Search - Ween :: Chocolate & Cheese

Never listened to Ween before? Get this one first!

Alan Pounds | Minneapolis, MN | 10/01/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"1994's "Chocolate & Cheese" is arguably Ween's finest moment in their career. You may be a little puzzled with Ween's unique brand of music if you've only heard albums such as "GodWeenSatan: The Oneness", "The Pod", or "Pure Guava". Those are their earlier album, which are masterpieces, but very much like "Mr. Bungle" or "Captain Beefheart", material like that can be kind of hard to swallow at first listen, or it might scare you away. The love for their earlier albums will come with how you feel about this album, or one of their more recent albums. The first time I heard "GodWeenSatan: The Oneness" I didn't like it; now it's my favorite Ween album (actually, all of their albums are too great to pick a favorite). After I heard "Chocolate & Cheese" I was hooked; and after getting into "The Mollusk" immediately after, the only way I can describe Ween to anybody that asks me about them, is that they're the greatest band on earth.



"Chocolate & Cheese" provides so much variety, that it is sure to hook you like a fish, no matter what your tastes may be. They have amazingly witty and unique songwriting. The vocals go from high falsetto notes, deep rumbling tones, Spanish vocal tones, country vocal tones, and an insane amount of vocal filters; all conveying that Ween is one of a kind from the get-go. Although Gene and Dean both play guitar, Dean tears it up on lead guitar, throwing in solos and stylish riffs throughout the album. All of these traits shows that Ween has true talent that is easily understood shortly after the album begins. Those of you that have heard albums like "The Pod" or "Pure Guava" can understand why a first time listener would dismiss Ween if they are scared off by songs like "Reggaejunkiejew". Another thing that makes "Chocolate and Cheese" more gettable at first listen is because it has a very classic rock feel to it. It is obvious that much of the guitar playing and vocals are influenced by bands such as Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Bob Seger, Queen, Talking Heads, Bruce Springsteen and Prince.



The reason that people love Ween so much is because you can't nail them down on a single genre or style. They may be labeled as Alternative Pop/Rock, Indie Rock, Lo-Fi or Comedy Rock, but they are much more multi-faceted than that (they even made a country album). Their music varies so much from album to album, let alone song to song. There moods vary as follows: Giddy, Ironic, Quirky, Rollicking, Freewheeling, Humorous, Raucous, Messy, Rousing, Rowdy, Trippy, Fun, Wry, Campy, Witty, Silly, Irreverent, Sprawling, Meandering, Uncompromising, Indulgent, Enigmatic, Gleeful, Reckless, Druggy, Joyous and Playful.



Some standout tracks include "Take Me Away", which has a classic rock feel to it, the creepy, but funny "Spinal Meningitis (Got Me Down)", the falsetto soul flavored "Freedom of '76", the crazed stomp of "I Can't Put My Finger on It", the psychedelic, but chill "A Tear for Eddie", "Baby Bitch" a wry and weird song about an ex-girlfriend, the very creepy "Mister Would You Please Help My Pony?", the pseudo-country style "Drifter in the Dark", "Voodoo Lady" the only song you probably heard in a movie before (Road Trip, Dude, Where's My Car), the epic story-telling "Buenas Tardes Amigo", the silly "The H.I.V. Song", and the British psych-inspired "What Deaner Was Talking About".



There. How can't you give Ween a shot after all that. ^^^"

My grandma digs ween

garky | Berkeley, CA | 09/26/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I just got Quebec and it reminded me of a funny Ween related story (one of many. just kidding). Back when the olympics were in Atlanta, my granpa bought some tickets to scalp, and drove from L.A. all the way to Georgia. The trip got pretty boring, so they grabbed the only tape they could find in the car. It happened to be Ween's Chocolate and CHeese, that I had left days before. Apparently they listened to it repeatedly, hour after hour. THey came home singing "Buenas Tardes Amigos" and "Joppa Road", wanting to know who was behind this masterpiece of an album.
If this isn't a testament to the univeral beauty of Ween, I don't know what is."

The Genius of Ween

William H. Moss | Cincinnati, OH | 04/03/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"At first it's easy to dismiss Ween as a novelty act. With crazy lyrics and a galaxy of bizzar effects, Ween comes off as a goof, nothing more nothing less. Yet, as you delve deeper into the complexity and sheer song writing talent of Dean and Gene Ween (not their real names) you begin to realize that these guys are musical geniuses, pure and simple. "Chocolate and Cheese" explores an entire catologue of music genres. From the soulful "Freedom of '76", to the funky "Voodoo Lady", to the trippy "Tear for Eddie" to the silly, yet enchanting "Mister, Would You Please Help My Pony". I'll admit I was sceptical at first, knowing nothing of Ween except the insane "Push Th' Little Daisies" video I had seen a few times on MTV. After a few listens I began to realize what a musical masterpiece this album truly is. Any serious music fan would be doing themselves a favor by purchasing this album."