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1.  Prelude to a Crawl
2.  Hennepin Crawler
3.  Last Salmon Man
     (Fisherman’s Chronicles Part IV)
4.  Eternal Consumption Engine
5.  Tragedy’s a Comin
6.  Eyes of the Squirrel
7.  Jilly’s on Smack
8.  Lee Van Cleef
9.  Moron TV
10.  Green Ranger
11.  HOINFODAMAN
12.  Extinction Burst
13.  Salmon Men

Total playing time:  50:46

Release Date: September 13, 2011
Label: ATCO/Prawn Song Records

Primus - Green Naugahyde

Reviewer: J. A. Burt

November 15, 2011

Primus is, by now, a band that should really need no introduction.  Truly outsiders in the modern music scene, they’ve delighted and entertained listeners possessed of more opened minds with their unique brand of off-beat, often off-kilter art for more than a quarter century.  From their more metallically inclined beginnings through their humble and deserved commercial successes Les Claypool and company could always be counted on to do what others won’t, and sound like no one else ever could.  Following a rather lengthy absence from recording, Primus has returned with their best effort in years in the fantastic Green Naugahyde. 

For their first record in 12 years, Primus returns with a new drummer, who is actually one of their earliest drummers Jay Lane, and his effect on the band’s sound is palpable as Green Naugahyde features some of the absolute funkiest material they’ve ever recorded.  The incredible “Tragedy’s a Comin” is astonishing in its laid back whilst riotous groove and the track goes over incredibly well in the live setting amongst their more well known material.  “Lee Van Cleef”, an ode to the grizzled man’s man of an actor of yore is another absolute festival of funk featuring some reliably excellent LaLonde soloing that demands repeated listens.  Other than the main riff of “HOINFODAMAN”, the album is surprisingly sparse as far as any actual metal goes, but you already listen to plenty of damn metal so you can get that anytime.  That’s not to say, however, that everything’s cheery on Green Naugahyde.  Darker territories are tread on the somewhat depressing “Jilly’s on Smack” and the sardonic “Eyes of the Squirrel” wherein Les lays down some scathing attacks on pop culture, and while past works’ critiques and satires of societal folly were often somewhat shrouded in abstract or more passive-aggressive lyrics, he’s far more plain spoken and specific in his attacks on this record.  Claypool’s bass mastery is, naturally, all over this record, and to be honest, it’s almost pointless to list the instances of amazement at his skill, besides the fact that a large part of the fun of hearing a new Primus album for the first time, is to wait to be left in disbelief at the sounds the man is able to wring out of the instrument so many bands leave on the back burner.

For the most part, anyone who was ever a fan (even if you wrote them off years ago) will enjoy this album.  A fantastic comeback.