MUSIC REVIEW: Ween - The Pod (1991)

Bernhardt: Ween get in the studio (that is, their apartment and a 4-track) for the second time and replace the child-like, playful nature of GodWeenSatan with a dark, sluggish and murky approach. The performances have a tired, dozy quality to them - everything sounds slowed down and dense. This should not, however, mislead you into thinking that this is a boring album.
By this time, the boys' songwriting abilites had blossomed, and it shows in songs like Dr. Rock, a classic hard rock song which opens the album with a bang (after the bizarre intro of Strap On That Jammy Pac), the prog-rock parody Right to the Ways and the Rules of the World, the arena rock anthem Captain Fantasy or the sweet Mononucleosis, in which Gene feels sorry for his buddy, who is suffering the title illness.
However, it is not only their improved capacity to create memorable melodies that makes The Pod a winner and (to this reviewer) a more enjoyable album than GWS. It's also that the sonic experiments featured here (the stop-and-go Awesome Sound, the surreal funk number Molly to name some examples) are better accomplished and fit the album perfectly. Instead of making it drag, they help to convey the fucked-up, highly intoxicated atmosphere.
Other highlights include Pollo Asado, which consists of Dean (or is that Gene?) ordering Mexican food over a nice instrumental background, The Stallion (Pt. 1), where the titular character advices you not to mess with him (backed up by some truly menacing guitars), and the sunny, cheery Pork Roll Egg and Cheese, which closes the album (along with the second Stallion) and is comparable to a couple of sun rays that manage to shine through a dark and cloudy sky.
This is often dubbed Ween's most "difficult" album to absorb, which is understandable. It does take repeated listents to appreciate it in its entirety, but if the amusical (?) stuff like Molly or She Fucks Me is not your cup of tea, it's still worth a listen for the most fleshed-out, catchy songs. B+

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