The WEEN Blog
3/16/2026
Hello everyone, back here again to write about my recent journey through the discography of one Ween. This has been about a month-long project and has now properly introduced me to a band I've liked for a long time but now love.
This all came about after I learned of the Ween shop reopening. As someone who had listened to Quebec and The Mollusk and as someone who absolutely loved those two albums I was very eager to get physical copies of both, as I like to collect CDs/Vinyls. But when I looked on the shop the only way to get both was to buy a box set collect, the Brown Box, with all 10 of their mainline studio albums. But looking at it, given that it was only $70 for 10 new CDs, and with a little bit of FOMO given the shop had been closed for a long time, I caved and bought the whole thing, plus a Quebec vinyl. Given I had just sunk over $100 on the band, I thought that it was high time that I listened to more than just their two big albums, and since that decision I have delved into the world of Brown, which I will chronicle album by album.
Album 1: God Ween Satan: The Oneness (1990)
God this album is fun. I was warned before starting this discog listen that Ween's first albums were weeeeird, even for Ween, so I had some prior expectations to listening, which probably helped. This album truly sounds like a couple of teenagers fucking around with music, doing whatever they want with no care for anything but enjoying the making of music. This is also a very funny album, even if a lot of the songs on here aren't modern masterpieces of art, they're usually funny enough for me to still get a lot of enjoyment out of it. Chaotic, loud, and all over the place this one holds a special place in my heart. I just wish it was slightly shorter.
Rating: 4.5/5
Ranking: 5th/10
Album 2: The Pod (1991)
I can taste the waste. It's rare that an album that is called psychedelic actually gives the experience of what I imagine psychedelics are actually like, but Ween's sophomore performance encapsulates what I'd imagine the copious drug use the band would do at this time actually felt like. Manic but soft; "not right, but wrong it a good way". Ween's brownest album put in an absolute trance the first time I listened, and it's an album best consumed as a whole
Rating: 4.5/5
Ranking: 4th/10
Album 3: Pure Guava (1992)
One of the more polarizing Ween albums for me. It's the same chaotic, brown sound seen on their previous two albums, but there's a couple on here that just don't quite do it for me. I still think it's a great time, but a few tracks like Mourning Glory cross the fine line of a good and bad ween song. This album DOES have a couple hits, including one of my favorites 'Dont Get 2 Close (2 My Fantasy)'
Rating: 4/5
Ranking: 9th/10
Album 4: Chocolate and Cheese (1994)
This one fuckin rocks. Many people have said it before, but this album really signifies the change of Ween from their true Brown era to a more produced, melodic sound somewhere in the middle of pop and Brown. I love almost every track on this one, a lot of these on here are my favorite Ween songs, especially What Deaner Was Talkin' About. This one might turn into a 5 star over time but as it stands it's right on the cusp.
Rating: 4.5/5
Ranking: 3rd/10
Album 5: 12 Golden Country Greats (1996)
Despite this being a 4/5 rating for me, this is an incredibly enjoyable album. Maybe I'm just a bit of a sucker for well produced, actual country but I had a great time with this one. What an outlier in their discography, just a random actually well-produced, which often takes itself seriously, Help Me Scrape the Mucus Off my Brain is a classic for me.
Rating: 4/5
Ranking: 6th/10
Album 6: The Mollusk (1997)
This is by far Ween's best known album, and for good reason. Honestly looking back after listening to everything they've made this one feels almost like a bit of an outlier; an aquatic concept album from the guys that made Push Th' Little Daisies? But also in hindsight I see that this is one of the greatest things Ween has ever done. A wonderful psychedelic journey that stays very Ween the whole time, of course it's got Ocean Man but there's so much other cool shit here too. Just a great time.
Rating: 5/5
Ranking: 2nd/10
Album 7: White Pepper (2000)
It's hard to describe what I mean when I say something sounds 'Ween', but White Pepper is the least Ween sounding of Ween's main catalogue. This one reminds me a lot of a sort of Gorillaz sound a-la Plastic Beach. White Pepper is almost entirely no-frills, which isn't necessarily a bad thing it's got a very nice sound, but the sound isn't exactly for me like so much of Ween happens to be. Still a good listen.
Rating: 4/5
Ranking: 8th/10
Album 8: Quebec (2003)
An all-timer album. It's hard to say more than just that Quebec is one of my favorite albums of all time. It is infinitely relistenable, with songs that fit all sorts of moods, a mix of the brown era of ween and the more sophisticated side, with genre-hopping that happens so frequently that you're bound to pick up on something new each time. A true achievement for Ween.
Rating: 5/5
Ranking: 1st/10
Album 9: Shinola Vol. 1 (2005)
As a compilation of previously unreleased songs, this is a really nice variety of all of Ween. A lot of good tracks on here, and an album I loved on first listen, but one that has since gone down my overall ranking, as despite it's catalogue of great tracks, it suffers from the fact that it is a compilation album, there's not too much cohesion to it. Still ween though, so of course a fun time.
Rating: 4.5/5
Ranking: 7th/10
Album 10: La Cucaracha (2007)
Unfortunately, you can tell that this was the end of the rope for Ween, at least as a band that continuously output studio albums. You can feel the exhaustion in this album, after over 20 years at this point of Ween, a lot of it just feels a bit uninspired, the comedy which is usually the most consistent part of Ween falls flat at points, and it just never reaches the heights of the monumental Quebec. Some fun to be had here, but limited in comparison to the rest of their work
Rating: 3/5
Ranking: 10th/10
Album Ranking:
1. Quebec
2. The Mollusk
3. Chocolate and Cheese
4. The Pod
5. God Ween Satan: The Oneness
6. 12 Golden Country Greats
7. Shinola Vol. 1
8. White Pepper
9. Pure Guava
10. La Cucaracha
Alright that's it for the blog! If you actually bothered to read through this whole thing I sincerely thank you. If you just scrolled down here I ACTUALLY HATE YOU....heh....just kidding! Here's this thing:
