Four Foot Shack [Gold Nugget 2 LP]

by Les Claypool's Duo De Twang

Overview

Of all the things that Les Claypool is a master of, subtly is not one of them. Armed with an arsenal of bass guitars and a sensibility that merged Zappa-esque irreverent virtuosity with cornpone whimsy, Claypool has been on a decades-long mission to make truly "alternative" music, mashing up styles and influences that most people would never conceive of. Because of this legacy, an album like Four Foot Shack, the first from his project Les Claypool's Duo De Twang, is both a refreshingly weird departure from what everyone else is doing and a completely normal offering from the bass wizard. Making up the other half of the duo is guitarist and kindred spirit Bryan Kehoe (M.I.R.V., the Kehoe Nation, and Colonel Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade), who shares Claypool's love of bluegrass and general sonic weirdness. Together, the pair weave together a collection of songs that manages to feel stripped down in spite of the masterful playing at work. The album is made up of a mix of originals, reimagined Primus tunes, and covers that run the gamut from Johnny Horton's "Battle of New Orleans" to the Bee Gee's "Stayin' Alive," which have been injected with a healthy dose of twang to transform them into something altogether different. Listening to the duo stomp their way through their rendition of Alice in Chains' grunge classic, "Man in the Box," it feels as if we're getting a glimpse inside Claypool's mind, opening up the possibility that this is just how these songs sound to him (a not unrealistic notion given how complete the transformations are). The musical realm that exists inside of Claypool's head is a bizarre one, but the songs on Four Foot Shack have a weird knack for worming their way into your head, turning your waking world into a surreal, country-fried cartoon version of itself that's oddly endearing. It's this quality that makes this outing from Les Claypool's Duo De Twang one worth exploring, even if it means having lines like "malted buttermilk pancakes all day long" on an endless loop in your head. ~ Gregory Heaney

Product Details

Release Date:	12/10/2021
Label:	Ato
UPC:	0880882456115
Rank:	36829

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Four Foot Shack
2. Wynona's Big Brown Beaver
3. Amos Moses
4. Red State Girl
5. The Bridge Came Tumblin' Down
6. Boonville Stomp
7. Stayin' Alive
8. Rumble of the Diesel

Disc 2

9. Pipe Line
10. Buzzards of Green Hill
11. Hendershot
12. Man in the Box
13. D's Diner
14. Battle of New Orleans
15. Jerry Was a Race Car Driver

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Les Claypool's Duo De Twang   Primary Artist
Les Claypool   Bass,Vocals
Bryan Kehoe   Guitar,Vocals (Background)
Wylie Woods   Mandolin,Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Stephen Marcussen   Mastering
Bob Spickard   Composer
Layne Staley   Composer
Larry LaLonde   Composer
Les Claypool   Composer,Engineer,Producer
Jimmie Driftwood   Composer
Jerry Cantrell   Composer
Michael Starr   Composer
Tom Connors   Composer
Barry Gibb   Composer
Robin Gibb   Composer
Sean Kinney   Composer
Jerry Hubbard   Composer,Composer
Maurice Gibb   Composer
Brian Carman   Composer
Tim "Herb" Alexander   Composer
Reuben Rude   Design
Tim Alexander   Composer
Jeremy Scott   Photoshop Artist
Dave Van Patten   Cover Painting