Of Whales and Woe

Rate It! Avg: 3.5 (75 ratings)
Of Whales and Woe album cover
Album Information

Total Tracks: 12   Total Length: 39:21

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Very good

AntEater

Very good, but not as good as his work with Primus or his other solo efforts.

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Never disappoints

elquattro

Again, Les Claypool changes the way I look at rock. His unique style is unmatched. Now, if I can just find a copy of Electric Apricot and the Quest for Fenderloo, my collection will be complete (until his next album).

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just try it

C_red2355

I love bass, love it. but sampling some of these songs made it sound too abstract at first, but i ended up really enjoying one song in particular. if nothing else, just listen to each, and at least one will catch your ear and rip it off (positively). for me it was 'one better' check it.

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Mr. Claypool is the son of some lesser Norse God

Duff

I have written so much about said Claypool. Yet, he never calls. Mr. Claypool is a gifted musician -- I recall a time when he played his bass facing opposite the crowd. I belive that this man is genius. But, you decide. Enjoy this album, but don't stop here. Les Claypool, Primus, Sausage, etc., is an awakening of the senses. You will become a better person by listening.

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A Whale of an Album and no Woe at all

Pikg

One sometimes wonders if Hendrix came back as a bass player. Such is the virtuosity of Les Claypool. But please don't take this to mean that his work is somehow one dimensional. Les, as was the case with Hendrix himself, is also one of the more interesting and underrated song writers of his generation. Truely, all Les Claypool related work is essential listening and this is not an exception.

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They Say All Music Guide

By this stage of the game, you definitely know what you’re in for when you plunk down your hard-earned clams for a new Les Claypool-related disc. whether it is Primus, Oysterhead, Sausage, or his solo outings. On the fifth release to be solely credited to Claypool, 2006′s Of Whales and Woe, all the expected elements are in place — slippery funk bass, both conventional and unconventional percussion, and whackoid lyrics sung in a narrator-esque style. While Claypool is usually the driving force behind his projects, on Of Whales and Woe, he’s thrust even more into the spotlight — very little six-string guitar is featured and when it does, it’s Claypool supplying it. As a result, bass is king throughout. Anyone who doubts that Claypool is one of rock’s all-time great bassists should check out his playing on such funk-heavy cuts as “One Better” and “Rumble of the Diesel,” while Claypool’s quirkiness is spotlighted on such tracks as “Back Off Turkey” and “Iowan Girl.” Perhaps Claypool summed it up best in the accompanying album press release — “It’s almost like Morphine meets old Isley Brothers with some bastardized version of Woody Guthrie.” Longtime fans wouldn’t have it any other way. – Greg Prato

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