Aaron releases 'Freeman' LP July 22 via Partisan Records

After the hoopla that surrounded his increasing onstage meltdowns (in Vancouver for instance) which were excessive by even Ween standards- Aaron Freeman ultimately took shelter from the storm.  Sobriety looks good on Freeman, who gives hope to any hopelessly addled soul if only because the vast majority of his output as Gene Ween is about: 'hope', 'hopelessness' and 'being addled'.

His early four track experiments post-rehab gave some indication as to where he might go with his new material, there was the 4-track gooning, some role-playing crooning, and the occasional ballad in presumably his own voice (like the tender Nature Man which didn't make the cut) represented on the new album FREEMAN by More Than The World.

Aaron is quoted in a sprawling interview with Rolling Stone that the meltdown in Vancouver directly led (perhaps unsurprisingly in hindsight) to the dissolution of Ween.  The lead track on the album Covert Discretion (the full album is currently streaming on Spin) is none-too-subtle about the vapid sadness he was experiencing after playing a great show and then wallowing in his substance abuse later:

It's striking that on "Covert Discretion," the first song on the new album, you sing "Save your judgments for someone else" and "Fuck you all, I got a reason to live." It's easy to read those lyrics as being addressed at fans who wanted you to continue with Ween. Is that an accurate interpretation

Yeah, I think so. That's the only song I wrote after a major breakdown in Vancouver when I couldn't play [with Ween]. I wrote that about a week after that show. It's about addiction and people not recognizing that you're hurting so bad. And yeah, it is clearing the air of the last couple of years, which is why I wanted to put it first. At that point Ween had been over for years and I wanted to put that down in a way. Anytime there's a major change in your life, a lot of people don't embrace that, and it's something that you have to get through on your own. I had some wonderful supportive people with me during that period who helped me through. But it's tough, and it takes a while to turn people around, if I'm making any sense.

In other interviews Freeman is touching when he explains that despite wanting to clear the air on the first cut that he approached this whole record as he would have approached a Ween record.  He wrote the record with Mickey, Claude, Dave and Glenn in mind to play even though he knows they will never play again.  So there is a lovely quality about the record because it evokes so many stylistic touchstones from Ween's whole catalogue.   That said because it was composed in that fashion on numbers like the very Weenish El Shaddai the listener really wants to hear Mickey Melchiondo but instead gets whoever's playing guitar for Freeman.  A number of songs then take on the quality almost of sketches of Ween songs to be, one senses something missing from them- likely collaboration.

FREEMAN available now on Itunes fits into the chronology of Ween's records, the next one most likely won't.  Or perhaps all of the hallmarks that we associate with Ween will always be present in its inimitable songwriters solo output.

Tour Dates

July 22 - New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
July 23 – Brooklyn, NY @ Baby’s All RIght
September 4-7 - Arrington, VA @ Lockn' Festival
September 5 - Raleigh, NC @ Hopscotch Festival
September 17 - Boston, MA @ Sinclair
September 18 - Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground
September 19 - Rochester, NY @ Lovin' Cup
September 20 - Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
September 24 - Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
September 25 - Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall
September 26 - Minneapolis. MN @ Turf Club
September 27 - Omaha, NE @ Waiting Room
September 30 - Columbus, OH @ The Basement
October 1 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Brillbox
October 2 - Washington, DC @ Rock N Roll Hotel
October 3 - Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda's
October 4 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
October 23 - Houston, TX @ Fitzgeralds
October 24 - Dallas, TX @ The Loft
October 25 - Austin, TX @ Parish
October 28 - San Diego, CA @ Casbah
October 30 - Los Angeles, CA @ Roxy
October 31 - San Francisco, CA @ Independent
November 1 - Portland, OR @ Doug Fir
November 2 - Seattle, WA @ Tractor
November 4 - Missoula, MT @ Top Hat
November 5 - Salt Lake City, UT @ State Room
November 6 - Denver, CO @ Bluebird
November 7 - Kansas City, MO @ Riot Room