The Grand Pecking Order

Amazon.com
It's not difficult to see why Trey Anastasio (of Phish) and Les Claypool (of Primus) have a musical attraction to each other: they both revel in a balance of technical proficiency and head-spinning absurdity. Of course, Frank Zappa was a pioneer in this realm and you can hear his influence throughout. With former Police drummer Stewart Copeland on board as the third accomplice, Oysterhead pretty much wear out the lines between creativity and self-indulgence, between the clever and the goofy--a fact that is not at all surprising given the histories of Anastasio and Claypool, neither of whom are known for their self-editing abilities. Still, Oysterhead earns considerable points for the level of musicianship, originality, and sheer abandon of the project. And Copeland seems liberated by the setting, showing ingenuity and dexterity in driving these ultra-quirky tunes. In the end, this mix of clunky funk and decadent weirdness is maddening almost as much as it is rewarding, but The Grand Pecking Order has a sinister futuristic quality that is simply too peculiar to ignore. --Marc Greilsamer

The Grand Pecking Order,Oysterhead,Elektra / Wea,Funk,Jam Bands,Pop,Prog-Rock/Art Rock,Rock,Rock/Pop

The Grand Pecking Order

Average customer rating:

Cohesive trio of three strong musicians
Primish?
Amazing effort
Claypool Dominates . . . As Usual
When all else has been done and said...

The Grand Pecking Order
Oysterhead
Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music

Rock Jam Bands | Jam Bands | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Funk | R&B | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B00005OL93
Release Date: 2001-10-02

Tracks:

Little Faces
Oz is Ever Floating
Mr. Oysterhead
Shadow Of A Man
Radon Balloon
Army's On Ecstasy
Rubberneck Lions
Polka Dot Rose
Birthday Boys
Wield The Spade
Pseudo Suicide
The Grand Pecking Order
Owner Of The World

Amazon.com

It's not difficult to see why Trey Anastasio (of Phish) and Les Claypool (of Primus) have a musical attraction to each other: they both revel in a balance of technical proficiency and head-spinning absurdity. Of course, Frank Zappa was a pioneer in this realm and you can hear his influence throughout. With former Police drummer Stewart Copeland on board as the third accomplice, Oysterhead pretty much wear out the lines between creativity and self-indulgence, between the clever and the goofy--a fact that is not at all surprising given the histories of Anastasio and Claypool, neither of whom are known for their self-editing abilities. Still, Oysterhead earns considerable points for the level of musicianship, originality, and sheer abandon of the project. And Copeland seems liberated by the setting, showing ingenuity and dexterity in driving these ultra-quirky tunes. In the end, this mix of clunky funk and decadent weirdness is maddening almost as much as it is rewarding, but The Grand Pecking Order has a sinister futuristic quality that is simply too peculiar to ignore. --Marc Greilsamer

Customer Reviews:

Cohesive trio of three strong musicians.......2007-01-21

I wound up getting this disc and Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains in the same shipment, so it becomes hard to talk about one without referring to the other.

Oysterhead is the joining of three very suprising forces: Les Claypool of Primus, Trey Anastasio of Phish and Stewart Copeland of The Police. Claypool has long established his wonderful oddity-stature in music by combining the aura of sea shanties with the virtuosity of Frank Zappa with the humor and off-kilterness of The Residents, topped off with a dollop of punk-funk. Anastasio, as a part of Phish, has long cemented a reputation of jam with humor, making them a version of The Grateful Dead that is a lot more fun to listen to. And Copeland may not have been the most visible of The Police (Sting, no doubt, took care of that), but his experiments in sound with his post-Police soundtrack work has made him a quiet force in percussion.

And surprisingly, this trio really melds well into a sound that clearly has characteristics of all three, but does not come across as a bunch of characters trying to take centerstage, but melt together into some great songs. Certainly, there are components that one could point out and attribute to particular band members. The lyrics of "Mr. Oysterhead," for example, smack loudly of the Claypool touch, and the form of songs like "Oz Is Ever Floating" seems melodically loose enough to be attributed to Anastasio, but overall it seems that the three really come together well. Songs like "Little Faces" and "Wield the Spade" are sharp and full songs, playful and virtuostic from every angle. While collaborations like Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains can feel a little disjointed at times, maybe because the personalities involved overwhelm the playing, Oysterhead seems always focused on the music first, and they let the personalities come through in a secondary fashion.

Primish?.......2006-08-23

This is one of those albums that once you hear who is involved, assuming you like these people, you say "I have to check that out". It's Les Claypool from Primus, Trey Anastasio from Phish, and Stewart Copeland from The Police. Three big names depending on your taste. My first advice on this is don't expect just a mesh of these groups. But then I realize that's really what it sounds like in a way. Within every song there are moments that remind you of "Frizzle Fry", and the next moment your thinking about "Rift". No, "King Of Pain" does not come to mind here. Trey does dominate on a few tracks, but mostly this sounds like a Les Claypool album with guests. It's a great collaboration and a huge mess all at once. Bottom line is, if you think you might like it, you will.

Amazing effort.......2006-05-26

Trey Anistasio, Les Claypool and Stuart Copeland deliver something really original and fresh on this album. I consider it a true masterpiece by three of the finest musicians around. The lyrics are clever and Les's voice adds a lot of character to the overall sound in typical Primus fashion, along with nimble fingered smoking bass riffs not fit for mortal ears. Trey adds a lot of previously unheard digital delay tricks to the mix with a lot of nice funk/jam style playing overlayed on top. Stuart offers up some of the most technically proficient and intricate drumming you will ever hear, and I do mean ever. So good and nuanced it'll give Neil Pert nightmares. It's a feast for the ears and highly listenable over and over again if you have an ear for music. The band is a jam concept and the album reflects it, more jazz structure than top 40. Police fans probably won't dig it as it isn't reggae. Phish fans will probably dig it, and Primus fans will love it if they've been aching for Les to play music that's less dissonant and more listenable. If you are a musician like me, this CD will floor you. You will hear something new or different every time you spin it.

Claypool Dominates . . . As Usual.......2006-01-26

If you like Primus or any of the myriad side projects of uber-bassist Les Claypool, you will probably go for this one. Claypool's frenetic bass style turns anything it touches into virtual Primus music, although this album is an interesting twist on the formula. I think it works surprisingly well, thanks in large part to the humble open-mindedness of star musicians Trey Anastasio and Stewart Copeland and their willingness to collaborate/submerge themselves into the Claypool realm.

Clearly, some songs are better than others. I really like "Armys on Ecstasy," "Pseudo Suicide," and I think the biggest downer track here, "Shadow of a Man," may actually be the best one - it does admittedly have a real Primus feel to it. Still, you might get tired of listening to the album front to back unless yer really in the mood for it . . .

The only Claypool music I can think of that subsumes into someone ELSE'S world, would be his collaborations with Tom Waits (which I love).

When all else has been done and said..........2005-09-16

...buy this album! Although the weakest of Les' side projects, Oysterhead is still goofy and fun enough, with the right bit of rock to boot, to make this a compelling release. Little Faces and Mr. Oysterhead show Oysterhead dabbling in the art of ambient rock, while songs like Oz Is Ever Floating and Army's On Ecstasy just plain rock. There are many repetitve tracks, such as Birthday Boys, Polka Dot Rose, Shadow Of A Man, and Wield The Spade, but even these are just so quirky that they're fun to listen to with the rest of the record. Trey and Les don't mix quite as well as, say, Les and Buckethead, but their personalities are aligned, making the music more interesting than anything else you're likely to hear in this day in age, where music is all about cookie cutter punk bands and cry-me-a-river-its-hard-being-me tunes. Enjoy this record, and buy C2B3 while you're at it. You won't be disappointed.

Best Cuts: Little Faces, Mr. Oysterhead, Oz Is Ever Floating, Army's On Ecstasy

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