by Bret LoveTaking a welcome break from Primus, this Les Claypool side project finds him reunited with Sausage bandmates and original Primus members Todd Huth (guitars) and Jay Lane (drums), but this time they've brought a few friends along for the ride. Keyboardist Jeff Chimenti, who's also in Ratdog with Lane, has played with jazz legends like Pharoah Sanders and James Moody; saxophonist Skerik has played with New Orleans funksters Galactic and world music experimentalists Tuatara; and guitarist Eenor was chosen by Claypool from submissions he received from musicians around the Bay Area after placing an ad in the paper. Together, they tackle an hour-long, seven-song set that's long on prog rock-style jamming and short on "Jerry Was a Racecar Driver"-like accessibility. As if to reinforce the prog connection, the group's live debut opens with a 14-minute cover of King Crimson's "Thela Hun Ginjeet" and closes with a 12-minute version of Pink Floyd's "Shine on You Crazy Diamond." The five songs sandwiched in between are expanded versions of Sausage and Holy Mackerel tunes, but with the additional instrumentation and extended noodling, only "Riddles Are Abound Tonight" sounds much like the original version. Even if your wankery tolerance is low, Claypool fans will enjoy hearing the ol' boy obviously having the time of his life jamming with some mighty fine musicians. It may not make you forget the brilliance of Sailing the Seas of Cheese, but Live Frogs should help you forget the blandness of The Brown Album.