Primus Tracks
Primus Tracks chronicles the recordings of the rock band Primus, one track at a time. Join Josh, Frankie, & Primus friend/assistant Tim Soya as they create the ultimate Primus companion - for beginners and hardcore fans alike.
Episodes
October 13, 2025 • 36 mins
This week, we tackle a track that could easily appear on a Tom Waits record, most notably Real Gone, which Les Claypool actually guested on. There's something about the percussive backbeat and dirty upright that screams Waits, but Les puts his own spin on it with tripped-out high register upright and clean vocals. Josh and Frankie agree that this is one of the more memorable tracks from the record so far, and the lyrical story, whi...
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October 6, 2025 • 37 mins
On this OFAF track, Les Claypool ponders what one of his heroes might do in numerous situations around a trip to London in which the airline loses Les's luggage, he's without UK currency, but he gets to screen a film with George Martin in the room and parties with George's son Giles until Les's pal Jason pukes on someone. It's certainly not your standard Claypool lyrical fare! Tune in to learn a bit about George Martin and why LC m...
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September 29, 2025 • 28 mins
The fourth track of the Of Fungi and Foe record, Boonville Stomp was composed specifically for the film Pig Hunt, which takes place in and around Boonville in the woods of northern California. Les Claypool has a small role in the film, as well, if you're at all curious. This tune has cinematic elements to it, which stands to reason. Does it all come together as a standalone song for an album? That's the question we grapple with in ...
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September 23, 2025 • 38 mins
Remember 2008? What do you mean, you'd rather not? Yeah, me either, but Les Claypool won't let us forget the person who helped define the year and the followers who molded themselves in her image, or something like that. Red State Girl is a curious track with a music video and a live performance on national TV to boot, so it qualifies for the lead track from Of Fungi and Foe, as well as the first track on the album not to be music ...
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September 15, 2025 • 44 mins
Fungi or Foe? Both! Amanitas is another cautionary tale that has a few unexpected twists and turns. It's another tune originally intended for the Mushroom Men soundtrack repurposed for release on OFAF. Mushrooms sure are wacky!
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September 8, 2025 • 34 mins
Of Fungi and Foe's opening track is solidly on the Fungi side, as the music for this track is exactly as Les Claypool conceived and recorded it for the Mushroom Men video game, with vocals added to the album version. We sample the video game music, instrumentation, and get behind the story of the lyrics, and evaluate the tune as a harbinger for the record, and try to categorize it for the Claypool catalog, because that's, I guess, ...
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September 1, 2025 • 36 mins
As we chug along in the Claypool chronology, it's time to address 2009's Of Fungi and Foe, the second album to be credited simply to Les Claypool. Frankie has it on regular rotation; Josh listened to it once upon release, wasn't interested, and shelved it. WILL THIS SOW DIVISION IN PRIMUS TRACKS TOWERS? No, but it will provide a study in contrasts as the album unfolds.
In this week's overview we provide the contemporary context for...
In this week's overview we provide the contemporary context for...
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August 25, 2025 • 81 mins
At long last, we welcome the legendary Toaster to Primus Tracks. Toaster is a prolific Primus/Les taper who started toasterland.com over 20 years ago as a respository for show recordings and a way to catalog performances for the masses. It's proved to be a priceless resource to hardcore fans, and we reference it regularly on the podcast.
Toaster joins to share his experience at Tipitina's in New Orleans 2003, where the Frog Brigade...
Toaster joins to share his experience at Tipitina's in New Orleans 2003, where the Frog Brigade...
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August 18, 2025 • 45 mins
Primus have completed their first headlining tour with drummer John Hoffman, who has been plenty busy since his hire in January 2025. This latest tour spanned 25 dates in 24 cities over 35 days, in which the band played 47 different songs! We dig into those numbers, the stage production, and the general excitement from the fanbase as Les, Ler, and Hoffer made a mad dash across the United States to establish live rapport, continue t...
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July 28, 2025 • 82 mins
Sometimes, Primus Tracks listeners have questions that we cannot answer, and that's when we fire up the Soya Signal for a round of your queries. Soya joins from yet another hotel room, this time teching for Oasis, and if you've seen their tour schedule, you know the man has some time to fill. Questions this time range from Primus lyrics to beer to skateboarding to perms and Taco Bell.
Do you have a question for Tim Soya? Leave a voi...
Do you have a question for Tim Soya? Leave a voi...
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July 21, 2025 • 56 mins
Tim Wright drummed in Primus from 1986-1988 as Primus gained a larger following in the Bay Area, and played a key role in helping advance the band's fortunes via endless practice and rehearsals and a grinding gigging schedule. Tim shares sme wild stories from that time period, the origins of his nickname, and some watershed moments from his own band, Curveball. Thanks to Tim for taking the time. Great talk!
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July 14, 2025 • 48 mins
Jordan Kravitz recently joined the Primus crew to photograph some 2024 dates, including New Year's Eve. He's currently out capturing the band on numerous dates of the 2025 Onward & Upward tour, bringing us our first comprehensive look at John Hoffman in the Primus drum chair. Jordan disucsses how he got the gig, his approach to capturing the energy and presentation of the music, dealing with dim stage lighting, and how being a ...
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July 7, 2025 • 55 mins
Dave Kloc is a prolific artist who designs posters for a wide variety of artists, but when PRIMUS comes calling, he ups his game. Enjoy a peek behind his creative process and unique approach to making these lasting images. This episode is best experienced on video at patreon.com/primustracks
Find Dave at www.davekloc.com and @davekloc on the socials.
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Find Dave at www.davekloc.com and @davekloc on the socials.
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July 3, 2025 • 28 mins
We conclude our Of Whales And Woe coverage with this sendoff instrumental that airs a bit of mystery with its abrupt conclusion and sound samples/field recordings. We take a stab at what it might all mean, but perhaps it's just a bit of wordplay. Final thoughts on OWAW, and a preview of what's to come.
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June 23, 2025 • 54 mins
Sam Stewart of Flagman returns to discuss Filipino Ray, an acrobatic bass jaunt that comprises the penultimate track of Of Whales and Woe. The bass lines go hard, but there is a lot of open space as well, which can be tricky for many musicians. Sam helps us with those intricacies, and regales with his own tales of whales and woe around procuting and hearing this record for the first time. We also share what we know about Ray Wing, ...
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June 16, 2025 • 32 mins
We all know about the South Park theme, but were you aware that Les Claypool wrote and performed the theme to Robot Chicken, another long-running animated television program? Probably. We discuss his involvement in the show theme, its inclusion on this record, and Frankie takes the "miscellaneous instrumentation" quiz.
Bob with keyboards: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raehRGepI4w&t=6546s
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Bob with keyboards: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raehRGepI4w&t=6546s
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June 9, 2025 • 50 mins
The hips of the record have arrived! This utterly accessible, catchy track doubles as a slice-of-life study of a commercial fisherman, whose solace is the sea, despite its diminishing economic returns. We weigh how officially unofficial this track stands as a Fisherman's Chronicle, and and explain why it's the most-performed track from the record, although that's fairly clear to aficionados.
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June 2, 2025 • 46 mins
The great Kello Gonzalez returns to the podcast on short notice to discuss Nothin' Ventured, which we interpret as our version of a Les Claypool motivational speech, particularly because the spirit of the song (bass solos) and lyrics (taking risks to achieve something) mirrors what LEs did with his career path. IT's also chock-full of cultural idioms amd a sneaky masturbation joke; everyone's favorite Claypoolism.
Kello demonstrate...
Kello demonstrate...
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May 27, 2025 • 46 mins
Les Claypool's ode to his wife, Chaney, starts side two of Of Whales and Woe, and there's certainly no woe to be found in this joyous track, which reflects the irrational emotional highs of fulfilled love, through the Claypool lens. Josh, a native Iowan, sheds some light on the lyrical references and discusses agricultural exports, because that's all Iowans talk about aside from the weather.
We also play an excerpt from Les's book ...
We also play an excerpt from Les's book ...
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May 19, 2025 • 81 mins
This week, we offer up a commentary track on the hour-long Primus Interstellar Drum Derby finale. Receiving this much video footage of the band auditioning, practicing, rehearsing, jamming, and recording music is so rewarding after years of shelved video-based projects.
You can join in the fun by simply listening in, syncing the youtube video with the podcast ep at the 12:52 mark in the audio, or viewing the synced video at the Pat...
You can join in the fun by simply listening in, syncing the youtube video with the podcast ep at the 12:52 mark in the audio, or viewing the synced video at the Pat...
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