Utahpolis

Like a lot of people who were listening to college radio or watching 120 Minutes in the early-90’s, my first exposure to Ween was through their one and only (very minor) hit, “Push th’ Little Daisies”. Even when set amongst the (then) eclectic programming of WKU’s 91.7, this song immediately stood out as something decidedly different and new. The group remained a mystery, though. I never figured out who sang the song. Hell, I didn’t even know it was a male until I saw the video some time later! Little did I know that our paths would cross many times in the years to come. More on that in future posts.

[youtube:http://youtube.com/watch?v=4kkJPiTIyZ8]

A couple of years later, after I had rediscovered Ween, I went back and bought Pure Guava. Unlike Chocolate and Cheese or even The Pod, Pure Guava took some time to really dig into. Once I spent some time with it, though, I discovered a great soundtrack to those lazy high school afternoons back in Bowling Green, with nothing better to do than smoke a joint, drive around, and listen to Ween.

Ween – The Stallion Pt. 3

So, who was it at Elektra Records that heard this and decided that it would be a great idea to sign Ween? I somehow doubt they still have that job.

Ween – Big Jilm

Just try and listen to “Big Jilm” and remain perfectly motionless. It’s just not possible. Best lyrics ever, I might add.

Ween – Don’t Get 2 Close (2 My Fantasy)

Seeing this one performed in person really sealed the deal for me. I was searching for a good video of the bombastic prog-rock live version to post here but to no avail.

I did find an amusing clip of Ween on some forgotten talk show on Lifetime doing a promo for Pure Guava. After the intro where the host seems utterly baffled by a four-track recorder, they launch into an early version of “Freedom of ‘76″. I love how the audience goes from showing complete disinterest in the beginning to joyful applause at the end. Also, this clip demonstrates that Gene Ween doesn’t need to rely on effects on his vocals; He is in fact a fantastic singer.

[youtube:http://youtube.com/watch?v=zzYykIA1xVg]

Naturally, they have a ton of tour dates listed. I highly recommend getting out to a show!

MON 2/25 – Powerstation – Auckland, New Zealand
TUE 2/26 – San Francisco Bath House – Wellington, New Zealand
THU 2/28 – TBD – Australia
FRI 2/29 – The Tivoli – Brisbane, Australia
SAT 3/1 – Enmore Theater – Sydney, Australia
MON 3/3 – The Gov – Adelaide, Australia
TUE 3/4 – Club Capitol – Perth, Australia
THU 3/6 – The Forum – Melbourne, Australia
FRI 3/7 – The Forum – Melbourne, Australia
SAT 3/8 – Golden Plains Festival – Meredith, Australia
MON 3/10 – Pipeline Cafe – Honolulu, HI
THU 5/8 – Shepherds Bush Empire – London, UK
FRI 5/9 – All Tomorrow’s Parties Festival – Camber Sands, UK
SUN 5/11 – Maroquinerie – Paris, France
MON 5/12 – Live Music Hall – Koln, Germany
WED 5/14 – Kaufleuten – Zurich, Switzerland
THU 5/15 – Paradiso – Amsterdam, Holland
SAT 5/17 – Village – Dublin, Ireland

- The Rockist Society has a list of the “Five Brownest Ween Tunes”. Debatable. “Mourning Glory” off of Pure Guava would definitely make my cut.

-Find an outtake from The Mollusk at Jesse Jarnow’s Frank and Earthy Blog.

Click here to purchase this album from Amazon.