F*** The Beatles Listen to Ween.

This phrase had been plastered on a sign in Downtown Plymouth. I passed by and thought to myself, “Who or what is Ween?” It wouldn’t be until two years later that my questions would be answered. Resident Ween connoisseur and friend Cole Harrington would be the one to show me a few songs from the band’s early discography.

Their debut album, GodWeenSatan: The Oneness, is sonically abstract and, to be frank, makes you feel like you’re dying. At the time I wasn’t all that musically adventurous, so I didn’t really understand Ween’s appeal. This fall I decided to dive deeper when persuaded by true Weenie Reed Nixon.

For those interested in delving into the wonderful world of Ween, I suggest starting with 2003’s Quebec. While White Pepper is more commercially palatable, Quebec is a better introduction to the band’s general sound, although that “sound” is hard to pinpoint.

Ween often differs from album to album but maintains its ability to make you live in the sound and be a part of its world. The album’s standouts are “The Argus” and “Zoloft” for that exact reason.

Once acquainted with Ween, give The Mollusk a listen. Those who love The SpongeBob Squarepants Movie (2004) will have heard the end credit song “Ocean Man.” Actually, it was the album’s nautical aesthetic that inspired Bikini Bottom! The Mollusk is through and through a quintessential concept album.

As you journey through Ween’s catalog, remember to embrace the weird. Weenie Reed put it best, Ween is all about “making music you love because you can.”

Should The Beatles go f*** themselves? No, but still . . . listen to Ween.

Kaleigh Elgar

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