WEEN

[alan nagsworth]

I know we had a thread not long ago about their the Friends EP/La Cucaracha LP but I really think it's time they had their own thread of appreciation.

I can honestly say they are one of the coolest bands I've ever encountered. For the first time in a long time I've actually started to question my own views and morals of music, thanks to Ween. Never before has a band made me think so much about being in a band and doing your own thing, they have completely changed the way I feel about music. While it's true they can be very vulgar and immature with their lyrics, whatever they set out to achieve they effortlessly pass with flying colours. If they want to write a song about an ill-fated pony coughing up snot because of his bad lungs, you better believe they're gonna do a grand job of it. If they want to dabble in hard rock, acid pop, country or punk, they will always succeed to the point where an inexperienced listener could mistake them for a band taking themselves too seriously, when in fact Ween could not be further from seriousness. Sure they have some more "serious" numbers about heartbreak and, er, spinal meningitis, but such is their musical prowess and sheer talent that they can either churn out a straight-faced ballad or a psyched-out acid trip of a medley and either way they will still alienate 80% of outsiders who just don't know how many pinches of salt to take with Ween.

They are often laughed at because apparently "how can a band who recorded Push Th' Little Daisies be serious?" and apparently they're just a big idiotic joke, but Ween are dead serious - serious about not taking themselves too seriously. And it's this twisted view on things that makes Ween what it is, a perfectly functioning band with a hefty back catalogue of well-received releases who happen to, as apparently frequently admitted by Dean and Gene themselves, take a lot of acid. Contrary to the tale local boob who crosses the street to avoid people, trees and reality because "he took loads of acid when he was younger, fucked him up for life", Ween have managed to ride the high crest of the wave wearing a modest crown, pulling off some amazing backflips but also some of the goofiest faces you've ever seen.

My favourite album is Quebec but I'm loving The Mollusk at the moment too. Never really liked Pure Guava too much. Just downloaded White Pepper so can't wait to get stuck into that. Chocolate & Cheese is brilliant too! And after downloading their Live In Toronto CD I went to Amazon straight away and bought the CD/DVD combo. Can't wait to watch it now, it looks like a damn long set. I heard they play for a solid 3 hours for most shows... I would walk through fire to see them live.

So come on all ye faithful Boognish fans, poke your heads out of the woodwork and show some love.

[Moribunderast]

Yes, yes, yes! Ween are my absolute favourite band of all time.

I saw them earlier in the year and they blew me away. I was genuinely worried before the show that I'd built up the gig too much but they shattered my lofty expectations and were easily the best live music experience I've had.

Pure Guava's a strange one. I haven't really "gotten" it yet but there's definitely some good stuff there. It just seems a little in between Pod and Chocolate and Cheese in the way it's recorded and structured. Not poppy enough to be catchy and not weird enough to be fascinating (The Pod is probably my favourite album for it's weirdness alone).

They're also fucking great to their fans, to the point of endorsing a website where people upload bootlegs of their shows. Google "Browntracker" if you haven't visited the site already... and prepare to spend all your bandwidth on Ween goodness.

If you are not a fan of this band yet, listen to them. They WILL improve your life.

after downloading their Live In Toronto CD

Where, where where?!

[rudi]

Toronto. Are you blind?

[nrgroom]

Gotta join in the appreciation.

First time I heard Ween was I got a bundle of random albums at a car boot sale for £1, and The Pod was included. To be honest, 'Strap on that Jammy Pac' put me off straight away, and it served as a coaster for months to come.

Then I saw the video for 'Freedom of 76' on MTV2 at about 3 in the morning after a heavy night on the beers, and was surprised that this could be the same band. Revisited 'The Pod' and slowly grew to love it. It really is a difficult album to get into (for me, anyway). It's really rewarding once you have listened to it several times - some real gems (Dr Rock, Captain Fantasy, Awesome Sound), weird 'brown' tracks (Molly, She F**cks Me)surprisingly few duff tracks.

I now have most of the back catalogue (Quebec still on my list - I'd read some negative reviews - is it worth getting?) and my fave has to be The Mollusc. Probably due to my penchant for prog rock.

Pure Guava is a great record. I agree that it's almost a transition album between the earlier lo-fi madness to the more produced sprawling eclectica to follow, but there are some absolute gems on there. Don't Get Too Close To My Fantasy, Big Jilm, and Reggaejunkiejew (I luuuuurve that beat) are brilliant, although perhaps best enjoyed with some mind-altering assistance). I agree with a review of their work somewhere else (can't remember where) that they are great at taking silly things seriously and vice versa.

I've tried numerous times to introduce my friends to the genius of Dean & Gene, but unfortunately they just don't seem to get it. I thought that Chocolate & Cheese would be the best album to use as a 'gentle' introduction, but despite a few nods to individual songs, mates don't seem to take the bait.

Can heartily recommend the Live In Chicago DVD - it's great to see the boys live and the utter genius of Dean playing guitar. The crowd pleasing finale really makes me wish I was there...

I'd heard that they are playing some festival over here - any plans for a standalone gig anytime soon ?

[Moribunderast]

The crowd pleasing finale really makes me wish I was there...

When I saw them a few months ago, they finished with The Blarney Stone. The place went fucking nuts.

[alan nagsworth]

Where, where where?!

Oops sorry, I meant Live In Chicago. I got it from a certain exclusive tracker whatsitcalled. Just buy it! Amazon!

[Moribunderast]

Yeah, I've got the Live In Chicago DVD. It's fantastic. Been wanting/planning to buy Live In Toronto with the Shit Creek Boys for a while now but am always short on dollars. Soon, though, it WILL be mine.

[alan nagsworth]

(Quebec still on my list - I'd read some negative reviews - is it worth getting?)

I don't know why Quebec got such bad press, it just delves further into the minds of Gene and Dean and is so much more "happening" than some of their other stuff, it feels a lot more diverse in terms of them taking on different styles. Maybe I haven't heard enough of their stuff yet (still not heard GodWeenSatan, La Cucaracha, The Pod or 12 Golden Country Greats)... it also makes me smile more than most stuff I've heard, the solo on Transdermal Ceebration and the outro to The Argus are notable "fond" smiles and there are countless chucklesome moments. I've heard reviews saying they've gone too far up their own arses - What the fuck?? The only way Ween could ever do this would be to stick to one genre and take themselves too seriously, there is no sign of any of this on Quebec, it's an awesome record. Gah I really want the DVD to arrive now, I only ordered it 2 days ago.

Where's The Argus anyway? He'll no doubt put us to shame with his vast knowledge of the band!

Also, anyone know if La Cucaracha is any good? I liked the Friends EP except maybe for the title track, which I almost thought was too effortlessly cheesy.

[Moribunderast]

La Cucaracha is fantastic. Has some minor down-points but some instant classics also. Album-closer Your Party is one of the funniest things they've ever written; Object is great and quite dark. Woman and Man is Ween at their best, doing a 10 minute Santana-style prog tune which is absolutely marvelous.

I never understood Quebec getting bad press either. It was the second album of theirs I heard and was the one that gave me the impetus to delve into their back catalogue.

Nagsworth, you best get working on hearing GodWeenSatan and The Pod as well. They're very different to the later stuff, a bit more brash and mental, but they're great nonetheless. 12 Country Greats is good, but you kinda get the feeling they could have just done an EP instead of a full country album. For me, Ween albums are meant to play like fucked up compilations and not really settle into a "mood" so to speak, which is probably why I listen to 12 Country Greats the least.

[thisaintnopicnic]

Ween are probably the band I've listened to most over the last few years. What I enjoy most is the experimentation and different musical genres they use on each record. Also, despite their "comedy" songs, they are clearly very talented musicians. My favourite songs are "Marble Tulip Juicy Tree" from GWS (sounds even better live), "Gabrielle" from Shinola Vol.1 and "The Argus" from Quebec. If you're not sure about them, I suggest you go to www.browntracker.net and download the Radio Sessions torrent (with 2 Peel Sessions!) and the October 1996 Country Tour Sampler (live performance with the Shit Creek Boys). Also, watch these videos---> [youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzYykIA1xVg[/youtube]
[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnriPwC2ydM[/youtube]

[The Argus]

Where's The Argus anyway? He'll no doubt put us to shame with his vast knowledge of the band!

Don't fret, I'm here, though I'd never claim my knowledge was vast (don't know if you've ever been on the Ween forum, but let's just say they have a very 'committed' fanbase).  They're my favourite band, and they suit my particular tastes so perfectly that I can't imagine another one ever taking their place.  Then again, I said they same thing about Super Furry Animals so who knows?

I think it takes some real intensive listening to fully understand what Ween are about and how far removed they are from most other bands who employ humour in their music.  I've read so much infuriating lazy journalism about how they are a parody band with no substance I just rarely bother to read anything about them anymore.  I've also tried to introduce them to many a person to no avail and have come to conclusion that they're just simply not for everyone or, in fact, most people.  However, if they are for you they'll probably mean more to than practically any other musician out there.  There's an in depth essay on what makes Ween so great on George Starostin's website that's well worth a read: http://starling.rinet.ru/music/ween.htm.

My favourites are The Mollusk and The Pod, although I probably listen to the latter one the least out of all their albums - it's very much a special occasion thing for me (drunk and on my own in the darkest hours of the morning).  I'd probably say that their weakest efforts are White Pepper and La Cucaracha purely because they feel a bit under realised in comparison to the rest. I am also going to say that Quebec is a fantastic album and would like to go on record to say that 12 Golden Country Greats is one of their strongest efforts.  That was Ween really going out on a limb, even more so than usual, and although it takes some getting used to, once it clicks it's a perfect Sunday morning album.  The demos of 12 Golden Country Greats also well worth getting and are kind of like if they'd done it in the style of The Pod.  And that Live in Toronto version of Fluffy is just jaw-droppingly awesome.

The Live in Chicago DVD is an absolute must for any fan I'd say.  It's pretty much flawless.  Also there is a wealth of amazing b-sides for anyone willing to dig deep, specifically Dark Side, Mountains & Buffalo, Who Dat, and Kim Smoltz.  PM me if you're having trouble finding anything and I'm sure I can sort you out.

[nrgroom]

Okay Nagsworth - i've ordered Quebec. The tracks they did from it live on the Chicago DVD were good, but didn't get me overly excited. That is probably just because I wasn't as familiar with them as the others, though.

I second the praise of La Cucaracha. At this stage in their career, there's maybe a limited amount of new/ experimental stuff for them to do, but I love the album. 'Object' is quite straightforward, creepy and strangely affecting. I also love 'Blue Balloon', 'Woman & Man' (great guitar work) and the last track 'Your Party' is just a perfect finale. I read somewhere that Gene hated people using the phrase "the wife and I", hence it's inclusion. The rest of the album is good, with little to criticise.

The Argus is right - it takes a while to grasp exactly what they are doing, and most of their albums are growers, but it's worth it - I can't think of another band that does what they do so well.

The Argus - thanks for the links !

[thisaintnopicnic]

Don't fret, I'm here, though I'd never claim my knowledge was vast (don't know if you've ever been on the Ween forum, but let's just say they have a very 'committed' fanbase).  They're my favourite band, and they suit my particular tastes so perfectly that I can't imagine another one ever taking their place.  Then again, I said they same thing about Super Furry Animals so who knows?

Thats weird - after Ween, SFA are my second favourite band

[alan nagsworth]

So I got Live In Chicago, man that is a stunning performance. The transferal from studio to live rock band works exceptionally, further proving that Ween are a band that can be enjoyed on some many levels. The list so far reads: 1) when you feel like laughing at their awesome interpretations of different styles; 2) when you feel like taking it seriously; 3) when you wanna LIVE RAWK! And all three work perfectly. What an amazing band.

Checking out their other work, La Cucaracha is quite good but by no means their best (obviously!) There are some great tunes though, Sweetheart is my favourite so far (that's as far as I am through the record) it reminds me of, funnily enough, Super Furry Animals! The strings are very Rings Around The World and Gene sounds the spitting image of Gruff Rhys. I'm not much keen on Friends, a bit too deliberately cheesy for my liking, and I say that as a massive Hey There Fancypants fan! Lullaby is bloody great, as is With My Own Bare Hands. Overall it's a consistent enough record but it doesn't make me buzz like Chocolate And Cheese does, no sir.

White Pepper, I've only heard half of it but didn't think it was that good to be honest, maybe need to give it another go. But I can say that Even If You Don't is one of the greatest pop hits I've ever heard, from that song alone I'm willing to go with the rumours that the album title is borrowed from two classic Beatles album titles.

Gave Pure Guava another go the other day, I think it's still way too druggy for my tastes. Give it time though... and I've still not listened to The Pod. Still holding the top spot as one of my favourite bands!

[alan nagsworth]

Awesome awesome awesome.

So I've really been digging Pure Guava lately, I finally realised how awesome their old material is. Next stop: The Pod... and then I'll probably end up buying GodWeenSatan too.

Anyway, has anyone else got a copy of the recently released Live At Cat's Cradle CD/DVD? I've not checked out the CD yet but I just snook into a conference room at work and slapped the DVD on the huge screen. I must say it's just marvelous. The footage is from two or three different gigs around 1991/92 and it's really great to see a stripped down, gritty 2-man Ween.

You can tell they're still experimenting with everything they do, despite it only being Gene, Dean and a drum machine which leaves no room for the awesome improv of their full-band shows. Deaner frequently destroys his guitar (and also knocks out some of those awesome solos with aplomb), the lyrics go from sweet to shouty and the crowd participation is sketchy at best. Some people dance wildly, some just shout abuse. Others are just in awe of the sheer balls of them for getting up onstage and jamming out that brown noise.

Either way it's bloody great and a must-have for die-hard Ween fans.