Of Whales And Woe is a solo album by 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...

, the bassist of 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...

. The album was released on the May 30, 2006. The album features Skerik

Skerik

Skerik is an American saxophonist from Seattle, Washington. Performing on the tenor and baritone saxophone, often with electronics and loops, Skerik is a pioneer in a playing style that has been dubbed saxophonics. He is a founding member of Critters Buggin, Garage a Trois and Skerik's Syncopated...

 (saxophonist of the Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade), Mike Dillon

Mike Dillon (musician)

Mike Dillon is a percussionist, vibraphonist, bandleader, vocalist and songwriter born in San Antonio, Texas. He is a member of Critters Buggin, Les Claypool's Fancy Band and Garage A Trois...

 (percussionist, also of the Frog Brigade), and Gabby La La

Gabby La La

Gabby La La, is a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist , signed to Prawn Song Records. Her music is self described as "fun, unique, crazy kooky". La La's eccentric debut album, Be Careful What You Wish For..., is a collaboration with Les Claypool that though "peculiar.....

 (multi-instrumentalist). "Back off Turkey" also features Les' children, Cage and Lena. The track "Iowan Gal" is a love song for his wife, Chaney Claypool.

Background

Of Whales and Woe marks the first album release under the name Les Claypool. Though previous "solo" efforts were issued under a variety of monikers, these new recordings are the most self-contained to date. On most of the tracks Claypool provides drums and guitar as well as his usual bass and vocals while band members add instrumental variety (Skerik - sax, Mike Dillon - marimba and percussion, Gabby La La - sitar). The CD includes an assortment of musical styles and also includes Les' theme for Seth Green

Seth Green

Seth Benjamin Green is an American actor, comedian, voice actor, and television producer. He is well known for his role as Daniel "Oz" Osbourne in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as Dr. Evil's son Scott in the Austin Powers series of comedy films, Mitch Miller in That '70s Show, and the voice of Chris...

's hit animated show Robot Chicken

Robot Chicken

Robot Chicken is an American stop motion animated television series created and executive produced by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich along with co-head writers Douglas Goldstein and Tom Root. Green provides many voices for the show...

 that airs on Adult Swim

Adult Swim

Adult Swim is an adult-oriented Cable network that shares channel space with Cartoon Network from 9:00 pm until 6:00 am ET/PT in the United States, and broadcasts in countries such as Australia and New Zealand...

.

The song "Phantom Patriot" takes its name from the 2002 incident where a Richard McCaslin infiltrated the secretive Bohemian Grove

Bohemian Grove

Bohemian Grove is a campground located at 20601 Bohemian Avenue, in Monte Rio, California, belonging to a private San Francisco-based men's art club known as the Bohemian Club...

 campground in California. He was heavily armed and had the words "Phantom Patriot" written on his outfit.

The live band that toured in support of the album was Les Claypool's Fancy Band

Les Claypool's Fancy Band

Les Claypool's Fancy Band was a lineup of musicians on tour with Les Claypool from 2005 to 2008. The band consisted of Claypool on bass, Skerik on tenor and baritone saxophone, Mike Dillon on vibraphone, marimba, tabla, cuíca and percussion, Gabby La La on sitar, ukulele and theremin and Paulo...

.

Track listing

1. "Back Off Turkey" – 2:11
2. "One Better" – 5:59
3. "Lust Stings" – 4:08
4. "Of Whales and Woe" – 3:03
5. "Vernon the Company Man" – 2:32
6. "Phantom Patriot" – 4:01
7. "Iowan Gal" – 3:29
8. "Nothin' Ventured" – 3:08
9. "Rumble of the Diesel" – 4:03
10. "Robot Chicken" – 0:40
11. "Filipino Ray" – 3:51
12. "Off-White Guilt" – 2:21

Personnel

• 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...
  
   - bass (1-6, 8-12), vocals, percussion (1, 3, 7, 9, 12), guitar (2-4, 6, 8, 9), drums (2-4, 6, 8, 11), bass banjo (7), misc. instrumentation (10)
• Cage Claypool - percussion (1)
• Lena Claypool - marimba (1)
• Mike Dillon
  Mike Dillon (musician)
  Mike Dillon is a percussionist, vibraphonist, bandleader, vocalist and songwriter born in San Antonio, Texas. He is a member of Critters Buggin, Les Claypool's Fancy Band and Garage A Trois...
  
   - marimba (2, 12), vibes (4, 6, 8), tabla (5), percussion (12)
• Skerik
  Skerik
  Skerik is an American saxophonist from Seattle, Washington. Performing on the tenor and baritone saxophone, often with electronics and loops, Skerik is a pioneer in a playing style that has been dubbed saxophonics. He is a founding member of Critters Buggin, Garage a Trois and Skerik's Syncopated...
  
   - tenor sax (2, 4, 6, 8, 12), baritone sax (3, 12), horn arrangement (12)
• Gabby La La
  Gabby La La
  Gabby La La, is a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist , signed to Prawn Song Records. Her music is self described as "fun, unique, crazy kooky". La La's eccentric debut album, Be Careful What You Wish For..., is a collaboration with Les Claypool that though "peculiar.....
  
   - theremin (4), sitar (5, 11, 12)

Production

• Producer: 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...
  
  
• Engineer: Les Claypool
• Mastering: Stephen Marcussen
• Design: Zoltron

• Layout: Zoltron
• Illustrations: Cage Claypool, Lena Claypool
• Project Supervisor: Leanne Lajoie

Album

Chart	Provider(s)	Peak position	Certification	Sales/ shipments
Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...  (U.S.)	Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...	115	Not certified	N/A
Billboard Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical...  (U.S.)		2
Billboard Independent Albums Independent Albums The Billboard Independent Albums is a chart of the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays in the United States, compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is used to list artists who are not signed to major labels... (U.S.)		5