Chris Squire

Ñ sei quem é Adam Gates, se é amigo de Les Claypool, jornalista musical (ñ dei Google… ainda) ou as duas coisas, mas sujeito fez release entremeado a depoimentos pessoais (tipo “minha história como fã do Primus“) no encarte de “Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People” (2003), do q pinço os 3 primeiros parágrafos, abaixo:

“It seems that in today’s rather puzzling musical climate, bravery is often left at the A&R person’s door, languishing away until it finally becomes a doormat for the legions of boy bands, Punk Pop clones and Nu Metal heroes to wipe their fashionable footwear on. The simple truth is that musical bravery is expensive, The major labels simply don’t have the inclination to spend the extra energy to develop new, unusual and original talent. And why should they bother? This is an industry where the phrase ‘sounds like…’ is an instant indication of a band’s fiscal and musical viability. The numbers add up, even for me, and I’m horrible in math. And the labels surely know that if they are patient enough someone will come along and reinvent the whole thing anyway, providing flesh and banckable new trends and (more importantly) adding even more variations to the flavor of vanilla.

Then what about Primus?

By all indicators, Primus really should not exist. Think about it. Who does Primus sound like? I can name dozens of bands that they have influenced (from the syncopated riffing of early Korn to Tool) but try to trace the origin of this particular band, and you may find yourself wanting. Yes, Les surely did love the Isley Brothers, Chris Squire, Geddy Lee and The Residents among others, and Ler always has been a fan of Zappa‘s brand of high art freak outs. But how did Primus succeed and remain relevant without overtly wearing any of their influences on their sleeves? Just who do they think they are? Really. Literally. I remember asking Ler who he thought he sounded like and he instantly responded, ‘I sound like angry chickens, or maybe a space robot’. Would (could) Jimmy Page give the same answer? Personally, I think one has to look to science to unravel the enigma of Primus‘ success. It’s proven that if one thing is consistent in our Universe, it’s the inevitability of change. Something always comes around and messes up the pretty picture. An anormaly, a deviation, a malformation, call it what you will“.