Ween
From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.
Ween is a an alternative music duo formed in the mid-1980s in New Hope, Pennsylvania when Mickey Melchiondo and Aaron Freeman met in a high school typing class. They christened themselves with the pseudonyms Dean Ween and Gene Ween respectively, drawing on such punk surname collectives as the Ramones. Supposedly the two were visited by a God/Demon named Boognish, that directed them to start a rock band.
Their earliest recordings were anarchic and free-spirited, drawing on influences as far-reaching as the Beatles, Prince, Butthole Surfers, The Residents and the lo-fi punk movement. Signed to Twin/Tone Records in 1989, they released "God Ween Satan: The Oneness", a 26-track smorgasbord of genre jumping and wild, silly eclecticism. Ween, often compared in their early years to other offbeat artists such as Frank Zappa and They Might Be Giants, would always eschew such comparisons.
1991's "The Pod" became a fast fan favorite, as the duo's use of drum machines, pitch-tweaked guitars & vocals and drug-laced humor became a trademark part of their sound. Their highest reaching single, "Push Th' Little Daisies" (1992) gained them media & MTV attention, as the video was a highlighted target on MTV's Beavis & Butthead. The album "Pure Guava" was the first of a series of releases on the Elektra label, followed by the 1994 release "Chocolate & Cheese", heralding 70s pop/rock & soul sendups such as "Freedom of '76" and "Voodoo Lady". The "Freedom of '76" music video was directed by Spike Jonze. Beginning at this time, Ween expanded its live and studio line-up, providing both a crisper production sound in the studio and an easier live setup (up until this time, Ween had been using drum machines & tape playback to provide backings for their songs.)
Ween turned to Nashville, Tennessee studio musicians for the recording of the authentically-spirited "12 Golden Country Greats" (1996) which only contained ten tracks (the "12 Greats" in the title pays affectionate tribute to the dozen veteran musicians who played on the album). In 1997 the nautically-themed "The Mollusk" followed, featuring Ween's simultaneous satirization, deconstruction, and appreciative mastery of genres including 1960's Brit-pop, sea shanties, Broadway show tunes, and most especially, progressive rock. Their desire to pursue alternate forms of media led to the MP3-only release "Craters of the Sac" (1999), presented by Dean for online download and free trade. Elektra Records released a live compilation entitled "Paintin' The Town Brown: Ween Live" in 1999, followed by "White Pepper" (2000), their pop-themed album and final studio set for Elektra. The track "Even If You Don't" was made into a music video directed by Trey Parker and Matt Stone. Shortly after "White Pepper" Ween started the internet radiostation WeenRadio, which was awarded 3rd best internet music site by Rolling Stone.
Ween also formed their own label at this time, Chocodog Records, which oversaw the release of several self-produced live sets. Short in pressing, they became instant collector's items. In 2005, the label plans to re-release the group's 1987 cassette tape, "Synthetic Socks".
The two signed to Sanctuary Records in 2003 and released "quebec", their first studio set in 3 years. In 2004, Ween released "Live in Chicago," a DVD and CD set that chronicled one of the energetic live performances for which the group is known.
Various outside collaborations have also ensued over the years. Dean is a member of the heavy metal side project Moistboyz, and the noise rock group Z-Rock Hawaii is made up of members of Ween and The Boredoms. Ween has composed pieces for The X-Files Soundtrack, Schoolhouse Rock Rocks!, Beautiful Girls Soundtrack, Road Trip Soundtrack, Chef Aid, SpongeBob SquarePants, and the Grounded for Life TV theme. They have also worked with Rob Vaughn and Queens of the Stone Age.
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Group Members
- Dean Ween, real name: Mickey Melchiondo - guitars, vocals, etc.
- Gene Ween, real name: Aaron Freeman - guitars, vocals, etc.
Various members from 1994 on:
- Claude Coleman Jr. - drums
- Dave Dreiwitz - bass
- Andrew Weiss - bass, producer, etc.
- Glenn McClelland - keyboards
Discography
Early demo tapes & self-produced recordings (1986-1989)
| Year | Title |
| 1986 | The Crucial Squeegie Lip |
| 1987 | Synthetic Socks |
| 1987 | Axis: Bold As Boognish |
| 1988 | The Live Brain Wedgie/WAD |
| 1989 | Prime 5 |
Studio Albums (1990-present)
| Year | Title | Label |
| 1990 | GodWeenSatan: The Oneness | Twin Tone, reissued 2001 Restless |
| 1991 | The Pod | Elektra |
| 1992 | Pure Guava | Elektra |
| 1994 | Chocolate & Cheese | Elektra |
| 1996 | 12 Golden Country Greats | Elektra |
| 1997 | The Mollusk | Elektra |
| 1999 | Craters of the Sac | online only mp3 release |
| 2000 | White Pepper | Elektra |
| 2003 | quebec | Sanctuary |
Live Albums
| Year | Title | Label |
| 1999 | Paintin' The Town Brown: Ween Live 1990-1998 | Elektra |
| 2001 | Live In Toronto Canada | Chocodog |
| 2002 | Live at Stubb's 7/2000 | Chocodog |
| 2004 | Live in Chicago cd and dvd | Sanctuary |
External Links
- Offical Site ween.com (http://www.ween.com/)
- Ween News (http://bandnews.org/band/Ween)
- Ween.net (http://www.ween.net/)
- Ween.org (http://www.ween.org/)
- Weenradio.com (http://www.weenradio.com/)
- Ween Forum (http://p086.ezboard.com/bweendotnetforum16662)
- Ween Audio/Video (http://www.weenftp.org/)
- Unoffical Craters Website (http://www.boognish.org/ripvan)
- Ween Biography, All Music Guide (http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:ne1m964o3epc~T1)fr:Ween
