Customer Reviews

The Friends EP

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Ween fans are rabid-types. They're/you're/we're usually very devoted and worship at the temple of the Boognish. But, man, this EP is ridiculous. I'm not sure how I feel about it yet, but I know it's some of the catchiest stuff they've ever released. And some of the gayest. We'll just go track-by-track, since there's only Five of them anyway.
The song "Friends" sounds like a tribute to Cher. Like, "Do you believe..." Cher. And it WILL get stuck in your head. Really stuck in your head. I keep playing it. And hating myself for it.
"I Got To Put The Hammer Down" sounds like Peaches. Creep-sex raps, bouncy beats, and creep-sex hooks.
"King Billy" sounds like Mollusk-era weirdness. Definitely the closest to a "traditional" Ween song you're gonna find here. It has a mellow reggae beat and silly vocals. And quirky "brown" Ween noises the initiated will recognize.
"Light Me Up" falls into the more Latin-inspired side of Ween. Think "Buenos Tardes Amigo," "I Can't Put My Finger On It," "Bananas and Blow..." "Light Me Up" feels like the next chapter in the story those songs were telling.
Which brings us to "Slow Down Boy." It sounds like... a Morrissey ballad crossed with "True" by Spandau Ballet. Yeah. They friggin went there.
I wouldn't recommend this CD to you if you've never listened to Ween before. But, if you're a Ween-er, go ahead, buy it. You'll hate yourself for it and love every minute of it. I know I do.

Anyone interested in buying this 5 track sampler should do so from the ween website or your local record shop. It is priced at $8.00

With this EP, Ween present 5 apparent castoffs from a forthcoming album. The main surprise here (other than the title track's eerily authentic take on inane euro-disco) is a complete lack of the prog-rock nods that became increasingly common on the past few albums; instead we get the aforementioned euro-disco track, a Prince-esque new wave synth-rocker ("Got To Put The Hammer Down"), a decidedly brown take on dub-reggae ("King Billy"), the excellent latin-flavored "Light Me Up" (somewhat disappointingly the only real showcase for Deaner's guitar leads), and finally the innuendo-laden White Pepper-esque ballad "Slow Down Boy". At this point it's not really clear whether this means the next album will be dedicated to more Chocolate And Cheese style genre hopping or if they just happened to have a particularly diverse bunch of songs that just didn't fit the "feel" of the rest of the material. Regardless, if you're a fan who's spent the past 4 years dying for some new songs, it's a fun listen; I definitely would heed the previous reviewers' advice about where to purchase it, however.

Man, I hope these cats just keep evolving. Everything they put out sounds nothing like what came before it, and this is no different. Just as catchy and irreverent as ever. I can't listen to Friends and not crack up. And it's gonna be in yr head for a long, long time. The Boognish is now, my friends. Trust that it will only take you where you really do want to go.

Ween's "Friends" EP is the band doing their version of mostly pop music. This EP reminds me of the band Electric Six a little, especially the opening title track. Lots of synth sounds and dance beats. If you are a Weener you'll like this EP a lot, as I do. If you're looking for one of the great Ween albums to check out what this band sounds like, this is not the CD to choose.

I have decided that after falling in love with this ep I am either:


1.becoming gay;
2.completely under the spell of the boognish once again.

while it's probably the latter, I sometimes question the former as I find myself humming that ridiculous tune over and over throughout the day. Once again, the ween boys have done it: take something seemingly trashy and imbue it with real spirit and gravitas. Listening to the lyrics of 'Friends' and sining the tune to yourself without aid of the eurodisco/gym production, one can truly appreciate the genuine feelings behind the lyrics.

This ep sounds like the perfect morning after the big nasty reckoning that was Quebec...in the production (hearkening back to the old 4-track days) and pointing a way to the future.

This EP is just so...NICE! Very fresh, a good mix of old Ween with new evolution showing. I heart this EP, and can't wait for LaCucaracha! You need this if you have the rest of the Ween collection, fo Shizzle!

This EP won't be a surprise for Ween fans. Every one of its styles has been covered before by them (with the exception of the '90s big-dance style of the title track--someone mentioned Cher, and that's exactly right). Why is it still so fun, then? Because these guys are masters at writing the sucky song that actually doesn't suck. The mockery is so lighthearted it might actually be a tribute--you never know. And every song is catchy. But why, while I'm outside pruning the pansies, do I keep finding myself singing sotto voce, "Slow down, boy/He's breaking your heart/His innocence will tear you apart"...?

While it's true that the music on this delightful little disc doesn't sound like Ween's last couple of albums, that shouldn't be a problem for most Ween fans, who by definition tend to want (and deserve) to have their heads f#*@%d with. Anybody who's confused or repelled because the first track sounds like Vengaboys probably shouldn't be listening to Ween anyway, and for that matter, devout Boognitians would be well advised to not even bother reading Amazondotcom reviews. Top marks for "King Billy".

i've been a ween fan since "pure guava," and i've followed their releases adamently since then. naturally, i was excited for "the friends EP"... until i listened to it. this isn't the ween i know and love.. there's almost no guitar on the album, no bizzare effects, and the overall weirdness is gone. ween has always been about switching things up, but the eurotrash techno beats on the title track are a bit much.

"the friends EP" isn't terrible, but it's not that great. here's hoping that the new record will surpass this.