Ween: Paintin' the Town Brown: Ween Live '90-'98

Pottymouth worldview

Boognish, mang! If that greeting means anything to you, you may already be a Weener. The Philadelphia-area duo of Dean and Gene Ween—née Mickey Melchiondo and Aaron Freeman—has done more than achieve a rabid following in its nine years on the alterna-rock scene; the pair has propounded an irreverent cosmology all its own. I'll put off explicating the precise metaphysical nature of the eternally incarnate Boognish until my doctoral dissertation. For now, be content with the likeness of said demon that appears on the cover of Paintin' the Town Brown: Ween Live '90-'98.

This two-disc compilation offers just a small cross-section of the eclectic Ween opus. All the songs recorded through 1994 feature Dean on guitar and Gene on vocals, accompanied solely by a DAT machine and large quantities of THC. The effects-laced faux-folk ballad "Mountain Dew" and the raucous "Cover it With Gas and Set it on Fire" exemplify the group's ever-unapologetic attitude. Of more musical value, however, are the more recent full-band tracks on the first disc. An Eastern-tinged version of "I Can't Put My Finger on it," and a menacing "Dr. Rock" stand out as highlights, along with outstanding pedal steel guitar work by Stu Basore on "Japanese Cowboy."

The second disc features Pure Guava b-side "Vallejo," which thrashes with metallic powerchords that cede to trippy feedback loops and echo effects, followed by a frighteningly fast and fuzzy ax solo by Dean and an improbable stint on the drums by Claude Coleman. The track clocks in at a hefty 30:49, so be prepared to invest some time. Regarding its somewhat unstructured character, Dean's liner notes prove enlightening: "we felt a real obligation to give las vegas [sic] the ween [sic] show it deserved so we all took handfuls of mushrooms before we went onstage." The legendary Ween anthem "Poopship Destroyer"—think Clintonian Mothership tune, except 26 minutes long and scatalogical—fills out disc two.

This is not an album for the Ween beginner, and even hard-core Weenies might be taken aback by the sheer excesses of the 'shroom-inspired mammoths on the second disc. The live versions may lack the accessibility and infectious groove of their studio counterparts, but they more than make up for it with supercharged surreality. (Elektra)

—Garrett Weinberg

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