“The album kicks ass, I'm not really sure what else to say. There's not a wasted minute of music on there. We wrote and recorded a ton of material before we whittled it down to its present state.” Dean Ween’s words about Ween’s ninth (and to date, latest) studio album don’t really do much to differentiate it from any of their other records. Does any Ween album contain a single wasted minute of music? Every inch of tape cut by the band is used to explore the furthest reaches of the duo’s bizarro rock & roll fantasies, each one different from - and weirder than - the last. La Cucaracha was released in 2007, 4 long years after Quebec, making it the longest interim between albums in the band’s career. The songs are notably straightforward and stripped-down, thanks to longtime producer Andrew Weiss, with simple arrangements and minimal effects applied to Gene Ween’s voice. There’s some spooky John Maus parallels in the icey new wave of “Friends”; other highlights include the laidback psych pop of “Blue Balloon” and “Your Party” and acid country knee slapper “Learinin To Love.” This 180g audiophile pressing on brown colored vinyl comes courtesy of Schnitzel Records and includes the album on CD.

• 180g brown marble colored vinyl
• housed in gatefold sleeve
• includes CD
• first time on vinyl since 2007
• limited edition
• music label: Schnitzel Records 2019

reviewed by fat boy (asshole) 02/2019