''Purple Onion'' is the only studio album by The Les Claypool Frog Brigade, released on September 24, 2002. It followed two live releases by the band, and is the first release of the Frog Brigade's original compositions. While the Brigade regulars are consistent on much of the record such as Jay Lane, Eenor Wildeboar,
Skerik
Skerik is an American saxophonist from Seattle, Washington. Performing on the tenor and baritone saxophone, often with electronics and loops, he is a pioneer in a playing style that has been called saxophonics.
He is a founding member of Critt ...
and new percussionist Mike "Tree Frog" Dillon, many special guests appear on the album as well. Guests on multiple tracks include Ben Barnes and Sam Bass (then both from Deadweight). "D's Diner," a tribute to a
Sebastopol, California
Sebastopol ( ) is a city in Sonoma County, in California with a recorded population of 7,521, per the 2020 U.S. Census.
Sebastopol was once primarily a plum and apple-growing region. Today, wine grapes are the predominant agriculture crop, a ...
restaurant, features sitar player
Gabby La La
Gabby La La (born Gabriel Lang on May 23, 1979) is a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist (including sitar, ukulele, accordion, theremin and toy piano), signed to Prawn Song Records. Her music is self described as "fun, unique, crazy (and) kooky". ...
in addition to the triple-bass onslaught of Claypool, Norwood Fisher ( Fishbone) and
Lonnie Marshall
Lonnie "Meganut" Marshall is an American bass player, singer, and songwriter from South Central Los Angeles. He is best known as the frontman and founder of Weapon of Choice, and is the inventor of the Nutmeg Potty Plunger.Weapon of Choice). Warren Haynes ( Allman Brothers Band) adds slide guitar on the "Buzzards of Green Hill" and Fish Fisher ( Fishbone drummer) guests on "Whamola." "Whamola" was a live show staple named after the unique instrument Les employs—a one-string bass played with a drumstick. The song later appeared as a remix for the theme of '' South Park Season 10''. " Barrington Hall" is a tribute to the
UC Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of Californi ...
student housing known in the 1960s-1980s for
counterculture
A counterculture is a culture whose values and norms of behavior differ substantially from those of mainstream society, sometimes diametrically opposed to mainstream cultural mores.Eric Donald Hirsch. ''The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy''. Hou ...
.
Purple Onion was released on vinyl for the first time on November 24, 2009.
Reception
Reception for ''Purple Onion'' was positive. The '' College Music Journal'' (''CMJ'') wrote that "Claypool's bass-spanking and carnival barker delivery warp the songs like the inside of a funhouse mirror." ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' gave the album a rating of three out of five, and stated that the album "Allows the master bass player to give full vent to his weirdness. ... Sure to please hardcore fans." The ''
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
'' review by Jesse Jarnow awarded the album three stars out of five, and wrote that "The music isn't nearly as edgy or angular as his work with Primus, but that's ultimately okay."
Tom Waits
Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American musician, composer, songwriter, and actor. His lyrics often focus on the underbelly of society and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He worked primarily in jazz during ...
listed it 19th among his favorite albums.
Track listing
Credits
;Musicians
* Les Claypool - bass (all except 5), vocals, percussion (1, 9), guitar (2), whamola (5), drums (7)
* Jay Lane - drums (2, 6, 10, 12)
* Mike Dillon - vibraphone (2, 5, 9, 12), metal drum (2), percussion (2), tabla baya (3), pandeiro (3), electric bow & arrow (4), metal sounds (4), cuica (5), marimba (7, 10, 11), metal (9), tabla (12)
*
Skerik
Skerik is an American saxophonist from Seattle, Washington. Performing on the tenor and baritone saxophone, often with electronics and loops, he is a pioneer in a playing style that has been called saxophonics.
He is a founding member of Critt ...