Since emerging as an artist in his own right, the younger Lennon has made it clear his tastes are omnivorous and his artistic vision seemingly boundless.
So while Claypool’s sound is a known entity, it is less so with Lennon, whose eclectic list of collaborators to date includes nearly everyone from his mother, Yoko Ono, to Cibo Matto to Rufus Wainwright to Handsome Boy Modeling School.
As with Rush’s Geddy Lee, these are Claypool’s most celebrated or derided traits, depending on where you come down (and admittedly, the lyrics coming out of Lee’s mouth are those of drummer Neil Peart). But there’s still an element of sideshow curiosity with anything and everything Beatles-related, even tangentially so.Īny time you have Claypool as a part a musical project, you pretty much know exactly what you’re going to get: gonzo, trebly bass lines cartoonish vocals and absurdist lyrics. Regardless of where one stands, the prospect of Claypool pairing with Sean Lennon carries with it an air of intrigue, one whose final results can largely be guessed at given the previous work of each. Yet as with a certain Canadian power trio, both Primus and Claypool in particular have long had their vehement defenders. Much of this has to do with lead vocalist/bassist Les Claypool’s unorthodox approach to his instrument and adenoidal, nasally vocals. Like one of their biggest inspirations, Primus is and has been something of an acquired taste. It certainly requires a very specific type of listener to take in these often overly-long, tedious instrumental passages, nonsensical lyrics and frenzied flights of virtuosity that have long been the hallmark of even the lowliest of prog rock bands. Yet it’s easy to see how its tendency as a genre towards sprawling, multi-part suites, pretentious classically-informed arrangements and fantasy/sci-fi-indebted lyrics may be more off-putting than not to the majority of the listening public. As maligned a genre as progressive rock has been over the years, it has certainly proven a deep and diverse well from which many a musician has sought and, often in equal terms provided, inspiration.
0 kommentar(er)
