That which you do not wish for will ultimately return. And you must taste the waste, boy! Although they warn not caress the weasel, I get the feeling that's what they want, perhaps despite themselves.
This album is not the best of the three so far. But it still has a lot to offer. Prince still looms large in his influence, from the funky sounds to the digits and single-letter words in the titles. But these boys seem to have been knocked off their high heels long ago by the vagaries of love and the stalking of the Stallion. But again, the Boognish is missing. One cannot help but feel that if Boognish was here, we could all relax a little and have some more fun. This is definitely a downer of an album.
Great songs:
The sounds are getting more mature and you can feel the music calling for a full band. Now their rawness just feels like potential that has not been realized. But the dark ideas here are interesting, and the Stallion lurks interestingly. We all must face the Stallion because that's the Stallion, dude! Sometimes we just have to face facts that the things that made you happy once can sometimes only make you blue. It can be hard to listen to pop music reminding you that life sucks sometimes. But if pop music isn't allowed to be real at times then it cannot truly have any value.
Oh and the sounds! These dudes are always creative, with awesome use of gear and chord changes. Their pastiche is classic Generation X drawing on the palimpsest of our saturated cultural lives. There is a lot of listening to be done here.
Oh, and the big hit from the album should have been the best song here--"Don't Get 2 Close (2 My Fantasy)." Bowie must have loved this song if heard it because it is an almost pure paean to the pop rock god. You can taste the stardust candy!
Parts of this album are not fun to listen to. That is actually a crime, or it should at least be prosecuted. I cannot listen to "Pumpin' 4 the Man." The themes are worthy, but the sounds are hard to endure, especially because it is sandwiched between two gems. It's okay to skip it. Go on, listen once, then let it go forever.
I have one other song on this album that I cannot abide, but first I have an honest pop question: What is it that makes pop songs about Sarah (or Sara) so good? There are so many, and they rarely disappoint.
The other song that is a difficult listen with limited redemption is "Mourning Glory." In Ween parlance--No Bueno!
Although the album isn't their best, it contains what is perhaps their biggest hit--"Push th' Little Daisies." This phenomenon happens with some bands, and it must be terrifying. The song will draw in many purchasers, and when they arrive, they will be disappointed. If this is the first and only Ween album one hears, you cannot blame them for never returning. And that is a deep shame because their music has a lot to offer.
Ultimately the record needs a band. Keep listening and get ready. It gets better. They were already in need of a band when they produced this. Their sounds need to saturate more to keep up. And this album ain't it. But you know what, you fat boy asshole, come here. Just don't get too close to the fantasy. Listen, though, please. Stare into the lion's eyes, and if you taste the candy, you'll get to the surprise!
Join my feed to stay up to date: