Editing Suck on This

{{Infobox album
| name       = Suck on This
| type       = live
| artist     = [[Primus (band)|Primus]]
| cover      = Primus-Suck on This.jpg
| alt        =
| released   = November 1989
| recorded   = February 25 and March 5, 1989
| venue      = [[Berkeley Square (club)|Berkeley Square]] ([[Berkeley, California]])
| studio     =
| genre      = {{hlist|[[Alternative metal]]|[[funk metal]]}}
| length     = 41:11
| label      = [[Prawn Song Records|Prawn Song]]
| producer   = Matt Winegar, [[Bob Cock]]
| prev_title =
| prev_year  =
| next_title = [[Frizzle Fry]]
| next_year  = 1990
}}

'''''Suck on This''''' is a live album by the American [[Rock music|rock]] band [[Primus (band)|Primus]], released in 1989. At the time of recording, the featured lineup of 
bassist/vocalist [[Les Claypool]], guitarist [[Larry LaLonde]] and drummer [[Tim Alexander]] had only been playing together for "about two months".<ref name="liner">Liner notes, ''Suck on This'' (reissue), Prawn Song Records 2002.</ref> This release, along with [[Jane's Addiction]]'s [[Jane's Addiction (album)|self-titled live album]], are seen as popularizing the then-underground [[alternative metal]] genre.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/explore/style/alternative-metal-d2697|title = Alternative Metal Music Genre Overview|website = [[AllMusic]]}}</ref>

==Background==
The album was recorded live at the [[Berkeley Square (club)|Berkeley Square]] in [[Berkeley, California|Berkeley]], [[California]] on February 25 and March 5, 1989, on a [[TASCAM]] quarter-inch 8-track [[Portastudio]] and mixed on Hi-Fi VHS.<ref name="liner" /> The band borrowed $3,000 from Claypool's father to cover the recording and pressing of one thousand copies of the album for its initial limited run.<ref name="liner" /> They released the record in November 1989 through their own independent label under the name [[Prawn Song Records]] before licensing it to [[Caroline Records (U.S.)|Caroline Records]] in 1990,<ref name="Animals">Illustrated Discography, ''[[Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People]]'' DVD, Interscope Records 2003.</ref> and later [[Interscope Records]].<ref name="Discogs">[http://www.discogs.com/Primus-Suck-On-This/master/17894 ''Suck on This''] at [[Discogs]].</ref> On April 23, 2002, Prawn Song reissued the album with remastered audio, together with the follow-up studio album ''[[Frizzle Fry]]''.<ref name="Animals" />

All of the songs would eventually be released as studio recordings: "[[Tommy the Cat]]" on ''[[Sailing the Seas of Cheese]]'' in 1991, "Pressman" (as "The Pressman") on ''[[Pork Soda]]'' in 1993, "Jellikit" on the [[Airheads#Soundtrack|''Airheads'' soundtrack]] in 1994 as "Bastardizing Jellikit", and "The Heckler" on ''[[Antipop]]'' in 1999 as a hidden track. All other tracks were included on the band's debut studio album ''Frizzle Fry'' in 1990.

The original liner notes give "hugs and kisses" to a number of bands and local businesses, including [[Faith No More]] and [[Buck Naked and the Bare Bottom Boys]]. This was followed by "special hugs and kisses" to a number of individuals, including early Primus members [[Todd Huth]], [[Jay Lane]], Vince Parker and Tim Wright, and "Pops" (Claypool's father) "for kickin' down the corn".<ref name="linerold">Liner notes, ''Suck on This'', Interscope Records 1990.</ref> For the 2002 reissue, these sections were omitted in favour of a paragraph written by Claypool detailing the history of the record, leaving only "special thanks" to Claypool's father.<ref name="liner" />

==Critical reception==
{{Album ratings
| rev1      = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}<ref name="Allmusic review">{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/r15767 |title=''Suck on This'' |work=[[AllMusic]]|publisher=[[Rovi Corporation]] |last=Raggett|first=Ned |accessdate=2016-07-18}}</ref>
| rev2 = The Daily Vault
| rev2Score = B+<ref name=vault>{{cite web |url= http://dailyvault.com/toc.php5?review=11 |title=The Daily Vault Music Reviews : Suck on This |first=Christopher |last=Thelen |work=dailyvault.com |year=2019 |accessdate=18 February 2019}}</ref>
| rev3 = ''[[Spin Alternative Record Guide]]''
| rev3score = 7/10<ref>{{cite book|chapter=Primus|first=Chris|last=Norris|title=Spin Alternative Record Guide|title-link=Spin Alternative Record Guide|editor1-first=Eric|editor1-last=Weisbard|editor2-first=Craig|editor2-last=Marks|publisher=[[Vintage Books]]|year=1995|isbn=0-679-75574-8|page=310}}</ref>
}}

Reviewing the album for [[AllMusic]], Ned Raggett describes the album as "not only demonstrating Primus' undeniable live flair for [[art rock|art]]/[[progressive rock|prog rock]]/[[funk]] of its own devising, but capturing an already rabid fan base getting off on it big-time", with "its tempo-shifting riffing and [[Funkadelic]]-meets-[[Rush (band)|Rush]] rhythm explosions benefiting from a fairly crisp recording." He notes that "Claypool's voice is sometimes searching for breath or a touch buried in the mix", but "anyone who likes the [[Frank Zappa|Zappa]]/[[Captain Beefheart|Beefheart]] goofy voice approach Claypool is fond of will be perfectly happy with his nutty lip-flapping".<ref name="Allmusic review" />

==Track listing==
{{tracklist
| all_lyrics    = [[Les Claypool]]
| all_music     = Primus, guitar melodies by [[Todd Huth]] except "The Heckler" and "Pressman". "[[John the Fisherman]]" contains an excerpt from the instrumental "[[YYZ (song)|YYZ]]" by [[Rush (band)|Rush]]
| title1        = [[John the Fisherman]]
| length1       = 3:53
| title2        = Groundhog's Day
| length2       = 4:53
| title3        = The Heckler
| length3       = 3:35
| title4        = Pressman
| length4       = 5:01
| title5        = Jellikit
| length5       = 3:59
| title6        = [[Tommy the Cat]]
| length6       = 5:27
| title7        = Pudding Time
| length7       = 4:20
| title8        = Harold of the Rocks
| length8       = 6:18
| title9        = Frizzle Fry
| length9       = 5:45
| total_length  = 41:11
}}

==Personnel==
'''Primus'''
*[[Les Claypool]] – vocals, bass
*[[Larry LaLonde|Larry "Ler" LaLonde]] – guitars
*[[Tim Alexander|Tim "Herb" Alexander]] – drums

'''Production'''
*Matt Winegar – producer, engineer, mixing engineer
*Howard Johnston – editing
*Tim "Soya" – stage
*Leroy – stage
*Lauren Miller – live sound

'''Visual art'''
*Paul Haggard – jacket design, photos
*Lance "Link" Montoya – sculpture

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

{{Primus}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Albums with cover art by Lance Montoya]]
[[Category:1989 live albums]]
[[Category:Prawn Song Records live albums]]
[[Category:Primus (band) albums]]