Ween

US alternative rock band

Formed in 1984 · Ended in 2024

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Tour dates elsewhere: Bandsintown · Songkick

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Ween is an American rock band from New Hope, Pennsylvania, that was formed in 1984 by Aaron Freeman and Mickey Melchiondo, better known by their respective stage names Gene Ween and Dean Ween, who are the band's sole constant members. Generally categorized as an alternative rock band, they are known for their irreverent, highly eclectic catalog of songs inspired by funk, psychedelia, soul, country, gospel, prog, R&B, heavy metal, and punk rock.

Ween self-released several cassette albums from their formation until 1989, after which they officially released three lo-fi albums: GodWeenSatan: The Oneness (1990), The Pod (1991), and Pure Guava (1992). For Pure Guava, the band signed with major label Elektra Records. The album spawned the single "Push th' Little Daisies", which was a chart hit in Australia and the United States. Under Elektra, the band released five professionally recorded albums: Chocolate and Cheese (1994), 12 Golden Country Greats (1996), The Mollusk (1997), and White Pepper (2000). They later returned to independent labels for the albums Quebec (2003) and La Cucaracha (2007). Freeman quit the band in 2012 citing a need to treat his alcohol and drug abuse. Ween reformed in late 2015 and toured extensively without plans to record new material, but later entered an indefinite hiatus in 2024 citing Melchiondo's mental health as a reason.

For their first decade, Ween performed live as a duo backed by a Digital Audio Tape with pre-recorded drum machine patterns. Chris Williams, better known by his stage name Mean Ween, occasionally joined on bass guitar. With the release of Chocolate and Cheese, they stopped playing with Williams and expanded to a four-piece for live performances, later adding a fifth member. Their live members include drummer Claude Coleman Jr., bassist Dave Dreiwitz, and keyboardist Glenn McClelland. Ween also collaborated extensively with Andrew Weiss, who joined the band as a bassist in 1989 and also produced five of their nine studio albums. Despite never receiving much mainstream recognition, Ween has developed a large, devoted cult following and garnered critical acclaim.

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Also in Français

Ween est un groupe de rock alternatif américain, originaire de New Hope, en Pennsylvanie. Il est formé en 1984 par Gene Ween et Dean Ween (en), noms de scène respectifs d'Aaron Freeman et Mickey Melchiondo, puis évolue d'un duo à un groupe standard en 1996. Après une séparation initiée par Gene Ween en 2012, le groupe annonce se reformer en 2015 puis remonte sur scène à partir de 2016.

Gene et Dean Ween sont pionniers en ce qu'ils définissent eux-mêmes comme « musique brown (marron) », un son si mauvais qu'il en devient bon. Les trois premiers albums de Ween, GodWeenSatan: The Oneness (1990), The Pod (1991) et Pure Guava (1992), sont typiques du genre. Par son quatrième album, Chocolat and Cheese (1994), Ween s'éloigne progressivement de la sonorité brown quand l'opportunité d'enregistrer professionnellement se présente. Si le groupe ne s'est jamais soustrait à la musique expérimentale, Ween s'oriente à partir du milieu des années 1990 vers une musique plus accessible, influencée notamment par la pop et le soft rock. Après un album de musique country, 12 Golden Country Greats (1996), le groupe publie l'acclamé The Mollusk (1997), considéré par beaucoup comme leur magnum opus. Suivront l'ode psychédélique aux Beatles, White Pepper (2000), le mélancolique Quebec (2003), Shinola (Vol. 1) (2005) et La Cucaracha (2007). Ween a également publié, à ce jour, un total de sept albums live.

Ween jouit, malgré une notoriété internationale modeste, d'une communauté de fans vénérant le groupe.

Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0