Sailing the Seas of Cheese

The album's first promotional single "Jerry Was a Race Car Driver" is known for its intricate bassline that Les Claypool played on a fretless six-string bass using the tapping technique. It also contains a sample from the movie The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 in which the character Chop Top exclaims "Dog will hunt!" The track "Los Bastardos" contains samples from the BBC television series The Young Ones including Vyvyan shouting, "Shut up, you bastards!", Vyvyan's mother saying, "He is a bastard isn't he?", as well as Rick saying, "You just called me a bastard, didn't you?" and "Mike, you bastard!" "Tommy the Cat" is also characterized by its highly complex bassline that mixes strumming and slapping. There is not a clear consensus on exactly what notes are being played; as a result, numerous different interpretations exist on the Internet. The song features spoken word by Tom Waits providing the voice of the titular character; in live performances Claypool does these parts himself. Another example of the album's musical complexity is the song "Eleven", which is named after its unusual time signature of 11/8. The song and album title "Seas of Cheese" would later be referenced in the song "DMV" on their next album Pork Soda, as well as the song "Dirty Drowning Man" on 1999's Antipop. ==Composition==

Musically, Sailing the Seas of Cheese has been described as a funk metal and alternative metal album. Similar to its predecessor, Frizzle Fry, founding guitarist Todd Huth received writing credits on the songs "Tommy the Cat" and "Sgt. Baker". ==Release==

Sailing the Seas of Cheese reached gold status in March 1993. It was certified platinum in December 2001. 2013 reissue A deluxe edition of the album was released on May 21, 2013. It is available in two six-panel Digipak configurations, each featuring the album’s new stereo mix on CD and the new 5.1 surround mix on Blu-ray or DVD, plus three exclusive, previously unreleased bonus tracks, and liner notes by music journalist Greg Prato. Claypool stated, “Musically, it holds up incredibly well. Sonically, it holds up fairly well. There’s some old-style reverbs that are a little bit syrupy. With modern technology, we can fix some of that stuff. But we don’t want to mess with it too much, because it is what it is. We want to fatten it up a little bit.” ==Critical reception==

Reviewing Sailing the Seas of Cheese for the Chicago Tribune, Greg Kot wrote that Primus "explore funk 'n' rock with bemused brilliance" and that "its musicianship, blending velocity with virtuosity, continues to set it apart from the crowded pool of punk-funk bands." In addition, Claypool also outlined the experience of releasing the record on a major label, and the consequent inspiration for the album's title, when he remarked: But [Sailing the Seas of Cheese] was also that record like 'Here we are, about to release something on a major label,' and we're right alongside the other bands that were popular at the time, which were these hairball bands—the Poisons, and the Guns N' Roses, and these different things that we just did not fit in with. That was the impetus of the title, because we just knew all of a sudden we were going to be thrust into this world where we weren't sure anyone thought we belonged. ==Live performance==

The album was performed live in its entirety in 2003 and 2004 on their Tour De Fromage, on December 30, 2010 and once more during a two night show at Royal Albert Hall in April 2012. ==Track listing==

Primus • Les Claypool – vocals, bass, string bass, six-string fretless bass, clarinet, production • Larry LaLonde – guitar, six-string banjo, production • Tim "Herb" Alexander – drums, percussion, water jug, production Additional performers • Mike Bordin – two-skinned foreskin drum • Matt Winegar – accordion, guitar • Tom Waits – voice of Tommy the Cat • Trouz – whistle • Jay Lane – drums (2013 Deluxe bonus tracks) Production • Ron Rigler – engineering • Chris Bellman – mastering • Tom Whalley – A&R director • Adam Gates – additional fisherman • Lance Montoya – additional fisherman Artwork • Paul Haggard – jacket design, photography • Mark Kohr – cheese coordinator, scenery • Michael Lavine – band photo • Lance Montoya – sculptures • Mitch Romanowski – ship (sculpture) • Snap – airbrushing Bastardos • Brain Mantia, Mike Bordin, Herb – drums • MIRV Haggard, Todd Huth, Derek Greenberg, Matt Winegar, Ler – guitars • Butthouse, Adam Gates, Les – bass • Adam Gates, Puffster, Herb, Ler, Les – vocals ==Charts==