When Les Claypool and Robert Trujillo teamed up
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Watch the incredible Les Claypool bass solo on the King Crimson cover
Les Claypool is one of rock music’s most colourful characters. An undoubted genius whose work is aided by the multifarious effects of weed, he is one of the greatest bass players in history, and his unique, heavily percussive style of slapping took cues from the greats of the past, and helped to bring the form into the future, inspiring many in the process. Claypool understands the symbiotic relationship between the bass and the drums, creating countless rhythmic moments that have blown us away.
Aside from his astounding form of slapping, Claypool also has a wide variety of skills in his arsenal such as tapping, flamenco-esque strumming, and a propensity to heavily bend strings in a manner that you’d expect from a metal guitarist. In short, he has every trick in his locker, which has allowed his work to have a wide pull, appealing to people from all walks of life.
Known as the only consistent member of Primus, this is actually only one part of Claypool’s career. He’s one of the most prolific musicians out there, and has performed in the high-profile supergroups Oysterhead, alongside Trey Anastasio and Stewart Copeland, and Colonel Claypool’s Bucket of Bernie Brains (C2B3) alongside Buckethead, Bryan Mantia, and Bernie Worrell.
He hasn’t stopped there, either. Claypool has also masterminded the projects Frog Brigade and Fancy Band. Perhaps his most notable extra-Primus outfit is The Claypool Lennon Delirium, a psychedelic rock band featuring John Lennon’s son, Sean. A true creative, in 2006 he released the full-length mockumentary Electric Apricot as well as his debut novella South of the Pumphouse.
Claypool’s character is another reason why people have been enamoured with him. By all accounts, he’s one of the nicest men in rock, and one of the most heartwarming stories featuring him came from his old friend, Mickey Melchiondo, AKA Dean Ween.
In a 2016 interview with Culture Creature, Melchiondo explained that Claypool helped him out during his darkest period. After Ween had split up in 2012, after a lengthy run that had begun as teenagers in 1984, Melchiondo was heartbroken, finding it hard to comprehend that his bandmate Aaron Freeman wanted to split up. However, Claypool was on hand to help him out.
Showering praise on Claypool’s character, Ween wasted no time in clarifying: “The trust. He is a great, great, friend to me. Different than me, but a great, great friend. A really all-the-way down-the-line motherfucker.”
Whilst there have been many stellar extra-musical moments in Les Claypool’s career, such as helping Dean Ween get back on his feet, one of the best musical ones came in 2002 when he was playing in Colonel Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade. Performing at that year’s Bonaroo Festiva, the King Crimson and Pink Floyd-inspired project caught everyone’s attention when they stormed through a dynamic rendition of the former’s 1981 song ‘Thela Hun Ginjeet’.
The band took the King Crimson piece to untold heights, and this was courtesy of band leader Claypool. During the middle of the song, he performed an extraordinary effects-drenched solo, that lasted just under two minutes, that saw him cover every inch of the fretboard and utilise some of his most iconic techniques. From the downwards strum to the slap, Claypool performed a masterclass in how to deliver an exciting bass solo, and for any bass player it’s a must-watch. He even takes the bass into new areas, when he makes it very low, sounding like a sub you’d expect to hear in an IDM cut.
Although Les Claypool has delivered many blistering solos in his time, the one he created for ‘Thela Hun Ginjeet’ at Bonaroo 2002 makes a strong claim to be the finest.
Watch the solo below.
