Primus -
Hallucino-Genetics
(Live 2004)
Performance
Production
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Primus -
Hallucino-Genetics
Performance
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OK, I like my weird music as much as the next guy - Faith No More, King Crimson, Steve Vai and the like - but Primus are just one taste I have been unable to acquire so far. Maybe someday. Primus are basically a vehicle for Les Claypool's extraordinary bass gymnastics, which just so happen to be backed by some killer drumming, and some pretty decent guitar. It is all too common for the lead guitarist to be the dominant focal point in a band, especially in a trio, but rarely is the bassist the frontman. There are/were plenty of other famous bass players who you could almost call lead bassists, John Entwistle, Billy Sheehan, and Stanley Clarke come to mind, but this style is more common in the jazz/fusion realm - then again, you probably could lump Primus into the fusion category. I am, admittedly, not a huge fan of Primus's music. Claypool's nasally, cartoonish, vocals are just way too grating on my ears. As with Rush's Geddy Lee, opinions of his vocals elicit feelings of violent repulsion to fanatical love. While I usually enjoy Lee's singing, although the mid-70's stuff was a bit piercing, Claypool's I can't stand. So why the hell did I spend my hard earned money on this DVD? Well, I was taking my payday stroll through Tower Records a few months back, browsing the bargain CD bins and music DVD isle, when there sitting in the new release section was Hallucino-Genetics (Live 2004) staring me in the face - and selling for a ridiculous $9.99! I could have scrounge up that much coin from under the seats in my car. So of course I shelled out the $10.49 ( F'ing taxes!) to give this one a shot, and to make the decision even easier, Primus' performance goes on for over two and one-half hours. Now that is a frigging bargain, whether you like the band or not. You almost have to buy it just for the deal. Hallucino-Genetics was recorded during Primus' last US concert in June, 2004 at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago. This tour was certainly something special for longtime fans of the band, as the second set of the show was dedicated to the entire Frizzle Fry album, their first studio release from 1990. The stage was set up with three giant orbs positioned over each band member, which constantly displayed various bizarre video images. You get a good shot of this on the DVD case. The stage was very dimly lit, and the light show consisted mostly of bright, spotlights and strobes, positioned at the back of the stage, which often completely oversaturated the video. The first set consisted of seven songs, three of which came from Primus' breakthrough album Sailing The Seas Of Cheese, two from the EP that was included with their 2003 DVD Animals Should Not Act Like People, and one each from Pork Soda and Tales From the Punchbowl. Their last three albums Antipop, Rhinoplasty, and The Brown Album were completely ignored. The show started off with two Sailing The Seas Of Cheese favorites "Sgt. Baker" and "American Life" followed by an extended jam version of "My Friend Fats", which allowed Claypool to reveal his liberal political leanings when he gave the crowd some words of wisdom?, "have you gone to see Fahrenheit 9/11 yet? I think you should leave the theater right now, go to your local cinema, and see Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11." I'm not sure which I'd least like to sit through again, Fahrenheit 9/11 or this DVD. Some of these songs are downright dark and disturbing. "Southbound Pachyderm" sounds like a cross between Zeppelin's "Kashmir" and The Doors' "The End". "To Defy The Laws Of Tradition" wants to march you into battle with its hypnotic repetitive grooves, and those are two of the more upbeat songs. There were plenty of notable exclusions from this show including "Tommy the Cat", "Those Damn Blue Collar Tweakers" and "Wynona's Big Brown Beaver", but they did have to limit the hits considering the focus was on the Frizzle Fry performance. Nobody should really complain considering they played for an impressive two and one-half hours. The production quality of the DVD was only average, at best. Both the Dolby Digital 5.1 surround and PCM stereo audio tracks sounded decent, but I thought the vocals got drowned out in the mix at times (not that I minded) and Larry LaLonde had to really fight to be heard over Claypool's frenetic bass strumming. The cameras had trouble coping with the bright lights shining into them from behind the musicians, and the picture was somewhat grainy and not terribly sharp. The camera work captured the concert atmosphere well, although the angle changes were often too quick, and Tim Alexander's excellent drumming was almost completely ignored. I will give Primus some credit where credit is due, they are certainly one of the most original bands to come out in the last twenty years. Have you ever heard someone refer to another band by saying "they sound a little bit like Primus". I didn't think so. They are worth checking out just to hear Claypool reinvent the bass with each new album. Although I didn't particularly enjoy this DVD, I'm certain that Primus fans will eat it up like hot buttered popcorn. Highly recommended to that bunch. Reviewed by Paul M. Roy - June 2005 |
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Technical Details |
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Audio Transfer |
Video Transfer |
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Set One |
Performers |
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Running Time: 152 Minutes |
DVD Release Date - November 2004 |