White Pepper

Last updated
White Pepper
Ween-WhitePepper.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedMay 2, 2000
Recorded1999–2000
Genre
Length39:35
Label Elektra
Producer
  • Christopher Shaw
  • Ween
Ween chronology
Craters of the Sac
(1999)
White Pepper
(2000)
Live in Toronto Canada
(2001)
Singles from White Pepper
  1. "Even If You Don't"
    Released: 2000
  2. "Stay Forever"
    Released: 2000
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 66/100 [1]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Chicago Sun-Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Entertainment Weekly B [4]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [5]
Melody Maker Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [6]
NME 5/10 [7]
Pitchfork 8.0/10 [8]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [9]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [10]
Uncut Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [11]

White Pepper is the seventh studio album by the American rock band Ween, and the last album they would release on Elektra Records. It was released on May 2, 2000.

Contents

Promotion

The band helped promote the album by performing "Exactly Where I'm At" on the Late Show with David Letterman . The track "Even If You Don't" was made into a music video and directed by Trey Parker and Matt Stone of South Park fame. According to Dean Ween (Mickey Melchiondo), he and Gene Ween (Aaron Freeman) are good friends of Parker and Stone, and Freeman has referred to them as "kindred spirits." [12]

"Stay Forever" was written for cellist Tanya Haden. [13]

Singles

Legacy

White Pepper was included on Creative Loafing 's list of the 101 best albums of the 2000s, [15] while Glide magazine named it the 12th best album of the decade. [16] Magnet included it at #15 on their list of the 60 best albums released between 1993 and 2003,[ citation needed ] and the album was included in the book 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die in 2008. [17] Jake Shears of Scissor Sisters named it one of his favorite albums of all time, stating: "I love the stew of what they do – they can be whimsical, they can be heavy – they're just incredible musicians and songwriters. To me, White Pepper is an amazing snapshot and a great collection of songs. They're kind of like Beck – they've always delivered – and also some of it is just so fucking juvenile." [18]

In 2020, Stereogum 's Nate Rogers wrote a piece on the album for its 20th anniversary. He attributed the initial lukewarm reception of the album to its lack of profanity and increased accessibility, suggesting that it may have alienated much of the band's hardcore fans. "It's much easier to appreciate White Pepper now that we know it did not lead to a final form in which Ween were just edge-less and overglossed" he wrote, "The band never gave in to the powers that be. They never stopped being artists who deferred to the playful will of their mighty Demon God Boognish while also writing frequently — if not perpetually — fantastic music." [19]

Track listing

All songs written by Ween. Published by Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp./Ver Music/Browndog Music, BMI.

No.TitleLength
1."Exactly Where I'm At"4:31
2."Flutes of Chi"3:30
3."Even If You Don't"3:25
4."Bananas and Blow"3:34
5."Stroker Ace"2:08
6."Ice Castles" (instrumental)2:05
7."Back to Basom"3:46
8."The Grobe"3:32
9."Pandy Fackler"3:57
10."Stay Forever"3:32
11."Falling Out"2:28
12."She's Your Baby"3:00
Total length:39:35
Japan bonus track
No.TitleLength
13."Who Dat?"2:21
Total length:41:56

Personnel

Charts

Chart (2000)Peak
position
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [20] 83
US Billboard 200 [21] 121
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard) [22] 2

Related Research Articles

<i>With the Beatles</i> 1963 studio album by the Beatles

With the Beatles is the second studio album by the English rock band the Beatles. It was released in the United Kingdom on 22 November 1963 on Parlophone, eight months after the band's debut Please Please Me. Produced by George Martin, the album features eight original compositions and six covers. The sessions also yielded the non-album single, "I Want to Hold Your Hand" backed by "This Boy". The cover photograph was taken by the fashion photographer Robert Freeman and has since been mimicked by several music groups. A different cover was used for the Australian release of the album, which the Beatles were displeased with.

<i>In My Tribe</i> 1987 studio album by 10,000 Maniacs

In My Tribe is the third studio album from the American alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs. Released on July 27, 1987 by Elektra Records, it was their second major-label album and their first to achieve large-scale success. John Lombardo, Natalie Merchant's songwriting partner on previous albums, had left the band in 1986, and In My Tribe saw Merchant begin to collaborate with the other members of the band, most notably with Rob Buck.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dean Ween</span> American rock musician

Michael Melchiondo Jr., better known by his stage name Dean Ween, is an American guitarist, singer and a founding member of the alternative rock group Ween. He is currently active in the groups Ween, Moistboyz and The Dean Ween Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gene Ween</span> American rock musician

Aaron Freeman, better known by his stage name Gene Ween, is an American singer, guitarist and a founding member of the experimental alternative rock group Ween. Freeman, along with childhood friend Mickey Melchiondo, started the group in the mid-1980s. Ween would expand to five members and perform together until May 2012 when Freeman abruptly quit the band due to his want to move forward with a solo career, as well as his desire to remain sober. Over the next few years, Freeman would briefly abandon the Gene Ween name and lead a new five-piece band called Freeman. Shortly after reviving the Gene Ween name for a series of Billy Joel tribute performances, Ween reunited on February 2016 for three concerts in Broomfield, Colorado. The band has continued to perform and tour since.

<i>The Pod</i> 1991 studio album by Ween

The Pod is the second studio album by American rock band Ween. It was released on September 20, 1991, by Shimmy-Disc.

<i>Pure Guava</i> 1992 studio album by Ween

Pure Guava is the third studio album and major label debut by American rock band Ween, released on November 10, 1992, by Elektra Records.

<i>Chocolate and Cheese</i> 1994 studio album by Ween

Chocolate and Cheese is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Ween, originally released by Elektra Records in 1994. It was the first Ween album to be recorded in a professional studio, in contrast to the crude four-track home recordings of The Pod and Pure Guava. However, most of the instruments were still played by Dean and Gene Ween, including their drum machine.

<i>12 Golden Country Greats</i> 1996 studio album by Ween

12 Golden Country Greats is the fifth studio album by the American rock band Ween, and their third on Elektra Records. It is the only album on which the group limited themselves to a specific genre of music.

<i>Too Fast for Love</i> 1981 studio album by Mötley Crüe

Too Fast for Love is the debut studio album by American heavy metal band Mötley Crüe. The first edition of 900 copies was released on November 10, 1981, on the band's original label Leathür Records. Elektra Records signed the band the following year, at which point the album was remixed and partially re-recorded. This re-release, with a different track listing and slightly different artwork, has become the standard version from which all later reissues derive. The re-recorded album also removed the song "Stick to Your Guns", though it is featured on a bonus track version of the album. The original mix of the album remained unreleased on CD until 2002, when it was included in the Music to Crash Your Car To: Vol. 1 box set compilation.

<i>The Mollusk</i> 1997 studio album by Ween

The Mollusk is the sixth studio album by American rock band Ween, released by Elektra Records on June 24, 1997. It is a multi-genre concept album with a dark nautical theme, with most songs incorporating elements from psychedelia and/or sea shanties, while also featuring a heavy progressive rock influence. Dean Ween described the album as "the only record that I ever felt really confident about" and "my favorite record we've ever done". Gene Ween has echoed this sentiment, saying: "The Mollusk is probably my favorite, at the end of the day."

<i>Paintin the Town Brown: Ween Live 1990–1998</i> 1999 live album by Ween

Paintin' the Town Brown is a live compilation by American rock band Ween, released by Elektra Records on June 22, 1999.

The Sports were an Australian rock group which performed and recorded between 1976 and 1981. Mainstay members were Stephen Cummings on lead vocals and Robert Glover on bass guitar, with long-term members such as Paul Hitchins on drums, Andrew Pendlebury on lead guitar and vocals, and Martin Armiger on guitar. Their style was similar to both 1970s British pub rock bands and British new wave. The Sports' top forty singles are "Who Listens to the Radio", "Don't Throw Stones", "Strangers on a Train" and "How Come". Their top 20 releases on the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart are Don't Throw Stones, Suddenly and Sondra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ween</span> American rock band

Ween is an American rock band from New Hope, Pennsylvania, formed in 1984 by Aaron Freeman and Mickey Melchiondo, better known by their respective stage names, Gene and Dean Ween. Generally categorized as an alternative rock band, the band are known for their irreverent, highly eclectic catalog of songs inspired by funk, soul, country, gospel, prog, psychedelia, R&B, heavy metal, and punk rock.

<i>Back for the Attack</i> 1987 studio album by Dokken

Back for the Attack is the fourth studio album by American heavy metal band Dokken, released on November 2, 1987, through Elektra Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vaganza</span>

Vaganza was a theatrical art-rock-pop duo consisting of multi-instrumentalists David Longworth Wallingford and Quigley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Otherside</span> 2000 single by Red Hot Chili Peppers

"Otherside" is a song by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. It was released as the third single from their seventh studio album, Californication (1999), and confronts the battles addicts have with their prior addictions. The track was released in Australia and New Zealand in 1999 and was given an international release in January of the following year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Even If You Don't</span> 2000 single by Ween

"Even If You Don't" is a song by the American rock band Ween. It was released in 2000 as the lead single from the album White Pepper. The song was covered by the indie/pop-punk supergroup Two Tongues on their self-titled debut album, released in 2009. It was described as "a flamboyant rocker". "Even If You Don't" was made into a music video directed by the creators of South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone.

<i>Masterpiece Theatre</i> (En Vogue album) 2000 studio album by En Vogue

Masterpiece Theatre is the fourth studio album by American recording group En Vogue, released worldwide by Elektra Records on May 23, 2000. It marked the band's debut with Elektra, as well as their only release following their departure from longtime label Eastwest Records. Terry Ellis, Cindy Herron, and Maxine Jones worked exclusively with regular collaborators Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy on the album who made heavy use of samples from classical music and traditional pop music to construct songs for Masterpiece Theatre, with its title alluding to the same-titled American drama anthology television series, best known for presenting adaptations of a mix of contemporary and classic novels and biographies.

<i>Free-Man</i> 2014 studio album by Freeman

Free-Man is the debut, and only, studio album by American rock band Freeman, led by Ween co-founder Aaron Freeman, known better as Gene Ween.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ween discography</span>

The following is the discography of Ween, a Pennsylvania-based experimental alternative band formed by childhood friends Aaron Freeman and Mickey Melchiondo, better known by their respective stage names, Gene Ween and Dean Ween. Starting out with a few locally released demo tapes, including The Crucial Squeegie Lip, AXIS: Bold as Boognish, and The Live Brain Wedgie / WAD Excerpts, the band was picked up by independent label Twin/Tone Records in 1990 and released their debut GodWeenSatan: The Oneness. In 1991 they signed with another independent label, Shimmy-Disc, and released The Pod. Later, Ween signed with Elektra Records and released their major label debut Pure Guava in 1992. It features their highest-charting single to date, "Push th' Little Daisies". While touring for this album, they played at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, which would later be released as a CD/DVD live album in 2008 titled At the Cat's Cradle, 1992.

References

  1. "White Pepper by Ween Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic . Retrieved September 19, 2021.
  2. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "White Pepper – Ween". AllMusic . Retrieved July 14, 2015.
  3. DeRogatis, Jim (July 2, 2000). "Ween, 'White Pepper' (Elektra)". Chicago Sun-Times . Archived from the original on November 19, 2018. Retrieved June 26, 2017.
  4. Walters, Barry (June 2, 2000). "White Pepper". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved June 26, 2017.
  5. Cox, Tom (May 12, 2000). "Childish prodigies". The Guardian . Retrieved June 26, 2017.
  6. Mongredien, Phil (May 3–9, 2000). "Ween: White Pepper". Melody Maker . p. 52.
  7. Ward, Christian (June 8, 2000). "Ween – White Pepper". NME . Archived from the original on August 16, 2000. Retrieved June 26, 2017.
  8. LeMay, Matt (April 30, 2000). "Ween: White Pepper". Pitchfork . Retrieved July 14, 2015.
  9. McLeod, Kembrew (May 11, 2000). "Ween: White Pepper". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on October 1, 2007. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
  10. Sarig, Roni (2004). "Ween". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp.  864–865. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8.
  11. Bell, Max (August 2000). "Ween: White Pepper". Uncut . No. 39. p. 86.
  12. "Watch Ween's 'Even If You Don't' Music Video Directed By The Creators Of South Park". Live For Live Music. Retrieved 2016-4-16
  13. Aaron Freeman 9/15/2012 Lincoln Hall; Chicago, IL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7VbwPex5RY
  14. "WEEN – White Pepper". www.pop-catastrophe.co.uk. Archived from the original on May 26, 2008.
  15. "Top 101 Albums of the decade (2000-2009)".
  16. "Glide's Best Albums of the Decade". 14 December 2009.
  17. "Rocklist.net...Steve Parker...Tom Moon 1000".
  18. "The Quietus | Features | Baker's Dozen | Feel Like Dancin'? Jake Shears' Favourite Albums". The Quietus. Retrieved 2021-01-18.
  19. "Ween's 'White Pepper' Turns 20". 30 April 2020.
  20. "Offiziellecharts.de – Ween – White Pepper" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  21. "Ween Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
  22. "Ween Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 30, 2020.