Ween / Live In Chicago
Artist Ween
Album Title: Live In Chicago
Album Cover:
Primary Genre Rock
Format CD (1) DVD (1)
Released 05/04/2004
Label Sanctuary Records
Catalog No SVE 3066
Bar Code No 0 60768 83859 8
Packaging DVD Keep Case
Tracks
Live In Chicago (Disc 1)
1. Buckingham Green (0:00)
2. Spinal Meningitis Got Me Down (0:00)
3. Pork Roll Egg And Cheese (0:00)
4. Take Me Away (0:00)
5. The Grobe (0:00)
6. Transdermal Celebration (0:00)
7. Even If U Don't (0:00)
8. Voodoo Lady (0:00)
9. Baby Bitch (0:00)
10. The H.I.V. Song (0:00)
11. Roses Are Free (0:00)
12. Mutilated Lips (0:00)
13. Chocolate Town (0:00)
14. I'll Be Your Jonny On Th' Spot (0:00)
15. Touch My Tooter (0:00)
16. The Argus (0:00)
17. Zoloft (0:00)
18. Ocean Man (0:00)
19. Don't Laugh (I Love You) (0:00)
20. All Of My Love (0:00)
21. Big Jilm (0:00)
22. You Fucked Up (0:00)
23. Doctor Rock (0:00)
24. She Fucks Me (Encore) (0:00)
25. Booze Me Up And Get Me High (0:00)
26. The Blarney Stone (0:00)
Live In Chicago (Disc 2)
1. Take Me Away (3:02)
2. The Grobe (3:17)
3. Transdermal Celebration (3:33)
4. Even If U Don't (4:20)
5. Voodoo Lady (7:30)
6. The H.I.V. Song (1:54)
7. Baby Bitch (3:26)
8. Roses Are Free (6:03)
9. Mutilated Lips (4:37)
10. Chocolate Town (3:23)
11. I'll Be Your Jonny On Th' Spot (4:29)
12. Buckingham Green (3:57)
13. Spinal Meningitis Got Me Down (3:08)
14. Pork Roll Egg And Cheese (2:30)
15. The Argus (4:57)
16. Zoloft (7:05)
17. Ocean Man (2:15)
Date Acquired 01/12/2005
Personal Rating
Acquired from First Avenue
Purchase Price 22.00

Web Links

All Music Guide Entry:
Discogs Entry:

Notes

Recorded Live At The Vic Theatre, Chicago
November 8, 9 2003

Reviews
All Music Guide Entry:

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Like all great live bands, Ween has a diverse repertoire and changes set lists nearly every night, and also doesn't stick to the sound of the original recordings, choosing to rearrange, expand, and improvise. They're also reliable, turning in consistently strong live performances (and when they're bad, they're still a lot of fun), so they lend themselves well to live albums, and ever since 1999's live compilation Paintin' the Town Brown: Ween Live 1990-1998, there has been a steady stream of them, most released on their own indie label, Chocodog. Each of those has captured a special concert -- Live in Toronto captured them on their legendary country tour, Live at Stubb's was a rowdy, career-spanning marathon show, Live By Request had a self-explanatory title -- but for Live in Chicago, their second mass-market live CD and first live DVD (packaged as a two-fer, containing both discs), they simply presented a typical show from the supporting tour for 2003's Quebec. Recorded over two nights at the Vic Theatre in November 2003, the CD's track listing is heavy on fan favorites from Chocolate & Cheese and The Mollusk -- including the singles "Voodoo Lady" and "Ocean Man," but also such staples as "Roses Are Free," "Buckingham Green," "Spinal Meningitis Got Me Down," and "I'll Be Your Jonny on th' Spot" -- with only "Pork Roll Egg and Cheese" from the two early albums. There are also a fair number of White Pepper tunes and a healthy dose of Quebec. It's a very strong performance, edited together to make for a tight, fluid live album. As the DVD reveals, certain songs have been shifted around on the CD -- the openers "Buckingham Green" and "Spinal Meningitis" have been moved toward the end of the CD -- which makes for a better-paced album, yet the DVD has the momentum of a true concert, with the band warming up with some slower tunes before tearing into "Take Me Away" and kicking the concert into full gear. The extended length of the DVD -- 26 songs instead of 17 -- showcases the scope and skills of Ween better than the CD, since it has the space for more styles and sounds, including a stronger presence for GodWeenSatan and The Pod, plus an appropriately majestic cover of Led Zeppelin's "All of My Love" and a tremendous finale in "The Blarney Stone." While the extras are minimal -- the alternate angles on three songs aren't particularly interesting, but the animated video for "Transdermal Celebration" is -- the video is sharp and the sound, particularly the powerful 5.1 Surround Sound mix, is terrific. But the thing that counts is that this is a grandly entertaining performance -- perhaps not as transcendent as Live at Stubb's or Live in Toronto, but convincing evidence of Ween's live prowess.
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