Dean Ween Group

Dean Ween plays Pink Floyd's Echoes (2.21.14) - John and Peter's, New Hope PA

Mickey Melchiondo (aka Dean Ween) has happily been keeping busy of late running his own Fishing Boat charter business.  Since the demise of the group Ween, the result of Gene Ween (Aaron Freeman) hitting rock bottom and finding sobriety, Melchiondo has also kept busy with his other project Moistboyz touring in support of 2013's album  5.

Since March 22nd Mickey's been performing with his own newly inaugurated Dean Ween Group.  But on February, 21 in his hometown of New Hope, PA he fulfilled a childhood dream (according to Ultimate Classic Rock) to peform the Pink Floyd classic Echoes in its entirety live.  Deaner assembled in his words the 'ultimate cover band' to pull off the feat (Bill Fowler (guitar and vocals), Ray Kubian (drums), Sean Faust (keyboards)
Guy Heller (vocals), and Chris Williams (bass)).

Rather then base their version off of of Floyd's 1971 album Meddle (clocking in at 23 minutes) Deaner modeled their version off of Live at Pompeii ramming together the live Parts 1 and 2 that served as the beginning and ending of that film.  "We grew up watching "Live at Pompeii" all the time and finally got to execute this song properly," said Deaner.

Dean Ween's Guitar Moves

In this episode of Guitar Moves Deaner (Michey Melchiondo) starts off with an instrumental he jokingly called Dicky Betts.  He goes onto explain how every solo he's ever done is a variation on either the Allman Bros. Blue Sky or Eddie Hazel's (of Parliament Funkadelic) Maggot Brain.  He then gives some lessons on 'tasters' and teaches the kids how to play fancy songs like Mr. Would You Please Help My Pony (from Chocolate and Cheese). 

Aaron Freeman - Genene

Since Aaron Freeman announced the necessary demise of his arch persona Gene Ween - the well loved and prolific songsmith he had produced music under since 1984 with his partner in crime Dean Ween (Mickey Melchiondo) as Ween - he may have puzzled fans with his first solo outing being an album of unearthed covers (Marvelous Clouds) by supposed legend Rod McKuen with whom he had a puzzling but befitting kinship. A crop of new original music is just what Dr. Rock ordered although it's no surprise that we're getting the kinder, gentler version of The Golden Jew.



Certain to further confuse his rabid fanbase Aaron was contacted by Hidden Track about Genene at his hospital room in Belgium where he is undergoing “a transformative procedure.":

He immediately made sure to tell us, “This song is left to interpretation on purpose. To me it’s just an honest song about where I’m at, creepy, real and pretty, just the way I like it.” Freeman finished our chat by saying, “On one hand it’s about change and acceptance on a personal, spiritual level but can obviously be interpreted literally as a sex change.”

These themes of transformation, transmogrification, shifting seem fitting for Freeman (now sober for over a year) at this point in his life and other demos with spoken word samples like Signs of The Transgression riff on similar themes.  Currently on his A. Freeman soundcloud he is only streaming two songs.  Rivers and God2.  Fortunately one of the resourceful brown minions of the Boognish captured and posted for download the majority of 2012 demos that had streamed briefly (excluding Genene unfortunately).

Ween's - Banana's and Blow (performed on harp)

Harpists Kaela and Morgana are students of a performing arts school  in Australia. Kaela's also a fan of Ween and she arranged one of her favourite songs for the harp.  Kaela is the daughter of Adam Phillips, director/animator of Ween's Transdermal Celebration video.   Father Phillips recounts:

Kaela's been hearing Ween all her life. She was 5 when I animated their Transdermal Celebration video. With the album White Pepper in the car's CD player, she'd ask me to "play the song that sounds like it's got coconuts in it", that is Bananas and Blow.

She was terrified of the song Ice Castles though because I told her it was about poison toys so it became the soundtrack to her nightmares. Bad daddy.

In case you're not familiar with the touching original version here's another clip.

Ween - Your Party (live Koolhaus, Toronto, July 29 2010

There were beverages laid out for the party 
There were candy and spices and tricolored pastas 
The meat carved was drawn from succulent juices 
Served on platters of the purest gold 

I was calm when we arrived at the party 
I spoke with fervor, embracing the evening 
My wife leaned over and she whispered 'I love you' 
I held her close - we danced 

We had the best time at your party 
The wife and I thank you very much 
We had the best time at your party 
The wife and I thank you very much 

Creampuffs and bourbon and the music was louder 
My wife was competing in a game of chance 
The party raged and the guests were screaming 
I could have danced all night 

We had the best time at your party 
The wife and I thank you very much 
We had the best time at your party 
The wife and I thank you very much 

Later on when we were under the covers 
I closed my eyes, then I drifted to sleep 
I dreamt about me maybe throwing a party 
And just how great that would be 

And we said 
We had the best time at your party 
The wife and I thank you very much 
We had the best time at your party 
The wife and I thank you very much


- lyrics and music A. Freeman, M. Melchiondo