Rock weirdos Ween were set to celebrate the re-release of their debut LP GodWeenSatan: The Oneness in September of 2001, but the tragic events of 9/11 left the band unsure whether or not to cancel a party for the release scheduled three days afterward. Having elected to play the show, the band are now set to put out a recording of the evening.
GodWeenSatan: Live marks the band's first official release of a live record since 2008's At the Cat's Cradle, 1992. The band's performance at John & Peter's in New Hope, PA, was recorded to 24-track tape but was never released until now. Described as "pure catharsis from both the band and the packed crowd," guitarist Dean Ween (a.k.a. Mickey Melchiondo) recalled the evening in a statement:
GWS was re-released by Restless Records on September 11, 2001 — a day that lives in infamy. We had planned a show at our local bar, John and Peter's in New Hope, PA, on September 14 to celebrate the reissue. If you are old enough to remember 9/11, you remember the feeling of dread and that things would never be the same, ever. We didn't know whether to cancel the gig or not, but ultimately decided that we shouldn't let the tragedy affect our plans.
There was a sense of raw emotion the night of the show. It had been only a few days since the towers had fallen, and everyone in the world had been glued to their TVs. As we walked onto the stage the crowd was in a daze, but we came to play that night and needed to deliver in a big way. It was very cathartic on both sides of the stage, for both band and audience. Remarkably, that night, we were able to conjure up the spirit we had when we originally wrote these songs — some dating back to 1985.
I have never heard Gener sing as hard as he did that night. He was screaming, just like he did when we cut the record. I broke out my old 1958 Fender Musicmaster — the same one I had played on GWS.
Up until our reunion in 2016, this show from 2001 would be the only time we'd ever perform a lot of these tunes. Luckily enough, we had the foresight to record this night to 24 track, and in all of these years have never leaked it to the public. 9/14/01 was a very special night for Ween, a time way before it was trendy for bands to perform an album live in its entirety. It seemed like a good idea at the time, and now we're pretty sure it was.
GodWeenSatan: Live will arrive November 18. Pre-orders are available here, with a variety of different bundles to choose from. Read through the album's tracklisting below.
GodWeenSatan: Live:
CD 1:
1. You Fucked Up
2. Tick
3. I'm In The Mood To Move
4. I Gots A Weasel
5. Fat Lenny
6. Cold And Wet
7. Bumblebee
8. Don't Laugh (I Love You)
9. Never Squeal
10. Up On The Hill
11. Wayne's Pet Youngin'
12. Nicole
13. Common Bitch
14. El Camino
15. Old Queen Cole
CD 2:
1. Nan
2. Licking The Palm For Guava
3. Mushroom Festival In Hell
4. L.M.L.Y.P.
5. Papa Zit
6. Old Man Thunder
7. Birthday Boy
8. Blackjack
9. Squelch The Weasel
10. Marble Tulip Juicy Tree
11. Puffy Cloud
GodWeenSatan: Live marks the band's first official release of a live record since 2008's At the Cat's Cradle, 1992. The band's performance at John & Peter's in New Hope, PA, was recorded to 24-track tape but was never released until now. Described as "pure catharsis from both the band and the packed crowd," guitarist Dean Ween (a.k.a. Mickey Melchiondo) recalled the evening in a statement:
GWS was re-released by Restless Records on September 11, 2001 — a day that lives in infamy. We had planned a show at our local bar, John and Peter's in New Hope, PA, on September 14 to celebrate the reissue. If you are old enough to remember 9/11, you remember the feeling of dread and that things would never be the same, ever. We didn't know whether to cancel the gig or not, but ultimately decided that we shouldn't let the tragedy affect our plans.
There was a sense of raw emotion the night of the show. It had been only a few days since the towers had fallen, and everyone in the world had been glued to their TVs. As we walked onto the stage the crowd was in a daze, but we came to play that night and needed to deliver in a big way. It was very cathartic on both sides of the stage, for both band and audience. Remarkably, that night, we were able to conjure up the spirit we had when we originally wrote these songs — some dating back to 1985.
I have never heard Gener sing as hard as he did that night. He was screaming, just like he did when we cut the record. I broke out my old 1958 Fender Musicmaster — the same one I had played on GWS.
Up until our reunion in 2016, this show from 2001 would be the only time we'd ever perform a lot of these tunes. Luckily enough, we had the foresight to record this night to 24 track, and in all of these years have never leaked it to the public. 9/14/01 was a very special night for Ween, a time way before it was trendy for bands to perform an album live in its entirety. It seemed like a good idea at the time, and now we're pretty sure it was.
GodWeenSatan: Live will arrive November 18. Pre-orders are available here, with a variety of different bundles to choose from. Read through the album's tracklisting below.
GodWeenSatan: Live:
CD 1:
1. You Fucked Up
2. Tick
3. I'm In The Mood To Move
4. I Gots A Weasel
5. Fat Lenny
6. Cold And Wet
7. Bumblebee
8. Don't Laugh (I Love You)
9. Never Squeal
10. Up On The Hill
11. Wayne's Pet Youngin'
12. Nicole
13. Common Bitch
14. El Camino
15. Old Queen Cole
CD 2:
1. Nan
2. Licking The Palm For Guava
3. Mushroom Festival In Hell
4. L.M.L.Y.P.
5. Papa Zit
6. Old Man Thunder
7. Birthday Boy
8. Blackjack
9. Squelch The Weasel
10. Marble Tulip Juicy Tree
11. Puffy Cloud
