Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People
Encyclopedia
Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People is a career-spanning retrospective
DVD
plus bonus EP
by Primus
, released on October 7, 2003. The title was inspired by a crayon-made story book written by guitarist Larry LaLonde
's son, and the cover depicts a sculpture made by long-time Primus collaborator Lance "Link" Montoya. The DVD features all of the band's music video
s to date, plus short films and live footage from as far back as 1986, whereas the bonus EP features five new songs written and recorded specifically for this release. When promoting the release, bassist Les Claypool
remarked that "It seems of late that bands are adding supplemental DVD material to their album releases to promote record sales. We've done the opposite. We've added a supplemental audio recording of brand new music to an extremely comprehensive DVD of classic visuals."
Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People shows the return of drummer Tim Alexander
to the lineup, who had previously left the band in 1996. He joins Claypool and LaLonde in performing on the EP, as well as providing commentary for the DVD. Claypool has claimed that two of the five new songs on the EP were written within the first 45 minutes of the lineup working together again, and "Pilcher's Squad" was said to have been written and recorded within a single afternoon. This is also the only Primus release to feature one of the band's earliest drummers, Tim "Curveball" Wright, filmed performing "Sgt. Baker".
* Optional commentary track featuring Les, Larry and Tim.
and slideshow
of promotional photographs. Easter eggs include a short video clip of Bob Cock in heaven and an interview.
All lyrics written by Claypool, all music written by Primus, except "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" by the Charlie Daniels Band.
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
plus bonus EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
by Primus
Primus (band)
Primus is an American rock band based in San Francisco, California, currently composed of bassist/vocalist Les Claypool, guitarist Larry "Ler" LaLonde and drummer Jay Lane. Primus originally formed in 1984 with Claypool and guitarist Todd Huth, later joined by Lane, though the latter two departed...
, released on October 7, 2003. The title was inspired by a crayon-made story book written by guitarist Larry LaLonde
Larry LaLonde
Larry "Ler" LaLonde is a guitarist who currently plays in Primus along with Les Claypool and Jay Lane...
's son, and the cover depicts a sculpture made by long-time Primus collaborator Lance "Link" Montoya. The DVD features all of the band's music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
s to date, plus short films and live footage from as far back as 1986, whereas the bonus EP features five new songs written and recorded specifically for this release. When promoting the release, bassist Les Claypool
Les Claypool
Leslie Edward "Les" Claypool is an American musician and writer, best known as the lead vocalist and bassist in the band Primus. Claypool's playing style on the electric bass mixes tapping, flamenco-like strumming, whammy bar bends and slapping.Claypool has also self produced and engineered his...
remarked that "It seems of late that bands are adding supplemental DVD material to their album releases to promote record sales. We've done the opposite. We've added a supplemental audio recording of brand new music to an extremely comprehensive DVD of classic visuals."
Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People shows the return of drummer Tim Alexander
Tim Alexander
Tim "Herb" Alexander is an American musician, best known as the former drummer for the rock band Primus. Tim played on the Primus recordings Suck on This to Tales from the Punchbowl, before leaving the band in 1996, only to rejoin in 2003 for the EP Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People...
to the lineup, who had previously left the band in 1996. He joins Claypool and LaLonde in performing on the EP, as well as providing commentary for the DVD. Claypool has claimed that two of the five new songs on the EP were written within the first 45 minutes of the lineup working together again, and "Pilcher's Squad" was said to have been written and recorded within a single afternoon. This is also the only Primus release to feature one of the band's earliest drummers, Tim "Curveball" Wright, filmed performing "Sgt. Baker".
Music videos
- "John the FishermanJohn the Fisherman"John the Fisherman" is the first single by the alternative rock band Primus, released first live in 1989 on Suck on This, then re-released a year later, this time studio recorded, on Frizzle Fry....
" * (from Frizzle FryFrizzle Fry-Personnel:Primus*Les Claypool – electric bass, electric fiddle bass, string bass, vocals*Larry LaLonde – electric guitar, acoustic guitar*Tim "Herb" Alexander – drumsProduction*Todd Huth – second acoustic guitar on "Toys"...
) - Directed by Mark Kohr - "Too Many PuppiesToo Many Puppies"Too Many Puppies" is a single from the band Primus and the second single from their 1990 studio debut album Frizzle Fry. It was the first Primus song bassist and lead singer Les Claypool ever composed...
" (from Frizzle Fry) - Directed by Kevin KerslakeKevin KerslakeKevin Kerslake is an American music video director. He has directed videos for Stone Temple Pilots, Filter, R.E.M., 311, Faith No More, Green Day, The Used, 10 Years, Depeche Mode, The Smashing Pumpkins, Papa Roach, Nirvana, Sonic Youth, Rise Against, Insane Clown Posse, The Offspring, and Blue... - "Jerry Was a Race Car DriverJerry Was a Race Car Driver"Jerry Was a Race Car Driver" is the first single of Primus's 1991 album Sailing the Seas of Cheese. The song tells the stories of two characters, Jerry, an ill-fated race car driver who collides with a telephone pole while driving intoxicated and Captain Pierce, a retired fireman.-Composition and...
" * (from Sailing the Seas of CheeseSailing the Seas of Cheese-Personnel:Primus*Les Claypool – electric bass, string bass, six-string fretless bass, clarinet, vocals*Larry LaLonde – electric guitar, six-string banjo*Tim "Herb" Alexander – drums, water jugProduction*Chris Bellman – mastering...
) - Directed by Mark Kohr - "Tommy the CatTommy the Cat"Tommy the Cat" is a song by the funk metal band Primus, first released in 1989 on their live first album, Suck on This. The studio version was released on their third album, Sailing the Seas of Cheese....
" * (from Sailing the Seas of Cheese) - Directed by Mark Kohr - "My Name Is MudMy Name Is Mud"My Name Is Mud" is a song by alternative rock/metal band Primus and is the first single from the 1993 album Pork Soda. The lyrics are written from the point of view of a blue-collar man, Alowishus Devadander Abercrombie, who has murdered his friend after an argument...
" * (from Pork SodaPork Soda-Personnel:Primus*Les Claypool – basses, mandolin, vocals*Larry LaLonde – guitar, six-string banjo*Tim "Herb" Alexander – drumsProduction*Derek Featherstone – engineer*Leslie Gerard-Smith – project coordinator...
) - Directed by Mark Kohr - "Mr. Krinkle" * (from Pork Soda) - Directed by Mark Kohr
- "DMV" * (from Pork Soda) - Directed by Mark Kohr
- "Wynona's Big Brown BeaverWynona's Big Brown Beaver"Wynona's Big Brown Beaver" is the first single off Primus's 1995 album Tales from the Punchbowl.-Music and lyrics:The song epitomizes Primus's musical eccentricities, whereby the group's signature funk metal stylings are comically inflected with a sound vaguely reminiscent of bluegrass and...
" * (from Tales from the PunchbowlTales from the Punchbowl-Critical reception:In his review for Allmusic, Daniel Gioffre describes the album as "unabashed prog rock... which even the thick dollops of irony that the band seeks to impart to its compositions are unable to mask completely." He also notes that "the high-energy angular rhythms that Primus is...
) - Directed by Les Claypool - "Southbound PachydermSouthbound Pachyderm"Southbound Pachyderm" is a song by Primus, from their album Tales from the Punchbowl.-Track listing:# "Southbound Pachyderm " - 4:00# "Wynona's Big Brown Beaver" - 4:24# "Jerry Was A Race Car Driver" - 3:11...
" (from Tales from the Punchbowl) - Directed by Les Claypool - "Shake Hands With BeefShake Hands With Beef"Shake Hands With Beef" is the name of a single from the Brown Album by the alternative rock band Primus.-Music video:The video, directed by Les Claypool, features him, Larry LaLonde, and new drummer Bryan Mantia dressed in orange and brown playing atop a garbage can, while a family grills up a...
" (from the Brown AlbumBrown Album- Personnel :* Les Claypool – bass, vocals* Larry LaLonde – guitar* Bryan "Brain" Mantia – drums* Produced by Primus* Engineered by Les Claypool* Production coordinator: Jill "Galaxy Queen" Rose* Studio assistant: Tim "Soya" Soylan-Critical reception:...
) - Directed by Les Claypool - "Over the Falls" (from the Brown Album) - Directed by Les Claypool
- "Lacquer HeadLacquer Head"Lacquer Head" is the first single from Primus' 1999 album, Antipop. The song features three verses that tell the tale of three different children, and the harm that comes to them from their huffing of inhalants. MTV banned the single's video for its drug references and purportedly "violent...
" (from AntipopAntipopAntipop is the sixth studio album by alternative rock band Primus, released on October 19, 1999 before their hiatus in 2000-2003. It is also the last album with drummer Bryan Mantia....
) - Directed by Les Claypool - "The Devil Went Down to GeorgiaThe Devil Went Down to Georgia"The Devil Went Down to Georgia" is a song written and performed by the Charlie Daniels Band and released on their 1979 album Million Mile Reflections....
" (Charlie DanielsCharlie DanielsCharles Edward "Charlie" Daniels is an American musician known for his contributions to country and southern rock music. He is known primarily for his number one country hit "The Devil Went Down to Georgia", and multiple other songs he has performed and written. Daniels has been active as a singer...
cover, from RhinoplastyRhinoplasty (album)-Critical reception:In his review for Allmusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine describes the EP as "another small treasure for fans." He notes that "the band hasn't chosen any surprising covers" but "makes up for it with great performances" and "startling arrangements that are often unpredictable",...
) - Directed by Mike JohnsonMike Johnson (animator)Mike Johnson is a stop motion animator who has worked on films such as James and the Giant Peach and The Nightmare Before Christmas, short films such as an animation of The Devil Went Down to Georgia, and TV programmes such as The PJs...
Short films
- Cheesy Home VideoCheesy Home VideoCheesy Home Video is the first home video from Primus, released in 1992 on VHS in conjunction with the band's first covers EP Miscellaneous Debris...
- transfer of the video with the same name, edited to exclude the music videos. - Horrible Swill - transfer of the video with the same name, previously available exclusively to the fan clubFan clubA fan club is a group that is dedicated to a well-known person, group, idea or sometimes even an inanimate object . Most fan clubs are run by fans who devote considerable time and resources to supporting them. There are also "official" fan clubs that are run by someone associated with the person...
. - Horrible Men - previously unreleased assortment of clips from on-stage, backstage and in the studio.
- The Making of "Mr. Krinkle" - previously unreleased short on the making of the music video.
- The Making of "Wynona" - previously unreleased short on the making of the music video.
- The Making of the Brown Album - transfer of a segment from the VideoplastyVideoplastyVideoplasty is the third home video by Primus, following 1993's Cheesy Home Video and the fan club exclusive Horrible Swill. Videoplasty was released at the end of 1998 to compliment to the band's recent covers EP Rhinoplasty, and is composed mostly of highlights from a live show performed on...
video.
Live performances
- Radio Relics - Recorded at Stanford UniversityStanford UniversityThe Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
's KZSU college radio station for a campus-only cable channel in 1989- "To Defy the Laws of Tradition"
- "Too Many Puppies"
- "Frizzle Fry"
- New Year's 93-94 - Recorded at the Henry J. Kaiser AuditoriumKaiser Convention CenterThe Kaiser Convention Center is a 5,492-seat multi-purpose arena in Oakland, California that opened in 1914. In the 1950's and 1960's the Roller Derby played there hundreds of times. It was home to the Oakland Skates roller hockey team. Originally known as the Oakland Auditorium, it was renamed in...
in Oakland, on New Year's EveNew Year's EveNew Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
1993-1994- "Groundhog's Day"
- "Mr. Krinkle"
- Woodstock 94 - Recorded at the Woodstock FestivalWoodstock '94Woodstock '94, often called the "commercial Woodstock" or "Mudstock", was a music festival organized to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the original Woodstock Festival of 1969...
in Saugerties, New YorkSaugerties (town), New YorkSaugerties is a town in Ulster County, New York, USA. The population was 19,482 at the 2000 census. The Town of Saugerties contains the Village of Saugerties. The town is in the northeast corner of Ulster County....
in 1994- "Those Damned Blue Collar Tweekers"
- "My Name is Mud (BootlegBootleg recordingA bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
Quality)"
- Florida 95 - Recorded in West Palm Beach, FloridaWest Palm Beach, FloridaWest Palm Beach, is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and is the most populous city in and county seat of Palm Beach County, the third most populous county in Florida with a 2010 population of 1,320,134. The city is also the oldest incorporated municipality in South Florida...
during the Punchbowl tour in 1995- "Pudding Time"
- "Southbound Pachyderm"
- "Duchess and the Proverbial Mind Spread" - Recorded at Irving PlazaIrving PlazaIrving Plaza is a 1,200-person ballroom-style music venue at 17 Irving Place and East 15th Street in the Union Square neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City...
in New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
for HBO's ReverbReverb (TV series)Reverb, the critically acclaimed weekly HBO music television series spotlighting emerging talent, ran for four seasons . Reverb captured the energy and spontaneity of live music by taking viewers on stage, backstage, and into the audience at some of the premier venues in the United States...
in 1998 (Erroneously listed as "Kalamazoo live" on some pressings) - "Lacquer Head" - Recorded during the Family Values TourFamily Values Tour 1999Family Values Tour 1999 was a music tour headlined by Limp Bizkit. This was the second Family Values Tour. Artists who played at Family Values Tour 1999 were Limp Bizkit, Primus, Staind, Method Man & Redman, Ja Rule, Korn, The Crystal Method, Mobb Deep and Filter.During the tour Mobb Deep left and...
on HalloweenHalloweenHallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
in 1999 - Rarities
- "Sgt. Baker" - Recorded at a rent partyRent partyA rent party is a social occasion where tenants hire a musician or band to play and pass the hat to raise money to pay their rent, originating in Harlem during the 1920s. The rent party played a major role in the development of jazz and blues music...
at Kommotion in San Francisco sometime between 1986 and 1988 - "Groundhog's Day" - Recorded at the Omni in Oakland in late 1988
- "Tommy the Cat" - Recorded by Bob Cock and the Yellow Sock, date and venue not noted
- "Sgt. Baker" - Recorded at a rent party
Other features
The DVD also includes an illustrated discographyDiscography
Discography is the study and listing of the details concerning sound recordings, often by specified artists or within identified musical genres...
and slideshow
Slideshow
A slide show is a display of a series of chosen information or pictures, done for artistic or instructional purposes. Slide shows are conducted by a presenter using an apparatus, such as a carousel slide projector, an overhead projector or in more recent years, a computer running presentation...
of promotional photographs. Easter eggs include a short video clip of Bob Cock in heaven and an interview.
EP track listing
Critical reception
In his review for Allmusic, Greg Prato predicts that "while hardcore fans will want to hear what Claypool and the boys have been up to lately in the recording studio, the main attraction of Animals is its exceptional DVD." He notes that "early on, it appeared as though Primus was more about songwriting, before later reinventing itself as a Grateful Dead-worshipping outfit that loved to put jamming before songwriting", and that "fans hoping that Primus would return to streamlined songs will be disappointed, as the band has picked up right where it left off" on the new EP.Personnel
- Les ClaypoolLes ClaypoolLeslie Edward "Les" Claypool is an American musician and writer, best known as the lead vocalist and bassist in the band Primus. Claypool's playing style on the electric bass mixes tapping, flamenco-like strumming, whammy bar bends and slapping.Claypool has also self produced and engineered his...
- bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, vocals - Larry LaLondeLarry LaLondeLarry "Ler" LaLonde is a guitarist who currently plays in Primus along with Les Claypool and Jay Lane...
- guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
on all tracks, except...- Todd HuthTodd HuthTodd Richard Huth is an American guitarist. He is best known as an original member of the band Primus, along with bassist/lyricist Les Claypool....
- guitar on the 1988 recording of "Groundhog's Day" and "Sgt. Baker"
- Todd Huth
- Tim AlexanderTim AlexanderTim "Herb" Alexander is an American musician, best known as the former drummer for the rock band Primus. Tim played on the Primus recordings Suck on This to Tales from the Punchbowl, before leaving the band in 1996, only to rejoin in 2003 for the EP Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
on all tracks, except...- Bryan "Brain" MantiaBryan MantiaBryan "Brain" Mantia is a contemporary rock drummer. He has played with bands like Primus, Guns N' Roses, Praxis and Godflesh, and with other popular performers such as Tom Waits, Bill Laswell, Bootsy Collins and Buckethead...
- drums on "Shake Hands with Beef", "Over the Falls", "Lacquer Head" and "Duchess and the Proverbial Mindspread" - Jay LaneJay LaneJay Lane is an American drummer from the San Francisco Bay Area. He is currently a member of Primus, as well as Bob Weir's RatDog, Scaring the Children with Weir and Rob Wasserman, and the hip hop/jazz fusion group Alphabet Soup. In 2002, Lane was named "drummer of the year" by the California...
- drums on the 1988 recording of "Groundhog's Day" - Tim "Curveball" Wright - drums on "Sgt. Baker"
- Bryan "Brain" Mantia
- "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" performed by Fetus Clamrod and The El Sobrante Twangers
- Les Claypool - vocals and bass
- Larry LaLonde - banjoBanjoIn the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
- Bryan "Brain" Mantia - drums
- Mark "Mirv" Haggard - slide guitarSlide guitarSlide guitar or bottleneck guitar is a particular method or technique for playing the guitar. The term slide refers to the motion of the slide against the strings, while bottleneck refers to the original material of choice for such slides: the necks of glass bottles...
and voice of Johnny - Bryan Kehoe - voice of the Devil
- Violina Misteriosa - violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
All lyrics written by Claypool, all music written by Primus, except "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" by the Charlie Daniels Band.
Charts
Album| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | The Billboard 200 | #44 |