Les Claypool, in Oysterhead's first single (the aptly titled "Mr. Oysterhead") declares, "I remember back in the day, when music folk had a lot to say/ Now I sit back at home and pray/ That someone will come along and show the way." Seemingly, that is mission statement of Oysterhead, the super-trio comprised of Trey Anastasio (Phish), Les Claypool (Primus, Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade), and skinsman Stewart Copeland (formerly of the Police). The 50 minutes of music is a lesson in musicianship for anyone who dares to listen. On the one hand, the basic elements one would expect when looking at the lineup make their residence in the 13 tracks. Les provides his slapped-out funky basslines, Trey contributes his wailing guitar solos and syncopated rhythm work and Copeland doesn't take away from his band mates, stepping into the foreground only when necessary.
Oysterhead as a whole, however, cannot be categorized; the group is unlike anything out there. Interestingly enough, the band had only played together once before entering Trey's Vermont studio to record an album together. But with a month of free time (because of Phish's hiatus, a gap in Copeland's film-scoring schedule and Les' just doing whatever he wants, whenever), the trio managed to put together The Grand Pecking Order.
The album opener, "Little Faces," features Anastasio's complex guitar work that builds up to a heavy chorus, where Trey pumps out machine-gun licks combined with thick power chords. "Shadow of a Man" could be the most interesting track on the album, combining lyrics about a Vietnam veteran ("Billy came back from Vietnam just a shadow of a man") with pounding steel drums and violent guitar effects. Anastasio and Claypool share vocal duties on the sing-along "Rubberneck Lions," which features some of Trey's best guitar-work on the album. "Owner of the World" and "Mr. Oysterhead" are two of the more pop-oriented tracks, with choruses anyone can sing along to. The trio provides some quieter moments on "Radon Balloon," a track that sounds more Phish-like than the rest of the album. All those interested in hearing about our military rolling during combat should take a listen to "Army's on Ecstasy," while soaking in the guitar solos and drum work while they're at it. Trey has said that he wanted the opportunity to rock out like Randy Rhodes, and on "Pseudo Suicide," he does just that.
Anyone with any range in musical tastes should be able to find at least something enjoyable on Pecking Order, one of its true beauties. The trio has managed to produce a genre-bending album that is nonetheless held together by a sound that is distinctly Oysterhead. The full promise of the band, however, will certainly shine through when the songs get the true jamband treatment in the live setting (Nov 11 at the Tweeter Center). While the group may not come right out and say it, Oysterhead is out to show an audience besieged with musical by-products just what true musicianship is.
