Primus - Miscellaneous Debris (1992/2018) [Hi-Res]

One of the band's most underrated releases acts as an awesome prologue to the Pork Soda era of Primus. Miscellaneous Debris isn't anything too comprehensive: a simple, five-song EP completely composed of covers. The material is surprisingly varied ranging from Peter Gabriel to XTC to Pink Floyd, but all of the songs sharing Primus' love for the quirky and obscure.

The artsy stuff takes precedence over more predictable choices like Rush; essentially, Primus challenge themselves the whole way through. While some songs are a bit too much of a stretch to fit Primus' identity (Peter Gabriel's "Intruder" is probably the most out-of-place of the five), the overall song selection is just as against-the-grain as Primus themselves.

"What makes this 5-song EP of covers Primus's best release is the material. For once, Les Claypool's crew plays actual songs instead of sketching out a few ideas as an excuse for jamming. As a result, Miscellaneous Debris isn't as weird and alienating as previous albums, and often their reinterpretations -- from the clever ribbing of XTC's 'Making Plans for Nigel' and Pink Floyd's 'Have A Cigar' to the relatively respectful readings of The Meters, the Residents and Peter Gabriel's 'Intruder' -- show flashes of brilliance, largely due to the loose yet focused musicianship." (AllMusic)

Digitally remastered