Tales from the Punchbowl is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Primus, released on May 23, 1995. It was the band's last album with Tim Alexander before he rejoined Primus seven years later, and again in September 2013. Punchbowl was certified Gold on July 20, 1995.
In 1996 the album was re-released as an Enhanced CD for Macintosh and Windows. As printed on the back inlay for this version, "Combining high end production values, 3-D graphics, spectacular effects and loads of insanely cool stuff, the 'Tales From The Punchbowl' Enhanced CD, played on a CD-ROM drive, sends the viewer through a surreal virtual experience that features the complete album in CD sound quality (which you can hear on a stereo CD player as well)." Players must "navigate from the helm of Captain Shiner's ferryboat through an enchanted liquid atmosphere to many strange and mysterious islands. Many experiences are to be had, all in a rose-colored waterworld filled with visuals reminiscent of Dalí and Bosch." Printed on the actual CD is a ship helm instead of the large image of Captain Shiner's face that appeared on the original, more common pressing.Tales from the Punchbowl is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Primus, released on May 23, 1995. It was the band's last album with Tim Alexander before he rejoined Primus seven years later, and again in September 2013. Punchbowl was certified Gold on July 20, 1995.
In 1996 the album was re-released as an Enhanced CD for Macintosh and Windows. As printed on the back inlay for this version, "Combining high end production values, 3-D graphics, spectacular effects and loads of insanely cool stuff, the 'Tales From The Punchbowl' Enhanced CD, played on a CD-ROM drive, sends the viewer through a surreal virtual experience that features the complete album in CD sound quality (which you can hear on a stereo CD player as well)." Players must "navigate from the helm of Captain Shiner's ferryboat through an enchanted liquid atmosphere to many strange and mysterious islands. Many experiences are to be had, all in a rose-colored waterworld filled with visuals reminiscent of Dalí and Bosch." Printed on the actual CD is a ship helm instead of the large image of Captain Shiner's face that appeared on the original, more common pressing.false2025-02-01 20:55:11Tales From the Punchbowl7.319951995-06-061995-06-0654Alternative MetalFunk MetalRock1130512192892d30f2bc7-f29d-4ebc-9c33-4369e08fa0a284dc4f23-c0b8-4fe1-bbca-a3993ddc8fc28e1055fe-66e7-3c2b-983e-c58675666fb3/media/data/media4/Music/Primus/Tales From the Punchbowl/folder.jpgPrimusPrimusPrimus is an American rock band formed in El Sobrante, California in 1984. The band is currently composed of bassist/vocalist Les Claypool, guitarist Larry "Ler" LaLonde, and drummer Tim "Herb" Alexander. Primus originally formed in 1984 with Claypool and guitarist Todd Huth, later joined by drummer Jay Lane, though the latter two departed the band at the beginning of 1989, and were replaced by LaLonde and Alexander respectively. Over the course of various lineup changes, Claypool is the only remaining original member left in Primus.
The "classic" lineup of Claypool, LaLonde and Alexander debuted with the live album Suck on This, which was self-released in 1989 on Claypool's label Prawn Song and reissued a year later by Caroline Records. Caroline also released Primus' debut studio album Frizzle Fry (1990), which was critically well received and its underground success led to interest from major record labels. Their second studio album and major-label debut Sailing the Seas of Cheese (1991), released through Interscope Records, launched the band into mainstream exposure, supported by their first charting single "Jerry Was a Race Car Driver" and receiving platinum certification within a decade after its release. Primus repeated its success with their next two albums, Pork Soda (1993) and Tales from the Punchbowl (1995), both charting in the top ten on the Billboard 200, and being certified platinum and gold respectively by the RIAA; the former album featured the band's top ten hit on the Billboard rock chart, "My Name Is Mud", while the latter's lead single "Wynona's Big Brown Beaver" has the distinction of being their only song to chart anywhere outside of North America.Alexander left the band in 1996, and was replaced by Bryan "Brain" Mantia, with whom Primus recorded two more studio albums – Brown Album (1997) and Antipop (1999) – as well as the covers EP Rhinoplasty (1998) and the original theme song for the TV show South Park. The band went on hiatus in 2000 but resumed activity in 2003, reuniting with Alexander for the EP/DVD Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People and touring sporadically throughout the 2000s before Alexander once again left in 2010. Lane rejoined the band and appeared on their seventh studio album – and first in twelve years – Green Naugahyde (2011). Following Lane's departure in 2013, Alexander returned to the band once again and Primus have since recorded two more albums with him – Primus & the Chocolate Factory with the Fungi Ensemble (2014) and The Desaturating Seven (2017) – and recently, the EP Conspiranoid (2022).
Primus is characterized by its irreverent, quirky approach to music distinguished by Claypool's bass-first songwriting style and eccentric lyrical themes. In 1993, Robert Christgau remarked: "[Primus is] quite possibly the strangest top-10 band ever, and good for them."