Les Claypool: biography and creativity

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

In this article we will tell you who Les Claypool is. The growth of this musician is 1.88 meters. He was born in 1963, September 29, in the state of California, or more precisely, in Richmond. Les Claypool's primary musical instrument is the bass guitar. He achieved his greatest fame as part of an alternative rock group called Primus, and also realized himself as a lead vocalist. Les has an individual style of bass guitar playing, which has hints of heavy funk. In 2011, the musician was ranked among the best bass players of all time. The corresponding survey was conducted by representatives of the publication Rolling Stone.

Early years

Les Claypool comes from a working-class family. In his early years, this man was imbued with rock music. His favorite artists of the time included Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin. The young man's musical tastes were influenced by Kirk Hammett, his classmate. He later became the guitarist for Metallica. Les began to play bassguitar early enough. He took up the instrument at the age of 14.

Music

In 1986, Les Claypool successfully auditioned for Metallica. The team was then looking for a bass player who could take the place of the deceased Cliff Burton. The band members liked the Claypool, but it was not chosen, because the young musician's playing style was not suitable for Metallica. James Hetfield commented that Les was too good to be the band's bassist.

In the 80s, Claypool was in a band called Blind Illusion. Larry Lalonde also played in the same team. After the release of an album called Sane Asylum (1988), Les Claypool left the group. Lalonde went with him. The musicians together founded Primus. From that moment on, Les gained wider fame.

The band headlined an alternative festival in 1993 called Lollapalooza. The musicians appeared in 1995 on a TV show with Conan O'Brien and David Letterman. They even became participants in the Woodstock festival. In the nineties, Claypool, along with members of the Les Claypool And The Holy Mackerel project, released an album called Highball With The Devil.

In 2000, the creative activity of the Primus team temporarily stopped. Les began to actively participate in other projects. He formed Les Claypool's Frog Brigade. With her, the musician released one studio and two live albums. The team performed works by other bands, including The Beatles, King Crimson and Pink Floyd. Claypool described the Frog Brigade as a band of his own.midlife crisis.

During the same period, the musician collaborated with a band called Oysterhead. Les' next project was called C2B3. Its members were funky keyboardist Bernie Worrell, virtuoso guitarist Buckethead, and Brian Mantia, former drummer of Primus. Their concerts were held without prior rehearsals, so they were impromptu shows.

At one of the performances, the musicians even prepared sandwiches for the public directly on stage. In 2003 Primus reunited and recorded a DVD/EP titled Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People. This was followed by a two-month tour. Since 2004, the team has been giving occasional concerts.

In 2005, Les released the video 5 Gallons Of Diesel. It was a retrospective of all the musician's work outside the Primus band. He also managed to make a motion picture Electric Apricot, dedicated to a fictional rock band. In 2006, the musician's solo album Of Whales and Woe appeared, as well as his first book, called South of the Pumphouse.

In 2015 Les co-founded The Claypool Lennon Delirium with Sean Lennon. In 2016, the debut album was released, recorded by members of the duo Monolith of Phobos.

Discography

First of all, let's list what albums Les Claypool has recorded with Primus: Suck On This, Making Plans for Nigel, Miscellaneous Debris, Green Naugahyde.

Flying Frog released Live Frogs, Purple Onion.

With project LesClaypool musician has released records Of Whales and Woe, Of Fungi and Foe, Highball with the Devil.

The musician has recorded several works with other projects: Oysterhead, Blind Illusion, Buckethead (Monsters and Robots), Sausage.

Group

As already mentioned, Les Claypool achieved the greatest fame with Primus, so it's worth telling a little more about this team. This alternative American metal band consists of three members, was founded in the mid-eighties. Claypool is the permanent leader of the band, bass player, vocalist and frontman.

The place of the permanent guitarist is given to Larry Lalonde in the team. The band collaborated with several drummers, but recorded with only three: Jay Lane, Brian Mantia and Tim Alexander. It is difficult to unambiguously define the musical style of Primus. It is usually described by critics as alternative metal or funk metal.

The participants themselves used all sorts of terms to describe their work, including thrash-funk. Claypool once defined the band's music as a psychedelic polka.