A brilliant fusion of
pop and gonzo humor, 1994's
Chocolate and Cheese is arguably
Ween's finest moment. Building on
Pure Guava's more focused approach, the album proved for once and all that along with their twisted sense of humor and wide musical vocabulary,
Dean and
Gene are also impressive songwriters. Over the course of
Chocolate and Cheese,
Ween explore virtually every permutation of
pop,
rock,
soul, and
funk, from the opening song
"Take Me Away"'s rootsy
rock to
"Roses Are Free"'s homage to
Prince's shiny
Paisley Park era. On the dreamy,
British psych-inspired
"What Deaner Was Talking About," the Afro-Caribbean
funk of
"Voodoo Lady," and
"Freedom of '76," their funny, sexy tribute to '70s
Philly soul,
Ween don't so much parody these styles as reinvent them. Indeed,
"Drifter in the Dark"'s surprisingly traditional
country and
"Joppa Road"'s spot-on
soft rock foreshadow
12 Golden Country Greats and
White Pepper, respectively. Despite
Chocolate and Cheese's polish and prowess,
Ween prove they're still proudly politically incorrect with
"Spinal Meningitis (Got Me Down)" and
"Mister Would You Please Help My Pony?" two of the creepiest songs about childhood ever recorded.
"The HIV Song" revels in its questionable taste and
"Don't Shit Where You Eat"'s laid-back
pop is one of the album's subtler jokes. Old-school
Ween weirdness surfaces on
"Candi" (the shouting in the background was recorded from the trunk of
Dean Ween's car) and the crazed stomp of
"I Can't Put My Finger on It." "Buenas Tardes Amigo," an epic,
spaghetti Western-inspired tale of murder and revenge, and
"Baby Bitch," a wry but stinging retort to an ex-girlfriend, show how good
Ween are at taking silly things seriously and serious things lightly. That's exactly what makes
Chocolate and Cheese such a fun, exciting album. ~ Heather Phares
