Since the string of shows we've seen Ween play that culminated with a pair of great shows at the LOCKN festival, Dean Ween, aka Mickey Melchiondo,we are all happy to have Ween back. That wasn't enough for Deaner though. He has rediscovered his muse and has hit the studio with a vengeance and out came The Deaner Album.
© 2016 Grateful Music LLC
Deaner has put together an album that features himself with some of the current members of Ween and a few friends, including Curt Kirkwood of The Meat Puppets, and set up some concert dates that start on the 18th.
Dean was always the musical backbone of Ween so it should be no surprise that this album is a very solid musical achievement. It blends the weirdness of Ween with technical virtuosity that Deaner says was a result of constantly practicing. Writing, playing and rehearsing every day in an old converted chicken coop with the band he put together makes this a wonderful "debut album". It's funny because he's released so many records, live and studio, with Ween that he's well-versed in how to make the studio work for him. Also, his studio gives him the freedom to play loud "go outside in your underwear and piss or blow up a grenade" and not have anyone complain.
From the opening track, "Dickie Betts" which is a dead-on homage/mimicry of the famous Allman Brothers Band guitarist that is uncanny. He easily mixes weird country and punk rock tunes with a handful of gorgeous instrumentals. He keeps a DIY, punk rock aesthetic that just lets you feel the freedom he is enjoying just playing again. "DooDooChasers" is one of those Ween-ish instrumentals that sound like they could come from a 90's pysch-rock band but somehow it shows just how talented Deaner is and can shred or solo along with the best of them. From the jammy, "Dickie Betts" to the Ween-ish "Exercise Man" and rocking, "Bundle of Joy" to the psychedelic "Garry" each track is a different trip down a different path which proves that if Gene was the mind of Ween than Deaner was the heart and backbone of the group. I'm a fan of Ween. There aren't too many people that are on the fence about them. You either hate them or are obsessed with them. I have enough bands that I'm obsessed with that Ween is a palette-cleanser for me and this album is a revelation on what makes Ween so prolific and so eclectic. The extremely-weird meditation on "Gum", all kinds of gum, is one of those songs that has a wonderfully trippy melody but a great big "wtf" when you hear the lyrics.
The fun Ween had at LOCKN was palpable, even through the tv screen. The same is true with this album. I won't be humming any of these songs but they are all well-written and the instrumentals are good enough to make an excellent EP all by themselves. So check out the Dean Ween Group when you get a chance and check out The Deaner Album, not because you're a Ween completist or a hipster that wants to put on a party tape that has funk, punk, psychedelia, and straight-up rock and roll. Get this album because it is awesome. And if you're feeling extra brown, I'm sure you can purchase this album when you go see the DWG live with The Meat Puppets opening most of their shows on the upcoming tour.
Written by: Greg Heffelfinger
© 2016 Grateful Music LLC
No comments:
Post a Comment