Ween - “Shinola, Volume 1″
General Description
Artist/Band: Ween
Album Title: Shinola Volume 1
Year: 2005
Grinning back at the Beast while wearing my fluffy slippers
How I Got Into This Music
Read my review of “Chocolate And Cheese”, one of my all-time favorite albums. This band always keeps me off balance, sometimes scaring the living boognish out of me, but almost always putting that insane grin on my face that I seldomly use in public..
After that 1994 release I kept little track of later albums, with exception of the nautical “Mollusk”. But when this one came out I felt an old buzz coming over me, so I simply had to try this one out!
Tracks that got my attention:
Tastes Good on th’ Bun
Crazy and weird stuff from the brothers Ween. It takes a bit getting used to this wacky stuff, but you’ll wake up saying that title without knowing in a week.
Boys Club
Yep, listen to the lyrics and laugh your ass off on this hilariously funny feel-good track!
I Fell in Love Today
Don’t know how to explain the mellow sad-hapiness of this track, love it!
Big Fat Fuck
The public at large should know that we got Nobel Prize winning scientists working 24/7 to formulate a fitting explanation of the deeper meanings of this track, but in the meantime, your guess is as good as mine.. Nice song though.
Gabrielle
Great Thin Lizzy tribute!! You get the urge to jump and bounce around even when you’ve been in solitary confinement in a cupboard for a coupla years with no sight of getting out any time soon..
Did You See Me?
I have this weird association with this track: Pink Floyd.. I don’t know a lot of music from that band, so it’s one of those little mysteries I’ve gotta learn to live with. The intro also bears the threat of turning into that REM track I disgust so much that I can’t remember its title.
How High Can You Fly?
Hard to explain to civil minded people why this song gets to me: sometimes it can make me want to demolish everything in sight (except my fluffy slippers, of course) and sometimes it just steadies the nerves - excellent track!
Transitions
Walk in the park track, love it! These guys know how to make sweet songs, heheh..
Israel
I hope these guys know what they’re doing.. Total weirdness, but still a great song.
Rift
The vocals give me that Brian Ferry chill of smoothness and way too much hair conditioner, but it’s an unbelievably moody and driven song.
Monique the Freak
Basic rock mixed with funky vocals and guitars that’d make Prince call his lawyers.. Groove-rock.
Someday
Wow.. Nuff said!
Conclusion
Although this album’s a collection of previously unreleased(?) material, it still works as an album. Huh? Whatever.. These guys make the funniest, most intelligent and most interesting music I’ve heard in years. They like their production raw and uncompromising, using shockadelica seventies rock tracks, mixed with the loveliest ballads and the ever present wicked sense of semi-juvinile humor. Best album for me this year till now!
Rating: 
(it’s been a while..)
June 19th, 2006 at 10:24 pm
[...] Ready To RockMan, I wish I was behind a turntable again, spinning discs coz I’m seriously curious if this track’d work. I love the hard tech sounds and beats, love the bass part even better! Reminds me of a track by Ween: Transitions [...]
October 20th, 2006 at 3:12 am
I completely agree.
Finally bought it today, Oct 19 ‘06. Amazing.
October 31st, 2006 at 10:48 pm
yep, sweet album!