35 years ago today (5/14/91), Primus released their major label debut — and eventual “cult breakthrough” Sailing the Seas of Cheese. The wildly inventive album introduced a larger audience to the band’s bizarre blend of funk, metal, psychedelia, and absurdist humor, powered by Les Claypool’s instantly recognizable bass slapping and eccentric vocal delivery.
The record spawned enduring live staples including “Jerry Was a Race Car Driver,” “Tommy the Cat,” and “Those Damned Blue-Collar Tweekers,” while Tom Waits contributed his unmistakable growl to “Tommy the Cat.” Long embraced as underground cult heroes, Primus took a major leap forward with the album, and then soon opened for Rush.
Watch Primus perform live at the Roskilde Festival in 1991, featuring several Sailing the Seas of Cheese classics.