With Brain off crafting the never-ending Guns 'N Roses project with fellow Praxis mate Buckethead, the future of Primus is in doubt. Claypool has wisely mended whatever fences needed mending with Tim Alexander, but there's no telling if this is a permanent thing or not. The five new tracks on this EP pick right up where Primus left off after the spotty Pork Soda and Tales From The Punchbowl. Alexander's energetic drumming jolts new life into Claypool and Primus, propelling the majority of the five new tracks to immediate "classic" status. "The Last Superpower AKA Rapscallion" represents the old Primus taking on the Brain-era lineup, but does so in a much stronger, more convincing way than the real thing could at its peak. "Mary The Ice Cube" and "My Friend Fats" present a blending of the two versions of the band, and while not as strong as leadoff tracks "The Carpenter And The Dainty Bride" and the far too short "Pilcher's Squad" still make for compelling, and most importantly, fun listening - something the band's music has been lacking for quite a long time.

The EP is issued with a DVD containing all of the music videos (you know, those things MTV used to show) along with an assortment of live tracks, backstage, and making-of footage representing each album. Be forewarned - some of this footage is labelled as "Bootleg Quality" and they aren't kidding. Also included in its entirety is the long out of print Cheesy Home Video and a formerly fan-club only video. This is an unbelievable deal - for about $10 at most retailers, you get about 3.5 hours of stuff. Even if the EP wasn't so good, I'd still give this a big ol' thumbs up.

(also posted at unproductivity.)