If there is one thing that has consistently blown my mind over the years, it`s Primus bass lines.
Les Claypool manages to combine creativity, technical proficiency, quirkiness, and unconventional techniques. As a result, his basslines never sound like anything else you will find out there. What`s even more impressive, is that he manages to sing while playing the bass at the same time.
Therefore, I decided to make this list to showcase the very best of Primus` bass lines. While there are few if any bad primus bass lines, these are some of my personal favorites. Thus, you will find some of Claypool`s most well-known grooves, but also some less-known gems that are sadly often overlooked.
10. Too Many Puppies
- Album: Frizzle Fry (1990)
- Bass: 4-string
- Tuning: E-Standard
- Tempo: 84 BPM (Tempo switch to 80 BPM mid-song)
What I love about “Too Many Puppies” is how the intro leads into the main riff. The bass plays half of the riff over a calm cymbal pattern, then the guitar enters to add further buildup before the full band erupts together.
The line combines strumming with low chromatic staccato hits. As a result, it sounds both heavy and unique. This song is thus a great example of Claypool combing techniques to make something new and refreshing. All while sounding amazing.
9. Frizzle Fry
- Album: Frizzle Fry (1990)
- Bass: 4-string
- Tuning: E-Standard
- Tempo: 180 BPM (Gradual tempo increase to 240 BPM mid-song)
The title track of Primus` “Frizzle Fry” album has a bassline that shows how quickly it’s possible to go from 0 to 100.
The bassline starts off tranquil and makes great use of harmonics at the beginning. Afterward, we get a catchy and heavy riff that is the key reason this song landed a spot on this list.
Towards the end of the song, there is also an explosive fast part, which gradually speeds up all the way to 240 BPM. Lastly, Claypool throws in a short and slowed-down bass interlude, rounding the song out on a soft note.
8. John The Fisherman
- Album: Suck On This (1989)
- Bass: 4-string
- Tuning: E-Standard
- Tempo: 120 BPM
“John The Fisherman” is a great showcase of Les Claypool’s ability to combine deep grooves with bass chords.
While most bassists stray away from bass chords and their muddy sound, Claypool uses them to add punch to his lines. The song also has a slower tempo than most of Primus` discography, which adds further heaviness to it.
Therefore, “John The Fisherman” was a great introduction to Primus for me, and I know it has been for many others as well. However, I don`t think I or anyone else was ready for just how crazy the rest of their discography was going to be.
7. Lacquer Head
- Album: Antipop (1999)
- Bass: 4-string
- Tuning: E-Standard
- Tempo: 120 BPM
Showcasing the power of muted notes, the bassline on “Laquer Head” is a great example of how a great bassline adds both harmony and rhythm.
By keeping the fretted notes to a minimum at the beginning of the song, they become all the more impactful later on. This effect becomes all the more powerful, as the heavy riff Claypool brings out towards the middle of the song again combines bass chords and deep notes.
6. Jerry was a Race Car Driver
- Album: Sailing The Seas Of Cheese (1991)
- Bass: 6-string
- Tuning: B Standard
- Tempo: 115 BPM
In “Jerry Was A Racecar Driver” Les Claypool proves that it`s possible to tap on a fretless bass.
The main groove is both catchy and technically impressive. It is also one of many great examples of Primus doing something completely new, while still sounding like themselves.
In addition to the tapped riff high on the neck, the bassline also switches to a deep grove in the breakdown of the song. This is thus also a great example of how to make full use of the entire range of a 6-string bass.
5. Southbound Pachyderm
- Album: Tales From The Punchbowl (1995)
- Bass: 6-string
- Tuning: B Standard
- Tempo: 152 BPM
Featured more because of its beautiful melody and uniqueness, “Southbound Pachyderm” showcases a different side of Claypool`s style.
Most of the bassline consists of a peaceful sustained melody over an open A string groove. While Primus is mostly known for their explosiveness and quirkiness, this bassline is proof that they are also able to slow things down proficiently.
As one might expect at this point, Les throws in some fast-strummed chords into the line as well. How he made that work so well on a track like this, I will never understand.
4. Greet The Sacred Cow
- Album: Antipop (1999)
- Bass: 4-string
- Tuning: E Standard
- Tempo: 120 BPM
“Greet The Sacred Cow” is an esoteric song, even for Primus` standards. However, behind the spacey effects and eastern melodies, you will find one of Claypool`s finest basslines.
The riff that starts at 1:05 is an amazing display of how well a bass and a guitar can sound together. The interplay between the 2 instruments makes both riffs come to life and is a major highlight of the song.
Claypool also plays a groovy lick that sticks with the Phrygian feel of the song. Thus, this song is a great showcase of Claypool’s diversity both as a bass player and songwriter.
3. My Name Is Mud
- Album: Pork Soda (1993)
- Bass: 6-string
- Tuning: B Standard
- Tempo: 198 BPM
Despite being significantly simpler than many other of Les Claypool`s basslines, this song showcases that sometimes less is more.
Perhaps the catchiest bassline on this list, “My Name Is Mud” is guaranteed to get stuck in your head. The vast majority of the song consists of 3 variations of the same riff. The deep, high, and muted versions of it stick to the same core rhythm that is repeated throughout the song.
This gives the song a cohesiveness and catchiness that is hard for other Primus songs to rival and is a major reason that this is one of their most well-known basslines.
2. To Defy The Laws Of Tradition
- Album: Frizzle Fry (1990)
- Bass: 4-string
- Tuning: E Standard
- Tempo: 158 BPM (Switches to 114 BPM after the intro)
The strummed main riff in “To Defy The Laws Of Tradition” is one of my favorite bass grooves. It took a long time to master when I first gave it a try but nailing it was one of the most satisfying feelings I`ve ever felt.
The song starts off with a relatively easy chord progression. Then, 3 ascending chords in 3/4 time signature bring us into one of the grooviest and catchiest bass riffs of all time. It combines a low groove that makes great use of mutes with strummed chords, as is typical of Claypool`s style.
There are also several mind-bending tapped parts in the song. Thus, this song is a great showcase of everything that makes Les Claypool one of the best bass players of all time.
1. Tommy The Cat
- Album: Sailing the Seas Of Cheese (1991)
- Bass: 6-string
- Tuning: B Standard
- Tempo: 128 BPM
I put “Tommy The Cat” on my list of hard bass tabs for many of the same reasons I put it at the top of this list.
While the main groove is repeated throughout the song, Claypool throws a ton of small variations into it. Then there is the combination of strummed, slapped, and muted 16h notes at 128 BPM that make this groove incredibly challenging to play.
As if that wasn`t enough, Claypool spices the groove up by throwing in additional chords during the guitar solo. To top it all off he throws in a crazy bass interlude afterward, if somehow you weren’t impressed already. With that, it`s hard to deny that “Tommy The Cat” is one of the best bass lines in rock history.