Les Claypool And The Holy Mackerel - Highball With The Devil (1996)

“Highball with the Devil” is a studio album by Les Claypool and the Holy Mackerel, released in 1996. "Les Claypool and the Holy Mackerel" is Claypool's first solo effort; many of the instruments on the album are played by Claypool himself including guitar, most of the drums and vocals as well as all of the bass. He also self produced and engineered the album at his own studio, "Rancho Relaxo". Credited musicians include Charlie Hunter on guitar for "Me and Chuck;" Marc "Mirv" Haggard on guitar on songs such as "El Sobrante Fortnight" and "Hendershot," as well as on the saw for "Precipitation"; Adam "Bob Cock" Gates on vocal; Jay Lane on drums; and Henry Rollins narrating "Delicate Tendrils."
There doesn't seem to be much reason for Les Claypool to release a solo album. As the leader and prime creative force behind Primus, he basically dictates the very sound of their records. The only excuse for a solo project like Les Claypool & the Holy Mackerel's Highball With the Devil or his other side project, Sausage is to give the bassist the chance to play with other musicians.
On Highball With the Devil, he rounds up a number of friends and session musicians and places them in his home studio. In other words, it's an informal jam session. Fortunately, the musicians are uniformly first-rate and occasionally, in the case of Joe Gore and Charlie Hunter, simply stellar. When the group concentrates on jamming, the music is fine and even more interesting than Primus' extended workouts. When Claypool tries to make these jams into songs by adding inane lyrics and his skittering, mannered vocals, Highball With the Devil loses all of its momentum. And that is his main downfall Claypool can't help but sabotage his music with his weakness for kitsch and art-funk, and that's why his first solo album will only be appreciated by dedicated fans.
The touring band for the album were Claypool, Marc "Mirv" Haggard, Adam Gates, and Bryan "Brain" Mantia. "Brain" Mantia was then a new member of Primus.

Track listing

01.  "Running the Gauntlet"  (Les Claypool)  - 1:35
02.  "Holy Mackerel"  (Les Claypool)  - 3:48
03.  "Highball with the Devil"  (Les Claypool)  - 3:58
04.  "Hendershot"  (Les Claypool)  - 2:22
05.  "Calling Kyle"  (Les Claypool)  - 3:54
06.  "Rancor"  (Les Claypool, Andrew Herod )  - 1:16
07.  "Cohibas Esplenditos"  (Les Claypool)  - 3:10
08.  "Delicate Tendrils"  (Les Claypool)  - 4:59
09.  "The Awakening"  (The Reddings cover)  - 3:32
10.  "Precipitation"  (Les Claypool)  - 3:53
11.  "George E. Porge"  (Les Claypool)  - 2:29
12.  "El Sobrante Fortnight"  (Les Claypool)  - 3:35
13.  "Granny's Little Yard Gnome"  (Les Claypool)  - 3:00
14.  "Me and Chuck"  (Les Claypool)  - 2:59
15.  "Carolina Rig"  (Les Claypool)  - 3:00

Credits
Les Claypool - guitar, bass, drums, vocals, string bass (arco), rhythm guitar
Joe Gore - guitar
Mark "Mirv" Haggard - guitar solo, guitars, electric-bowed backsaw
Jay Lane - drums
Adam Gates - additional vocals, vocals
Henry Rollins - narration
Charlie Hunter - guitar
Tim Soya - assistant engineer
Matt Murman - mastering
Jill Rose - project coordinator
Producer - Les Claypool

Notes
Recorded at Rancho Relaxo
Genre: Alternative Rock
Length: 47:05

© 1996 Interscope, Prawn Song