SOUNDTRACK: LES CLAYPOOL AND THE HOLY MACKEREL presents High Ball with the Devil (1996).
After making Tales from the Punch Bowl, Primus took a brief hiatus (again). And in that time, Les made a solo album. And it is a full solo album. Les plays all of the instruments on the album. There are some guests, especially on “Holy Mackerel” (the song that feels the most like a full song. Mirv from Limbomaniacs plays on a few songs and Jay Lane plays drums on a few songs. Joe Gore plays guitar on 2 songs and Charlie Hunter plays guitar on “Me and Chuck.” Les is a decent player on the various instruments although the songs with the guests are more robust.
Les said he had a bunch of songs that he felt weren’t quite right for Primus. And I can see what he means. Because, while the voice and bass is unmistakably Primus the album doesn’t sound like Primus.
Having said that, “Running the Gauntlet” does sound like a ditty (1:36) that Primus might play between longer songs. “Holy Mackerel” feels like it could be a Primus song, but not exactly–there’s something slightly different about it.
But really once you get to “Highball with the Devil” the disc takes on more of a solo feel with Les playing in different but established styles–things that just wouldn’t really work within Primus. “Highball with the Devil” has a fun bass riff and simple guitars. I really like it and you can see why he didn’t give it to Primus. “Hendershot” is a kind of surf rock song (Mirv on guitar). It’s really fun “Calling Kyle” has some good music to it, but I don’t really like the vocal delivery.
“Rancor” is a faster song (only 1:22) with Les’ crazy vocals. “Cohibas Esplenditos” features the electric bowed backsaw (from Mirv) and a cool guitar and bass riff. “Delicate Tendrils” has a very heavy guitar sound and a simple bass riff. It is the backing sound for a Henry Rollins story. Rollins is recorded low in the mix, which makes his story sound more like mumbling and is therefore less effective. The fact that it is the dark and violent Rollins, not the funny Rollins makes it seem too dark for Les, even if the music works for it.
“The Wakening” features Jay Lane on drums and is a simple slap bass funk song. “Precipitation” and “George E. Porge” are both solid songs. “El Sobrante Fortnight” is a fun story song with a good funk bass and Mirv’s cool guitars. The disc ends with “Carolina Rig” which features Les playing one of his interesting riffs over a sample from a fishing show.
Despite the fact that the album cover makes it look like an entirely homemade (and done cheaply) affair, the quality of the recording and of the songs is quite high. It’s a good way to see what else Les can do.
[READ: January 12, 2015] “Rosendale”
I had read a few things from La Farge before. And in looking at my post about “Another Life” from 2012 I see that April P (the main character in this story) was a bartender in the previous story.
April P returns in this story as the main character–a girl who had worked as a bartender but has moved to Rosendale to get away from the busy life of Boston and to settle in as April P, writer. She is living with a woman named Dara. Dara is a potter and, unhappily for April P, she is a very handsy (April P. is convinced that Dara wants her).
April has been writing a novel called The Bar Girl, but since she has moved to Rosendale, she can’t seem to focus on it. Dara had invited her to work at the ceramics store, but she said no way. Rather, she began working at a strip joint (her only friend, Jenny, works there and said it was easy money–and it is–it’s like moving around with no clothes on). Dara greatly disapproves of course.
I loved the way the story was constructed. After the first section (in which we learned all of the above) the next section begins: “But this is all background information. The actual story of Rosendale begins on a rainy Monday evening in March.” (more…)
I Just Read About That... 