COLONEL CLAYPOOL’S BUCKET OF BERNIE BRAINS
The Big Eyeball in the Sky
Prawn Song
· It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s….
Spawned by a spontaneous performance at the 2002 Bonnaroo Festival, Colonel Claypool’s Bucket of Bernie Brains was formed under duress when Grateful Dead-ist Bill Laswell no-showed on his prog-rock project Praxis. Luckily for Praxis members Bernie Worrell, Buckethead and Brian (Brain) Mantia, the amiable bass player-vocalist Les Claypool was on hiatus from his platinum-selling band Primus, and volunteered to step in to Laswell’s Birkenstocks. They didn’t have any songs, they didn’t have a set list, they didn’t even have a sound check, but they wowed the crowd and surprised themselves.
Vowing to cut an album together despite conflicting obligations and schedules, the four retreated to the Colonel’s studios in northern California and the results are stellar. And really, could an album recorded at Rancho Relaxo be anything less? Bernie works the funky-insane keyboard magic he became famous for in his days with Parliament, while Guns N Roses alumni Brains and Bucket lay down heavy-ass drum beats and over-the-top Satriani guitar flourishes. As you might expect, Claypool’s own signature loping bass strums and warbling-grandpappy vocals distinctly stamp this venture as one of his many side projects. But in contrast to some of his other loves – the gastronomic burblings of Sausage, the Phishy Oysterhead, and the power-chord mining of Frog Brigade – Colonel Claypool’s Bucket of Bernie Brains stands apart as something quite unique. Launching into an exhaustive 11-track set that comes off very much like the epic, free-jam concert that brought them together, the boys start off with the silly calliope melody "Buckethead," which sees them rising to the bait like a lagoon full of bullfrogs in heat. The follow-up track "Thai Noodles" is pure Claypool, smacking smartly of "My Name is Mud" from Primus’s Pork Soda. As unpredictable as it is entertaining, The Big Eyeball in the Sky encompasses loose rambling numbers such as "Elephant Ghost," which tips the scales at 10 minutes, as well as a barrage of short funky numbers such "Hip Shot From the Slab" and Claypool’s musically inbred ode to George W. Bush, "Junior." In fact, Claypool’s political acumen prompted Bernie to liken the Colonel to his old bandmate George Clinton. Now there’s a mental picture for you! And speaking of mental pictures – just get a load of that gorgeous cover art!
|
Copyright ©2004 FFWD. All rights reserved.