Ween - probably the best band I've ever seen live. Loved them since I first saw them at The Cat's Cradle in November 1994 - it's not hyperbole to say the show changed fundamentally the way I listened (and still listen) to music. Went out the next day and bought Chocolate and Cheese, followed by The Pod, Pure Guava and the massive God, Ween, Satan: The Oneness. For months, it was pretty much Ween on my stereo - which meant these guys formed the soundtrack to my master's thesis ... and you can tell! Saw them again a few times at the now-defunct Be Here Now, but alas haven't seen them since then. Great reminder of this band - I'm about to drive home from work and will be putting Choc and Cheese on the car stereo! Thanks!
I discovered Ween around the time of Pure Guava and got to see them perform as just Dean and Gene and a drum machine on that tour. It changed my life as well. Yes, one of the best live bands ever; but the last few shows (most recently saw them right before the pandemic) were great but fairly similar. I've always wished they would tour as a duo again. Chocolate and Cheese is their pinnacle, but all their albums are excellent. It feels odd to say this, because I am not into the Grateful Dead, but Ween sort of became the oddball alt-rock Dead. Endless live recordings available online and they essentially tour the old catalog.
I am into the Dead (though I never saw them live - biggest mistake I've made, actually, considering I had a ticket and thought, 'no - that won't bode well with meeting a paper deadline - hey, I'll just see them the next time they come to Chapel Hill') and I fully appreciate the comparison. Oddball alt-rock Dead is great because they (unlike Phish - who do have their moments) didn't try to become a substitute.
Excellent picks. I don't know the Cocteau Twins one. The Bar-Kays is a classic. And yeah that APP song is a fave as well. Finger-lickin' finger lickin' good y'all!
Good one! Can't believe I missed that one. With APP, I picked it up mostly 'cause I thought it'd be cool to have a copy of Sirius to play. Was very pleasantly surprised with the rest of the record.
Thanks. Steve, for the shout-out...to a page I didn't even know existed! I look forward to your new Friction-Focused newsletter! At my age, it'll be cool to be reminded of the good ole days when friction was a regular part of my.........I'm sorry, what? OH, FICTION!! Yeah, well that'll be cool, too! (Sorry, just had to channel my inner Emily Litella, who, herself just happens to be a frictional character: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emily_Litella)!
All I can give you is a hand: As for fingers, I'll check out that song....in the meantime, while I've got the mighty Wiki at...uh, hand, you might find it helpful to check out The Fugs' 1968 album (I had it at one time), "It Crawled Into My Hand, Honest"---(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Crawled_into_My_Hand,_Honest) it was actually on Frank Sinatra's label, Reprise (distributed by Warner Bros.)...and, I don't just mean the label Frank was on....'twas his own founded and owned label!
Oof. Now I have that Prince song (when doves cry) in my head. But still worth it and I’m definitely checking out your new Substack. Congrats!!!
Thanks! That was my intention with naming it after a Prince song! You act like having that song in your head is a bad thing....
Ween - probably the best band I've ever seen live. Loved them since I first saw them at The Cat's Cradle in November 1994 - it's not hyperbole to say the show changed fundamentally the way I listened (and still listen) to music. Went out the next day and bought Chocolate and Cheese, followed by The Pod, Pure Guava and the massive God, Ween, Satan: The Oneness. For months, it was pretty much Ween on my stereo - which meant these guys formed the soundtrack to my master's thesis ... and you can tell! Saw them again a few times at the now-defunct Be Here Now, but alas haven't seen them since then. Great reminder of this band - I'm about to drive home from work and will be putting Choc and Cheese on the car stereo! Thanks!
I discovered Ween around the time of Pure Guava and got to see them perform as just Dean and Gene and a drum machine on that tour. It changed my life as well. Yes, one of the best live bands ever; but the last few shows (most recently saw them right before the pandemic) were great but fairly similar. I've always wished they would tour as a duo again. Chocolate and Cheese is their pinnacle, but all their albums are excellent. It feels odd to say this, because I am not into the Grateful Dead, but Ween sort of became the oddball alt-rock Dead. Endless live recordings available online and they essentially tour the old catalog.
I am into the Dead (though I never saw them live - biggest mistake I've made, actually, considering I had a ticket and thought, 'no - that won't bode well with meeting a paper deadline - hey, I'll just see them the next time they come to Chapel Hill') and I fully appreciate the comparison. Oddball alt-rock Dead is great because they (unlike Phish - who do have their moments) didn't try to become a substitute.
Ha - I wasn't into the Dead and saw them live 3 times! Seeing them live was never just about the music though....
The Police- "Wrapped Around Your Finger"
The Bar-Kays- "Soul Finger"
Cocteau Twins- "Carolyn's Fingers"
Alan Parsons Project "You're Gonna get Your Fingers Burned." (until I heard this I had no idea they could do a straight ahead rocker).
Excellent picks. I don't know the Cocteau Twins one. The Bar-Kays is a classic. And yeah that APP song is a fave as well. Finger-lickin' finger lickin' good y'all!
Had to add the Beasties to the list....:)
Good one! Can't believe I missed that one. With APP, I picked it up mostly 'cause I thought it'd be cool to have a copy of Sirius to play. Was very pleasantly surprised with the rest of the record.
Thanks. Steve, for the shout-out...to a page I didn't even know existed! I look forward to your new Friction-Focused newsletter! At my age, it'll be cool to be reminded of the good ole days when friction was a regular part of my.........I'm sorry, what? OH, FICTION!! Yeah, well that'll be cool, too! (Sorry, just had to channel my inner Emily Litella, who, herself just happens to be a frictional character: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emily_Litella)!
All I can give you is a hand: As for fingers, I'll check out that song....in the meantime, while I've got the mighty Wiki at...uh, hand, you might find it helpful to check out The Fugs' 1968 album (I had it at one time), "It Crawled Into My Hand, Honest"---(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Crawled_into_My_Hand,_Honest) it was actually on Frank Sinatra's label, Reprise (distributed by Warner Bros.)...and, I don't just mean the label Frank was on....'twas his own founded and owned label!
GOOD LUCK WITH "Dig If You Will My Fiction"!!!👏👍
Thanks Brad! One of my favorite songs is "Fraction Too Much Friction" by Tim Finn on his solo album Escapade.
https://open.spotify.com/track/2nS6DCnoqKKpCrXwtgCJpL?si=9a3a55af740d4f0b
I'll listen to that....I'm familiar with Finn (and his bro), but hadn't heard the song! Thanks!