Editing Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People

{{Infobox album|
| name         = Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People
| type         = video
| longtype     = and [[Extended Play|EP]]
| artist       = [[Primus (band)|Primus]]
| cover        = cd-animals-lg.jpg
| alt          = 
| released     = October 7, 2003
| recorded     = June 2003
| venue        = 
| studio       = Rancho Relaxo, [[Sebastopol, California]]
| genre        = [[Space rock]], [[progressive rock]]<ref>pastemagazine.com/articles/2011/09/primus-green-naugahyde.html</ref>
| length       = 28:18 (CD)
| label        = [[Interscope Records|Interscope]], [[Prawn Song Records|Prawn Song]]
| producer     = [[Les Claypool]], Primus (CD)<br />[[Reuben Raffael]], [[Zoltron]] (DVD)
| chronology   = Primus video
| prev_title   = [[Videoplasty]]
| prev_year    = 1998
| next_title   = [[Hallucino-Genetics]]
| next_year    = 2004
| misc         = {{Extra chronology
 | artist     = Primus audio
 | type       = ep
 | prev_title = [[Antipop]]
 | prev_year  = 1999
 | title      = Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People
 | year       = 2003
 | next_title = [[They Can't All Be Zingers]]
 | next_year  = 2006
}}
}}

'''''Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People''''' is a career-spanning [[compilation album|retrospective]] [[DVD]] plus bonus [[Extended play|EP]] by American band [[Primus (band)|Primus]], released on October 7, 2003. The title was inspired by a crayon-made story book written by guitarist [[Larry LaLonde]]'s son;<ref name="fish">''Blame It on the Fish''</ref> the cover depicts a sculpture made by long-time Primus collaborator [[Lance "Link" Montoya]]. The DVD features all of the band's [[music video]]s to date, plus short films and live footage from as far back as 1986, whereas the bonus EP features five new songs written and recorded specifically for this release. When promoting the release, bassist [[Les Claypool]] remarked that "It seems of late that bands are adding supplemental DVD material to their album releases to promote record sales. We've done the opposite. We've added a supplemental audio recording of brand new music to an extremely comprehensive DVD of classic visuals."<ref name="primusville">[http://www.primusville.com/animals/ Press release] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726165432/http://www.primusville.com/animals/ |date=July 26, 2011 }} at Primusville.com</ref>

''Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People'' shows the return of drummer [[Tim Alexander]] to the lineup, who had previously left the band in 1996. He joins Claypool and LaLonde in performing on the EP, as well as providing commentary for the DVD. Claypool has claimed that two of the five new songs on the EP were written within the first 45 minutes of the lineup working together again,<ref name="fish" /> and "Pilcher's Squad" was said to have been written and recorded within a single afternoon.<ref name="primusville" /> This is also the only Primus release to feature one of the band's earliest drummers, Tim "Curveball" Wright, filmed performing "Sgt. Baker".

== DVD features ==

=== Music videos ===
# "[[John the Fisherman]]" * <small>(from ''[[Frizzle Fry]]'')</small> - Directed by Mark Kohr
# "[[Too Many Puppies]]" <small>(from ''Frizzle Fry'')</small> - Directed by [[Kevin Kerslake]]
# "[[Jerry Was a Race Car Driver]]" * <small>(from ''[[Sailing the Seas of Cheese]]'')</small> - Directed by Mark Kohr
# "[[Tommy the Cat]]" * <small>(from ''Sailing the Seas of Cheese'')</small> - Directed by Mark Kohr
# "[[My Name Is Mud]]" * <small>(from ''[[Pork Soda]]'')</small> - Directed by Mark Kohr
# "[[Mr. Krinkle]]" * <small>(from ''Pork Soda'')</small> - Directed by Mark Kohr
# "[[DMV (song)|DMV]]" * <small>(from ''Pork Soda'')</small> - Directed by Mark Kohr
# "[[Wynona's Big Brown Beaver]]" * <small>(from ''[[Tales from the Punchbowl]]'')</small> - Directed by Les Claypool
# "[[Southbound Pachyderm]]" <small>(from ''Tales from the Punchbowl'')</small> - Directed by Les Claypool
# "[[Shake Hands with Beef]]" <small>(from the ''[[Brown Album]]'')</small> - Directed by Les Claypool
# "Over the Falls" <small>(from the ''Brown Album'')</small> - Directed by Les Claypool
# "[[Lacquer Head]]" <small>(from ''[[Antipop]]'')</small> - Directed by Les Claypool - (Banned by [[MTV]])
# "[[The Devil Went Down to Georgia]]" <small>([[Charlie Daniels]] cover, from ''[[Rhinoplasty (album)|Rhinoplasty]]'')</small> - Directed by [[Mike Johnson (animator)|Mike Johnson]]
<nowiki>*</nowiki> Optional commentary track featuring Les, Larry and Tim.

=== Short films ===
* ''[[Cheesy Home Video]]'' - transfer of the video with the same name, edited to exclude the music videos.
* ''[[Horrible Swill]]'' - transfer of the video with the same name, previously available exclusively to the [[fan club]].
* ''Horrible Men'' - previously unreleased assortment of clips from on-stage, backstage and in the studio.
* The Making of "Mr. Krinkle" - previously unreleased short on the making of the music video.
* The Making of "Wynona" - previously unreleased short on the making of the music video.
* The Making of the ''Brown Album'' - transfer of a segment from the ''[[Videoplasty]]'' video.

=== Live performances ===
* Radio Relics - Recorded at [[Stanford University]]'s KZSU college radio station for a campus-only cable channel in 1989
** "To Defy the Laws of Tradition"
** "Too Many Puppies"
** "Frizzle Fry"
* New Year's 93-94 - Recorded at the [[Kaiser Convention Center|Henry J. Kaiser Auditorium]] in [[Oakland]], on [[New Year's Eve]] 1993-1994
** "Groundhog's Day"
** "Mr. Krinkle"
* Woodstock 94 - Recorded at the [[Woodstock '94|25th anniversary]] of the [[Woodstock Festival]] in [[Saugerties (town), New York|Saugerties, New York]] in 1994
** "Those Damned Blue Collar Tweekers"
** "My Name is Mud ([[Bootleg recording|Bootleg]] Quality)"
* Florida 95 - Recorded in [[West Palm Beach, Florida]] during the Punchbowl tour in 1995
** "Pudding Time"
** "Southbound Pachyderm"
* "Duchess and the Proverbial Mind Spread" - Recorded at [[Irving Plaza]] in [[New York City|New York]] for [[HBO]]'s [[Reverb (TV series)|Reverb]] in 1998 (Erroneously listed as "Kalamazoo live" on some pressings)
* "Lacquer Head" - Recorded during the [[Family Values Tour 1999|Family Values Tour]] on [[Halloween]] in 1999
* Rarities
** "Sgt. Baker" - Recorded at a [[rent party]] at Kommotion in [[San Francisco]] sometime between 1986 and 1988
** "Groundhog's Day" - Recorded at the Omni in Oakland in late 1988
** "Tommy the Cat" - Recorded by Bob Cock and the Yellow Sock, 1991, and venue not noted

=== Other features ===
The DVD also includes an illustrated [[discography]] and [[slideshow]] of promotional photographs. Easter eggs include a short video clip of [[Adam Gates|Bob Cock]] in heaven and an interview.

== EP track listing ==
All lyrics written by [[Les Claypool]]. All music written by Les Claypool, [[Larry LaLonde]] and [[Tim Alexander]].
{{tracklist ||total_length = 28:17
| title1 = The Carpenter and the Dainty Bride || length1 = 6:35
| title2 = Pilcher's Squad || length2 = 1:54
| title3 = Mary the Ice Cube || length3 = 4:37
| title4 = The Last Superpower aka Rapscallion || length4 = 7:16
| title5 = My Friend Fats || length5 = 7:55
}}

==Critical reception==
{{Album ratings
| rev1=[[AllMusic]] | rev1score={{Rating|3|5}}<ref name="Allmusic review">{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r659688|tab=review|first=Greg|last=Prato|accessdate=September 15, 2011}}</ref>
}}
In his review for [[AllMusic]], Greg Prato predicts that "while hardcore fans will want to hear what Claypool and the boys have been up to lately in the recording studio, the main attraction of ''Animals'' is its exceptional DVD." He notes that "early on, it appeared as though Primus was more about songwriting, before later reinventing itself as a Grateful Dead-worshipping outfit that loved to put jamming before songwriting", and that "fans hoping that Primus would return to streamlined songs will be disappointed, as the band has picked up right where it left off" on the new EP.<ref name="Allmusic review"/>

== Personnel ==
* [[Les Claypool]] — bass, vocals
* [[Larry LaLonde]] — guitar on all tracks, except as noted below.
** [[Todd Huth]] — guitar on the 1988 recording of "Groundhog's Day" and "Sgt. Baker"
* [[Tim Alexander]] — drums on all tracks, except as noted below.
** [[Bryan Mantia|Bryan "Brain" Mantia]] — drums on "Shake Hands with Beef", "Over the Falls", "Lacquer Head" and "Duchess and the Proverbial Mind Spread"
** [[Jay Lane]] — drums on the 1988 recording of "Groundhog's Day"
** Tim "Curveball" Wright — drums on "Sgt. Baker"
* "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" performed by Festus Clamrod and The El Sobrante Twangers
** Les Claypool — vocals and bass
** Larry LaLonde — banjo
** Bryan "Brain" Mantia — drums
** [[M.I.R.V.|Mark "Mirv" Haggard]] — [[slide guitar]] and voice of Johnny
** [[Bryan Kehoe]] — voice of the Devil
** Violina Misteriosa (Irene Sazer) — violin

All lyrics written by Claypool, all music written by Primus, except "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" by the [[Charlie Daniels Band]].

== Charts ==
'''Album'''
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
!scope="col"|Chart (2003)
!scope="col"|Peak<br />position
|-
{{album chart|Billboard200|44|artist=Primus|rowheader=true|access-date=September 7, 2022}}
|}

'''DVD'''
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
!scope="col"|Chart (2004)
!scope="col"|Peak<br />position
|-
! scope="row"| Australian Music DVDs ([[ARIA Charts|ARIA]])<ref>{{cite Ryan|page=224}}</ref>
| align="center"| 22
|}

== Certifications ==
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|artist=Primus|title=Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People|award=Platinum|type=video|relyear=2003|certyear=2004|access-date=December 28, 2023|note=DVD}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Primus}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Primus (band) EPs]]
[[Category:Primus (band) video albums]]
[[Category:2003 EPs]]
[[Category:2003 video albums]]
[[Category:Interscope Records EPs]]
[[Category:Interscope Records video albums]]
[[Category:Prawn Song Records EPs]]
[[Category:Prawn Song Records video albums]]
[[Category:Albums with cover art by Lance Montoya]]