37. Ween- Shinola Vol. 1


Releasing albums with rarities and B-sides, as this one is, are always fraught with danger as they rarely are being counted as full albums and are more likely to be fan-only material as most of these CDs like to showcase the various other sides bands and artists like to showcase (Deftones' B-sides-album is a good example of this). In Weens case it is been made extremely easy as the band rarely can be put down on one particular genre and their output always showcases their many influences...so how this one stands up against their 'normal' releases? Quite well indeed. It's their most diverse set since White Pepper, humourous as ever and highlighting their many musical influences. It's almost like a tribute-album of sorts as Ween seem to pay homage to some of their musical heroes- Thin Lizzy could have written Gabrielle and there's a nod to Prince on Monique The Funk. Mixed up in it are loungejazz on Transitions, lightly psychedelic tunes like Did You See Me? and The Rift and the typically Ween-electronic overdrive on Big Fat Fuck. Nothing on it sounds like throwaway or demo, they are sincere studio-recordings and you wonder why they never were included on any of their regular albums. Perhaps Ween are their own worst critics which hopefully means volume 2 will bring more nuggets to the fore.