Ween - Live at the Cats Cradle (2009)

By Chris Wood

The one thing that I have to say about Ween before anything - but you just must experience them live at least once in your life.

I'm sorry to sound horribly pretentious, but I'm going to say something a little bold: If you haven't seen them live, and you don't consider yourself a fan, then you're not allowed to comment.

Anecdotally, Ween are one of those bands that have a rare ability to draw in fans through their live shows, completely independent of their recorded material.

This is most likely the thinking behind the decision to release "Live at the Cats Cradle".

This release (complete with a bonus DVD) is a collection of recorded material from three live shows from 1991 and 1992.

As the story goes, Ween started off playing (well, their first real gig) along to drum and bass tracks on a cassette deck, soon moving on to a DAT recorder.

These shows are what you would typically come to expect from Ween until 1994 after their release of their "Chocolate and Cheese" LP. Ever since, they have adopted the more generic live set-up.

Some claim that 'Ween live pretty much ended' when this occurred. Either way you look at it, Ween live is a totally captivating experience.

Having only seen Ween for the first time last year, I can say that both live styles would be equally compelling experiences, with the main difference between the two is the real backing band affording them the opportunity to improvise a lot more.

As with any band that continues to release new material, the live shows becomes a marker of ever-increasing and inevitable disappointment as favourite songs are left off the set-list.

But I digress.

The great thing about Ween at the Cat's Cradle is that it avoids this problem altogether. Although around half of these songs would make it into a typical live set today (and they probably sound just as good, if not better in their new form), it's still a treat to hear them as they once were. To hear them as they were written, weirdness and all.

Classics including Marble Tulip Juicy Tree, Don't Get 2 Close (2 My Fantasy), You F**ked Up, and Captain Fantasy all make an appearance - which is hardly surprising.

You F**ked Up is played with the same intensity and vigour that garnered it the same notoriety that it still holds today. The slightly silly-fringe songs, which often turn out to be the most requested, including Big Jilm, Ode To Rene, Cover It with Gas and Set it on fire and Reggaejunkiekew also make an appearance.

The latter is an odd, but as it turns out, fantastic closing psych-out shakedown.

Buckingham Green is introduced as 'a new one', which kind of makes me feel as though I've traversed the very thread of mother time. This was definitely that moment of the show (even though it was comprised of three shows) that presents itself as some quasi-transcendental experience.

It also proves, among quite a few other songs here, that Ween can write a seriously decent and memorable song. Any criticisms of Ween purely existing as a novelty act are blown away with songs like Buckingham Green.

Of course they are prone to writing with a comically bizarre flare at times, yet their top shelf songs are able to match it with that of any A - List bands, past or present.

The DVD offered with "Live at The Cats Cradle" is just as interesting as the CD.

There are fewer songs on offer, yet the full live experience of Ween is available. While the CD offers more dialogue between songs, the DVD offers the entire sonic/visual landscape of a Ween show.

From the red skull-cap / beanie worn by Dean, to the chefs' hat-swimming goggles combo worn by Gean, they manage to somehow pull off a brilliant and respectable rock show that has the small, yet vocal crowd cheering for more at every possible stage.

As a complete package, "Ween - Live at the Cats Cradle" is utterly elating and completely mesmerising. I whole heartedly recommend it to anyone who’s even vaguely interested in music.

Sure to please every Ween fan, and quite possibly those nasty nay-sayers.

RATING: 4.5 out of 5