Tales from the Punchbowl

Infobox Album | Name = Tales from the Punchbowl
Type = studio
Artist = Primus


Released = May 23, 1995
Recorded = November 1994 - March 1995
Genre = Alternative rock, progressive rock
Length = 59:35
Label = Interscope
Producer = Primus
Reviews = *Allmusic Rating|4|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:r68e4jj72wau link]
*Robert Christgau rating-Christgau|hm2 [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=Primus link]
Last album ="You Can't Party Without Me"
(1993)
This album = "Tales from the Punchbowl""'
(1995)
Next album = "Brown Album"
(1997) |

"Tales from the Punchbowl" is the fourth studio album by Primus, released on May 23, 1995.

Stylistically, this album chronicles the band breaking away from the thrash metal roots that had been prevalent on their first three full length albums, in favour of a sound very close to psychedelic music (which they had experimented with on their previous album "Pork Soda"), dominated by lengthy, jam oriented songs. The record featured some of guitarist Larry LaLonde's most prolific guitar work.

Though some fans were turned off by the new style, the album was overall well received by fans and critics, and debuted in the Billboard top 10. Wynona's Big Brown Beaver became the band's most popular song to date. Also breaking airwaves was the African poaching protest song Southbound Pachyderm.

A good portion of the songs, fitting the psychedelic mood of the album, are about drugs. "Over The Electric Grapevine", for an example, is about a roadtrip on LSD. The album's title is inspired by the infamous Barrington Hall, a Berkeley dorm where LSD was put into the drinks during parties (the band used the dormitory as an inspiration for the title track off their 1990 studio debut "Frizzle Fry" as well). Claypool also wrote a song about Barrington Hall for the Frog Brigade album "Purple Onion".

This would be the band's last album with Tim Alexander before he rejoined 7 years later. Alexander is said to have grown tired of the direction the songs' lyrics were taking. He left shortly after the1996 tour in which he and Claypool apparently were speaking very littleto one another throughout.

"Punchbowl" was certified Gold shortly after its release.

Track listing

#"Professor Nutbutter's House of Treats" - 7:13
#"Mrs. Blaileen" - 3:19
#"Wynona's Big Brown Beaver" - 4:24
#"Southbound Pachyderm" - 6:22
#"Space Farm" - 1:45
#"Year of the Parrot" - 5:45
#"Hellbound 17 1/2 (Theme From)" - 2:59
#"Glass Sandwich" - 4:05
#"Del Davis Tree Farm" - 3:23
#"De Anza Jig" - 2:26
#"On the Tweek Again" - 4:41
#"Over the Electric Grapevine" - 6:26
#"Captain Shiner" - 1:17

Charts

Album

Singles

Personnel

* Les Claypool - bass, vocals, Bass Banjos
* Larry LaLonde - guitar, 6-stringed Banjos
* Tim Alexander - drums