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Live in Chicago

Ween - Live in Chicago Audio CD

A fair review of the Ween "Live in Chicago" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Ween reviews here, or go back to the Ween tabs.

Band: Ween
Title: Live in Chicago
Rating:

Release Date: 2004-05-04
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Buckingham Green [*][Multimedia Track] 2: Spinal Meningitis (Got Me Down) [*][Multimedia Track] 3: Pork Roll Egg and Cheese [*][Multimedia Track] 4: Take Me Away [*][Multimedia Track] 5: Grobe [*][Multimedia Track] 6: Transdermal Celebration [*][Multimedia Track] 7: Even if You Don't [*][Multimedia Track] 8: Voodoo Lady [*][Multimedia Track] 9: Baby Bitch [*][Multimedia Track] 10: H.I.V. Song [*][Multimedia Track] 11: Roses Are Free [*][Multimedia Track] 12: Mutilated Lips [*][Multimedia Track] 13: Chocolate Town [*][Multimedia Track] 14: I'll Be Your Jonny on th' Spot [*][Multimedia Track] 15: Touch My Tooter [*][Multimedia Track] 16: Argus [*][Multimedia Track] 17: Zoloft [*][Multimedia Track] 18: Ocean Man [*][Multimedia Track] 19: Don't Laugh (I Love You) [*][Multimedia Track] 20: All of My Love [*][Multimedia Track] 21: Big Jilm [*][Multimedia Track] 22: You F**ked Up [*][Multimedia Track] 23: Doctor Rock [*][Multimedia Track] 24: She F**ks Me (Encore) [*][Multimedia Track] 25: Booze Me Up and Get Me High [*][Multimedia Track] 26: Blarney Stone [*][Multimedia Track] 27: Take Me Away 28: Grobe 29: Transdermal Celebration 30: Even if You Don't 31: Voodoo Lady 32: H.I.V. Song 33: Baby Bitch 34: Roses Are Free 35: Mutilated Lips 36: Chocolate Town 37: I'll Be Your Jonny on th' Spot 38: Buckingham Green 39: Spinal Meningitis (Got Me Down) 40: Pork Roll Egg and Cheese 41: Argus 42: Zoloft 43: Ocean Man

A Band That Will Blow Your Mind
Though they got no significant airplay - and Beavis & Butthead even proclaimed, "These guys have no future. . " Ween are one of the most creative and simply AWESOME live acts of the alternative rock era.

This CD/DVD is all about the musicianship. From sea shanties to '70s rock to twisted nursery rhymes to punk-rock freakouts, these guys give you everything you need. And, on the DVD, the "All of My Love" Led Zeppelin cover is note-perfect.

Buy this for the concert CD and stay for the DVD, and you will get a wonderful musical experience.
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Concert movies
" You can't feel the energy in the room, you can't look where you would normally look (take a glance at a person around you and you can see how they react) so all of that "ambience" is lost. Concert movies tend to suck, the very fact that it's recorded and you're watching it in your living room breaks with what's happening, and they tend to end up feeling "guh.

I used to do the ween website before they did their own, so I'm biased here, but Ween is such a great live band and it totally shows on this DVD. Their craftsmanship is top notch.

I would agree with the other reviewer about the energy level and level of showmanship being lower than a typical ween show, I think the fact that the cameras were present has a lot to do with that.
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The best live band of the last 10 years
It's a very good Ween concert and includes songs from all of their CD's. Yeah, maybe the concert is only 3 stars, when compared to other Ween shows (like Live At Stubbs or Live In Toronto), but it's 5 stars compared to any other music concert DVD available. The bonus audio CD really adds to the value of this package. Their range as a band is amazing. They skillfully swoop from metal to country to 70's jam rock to cabaret to jangle rock with scary ease. Dean Ween is our generation's Jimi Hendrix. He is THAT good. His solos are like train wrecks crossed with airplane landings. The band's version of Led Zeppelin's "All Of My Love" is a dead-on, perfect replica, and it alone makes this worth purchase. There aren't many bands around today that can equal Ween with live performing talent. A few that are in their realm are Los Lobos, the Mekons, Primal Scream, Wilco, Midnight Oil (they were, at least, until their recent breakup), the Roots, and that's about it. Ween should be selling millions of records. Don't miss out on one of the era's best groups.

So-so Ween

This performance just didn't seem very inspired and didn't have the energy that I've seen live (especially around the Mollusk-era). I've been waiting for a live Ween DVD for a while; I've seen them live many times, and I have all of their albums. I have Ween bootlegs on horrible quality VHS that are much more entertaining than this "official" DVD. I guess that's what makes it so disappointing.

Also, the lack of special features - the video for "Transdermal Celebration" looked like a slightly-above-mediocre quality Flash animation. . . why not put some of the old videos on the disc (Voodoo Lady-that was a good one).

At any rate, they just cancelled their fall tour due to a "long-time problem" one of the members in the group was having (most likely drug-related), so they're supposedly taking time to deal with that.

Perhaps they'll clean up and bring a new energy to their music. . .

. . . or perhaps they'll clean up and start to suck as bad as post-rehab Stone Temple Pilots. Let's hope not.

Simply Amazing
Since then there has been a steady supply of live Ween; including the 3 disc set "Live at Stubbs," "Live in Toronto" touring for their country album, and now "Live in Chicago" with a DVD. Ween has always been a great live band, and they've shown that since their first official live CD release "Paintin' The Town Brown". This DVD is spectacular. Mastered in 5. 1 surround and great picture quality. They change the songs so much, refusing to recreate the studio album version of the song. This makes the concert so much fun and instresting to watch. They change instruments, lyrics, add/change sound effects; it's fantastic. And Dean must be one of the greatest guitarists in music today; some of those solos were just sick, such as "I'll be your Johnny on the spot" or "Voodoo lady"; just tearing up every song with some killer lead guitar. Also, a great cover of Led Zeppelin's "All of my love". This is a must own for Ween lovers, and for anyone who appreciates good music and a great live performance.

You can see a complete list of all Ween discography, or go back to the Ween tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.