Opening with the creaky sounds of a ship at sea, Sailing charts the funk-punk waters the San Francisco Bay area band returns to again and again. It's all here: the acerbic humor, Les Claypool's gurgling fretless bass lines... more », Larry LaLonde's seasick metal guitar, and Tim Alexander's Bill Bruford-inspired syncopation. The narrator of "Sgt. Baker" aims to "rape your personality," while the reapers of the "American Life" live out their dreams "residing in a cardboard box." Tom Waits makes a cameo on the funky back-alley tale "Tommy the Cat," and the protagonist of "Jerry Was a Race Car Driver" has "too many cold beers one night" and "wraps himself around a telephone pole." Primus concert fave "Those Damned Blue Collar Tweakers" helps round out this bizarre prog-punk masterpiece. --James Rotondi« less
Opening with the creaky sounds of a ship at sea, Sailing charts the funk-punk waters the San Francisco Bay area band returns to again and again. It's all here: the acerbic humor, Les Claypool's gurgling fretless bass lines, Larry LaLonde's seasick metal guitar, and Tim Alexander's Bill Bruford-inspired syncopation. The narrator of "Sgt. Baker" aims to "rape your personality," while the reapers of the "American Life" live out their dreams "residing in a cardboard box." Tom Waits makes a cameo on the funky back-alley tale "Tommy the Cat," and the protagonist of "Jerry Was a Race Car Driver" has "too many cold beers one night" and "wraps himself around a telephone pole." Primus concert fave "Those Damned Blue Collar Tweakers" helps round out this bizarre prog-punk masterpiece. --James Rotondi
Joee H. from GREEN BAY, WI Reviewed on 8/20/2006...
A fun piece of work! Primus at their finest!
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CD Reviews
Welcome, if you dare..
spiral_mind | Pennsylvania | 08/08/2001
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Primus's albums have always had the feel of an adolescent's guilty pleasure in a way. Sure you can take it seriously - the musicianship is outstanding and their melodies masterfully twist among pop, funk and grunge. But that's only part of their style; there's a silly side that's part musical humor, part Saturday morning cartoon, and a sense that there could be more quirks around any corner. I imagine that if Phish had a heavy King Crimson influence they'd sound a little like this. There's incredible bass work, subtle nuances in the guitar playing that you don't notice right away, and lyrics that suggest a strange mix of Roger Waters and Frank Zappa.If the title and cover of this album alone don't seem cartoonish enough, take a listen to the lumbering bassoon introducing the first track. Les Claypool talks and screams through "Is It Luck?" like a hopped-up WB cartoon. "Tommy the Cat" is crazy funk with Tom Waits, of all people, lending a distorted voice to the narrative. As with any Primus album there are times when they go a little too far off the edge ("Granddad's Little Ditty" comes to mind), although I probably shouldn't complain when it's compared to such later offerings as "Wynona's Big Brown Beaver." Regardless: for most Primus fans this album still stands as their strongest. For those merely curious it's the ideal one to start with. If you don't like Seas of Cheese, chances are you won't like the others."
The Perfect Way to start your Primus collection
Smiggie Balls | 07/11/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Here's a story... I was over at my friend's house and he asks me if I have ever heard of the band Primus. I said yes because I heard Jerry was a Race Car Driver on the radio. He put on a DVD called Animals should not try to act like People or something like that and played all these WEIRD primus vids!! The band instantly started to grow on me and i bought their latest CD "Antipop". While it does have one of the best primus songs ever(In my opinion), Lacquer Head.. the rest of the tracks sound nothing like the Primus i heard on the DVD. So i got Sailing the Seas of Cheese and it is AWESOME!!! Garunteed you will love it. Here is a list of tracks and the score i give them.1. Seas of Cheese - 7.5/10 A nice little intro featuring some interesting vocals.2. Here come the b@stards - 8/10 I've seen multiple reviews bash this song for being repetitive. I love it for some reason and it is one of my favorites on the CD.3. Sgt. Baker - 9.5/10 Definitely one of the best on the CD. This song has an interesting chorus about what drill sergeants do to their troops, i will read it for you to get you excited to hear it: I will rape your personality
Pummel you with my philosophy
Strip you of your self integrity
To make you all just a bit like me!!
Truly an amazing song.4. American Life - 10/10 Again.. another amazing song, Primus tends to bunch the highlights of the cd together. The song definitely has a MUCH more depressing note to it then the first 3 tracks. It tells the stories of 3 immigrants and the woes that met them when they came to America.5. Jerry was a Racecar Driver - 8/10 A lot of people consider this the best song on the CD. While it is a fantastic song, i disagree.6. Eleven - 6/10 Unlike Here come the bastards, this song IS in fact, very repetitive.7. Is it Luck? - 9/10 An awesome song featuring an awesome bassline8. Grandad's Little Ditty - a boring little interlude track that i wont even bother to rate9. Tommy the Cat - 10.5/10 In my opinion this is THE best track on the CD. It has it all, a kickass bassline AND kickass guitar solos!! Not to mention fantastic lyrics that tell the story of an alley cat named Tommy.10. Sathington Waltz - 7/10 It's alright11. Those damned blue collared Tweekers - 9/10 This is another great song on the cd. Great playing from Les and Lers.12. Fish On - 9.5/10 Yet ANOTHER great song!!(starting to notice the vast number of great songs on this cd??) A slower song with funny lyrics about fishing and whatnot.13. Los Bastardos - An outro track that sounds very similar Here come the bastards except it has some guy yelling. I wont rate it."
Musicians Without Parallel
jackal_the_twinkey | Frozen North | 03/14/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This album was quite possibly the greatest purchase I ever made, as for a mere eleven dollars I obtained some of the most masterful, unique, downright insane music ever written. Primus' best-known quality is the bass work of Les Claypool, and it is everything it has been hyped up to be and more. The absolutely unreal solos and riffs he play are worth the price of admission alone. However, there is a lot more to Primus than simply Les' playing. Claypool's singing is equal parts kooky vocalizing and speedy talking, but it mingles so well with the overall feeling of Primus that a normal singer is umimaginable in his place. Larry LaLonde's guitar weaves in and out of Les' bass lines deftly, accentuating the atmosphere with near-continuous soloing in many cases. To round out the whole package is Tim Alexander's spot-on drumming, which fits the puzzle exactly. Every Primus album is a work of art, but Sailing the Seas of Cheese remains their best work, featuring them at their most catchy and most unique. Below are my opinions on each song:Seas of Cheese - A fun, unique intro that gives the listener a good idea of where things are going; funny lyrics. (8/10)Here Come the Bastards - A march-like song that introduces the crazy sounds of Primus. Nice, catchy main riff, and strange, minimalistic vocals. Slightly repetitive, but good overall. (8/10)Sgt. Baker - One of my personal favorites, as it is the first song to feature a really kickin' bass line, not to mention really unusual and inventive vocals. It had me singing "Right! Left!" for days. (9.5/10)American Life - A bit more sober and serious than the last two songs, this track nevertheless has a great bass line, and the lyrics are a thought-provoking social criticism about our country. (8.5/10)Jerry Was a Race Car Driver - Well-known Primus single that features a really crazy-cool bass part, and actually goes into a fairly heavy riff, which is good mosh pit material. Good lyrics round out this song, making it one of the better tracks on the album, not to mention their career. (10/10)Eleven - Kinda catchy and cool, even though this song has been dubbed as "filler" anything this good can't possibly be called such a name. I especially like the "Ay ay ay". (8.5/10)Is It Luck? - Really crazy fast bass part and funny lyrics, not to mention Claypool sounding like a total maniac. However, the song is a bit repetitive and tends to wear on the listener after a while. (8/10)Grandad's Little Ditty - Even though this is just a stupid little interlude, it once again fits in well with the overall atmosphere and has kinda funny lyrics. (6.5/10)Tommy the Cat - The master track of the album, this song has it all: wierd, high speed lyrics, a catchy chorus, some really cool guitar solos, and by far the most insane piece of bass music ever conceived, which is Les' solo. Those eight seconds of madness are both ridiculous and awe-inspiring, as Claypool wrangles some truly strange noise out of his instrument. This song goes down in history as Primus' best, and possibly one of the greatest songs ever written. (11/10)Sathington Waltz - Another little interlude of sorts, this song is instrumental but features some cool playing. (7.5/10)Those Damned Blue-Collar Tweekers - The third absolutely fantastic song on the cd, this song has cool singing, and great work from all three primates. Another definitive Primus song. (10/10)Fish On (Fisherman Chronicles, Chapter II) - A longer, more chill song that has some amusing singing and lyrics and more fantastic playing from Les. Not one of my favorites, and it does tend to drag on a little too much, but overall still a very worthy track. (8.5/10)Los Bastardos - Not the best note to end the album on, and definitely the low point of Sailing the Seas of Cheese. Still, it is amusing, and it certainly doesn't do anything to mar the greatness of the rest of the cd. (5/10)"
Someone's Going To Diss Me, But I Think It's The Best Ever
Alex Taylor | Hollywood, California | 09/13/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Primus are my personal favorite band, and as well as being one of the most talented, innovative, and downright insane bands over the past decade, they also made (in my own opinion) the greatest album in the history of rock. It has Les Claypool's great bass and nasal vocals, as well as insane drumming and even better guitar, adding to the quirkiness of it all. Although many consider Primus a metal band, a funk band, or a progressive band, I feel that they are truly in a league of their own, with no one else even coming close to their sheer musicianship. "Sailing The Seas..." has samples, the best bass ever, funny vocals and disturbing lyrics, as well as guitar shredding and up and down nonstop drumming. It is everything you should want in an album. If you are a teen struggling to fit in (I'm not...just cause'...yeah) don't listen to this. If you are looking for something unique, different, and better than everything you've ever bought, yeah, this is for you. Suggested tracks: Jerry Was A Race Car Driver, Those Damned Blue Collar Tweakers, Is It Luck? Suggested Bands: Mr. Bungle, Faith No More, El Stew. Suggested albums: Buckethead's Monsters And Robots, Primus' Pork Soda, mr. Bungle's California."