not the best) the song just kicks total ass, from it’s heavy riffs that sound like stuff Korn would do later on around 1998 on freak on a leash, but luckily for us the singing is not at all nu-metal it is the psychobilly type stuff. This is an alt classic man.”
2.Tommy the Cat (Suck on This, 1989)
“Les Claypool’s bass playing on this song is fantastic on its own, but one of life’s great mysteries is how he plays and sings it at the same time. Incredible song. And It’s even more amazing life with the extended guitar and bass solos, and always going into an epic jam!”
1. My Name is Mud (Pork Soda, 1993)
“Great song, but anybody that thinks this is their best is delusional or uninformed. It’s good but check out Frizzle Fry and Sailing the Seas for the gems. The raw simplistic contagiousness of the bass line combined with the unabashed cold-blooded-ness of the lyrics makes this one hauntingly legendary.”