Ween. Are they great or what?

(but seriously, they're good for a laugh or two. TMBG for the pottymouthed set. faves are the live version of "dr. rock" and "don't laugh I love you," songs do the genre they're parodying justice).

Their parodies of prog-folk are better than the 'serious' revivalists of the genre. There's nothing better than "Cold Blows The Wind." The assertation that it's a traditional Chinese spiritual only makes it more brilliant. Sample this lyric for proof:

"Go fetch me a nut from the dungeon deep
and water from the stone
and white milk from the maiden's breast
that babe ere never known"

Plus, every Prince fan in the world needs to hear "LMLYP." Yet "Birthday Boy" from the same album is one of the most poignant breakup songs, capturing the confusion and resignation of a mutual breakup that just about every other breakup song misses.

And no I am not nor have I ever been stoned.

(If you haven't heard his damn-near 6 minute going-off-about-how-amazing-Ween-is rant, well, I apologize.)

I'd love to see them live again, but they don't appear to be venturing to New England any time soon. Best Ween live experience: Burlington, VT, Halloween 2003. During "LMLYP" some crazed hippie on stilts in a gigantic cat costume, complete with huge papier mache head, came out on stage. Plus, viking helmets and wizard hats and extremely short loincloth-esque thing on Deaner. And three people in an actual Poop Ship Destroyer costume.

Also, I seem to be one of the few female Ween fans. I've only known one personally, and I'm not sure that I've seen too many at shows. Girl Ween fans hollah at me?

Apparently Ween and the creators of Spongebob Squarepants have a pretty good relationship...not only was "Ocean Man" in the movie OST (in the coveted as-the-credits-begin-to-roll spot), but they did a song about HOW TO TIE YOUR SHOES for one episode that totally owns! Also, Spongebob once said something about his pet snail Gary's "wandering eye...you little mollusk, you!".

Man, I fucking LOVE Ween! I was at a show years ago and it was ex-cel... Well, uh, excellent. I remember they did this jam thing while a woman was dancing. I think they just stretched for a good twenty minutes just to have a laugh at her expense. Great show.

FWIW I know shit tons of female Ween fans...not quite as rare as female PRIMUS fans.

i also like primus. if you come buy a copy of les claypool's new album at my record store in bangor, and we sell more than anyone else in any of the stores participating in this little contest, les will come eat pizza and drink beer with us. no foolin'! i know you won't!

-- J
Mark feels the same way. This does not compute.

"Bananas and Blow" so real

"fluffy, my furry buddy, chewed his leg on the porch"

I saw them on the tour for that country album, and ... okay, you know a regular Ween crowd? Which is already like a Noah's Ark of different varieties of drug-addled weirdos? Add to that country weirdos. Seriously the strangest crowd I have ever stood in.

they're my favorite band. but la cucaracha was a huge letdown.

no way. "woman and man" is their epic -- it's worth it just for that

La Cucaracha was a huge comeback.

I wonder if the release of the Caesar demos has something to do with its re-evaluation. As good as the album is I do wish they found a place for those 2 B-sides at least. Ooh Va La was my favorite track on it for a while (but it's only on the Japanese version that I had to download)

I've seen the rumour crop up that supposedly those demos being leaked was a source of disgruntlement between the two of them

Your Party is my favorite from Cucaracha.

― Cow_Art, Tuesday, September 29, 2020 11:40 AM (thirty-six minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

'Your Party' has become one of my favorites, period. It never fails to slay me with its normcore decadence.

yeah I think Gene was not happy that it leaked. iirc he didn't really want to do the Shinola album either and is probably the reason why they didn't release more of them. its too bad because they have some insanely good B-sides. I think The Mollusk is one of the best albums ever but even still it's fucking insane that "Kim Smoltz" was left off of it, even crazier that it never came out in any real form whatsoever. lotta bands would kill to write a song as good as that.

“Mountains” could be a super furry animals tune

Mangoiy woman

I had to hard reset my phone to get this to stop playing. Lmao

https://i.imgur.com/VCjJIC3.jpg

I saw them in LA last night for my first post-pandemic concert and it fucking ruled. I was slightly annoyed about how much I paid for the tickets but it was 100% worth it.

I see they’re doing “From the Beginning” by ELP now which is awesome

The few recent set lists I’ve seen have been incredible. They just have so many amazing deep cuts to choose from

Are they purely a nostalgia act now? I want a new album, goddammit!!

Not a nostalgia act, more a 'professional' live act for some great jobbing musicians. I doubt there will ever be another record. Not even sure they can be bothered to release archival stuff.

There was an attempt at an album circa 2010 wasn't there? Wonder why coming up with something new is such a dead end for them

I assume that they don't gel as songwriters anymore and when they're not making money off of touring they're spending time with their respective families. Aaron's solo stuff is really good, Mickey's is crap.

Armchair analysis -- I always assumed Aaron doesn't want to inhabit the mind of Gener fully enough to write material because that's a short hop to relapse. Performing older material is risky enough.

yea Aaron's solo album is better than the two Mickey did but I think they're both missing what the other brings

Why Dean And Gene Are The Weirdo Lennon & McCartney

https://thequietus.com/articles/30826-ween

That was a great start to the article, but this is how I learn that portions of Quietus are paywalled now...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0VACUzXIck

lol

https://i.imgur.com/p1KTfxG.jpg

Live at Stubbs version of that is so good

Maybe their best song ever I think.

Aww, good luck Deaner.

For the majority of my life I have been blessed enough to have a career doing the thing that I love the most. This privilege has never been lost on me. The fact that the music reaches other people and means so much to them is something that I never take for granted, and for which I am truly grateful, all of the time, every time we perform. At this moment in time though I need to step away from performing live in order to preserve my mental and spiritual well being, and instead focus on myself and loved ones. I know this will come as a disappointment and with great inconvenience to many people who bought tickets and made travel plans, and for this I sincerely apologize. I look forward to returning to the stage with the enthusiasm, joy, and renewed sense of inspiration that our fans deserve, and that I require of myself when we play live. Thank you and god bless.

that's like the exact message Gene posted before he went to rehab. hope he's okay and recovers soon.

I wonder what the story is
Funny that Ween is giving the same “stepping down to spend time with my family” line that corporate bigwigs use

I wonder what the story is

probably exactly what he says

if this is Dean getting clean, then perhaps it would allow for re-energized touring for both the principals/the band, assuming that their limited runs since reforming were designed to protect Gener. sounds like they’re even axing the massive* Chocolate & Cheese anniversary show, given the note about travel plans for punters, which would otherwise have been worth keeping booked as a potential triumphant return. good luck Mickey!

* 14,000 capacity, vs the 2800 theatre they were playing here this year (and sold out in 20 mins)

i just listened to Ween for the first time the other day per a friend's recommendation, it was nice! i think the album started with an M.

The molusk. The typical starting point, it's very easy to love

how dopey that i just have no idea who this band is that seems to have quite a following

but yeah they sounded great in the sun, i couldn't place like when the music was from

Their following has definitely gotten bigger since they were initially a band which is interesting but also their music is nearly tailor made for guys that spend too much time on the internet. I saw them in 2004 at a 1500 person venue that probably wasn’t sold out for 20 or 25 bucks…when they come around now they usually sell out a 5k capacity space and tickets are like 65 dollars or something insane.

yeah it's kind of weird, the record store guy says a lot of young people look for them including some who probably weren't alive when their last album came out. idk what explains that, can't just be Spongebob. I mean its cool though they deserve the attention

i would see them tbh. what's a typical price for a ticket in general these days? also ugh who is Spongebob?? why am i a 40 yr old mom.

haha spongebob squarepants is this show from after my time that, like, that whole generation loves. idk if there's even an equivalent from my era. i guess like animaniacs? maybe? but way bigger and more popular. you never see animaniacs memes except for the ones about prince.

o wait i totally know that Spongebob (i love himmmm) - i just thought there was a new one like a rapper or something lol

Ween are squarely in the young neurodivergent/queer music nerd canon that's swept up Cardiacs as a legacy band and which makes up most of my online social circle these days. Even I've had to admit that Quebec is a masterpiece

Surprising as I've always thought there was a very distinct frat boy element to Ween.

there totally is, bro city

It's (by far) their least attractive aspect.

We used to go see them a lot in the late 90s, early 2000s. It was funny to see the crowds shift after phish covered roses for free. Before it was definitely a more punk scene

There is no greater joy than rolling up in the middle school carpool line and seeing your child’s stricken face as she realizes that you are blasting Poopship Destroyer turned up to 11.

Ween crowds always seem to be an interesting assortment of weirdos. there's definitely a fratboy element to it but you can't really generalize with these folks. which makes sense because I do think they have wide appeal. I mean musically they're all over the map but as people I think they're pretty easy to identify with, like you can clearly track the way their lives and attitudes and how the very nature of their friendship changed from one album to the next and there's something very real about that. one of those bands where you kind of feel like you know them.

If anyone was around in ye olde ween.net forum days it was definitely more of an internet druggie and/or edgelord vibe than anything fratboy or jam band related.

I think I saw them at Tramps once in NYC it must’ve been 1996. They played a lot of songs I didn’t know too well. I mostly only fuck with the first three: GWS, The Pod and Pure Guava.

I feel like Chocolate and Cheese was their frat heyday. Stoned dudes in dorms … “he was head honcho with the ladies…”