Mansin Humanity Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 (edited) "Prepare to enter a world of pure imagination this October, as veteran thrash-funk eccentrics Primus release their eighth studio album, a wall to (lickable) wall tribute to the 1971 musical Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. The clanging, ill-angled LP, titled Primus and the Chocolate Factory with the Fungi Ensemble, will be released on October 21st on ATO, but a pre-order is currently available. It will be the first album-length release from the classic, multi-platinum lineup — leader Les Claypool, guitarist Larry Lalonde and drummer Tim "Herb" Alexander — since 1995."I don't think it was until Jaws came along that I was more obsessed with a film," Claypool tells Rolling Stone, "when I started drawing sharks all over my binders and notebooks. Prior to that it was everything Wonka." This tribute — fleshed out with help from Critters Buggin percussionist Mike Dillon and Frog Brigade cellist Sam Bass — is a logical extension of Primus' Wonka-themed performance in Oakland last New Year's Eve."As we started putting it together, especially with the expanded soundscape of having string and vibraphone and marimba, it started sounding to me like one of the early Peter Gabriel records meets Dark Side of the Moon meets the Residents," says Claypool. "That's what I get out of it. Obviously that's some big-ass horn-tooting to be doing."The album clatters and spurts unlike any Primus record thanks to Alexander's percussion set-up — instead of a drumkit, he's in the center of what Claypool describes as "a giant circle, or a pile of things to bang on.""He's so musical at what he does, and he can be very orchestral when he wants to be, and taking him off a traditional kit just brought forth these sounds that we've just never gotten from him before," says Claypool. "If you saw this kit, you'd laugh your ass off. He couldn't get in and out of it. We'd open up a portion of it and shove him in there and then lock him in with other pieces of things."Alexander rejoins Primus after last touring with them in 2008. He started a family in Northern Washington and, as Claypool heard, had quit playing drums altogether. A long phone call spurred a studio reunion nearly two decades in the making, but was recently sidelined after Alexander suffered a heart attack. He's currently working on what should be a speedy recovery before Primus launches a Chocolate Factory tour in October. "He was very adamant, before he went under the knife, that we not change anything that has to do with scheduling of Wonka," says Claypool. "So he's all about it."Claypool suspects the tour will mirror the New Year Eve performance, a "stripped down, old school, nightclub Primus set" before opening the curtain to reveal the chocolate room for a full run-through of the Wonka material. "We're also talking about doing a matinee stage production of it, for kids," he says. "We're gonna do an early show that's only the Wonka thing — and it'll be a short show 'cause kids have a short attention span."In addition, fans may be able to looks forward to the return of the Primus candy bars made by Pennslyvania's Asher's Chocolates — a hot sell at the Oakland show — including Mr. Krinkle (crisped rice), Professor Nutbutter (peanuts) and Bastard Bar (dark chocolate)."The tour and the album are solely a marketing tool just so we can sell candy bars," jokes Claypool. "That's the whole impetus of this entire project. Because the fucking recording industry rolled over and let this Internet shit all over us. So we had to come up with another income stream, so we're making chocolate bars because you can't digitize a chocolate bar — yet."The album will also be available on chocolate-colored vinyl and feature, naturally, five golden ones appropriately scattered about at random. "We need to make sure that kids in the future watch the original Willy Wonka and not the horrendous, horrible remake that came along and left the taste of feces in our mouths," says Claypool. "There are a lot of very talented people on the planet. And Tim Burton and Johnny Depp are two of those very talented people. But like all human beings, every now and then, we crap in our pants."Primus Tour Dates:October 22 - Upper Darby, PA @ Tower Theatre October 24 - Albany, NY @ Palace Theatre October 25 - Boston, MA @ Orpheum Theatre October 26 - Burlington, VT @ Flynn Center for Performing Arts October 28 - Waterbury, CT @ Palace Theater October 29 - Baltimore, MD @ Hippodrome October 31 - New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre November 1 - New Brunswick, NJ @ State Theatre November 2 - Rochester, NY @ Main Street Armory November 3 - Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore Detroit November 5 - St. Louis, MO @ Peabody Opera House November 7 - Cincinnati, OH @ Taft Theatre November 8 - Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle November 9 - Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock Live November 11 - Miami Beach, FL @ The Fillmore Miami Beach at The Jackie Gleason Theater November 12 - Clearwater, FL @ Ruth Eckerd Hall November 14 - Biloxi, MS @ Hard Rock Hotel & Casino November 15 - Austin, TX @ ACL live at the Moody TheaterNovember 16 - Dallas, TX @ The Majestic Theatre November 17 - San Antonio, TX @ Majestic Theatre November 19 - Phoenix, AZ @ Orpheum Theatre Phoenix November 21 - Los Angeles, CA @ Orpheum Theatre LAListen to Pure Imagination: Link to article: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/classic-primus-lineup-reunites-for-wild-willy-wonka-album-tour-candy-20140729Holy SHIT I am excited for this.Update 10/15: Listen to the album streaming here - http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/arts/music/pressplay.html?artist=Primus&album=Primus%20amp%20The%20Chocolate%20Factory Edited October 15, 2014 by Mansin Humanity Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zint Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 Well that sounds like a trip!Oh man, they're in Orlando a week after I leave...damn! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mansin Humanity Posted July 29, 2014 Author Share Posted July 29, 2014 (edited) FYI - tickets are on sale now on the Primus website (http://www.primusville.com/). Just got 5th row for the Boston show Edited July 29, 2014 by Mansin Humanity Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Sabbath Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 Probably shouldn't have spent the money, but just bought front row tickets (on the end) for the Baltimore show.Whatever. Figure I missed them last time and I just listened to Pure Imagination like 3 times, so I won't miss this! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luciusfunk Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 Looks like all tickets in Dallas are $45.50. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zint Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 I'm sure this will hit Toronto at some point, I might try for that one if it happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mansin Humanity Posted October 15, 2014 Author Share Posted October 15, 2014 The album is fucking weird/awesome:http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/arts/music/pressplay.html?artist=Primus&album=Primus%20amp%20The%20Chocolate%20Factory Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Sabbath Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 Had to sell my tickets for the Baltimore show I'll have to catch them another time, though it probably won't be a special thing like this... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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