Ween - Chocolate and Cheese

I had never heard of Ween until this summer when a couple friends started listening to them. It's a unique band. They aren't afraid to be goofy or experiment with different sounds and styles of music. If you only listen to a couple of their weirder songs, you might think they're just talentless hacks messing around, but they really do have genuine songwriting and musical talent. I'm not sure what exactly constitutes "traditional" Ween, but Chocolate and Cheese is probably pretty close. Dean, Gene and friends use guitars, a drum machine, and various other instruments to create a bunch of catchy, enjoyable tunes. A lot of the songs have a 70's vibe, and it's the kind of album you can really chill out too. I imagine it's the kind of thing I'd enjoy more if I got high.

"Take Me Away" opens with some nice little pop-rock as Gene sings in a fake voice, thanking his fake audience. "Spinal Meningitis (Got Me Down)" has more vocal manipulation and distorted guitar. "A Tear For Eddie" is a very nice instrumental, basically being a really good five minute guitar solo. "Roses Are Free" is a bit of a psychedelic song with some female backup vocals. "Drifter In the Dark" is a perfect encapsulation of that slow, older western song you sometimes hear in Coen brothers movies, and is maybe, along with "Buenas Tardes Amigo", a forerunner to Ween's country album. The later is funny if you listen to it, and has a pretty great guitar riff near the end. "Voodoo Lady" is another entertaining genre piece and a fun single. I'm not as big of a fan of seemingly pointless, musically uninteresting songs like "Candi", even if they provide the album's namesake. "The HIV Song" is in the same mold, although a bit easier to listen to. There are a few clunkers, but most of the tracks work well together to create an entertaining album.