Issue #31: Primus – Sailing the Seas of Cheese

Released:  May 14th, 1991

Recorded:  January 1991

Genre:  Alternative Metal, Funk Metal

Record Label:  Interscope

Duration:  45:43

Producer:  Primus

Personnel

Track Listing

Singles

Why Sailing the Seas of Cheese is One of My Favorites

I can’t really say that I’ve kept up with Primus during the past 10 years or so, but back during the 90’s, Primus was like alternative-alternative.  These guys slowly gained exposure of the years, most notably as the guys who sang the South Park theme song and a couple of appearances in the Guitar Hero series.  Though Primus was at their peak of popularity during the 90’s, their widespread mainstream exposure tended to be occluded by grunge, alternative rock, and later, nu-metal.  Maybe it wasn’t the most radio friendly music available, though it is sort of catchy in its own way.

Primus, and especially Sailing the Seas of Cheese had a lot of unique aspects.  Claypool’s bizarre vocals made up a large part of the equation, followed by the band’s adoption of rhythms rooted in funk mixed with a recognizable rock facade.  Musically, Claypool virtually redefined the role of the bass guitar in rock music.  It’s a shame that more bands didn’t take the hint, but at least Primus showed us that there was more to the bass than acting as an extension of the guitar and/or drums.  (Fieldy of Korn does deserve some credit for primarily using the slap technique and turning the instrument into a whole new percussive element as well.)

And it’s indeed these funky rhythms that drive the album.  Most songs have a jumpy, choppy sound to them because of how the louder instrumentation enters and exits abruptly, “Here Come the Bastards” being the most obvious illustration of such a rhythm.  “Eleven” has a very peculiar time signature to boot.  Much of the guitar and lead bass parts imitate the quick notes and the high plucking/twangy sound indigenous to funk music in general.

Not only is the bass more prominent, but it’s used in a totally different way.  In songs like “It’s Luck,” “Jerry Was a Race Car Driver,” and also “American Life” to an extent, the relationship of lead guitar and bass is flipped on its head.  Even in songs that do have noticeable bass lines, it still acts as a compliment to the lead guitar which usually carries the most focus.  In the above songs, the bass is played in a more midtone range and takes center stage, and the high pitched guitar acts as the less-melodic accompaniment.  Other songs (“Those Damned Blue-Collar Tweekers,” “Fish On”) take a more traditional instrumental approach with crunch guitar chords providing the rhythm.

Claypool’s strange vocals only serve to enhance the weird stories wrapped up in Sailing the Seas of Cheese.  It’s not easy to understand his every word (particularly with his rapid-fire delivery on “Tommy the Cat”), but having some lyrics really draws all the “craziness” of the album together; Primus is almost completely absurdist in their approach to songwriting.  “Jerry Was a Race Car Driver” serves a cautionary tale about drunk driving with a mediocre race car driver at the center and also throws in a random verse about a fireman who didn’t want to retire when he was forced to.  “Tommy the Cat” relates the story of a great mouse-catching cat meeting his mate in an alley, based presumably on his reputation.  “Seas of Cheese” serves as an invitation to the listener, suggesting that if everything normal isn’t your speed, Primus is worth your time.   “Sgt. Baker” is a fairly stereotypical portrayal of a drill sergeant, complete with a reference to Full Metal Jacket.

I guess “stories” might not be the right word for these songs now that I’m attempting to condense the lyrics; the point is that they don’t speak to any wider social or political issues, broken hearts, anger, etc.  It’s almost as if the point of these songs is to have no point at all.

Honestly, I’ve always thought of Sailing the Seas of Cheese as one single unit.  It’s been quite a while since I’ve sat down and tried to pick at one track or another, mostly because all the tracks flow together as a whole quite nicely.  There’s a bit of pure novelty wrapped up in this album, though I can’t deny how much fun the music is.  This is another one of those albums that is best taken at face value.  It’s an impressive display of musicianship, and puts a very unique twist on something recognizable.  I wish it ran a little deeper at times, but when I need an album that says “goofy” or “silly,” Sailing the Seas of Cheese more than does the trick.

Written by The Cubist

Other albums from Primus in this series:

• 1997 – Brown Album – Issue #80

Back to The Cubist’s 90’s Albums

Written by The Cubist

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I collect as much video gaming paraphernalia as I can get my hands on, especially when it comes to hardware. With over 40 systems including oldies like the ColecoVision and Intellivision, obscurities like the CD-i and 3DO, and the latest and greatest including the Wii U, PS4, Xbox One, 3DS, and PS Vita, I get easily overwhelmed. Most of the time you can find me firmly nestled sometime between 1985 and 1995 when it comes to my games of choice, but I’m also having a great time seeing what the 8th generation has to offer.

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