White Pepper (studio album) by Ween

Am I supposed to laugh whenever I hear a Ween song? Do they make funny faces when they sing 'Bananas and Blow' and that's what's funny?'

From Charade 04/08/2019 02:08

Certainly the most "ordinary" Ween album I've heard so far. I can't say that any of the songs on here knocked my socks off on the first listen, but there's also not a single bad song on here. Certainly the most polished album I've heard from them, although not the best (that honor would go to Quebec).

Underrated Masterpiece.

From luigybetis 01/02/2016 19:56

Since I discovered Ween my life hasn't been the same. White Pepper, Quebec, The mollusk, chocolate & Cheese, 12 golden country greats, shinola vol. 1... After having listened to everything they've done I can say it's one of the best 20 music bands in the history of music. Unbelievable that they're so unknown

My favourite Ween album

From koner1 06/03/2015 00:13

Thanks KGB, for being the first user to draw some attention to the comments of this album to start some discussion. Here are my thoughts on White Pepper:

This is probably Ween's most accessible album. The thing that's interesting about that is that it's still all over the place in terms of the styles of the songs. For instance you get a fast Motorhead sounding song followed by this hazy 2 minute interlude that makes you feel like you're floating on a cloud and then onto one of their most psychedelic songs ever, then right back to more metal, this time more sludgy but coming off better than the former metal track. Then Pandy Fackler with some tight and masterful rhythm, then the track Falling Out, a nice, but bitter alt-country song. Closing off the album is She's Your Baby, and lovely song, one of Ween's most caring songs ever.

This album has so much to offer, and is right between two other great Ween records (if you don't count the pointless Craters of the Sack from 1999). Definitely check this out.

It's absolute insanity that an album this good sits so far down the charts. I can only assume it's because not enough people have listened to Ween or White Pepper in particular.

This is not a couple of clowns trying to make a novelty record. This is a collection of outstanding songs by gifted songwriters, that have been arranged and performed with a high degree of skill. I can see a casual listener quickly bouncing through the album and thinking that Ween were merely trying to do sendups of several musical styles, but listen closely and you'll hear that in most cases they surpass the originals. Yes, they do it with tongue firmly in cheek but that shouldn't take away from how solid these songs are.

"Bananas and Blow" is a parody of Jimmy Buffet, but I'd rather listen to this than anything in his discography; "Pandy Fackler" sounds as if it was ripped straight from Steely Dan's Pretzel Logic album; "Even If You Don't" is Paul McCartney from the Sgt. Pepper era; "Stoker Ace" is Motorhead. Throw in prog rock like "Back to Basom" and the gorgeous hippie anthem "Flutes of Chi" and this is an astounding collection of songs. At this point Ween enter the conversation of best American band ever.