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The Kill Power Hour #059 - The Mollusk (1997)
27 Plays1 year ago
We're cracking the shell on our favorite records of all-time and Eric is up first with the weird prog-rock meets sea-shanty concept album "The Mollusk", by Ween. Tyler and Tucker struggle to understand the genre-hopping aesthetic, but appreciate the well-crafted tunes, even if they sound like a 6th grader on acid. Comparisons are drawn from the complementary Beatles to the less-than-complementary Flight of the Conchords--enjoy!
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Transcript
Introduction to 'The Mollusk' by Ween
00:00:05
Speaker
Hello and welcome to the Kill Power Hour, a podcast where three friends spend the better part of an hour arguing and explaining why if you plan on giving psychedelic drugs to your children, we have some soundtrack recommendations.
00:00:16
Speaker
Each week we go through one item on our top ten list. We're currently on albums and this week we'll be discussing my favorite album of all time, 1997's The Mollusk by a Ween. I'm your host, Eric, and as always, I'm joined by my best friend, Tugger.
00:00:30
Speaker
Hi, everyone. and my best friend's little brother.
Mixed Opinions on 'The Mollusk'
00:00:37
Speaker
I can't i can't ah can't even explain how fucked this album is. i am surprised also that this isn't the number one.
00:00:51
Speaker
What the fuck, man? Okay, so I either, i just either can't appreciate, I can't have fun, I can't appreciate anything in life, or this is the worst album ever. Either one of the two. ah Like, am I just not getting it? It's definitely not the worst album ever.
00:01:06
Speaker
Okay. So I think it might be you. But it's fucking weird. You agree that it's weird. Yeah, it's weird because that's why I love it. That's why Pee Wee was my number one movie.
00:01:17
Speaker
i I love things that are produced well and don't make any fucking sense.
Experiences with Chain Restaurants
00:01:25
Speaker
And they just exist out in the world and were somehow released through major distribution channels.
00:01:30
Speaker
It blows my mind that shit like this exists. and But you don't like you don't like Twin Peaks. I like Twin Peaks, yeah. Really? Oh, okay. I was trying to poke a hole in that theory there. a restaurant?
00:01:44
Speaker
Everybody get your red plaids. You guys ever go to the world? I've never been to one of those. I've never been. chain restaurant? I hang outside and look in the windows. It's like a hooters knockoff where they wear like some other kind of shorts probably jean shorts and like red i think it's red flannel shirts but are they're like cut weird or whatever i've never heard of this before is the twin peaks a boob reference then basically clearly no dude it's it's guys with two dicks daily it Each one shooting down the leg of their Daisy Dukes.
00:02:20
Speaker
Holy shit. It's from Texas. It's called described as the ultimate sports lodge. Well, Jesus Christ. So join us next season where we review gentlemen's clubs and terrible restaurants.
00:02:38
Speaker
I would like to do knockoffs of restaurants. Yes. The generic version, I feel like is good. Like Taco John's. Yeah. And Hardee's. Taco John's is definitely better. That's a hot take. All chain restaurants right now are just the worst places in the goddamn world.
00:02:54
Speaker
Like I... You could go to like a fucking TGI Fridays and it would be like, oh, this is kind of crappy food, but it's TGI Friday. So it's like, it's not that bad, but it's still shitty.
00:03:06
Speaker
yeah Nowadays you go to any restaurant that's, you pay like, yeah, you pay $40 for a bunch of shit food and it's just the worst and it's fucking cold and no one wants to be there. It's just, it's terrible.
00:03:18
Speaker
they're yeah the worst i do want to talk about this album but i also want to say my recent experience i had to like get up super early and didn't have time to make breakfast at home so i stopped at twin peaks are for the drive-through breakfast and their breakfast sandwich is legitimately good no way yes yep i will is this down south or up here Down south.
00:03:43
Speaker
Okay. It's Hardee's. He's been living here for weeks and you just- Well, don't know. There's Hardee's here and there's Hardee's there. i want to see how hard you are, man. Are you up here hard or down there hard? what Would they be your consistent, don't you think?
00:03:58
Speaker
I think so. To Tyler's comment earlier, they're the worst places. They're all just terrible. Give Hardee's a try.
Ween's Evolution and History
00:04:05
Speaker
Also, ween sixth album, the Mollusk.
00:04:11
Speaker
This episode brought to you by Hardee's. Kind of good. ah All right. So what did you guys know about Ween? I love a handful of their songs. I think i think they're fucking great. like Nice. But like this album, legit, has a couple songs that are like really, really good.
00:04:30
Speaker
Top tier. yeah Top tier songs. I will put that on the record. I know our mutual friend James hates Ween. Really? Yeah, he can't stand him yeah That kind of makes sense.
00:04:43
Speaker
But Tyler, what about you? He likes so much other terrible music, though. yeah But I guess said I'm the same way, too. So maybe we're just not fun people. ah Could be. have you But yet you'd heard songs by them before, I'm sure.
00:04:56
Speaker
Yeah, but I didn't realize that that was them. I'm sorry, but I just didn't put it together. Never connected it. Yeah. yeah ah Ween gets written off as a joke band every single day.
00:05:07
Speaker
And that is certainly, i would say... Part of their persona, but what makes them not a joke band to me is like how fucking well crafted their songs are and how well executed they are. Like they're killer songwriters and musicians and they just don't take themselves that seriously, I think.
00:05:26
Speaker
I don't know. Yeah, i wonder what is. This album sounded super good. I mean, it was produced fucking magically. what Do you know where like was it recorded? Yeah. I mean, as he was ah this is I don't have any tattoos, but I've gone to the beach house where this is recorded as a personal. Oh, okay. yeah All right.
00:05:45
Speaker
So this is recorded on Long Beach Island in got ah off the of New Jersey. And this is the same island where my mom's family grew up. So I would spend time out there on this island. So like just about five miles down the island is where this record was made.
Impact of Nirvana on Music Industry
00:06:00
Speaker
And they were doing it. They started, it I think, in ninety four um or 95. We gotta step back guys. There was a band called Nirvana. Oh, God.
00:06:12
Speaker
That's one of those episodes. You've heard of them before. Back in my day in utero meant something else. Nirvana was very successful. And and a lot of people, I think, pointed that as all when all of a sudden you have major labels signing every fucking band that might be different or doing this the earth all or told alternative. Exactly. i wonder if that's ever happened before or after.
00:06:37
Speaker
Well, okay, so my view on this whole thing when Nirvana hit was there was everybody like the fucking A&R teams were so out of touch that when this happened, they're like, must have self realized that they don't know fucking anything about anything. And they were so blindsided that they were just like, fuck it.
00:06:57
Speaker
This sounds the same. Let's do let's sign this band. Let's sign this band. Let's sign like, yeah, is that what happened? and I think so. Yeah, yeah. They were just like, oh, you're different. Wow.
00:07:08
Speaker
Yeah. So you think it's a joke that, sorry, you think that's kind of like they lucked out or they just like drew the right card? There's no way we would ever have been signed if Nirvana had. Okay. i Like yeah their output before they signed to Elektra and even their first album on Elektra is two kids getting really high in their apartment and recording the weirdest, dumbest shit.
00:07:34
Speaker
I mean.
Ween's Unique Music Style
00:07:35
Speaker
Yeah. The tracks on ah Pure Guava is their major label debut, and it brought us the Push Little Daisies song. Yeah, that that was fucking weird. Definitely their biggest hit.
00:07:47
Speaker
That was on Beavis and Butthead, right? Yep. Yeah, okay. Equally Crazy Town. Yes. Yeah. but This has a songs like Flies on My Dick, yup Hey Fat Boy, oh Asshole, and a Poop Ship Destroyer.
00:08:04
Speaker
Yeah. So... it's Holy shit. It's insanity. But they they then follow it up with kind of their first like full real band album, really, since their debut on Chocolate and Cheese.
00:08:18
Speaker
And that's where they bring on a drummer who lives down the street from me now. So weird and cool. With super cool hits like the HIV song. Baby Bitch. Baby Bitch.
00:08:34
Speaker
Wow. God damn it. Spinal meningitis, you got me down. Jesus Christ. These are the bangers, man. and But this, the Chocolate and Cheese album was the one where it kind of, it was well produced.
00:08:47
Speaker
Yep. ah They kind of went from like soul songs to psychedelic songs to... They had that cover. Yeah. They had the, I mean, they had the the boobiest cover I think that I've had in my a jam yeah record collection. I remember that from that time my Actually, there's a couple songs in that chocolate and cheese one that I listened to that were actually good. Freedom of 76 is such good song. That Baby Bitch song I think was good too. Bitch a really good song. Yeah.
00:09:12
Speaker
Sounds like an Elliott Smith song to me. Yes, yes. like And I didn't know if that was like on purpose or, oh, that's before Elliott Smith. Quebec was, I like, there's some songs on Quebec I really like.
00:09:23
Speaker
Yeah, they they got good stuff, man. Like i ah I wish I feel like Wien's biggest problem is they are constantly trying to piss off their audience, test their audience.
00:09:35
Speaker
And a lot of people, they're just like, I'm not going to play this game, so I will not listen to you. And I feel like if you do choose to play that game, you will be so rewarded. Yeah.
00:09:47
Speaker
So anyways, ah The Mollusk is supposed to be the official follow-up to Chocolate and Cheese. So well-produced. Okay. ah Throughout all these albums, they've been working with ah kind of the... Ween is really two guys, Dean and Gene Ween.
00:10:00
Speaker
And their third player was really their producer, Andrew Weiss, who used to play bass ah for Rollins Band. Oh, shit. yeah Yeah. And he's like...
00:10:11
Speaker
started playing bass for Ween and produced their best albums, but the Mollusk was kind of like their break with him too. Like Andrew Weiss is becoming like too present. Oh, okay. The touring, the writing, and the recording of the songs. And they like didn't want to share?
00:10:26
Speaker
They just felt like Ween is just them too. Okay. and And it was, it is. ah So that there was like kind of a weird breakup when they had to get all the recording equipment back from Andrew. Oh my God. Yeah.
00:10:40
Speaker
That is a breakup. robert They're recording this album on the beach and the way people describe this album is like a psychedelic nautical prog rock like yeah album, yeahp which I guess i don't I don't really listen to any of those genres purposefully, but that but it sounds good to me. yeah. yeah Sounds fitting. Nautical rock is such a good subgenre of an music. Jesus this Christ.
00:11:04
Speaker
So they're recording down there in the winter, the off season. They have a shitty little beach house. And um they take a break to go down to Nashville and record their country album.
00:11:16
Speaker
Yeah. The country album was just like a weird one off for them. They didn't play any of the instruments. They just hired like the best fucking session musicians in Memphis. to play on this record. And seriously, Tyler- Who's paying these guys? Who's giving these people fucking moment? Electra still that point? Yeah, yeah. Electra.
00:11:31
Speaker
Same label as Afghan wigs. This album only cost, I think it was like 100,000 to make, basically. and The 12 Golden Country Gates album, which only has 10 songs on it. And probably ah all went to the studio musicians.
00:11:45
Speaker
Oh, totally, yeah. I mean, the only thing, I think that Gene and Dean sing on it, but otherwise it's... But listen to it, if you like old country, kind of outlaw country, they do it perfectly.
00:11:57
Speaker
Damn. But in are all the songs about lobsters and dicks and... No, there's a... Piss up a rope. and Yep, I know that one. Mr. Richard Smoker, my personal favorite, helped me scrape the mucus off my brain.
00:12:13
Speaker
It was funny. they tried to They tried to get all these like higher profile session musicians, but they were like, nah, my wife won't let me record songs like this. Fuck yeah. but Holy shit. so but So they're recording that and that was a quick one because did it was different musicians, different producer. And then they come back to the beach house and water is just pouring out of it.
00:12:38
Speaker
the all their equipment in there in the beach house kept it warm, but that place never had heat. So when they left and turned all the equipment off, the pipes froze and burst. Oh, wow.
00:12:50
Speaker
And all their equipment was fucking trashed. Oh my God. Only thing that saved them is they left the master recording tapes on the kitchen table, so they were still dry. But they basically had to like that haul everything back, start from scratch a again. Oh my gosh. finish the album back in Jersey.
00:13:07
Speaker
Jesus. In So, yeah, there's a real story behind the making of
Challenges in Releasing 'The Mollusk'
00:13:12
Speaker
this. Damn. And then... Called VH1. Yeah. Wow. And then when they finished the album, Diener sent it to Elektra, and he was waiting around for like two weeks just being like, hey, did you listen to it? Yeah.
00:13:27
Speaker
And the guy was like, oh, it's somewhere on my desk. Like, they hadn't even listened to it. And at this point, man there had been a massive shakeup at Electro. So the people that hired him and had worked with all of Ween on their previous records, they were all gone.
00:13:41
Speaker
So there's this new people. And they just didn't give a shit. When they released it, they kind of knew it was not going to do well. but Damn. yeah Yeah. So wait, this album didn't do well.
00:13:54
Speaker
Not really, no. Did any of them do great though? Or I mean, as well a fair? This one did chart on the billboard. Like it peaked at 159, which is insane. Was that pre-Ocean Man blow up or yeah after? Yeah, pre-Ocean Man blow up. Yeah.
00:14:12
Speaker
fucking ocean man is now blew up people could buy songs or just play on spotify singular i don't think it unfortunately like i don't think that affects record sales anymore oh which sucks if the records are good or not No, is that just one song. oh Oh, because people can just buy the song.
00:14:33
Speaker
Exactly. Or stream the song. Yeah. And I will say one reason why I think this is a perfect fucking album is because there aren't really any singles on it. Huh.
00:14:43
Speaker
I can't pick one like super favorite song or whatever. it's I mean, they released... ah mutilated lips as a single and ocean man was the b-side which is just blows my mind even diener was just like what the fuck is wrong with you people that you think this is the single i mean i kind of think either between the title albums you know the mollusk song or ocean man i think those are both single worthy absolutely all right so let's just go through this shit listen to the album from the track one
00:15:19
Speaker
You ever listened to track one on this record before? Yeah. Oh, yeah. Really? Oh, before? Fuck no. No, it's a fucking child song. It makes me feel ashamed to listen to it. that one really bugged me out. I forgot that I was going to have to listen to this whole album, actually, went when I listened that song. I'm I have to go through 13 songs. Yeah.
00:15:39
Speaker
This is a song that... i When I listen a song, I imagine like it's like 1835 and a little girl on stage singing this song and then her voice morphs to this weird shit.
00:15:52
Speaker
It's a fucking nightmare. Yes. This has the confidence of like... ah just an obese oily man with two inch dick with a weird old pimple on the edge and he like whips out he's like I'm fucking sexy oh it has this confidence and then it's just like what the fuck yeah what the say but that's why I love him and then it got it cuts into like a genuinely beautiful and kind of hilarious also a song like the mollusk the titular track
00:16:26
Speaker
Yeah, is this one on a Transworld skate video? I have no idea. Because what year did this come out again? 97? 97, yeah. I don't know. It's such a, I love the acoustic, like, dun-dun-dun-dun-dun. Yeah. know The weird little synthesizer. Boop!
00:16:43
Speaker
and Yeah, this solid ass song. True. Yeah, the call and response vocals. I love that. Oh, and that the keyboard solos. Like, dude, amazing.
00:16:56
Speaker
This is also the first record I think they worked with their keyboardist and their bassist. I don't know if they recorded on it but they definitely joined right after, I think. how many people tour i mean like How many people are considered in this
Ween's Songwriting vs. Picasso's Art
00:17:10
Speaker
band? A five piece now. So you got Dean and Jane, Claude on drums, Dave on bass, and Glenn on keys.
00:17:17
Speaker
See, I appreciate that they put this song in title whatever, pick a different fucking title, doesn't matter, this early in the album. Because for those who might be skeptical, or people like Tyler and I, yeah talking about this in a podcast, it shows that they are actually...
00:17:36
Speaker
smart songwriters. Yes. They can write some catchy shit. yeah They can write some stuff that's just elaborate enough to keep you, keep you going and to question, actually keep you thinking about it because it's so different. Right.
00:17:50
Speaker
I think I liken, I liken Ween to Picasso because Picasso could paint perfectly. He could paint quote unquote normal picture.
00:18:03
Speaker
Yeah. He was bored with it. And so he wanted to do this other weird shit. Yeah. Okay, I can get that. Wasn't he the guy that cut his ears off? Jesus. Jesus. Yeah. No. wish I could cut my ears off for this. Also, it was Van Gogh.
00:18:18
Speaker
And probably the other ones that you're going to mixed up with are and just Ninja Turtles, Tyler. So just leave it at that. didn't know Splinter was a painter.
00:18:30
Speaker
i I think you could listen so goakie to the first half of this record with your kids. And in fact, I would challenge you to do that. like I want you to listen to this album with your kids. the the ones that I'm afraid they're going to like it.
00:18:44
Speaker
I think they'll fucking love it is the thing. i think No, Ocean Man is in... Crazy versions of Ocean Man are all in all kinds of like roblox Roblox games and like all kinds of shit.
00:18:56
Speaker
yeah It's like one of those songs that like they change it enough so it doesn't get kicked off of the game. Hilarious. And it's like... It's so bad. It's like a meme. It's like all kinds of weird shit. If I had to listen to Polka Dot Tale again, oh like if I had to yeah And that's a thing that kids would like for sure.
00:19:14
Speaker
Absolutely. I would like... I don't know. I don't know what I would do. You could take it? It just makes me think of like puking slowly.
00:19:24
Speaker
Is that the third song? Yeah. It's like. Okay. So it when I listen to this song, this is my like inspired by song because. gurgle synths where it's like. roll immediately So good. Precious.
00:19:39
Speaker
This this is starts out like my like my fucking, it just reminds me so much of this. I feel like there's a lot of um pop pop fucking, no, there's like Beatles vibes. This whole album has such a hard Beatles.
00:19:55
Speaker
Okay. Kinda, yeah. Let's see what we got here. So my first one here is the Beatles Octopus Garden.
Comparisons to The Beatles
00:20:04
Speaker
Oh.
00:20:15
Speaker
like to be under the sea in an octopus's garden in the shade he'd let us in knows where we've been in his octopus's garden in the shade
00:20:36
Speaker
I'd ask my friends to come and see an octopus
00:20:49
Speaker
Under the sea In an octopus's garden In the shade We would be warm Below the storm In our little hideaway Beneath the waves
00:21:07
Speaker
Resting our head On the seabed In an octopus's garden Near a cave
00:21:19
Speaker
and dance around because we know we can't be found I'd like to be under the sea in an octopus's garden in the shade
00:21:59
Speaker
We would shout and swim about The coral that lies beneath the waves Oh what joy for every girl and boy Knowing they're happy and they're safe We would be so happy, you and me No one there to tell us what to do
00:22:33
Speaker
Under the sea In an octopus's garden with you In an octopus's garden with you In an octopus's garden with you
00:22:51
Speaker
That was Octopus Garden by the Beatles. Octoputh. I don't even would fucking know. Hoth and Pfeffer. ah but This whole album had like a Beatles vibe to it. I feel like it had.
00:23:03
Speaker
Yeah, because they're amazing musicians and fantastic songs. like I would not compare. it seems like you just compared the Beatles to the Ween. They ripped them off, but yeah, sure. Yeah.
00:23:16
Speaker
ah I liked the psychedelic aspect of it. liked the childlike aspect of it. It actually makes a lot of sense, thinking of that song after listening to Polka Dot Tale.
00:23:28
Speaker
yeah Because, yeah, that it has a... I mean, yeah, it's it's a weird, sluggish song, but it's still fucking catchy as hell. Oh, God, so catchy.
00:23:40
Speaker
Oh, yeah. They do it so well live. I will say ween... Their albums are great, but absolutely a band you must see live. actually listened to a couple of live tracks after this, and it did sound better live. How many times have you seen them live?
00:23:57
Speaker
ah Probably like seven, want to say. What's the biggest place you've seen them? ah They played at the Minnesota Zoo one time. Whoa. That was weird. That was cool though. Yeah.
00:24:10
Speaker
And like during the show, I remember Diener, there was like an alligator like lake behind them. And Diener just like straight up went and peed in it. it's While they're playing?
00:24:21
Speaker
Well, you though he took a break while the rest of the band was playing. Holy shit. And you saw this? Yes. Oh my God. They're, yeah. They're fantastic.
00:24:33
Speaker
No, the amazing live band. Also, they were one of the bands that like fully early adopted on the internet. Like they had an amazing website in 1998. They fully encourage fans making bootlegs of their albums and trading. They're just like, wow, out there.
00:24:49
Speaker
So they have a very supportive, and I would say kind of diehard fan base that they pull because of that. So ah next song fourth on the side A is I'll be your Johnny on the spot.
00:25:01
Speaker
Oh, yeah. Which is where, again, you just like such a heart. It's like going from drive to reverse in the highway. This is Ween's version of Cotton Eye Joe. That fucking song that plays in bars. I hate that song. Yeah. Everybody hates that song. Yeah. Yeah.
00:25:20
Speaker
Yeah. I don't know. That's that bad. That song. I'll be your Johnny on the spots from like a Mac dog production snowboard movie of the late nineties. I think like, really? Yeah. Like simple pleasures or, um, what's the fucking thing? I'll be your Johnny on the spot.
00:25:38
Speaker
Snowboard movie. Yeah, it was like two, well, there's two of them. The Waving My Dick in the Wind is on that movie too, I think. Nice. Oh yeah, it's on The Resistance. MacDog's The Resistance.
00:25:49
Speaker
Tyler, do you know what a Mopar cam is? Mm-hmm. What is it? Mopar is a company. Cam is a camshaft. Oh. What Where are you getting this from? this It's in the lyrics.
00:26:01
Speaker
I gotta show you Mopar cam. Yeah, so I mean, Mopar is is all the Chrysler parts. They call all Chrysler products Mopar stuff. okay And I guess a Mopar cam might Mopar performance camshaft, which makes the engine sound like it's like like a hot rod.
00:26:18
Speaker
Is this a commonly known thing? What a specific fucking phrase to put in song. Well, he must know little bit about cars. I guess. I don't know. I feel like...
00:26:29
Speaker
If you've ever had to fix your own vehicle, you understand. you're not a fucking busher, it's your own vehicle. Like Chrysler's Mopar. Putting a light bulb in is very different from building your Chevy, GMC, all that stuff's AC Delco.
00:26:44
Speaker
And then what's Ford? Ford's just Ford, right? Yeah, but no, Mopar, it's like Mopar or No-Car. Mopar or just, if you say Mopar, it just is like all Chrysler products.
00:26:56
Speaker
Okay, all right It's just like a slang term, even though it is the parts division, but. Motor parts. Okay. Yeah. Interesting. Thanks for that car talk. I miss that show.
00:27:07
Speaker
Yeah. Mutilated lips for single. Fuck. This is that like the weirdest song. When I had heard this album for the first time and I bought it, like when it came out, I saw them on this tour.
00:27:20
Speaker
I remember actually having a weird moment. Do you remember a kid named Chaz in our grade? Yeah. So we weren't friends. I didn't really talk to him at all. He was just a dude around. Yeah. Yeah. that I was wearing my ween shirt the day after the concert in school. And he's like, you were at that show too? Yeah.
00:27:38
Speaker
Whoa. Had a weird, like all of a sudden, like this kid in a social group that I would never talk to. Like we connected over wean. And then from that, that was like, yeah, 11th grade, I guess.
00:27:48
Speaker
Like the rest of high school, we were like tight. Was he the person... who you know i say hey hey doug no no oh yeah my dad my dad like shot at a bird and then the bird went up in the tree no that man's name was tyrone okay i'm not making that up hey doug let me tell you a story
00:28:14
Speaker
but um So this song has what I wrote down is a bug rap. It sounds like a a tiny bug but from like a bug life movie. He's like rapping.
00:28:25
Speaker
And at the end of the rap, he's like, yeah, you wish. yeah And I'm like, did you really just fucking say that? It like listens a couple of times. I'm like, yeah, no, it's close your eyes. It sounds like a little bug rap. This song should be in Trainspotting. The voice effects were a little much. They're like future delay and the verses. And then, yeah, that.
00:28:47
Speaker
actually like that. I like that. But yeah, there's a lot of vocal effects on this track for sure. I mean, this just sounds so trippy. Like I never, oh yeah so we might be going back to original point.
00:29:00
Speaker
And when I heard this in 97, I had never done any drugs. And so I was hearing and being like, is this what drugs are like? Seriously. Weren't they like huffing gasoline or something insane during one of those albums they made? oh they claim that they made a Scotch guard ball. that's what it was. Yeah.
00:29:19
Speaker
But that's the, Diener said later in Nervy, he was just trying to think of the most dirt bag thing. Jesus Christ. Yeah, that's pretty dirt bag. I think I, I think I like audibly was like, Oh God.
00:29:32
Speaker
When I read that. Yeah. ah Next song is the Blarney Stone. it's a ah i would say it's the the jokey song on the record, but I'd also go to say it's one of the more most serious songs because I think they're trying to write a song that would be sung 300 years from now.
00:29:54
Speaker
Oh my God. Like from now. the Yeah. Like a true folk song. Like here's a, like, like, like ah happy birthday type song, you know, like we're going to make a song. That's the ultimate song about drinking.
00:30:09
Speaker
And this is going to be it. It's not, it reminds me of every old song about drinking. i swear to God that like I borderline thought that was a cover because there's so many, It reminded me of that No Effect song where they're like, yes.
00:30:22
Speaker
Yep. There's no way that this would be a cover with those lyrics, though. Yeah. it was After I fuck her show, get up and sing. Oh, my God.
00:30:34
Speaker
Yeah. Probably one of the more misogynist songs on the record. But, you know, it was a different time. It was a different time. now Even when this album came out, we'd have always been like, Jesus Christ, guys, tone it down.
00:30:48
Speaker
ah Next song. was this So this is the first, I would say, like, regular song. I wrote down most and most most normal. yeah almost It almost has, like, a Pink Floyd vibe.
00:31:00
Speaker
and no i thought it had an Eddie Money vibe. oh Like, Take Me Home Tonight. I mean, it starts with, yeah. It sounds very similar in the beginning. it's very poppy, but I do think Tyler, yeah, like hitting the the Floyd reference is good. And they actually, so the cover art was done by the same guy who did Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon.
00:31:20
Speaker
All of Led Zeppelin's Storm Thorgerson. Storm Thorgerson. That's his real name. Seriously. His career is going down at this point. I wonder if he heard the album before he did the cover.
00:31:33
Speaker
What is funny is he ran a whole design firm. So people go to him to be associated with his name, but generally he would farm out the cover album shit. Fucking interns. Storm listened to this record and he's like, I'm doing this.
00:31:49
Speaker
I'm the only person who's going to be doing this and any additional artwork you want for this promotion of this album, I will do for free. Wow. He was like, this, this is, you guys are the next generation of music. Wow. Fully sold on the album. Holy shit.
00:32:05
Speaker
Cause this album cover is fucking. Oh, it's incredible. It's wacky. I mean, is but he kind of missed the mark. What? Yeah. I mean, it's it's like Nike going in all in on Jordan.
00:32:19
Speaker
yeah But that actually worked out.
00:32:22
Speaker
I'm sure he did other things. I'm dropping everything. this is This is I believe in you guys. And then fucking Cotton Eye Joe. He's just inspired. God damn it.
00:32:36
Speaker
It's a beautiful song. um And then we go to the Golden Eel. And I think I want to reference my vinyl copy of this record. Check it on Discogs. My name is E-W-O-K-53-K-A-R-M-L.
00:32:56
Speaker
Why would you give out my social security number like that? Oh, shit. It'd be amazing if you had Ewok in your social security number. ah Well, maybe it is in binary. Anyways, no, we're at the Golden Eel. This is the last song on Side And this is a trippy song. That's a long Side a Yeah, it is. What the fuck? is Really? yeah Yeah.
00:33:18
Speaker
I can't believe they can fit that many minutes on one side. Leave it to ween. Yeah. ah This is the out the song on the album where listening to the keyboards, it is like fart-tastic.
00:33:32
Speaker
It's like the there's this Moog, like a Radio Shack version of Moog that they had, and it made the most bubbly, like... ah like thick diarrhea
Recording Challenges for 'The Mollusk'
00:33:45
Speaker
bubbles. pe Yep. Is like the best way I can sort of describe this sound.
00:33:51
Speaker
Wow. um And it's, yeah, it's amazing. And has another amazing like solo this time done by the guitars. So,
00:34:02
Speaker
Then we add a side B, Cold Blows the Wind. This is actually a cover song. Oh, that's why it sounds so normal. Yes. This is ah like a an ancient song. i think like a 17th century English song. Whoa.
00:34:15
Speaker
And this was the first one they wrote on the record. Like they got there at the shack the first night and they... They didn't know how to read the sheet music. They changed the lyrics a little bit. They were like, we think that this song goes like this.
00:34:28
Speaker
Whoa. It set the tone perfectly, i think, for the album. OK. They said once they recorded the song, they felt like they could relax and experiment instead feeling like uptight at the beginning of a project. I wonder how many beers they drank that first night.
00:34:40
Speaker
It's probably a lot. Did they go into recording having all the songs? Do you know if it, like, They had an idea or did they go into this and write all the songs ah during the recording? They definitely came in with some songs. I think three songs they had definitely been playing live before this album came out.
00:35:01
Speaker
But the rest, I think, came out while they were there. Yeah, they were writing songs. I feel like if I was going in, it'd be tough to go into the studio and write a bunch, write 15 or 20 random pressure songs.
00:35:15
Speaker
But I honestly feel like there'd be some comfort in knowing like, oh, if if this is going to be like a fucking nautical prog rock concept album. yeah you know I mean, if if if everything's going to have the same theme, then you can kind of draw on that vibe. Totally. And if you get a couple songs down and you have like a like ah fucking vibe to it, you could shit out a bunch more songs and absolutely you know write about fucking whatever the fuck they wrote about.
00:35:43
Speaker
do some bug raps over that shit and like call it raps. but I do like ah just to point to how we continually fucks with people. the this song, it says, uh, they attribute the song, but it's, it's not the 17th century English song that it actually is. that just says ancient Chinese spiritual.
00:36:03
Speaker
Whoa. Wow. Oh my God. wow she got Wow. Which I my God. Next song is an instrument that Wien always has an instrumental on their record. Pee Wee Herman song.
00:36:20
Speaker
I mean, this is straight on a fucking Pee Wee Herman. This is like the background music of Pee Wee Herman when he's making breakfast or something. oh Like it's just so quirky and like pink eye on my leg.
00:36:33
Speaker
This feels like a, oh yeah, this is Pee Wee Herman. It's very quirky. I understand that lot of people probably skip this song. And my favorite part is that it's like, it's weird and cart yeah, Pee Wee Herman making breakfast song.
00:36:46
Speaker
And then all of a sudden someone starts hitting the the dog barking. Yeah. and And then there's a sample of a dude groaning. Yeah. ah I can't tell if he's like pooping or waking up or jacking off.
00:37:02
Speaker
But it's one of those three. Everything was good until the fucking dog bark sample. and I'm like, i literally said like, God damn it.
00:37:14
Speaker
And then it just keeps happening more. i'm like, fucking dude, go to the cat or something or whatever. Go to the cat. Just add a little Tweety Bird. Fish bubbles. I don't fucking know. we Ween is notorious for releasing like their ah full recording sessions and outtakes and b-sides during the record. That's cool. they have a song called Kim Smoltz, which is a much better version of this song.
00:37:36
Speaker
It's like what that song I think should have evolved to. For some reason, this was the one that ended up on the album. um I laugh every time I hear that dude groaning.
00:37:47
Speaker
ah Then we got Waving My Dick in the Wind. This one was actually, i think, originally intended for the country album, but they had toned down some of the dick content, so it ended up on the mollusk.
00:37:59
Speaker
That's fair. Yeah. This has like really good um asides by Gener where he's like, that pig's a pretty mean bastard. Or you're a real good dancer.
00:38:12
Speaker
When he says that at the end of that song. I had heard that this one a long, long time ago too. And I think it's because it was from a snowboard movie. It also was probably, if I gave you a ride at any point in 1997 or 1998, this would have been, yeah, I would have had to take. That's fair.
00:38:30
Speaker
And then the next one is my favorite song on the record, Buckingham Green. A child without an eye
00:38:41
Speaker
a mother cry ask why kept her child clean
00:39:14
Speaker
Of Buckingham Green
00:41:44
Speaker
are Yeah, that was Buckingham Green by Ween, which I think is the the peak or apex of the mollusk.
00:41:55
Speaker
And I do think, i mean... the more i I think I came to drugs kind of late in life. Okay. Like, I mean, seriously, do Yeah. Oh, no, I mean.
00:42:06
Speaker
but how We took weed together, I think, like for the first time. We took weed together? We took the weed, man. did the weed. And i was like, that was 2018. We were 38 years old. Yeah.
00:42:17
Speaker
you so? Yeah.
00:42:23
Speaker
I don't, so I don't think I smoked weed. Oh. Oof. ah yeah Yeah. I mean, it was super late in life, but.
00:42:31
Speaker
Yeah. I was around it so much. it had to have. Yeah. But wait, how old were you when you first did that? Man, I gotta to think about that for a minute. I do think this is a drug album.
00:42:42
Speaker
and it' Specifically like a mushroom album. A mind alteration album for sure. And it's a well it's a trip album. Yeah. this This album is shaped like a fucking journey and Buckingham Green is at the peak of that.
00:42:59
Speaker
And it's also hilarious because it's a fucking mall. Yeah. Dude, you know, it's funny that you say that because earlier in the so earlier in that episode ah um on the album here, and you guys were talking about something and it just came to me. i'm like, this sounds like a fucking train spotting soundtrack.
00:43:18
Speaker
And I'm like, oh, it's like ah you're out your goddamn mind on crazy ass drugs. I think with a happier ending. Yeah, certainly. There's less despair. It's the difference between mushrooms and heroin. Oh, my God.
00:43:31
Speaker
and We go from a Buckingham Green to what is now, i would say, their most popular song, which is very weird, Ocean Man. yeah And that was the one that ah gave me my Inspired By track.
00:43:43
Speaker
oh Was it the ukulele, or what was it? You know, it is the the voice. In the mean, ocean man.
00:43:54
Speaker
I love ocean man. a love, love that. And I couldn't think of the song. So this is a stand-in, but it's- This that this is just a commercial for ocean spray. Oh my God. Ocean spray.
00:44:12
Speaker
No, so that dude's voice, i really like. And he does that same thing in tried and true on Montreal. He does that thing. Tried to smell my whole life. Like I just love when he's doing that with his voice.
00:44:27
Speaker
It's Quebec, not Montreal. Oh, yeah. Sorry. Thank you. It's Canadian. um But so that... Dude's voice on these kinds of songs makes me think of Flight of the Conchords, specifically Jemaine, who when he goes low is like one of the best... so It makes me giggle when he goes low. He's great.
00:44:49
Speaker
Oh, he's so great. And I couldn't, like I said, I couldn't find the exact song that was I was thinking of, but my backup on that was A Kiss Is Not A Contract. A kiss is not a contract, but it's very nice.
00:45:01
Speaker
Mm-hmm. Very nice, just because you've been exploring my mouth Doesn't mean you get to take an expedition further south No, a kiss is not a contract, but it's very nice It's very, very nice, just because we've been playing time for hockey Doesn't mean you get to score the goal that's in my jockey Just because I'm in a Truman novelty band Doesn't mean it's all about food time I can't go around loving everyone I just wouldn't get anything done You could take me out to dinner, that might be quite nice You could buy me a burrito and some beans and rice But that won't get you into fans' paradise
00:45:57
Speaker
The coin of fire because it takes you up to heaven, oh, oh A kiss is not a contract, but it's very nice It's very, very nice I'm only one man Baby, pretty baby
00:46:24
Speaker
We're only two men, ladies, babies, pretty babies. That, oh god, I already deleted it.
00:46:38
Speaker
guy i already deleted it
00:46:42
Speaker
A is not a contract. By Flight of the Conchords. I had already evaporated that part of my brain. Tucker wasn't referring to a computer program at all. He was talking about his actual body. Oh, shit.
00:46:55
Speaker
I just deleted that. You know what the thing is? That was a really real comment. That was the truth right there. Oh my God. I am at the point now at work where I tell we're having a meaningful conversation and like a one-on-one with one of my employees. i was like, okay, Hey, that thing I just said, put that in an email and email them back to me. Wow. Cause I'm just like, I don't fucking have time or brain space anymore for what just happened.
00:47:24
Speaker
Only what's coming. Okay. Uh, Next on Alzheimer's R Us. So, yeah, we listened Flight of the Conchords there.
00:47:37
Speaker
I do think Flight of the Conchords, I do think they're good songwriters, but to me, they are firmly in the category of joke band or comedic music. And I don't think Ween is in that same category. And by no means should that suggestion or that song be taken as such. It merely the voice thing.
00:47:54
Speaker
Because that would have ended the relationship. I have a feeling. i had a feeling. Dween is borderline. If they're doing it on purpose or or not, like i'd maybe I need to listen to more of it to get the the perspective of like these guys are just fucking with people.
00:48:12
Speaker
Yes. Yes. I mean, you can't... They've got as many albums... I mean, they've got a fuckload of releases. It's not that many. It's like nine albums.
00:48:25
Speaker
Is that a lot? I feel like for a band... Well, no, it's not a lot, but... I feel like if they were trying to do comedy stuff, it would be like every two years and it would be following whatever culture was doing and stuff. They're very much like weirdo artists yes who are good musicians, but they're like not serious enough to do. and i don't want to say that.
00:48:49
Speaker
They just don't take themselves seriously, I don't think. Yeah. But but they take they take their work seriously. They don't take themselves too seriously. I've modeled my very own career after that ethos.
00:49:01
Speaker
ah This album closes out with another beautiful song, She Wanted to Leave. like and There are voices. And one of the references I was thinking was maybe like Future Islands, a little bit. Oh. The singer kind of like yeah sings like he's doing a Dungeons and Dragons campaign. Yeah. Yeah.
00:49:19
Speaker
But ah this has that sort of like pirate theme here. um I think it's so it's pretty. There's epic drums. I don't know. It's just these songs, I guess they kind of sound like little stories again. That goes back my enjoyment of the narrative. I'll give you that.
00:49:34
Speaker
And then it follows up with a weird reprise of that fucking the worst starter to any meal. It's like, I'm going to serve a real good meal, but first you're going to take it a bite out of this turd.
00:49:48
Speaker
Yeah. i I love it. um It's so good. So good. Oh, yeah. So weird. So weird. It's a perfect album. Damn. so Number one. Perfect album.
00:50:00
Speaker
Perfect album. And honestly, this, like I said last episode, I would have chosen this. I would have chosen 1991 album, the Pod.
00:50:11
Speaker
Okay. Which is my actual favorite album, but I really don't, like you guys would just be yelling at me the whole episode if I made you listen to that. And i I wasn't ready for that. Okay. It's like that, huh? I also think the country album is fucking amazing.
00:50:27
Speaker
Like listen to that country album. They recorded it at the same time. I think hearing them do work in a completely different genre will give you, and still rocking out to the jams, will give you an appreciation for their songwriting ability. Because it's, yeah, they just kind of consistently blow me away.
00:50:46
Speaker
I have listened to this Golden Country Greats, but not like enough. Dude. but Besides Piss Up a Rope. Yeah. And that's one of the jokier songs.
00:50:57
Speaker
Yeah. so Listen to Deep Cuts. They're so good. Oh, and Mr. Richard Smoker. It's a great song. Wow. Doodly-dadoo. All right. i I've shared my soul. poopy poker? Wow. i've I've shared my soul, guys.
00:51:12
Speaker
I can't be the only one with my dick out at this party. Nope, nope, nope. someone else needs to share their number one. tyler's um Tyler's next. All right. right Well, I'll check out Kokomo as in an album.
00:51:26
Speaker
On this podcast, anything can be an album. Yeah, true, true. um I got Bad Religion Against the Grain. Ooh. All right.
00:51:37
Speaker
Okay. This is an album that I can immediately picture its cover. Yeah, dude, this is worthy of a tattoo. Corn. See a purple, right? And then that one yellow.
00:51:49
Speaker
Purple missiles, yeah. Yeah, purple missiles and corn and then the corn in the middle. Damn. Fucking album cover. Good good good choice. What number of release was this?
00:52:05
Speaker
oh in their lineup yeah ah this was and see here The so forth third fourth one. Fourth one.
00:52:15
Speaker
Yeah, after no control before generator. Dang. yeah Okay. Wow. All right. this was yeah This was right when they were actually picking up steam.
00:52:26
Speaker
Really? Yeah. Okay. They were popping off in Germany fucking hard and they could not book decent rooms in the United States. Like when this shit was happening. So they had figured out their formula.
00:52:39
Speaker
They were just gonna keep dicking around in the States and trying to find the right moment in time. And they were just gonna tour the shit out of Germany each summer. huh All right. I mean, if it pays the bills, you do it. Totally. Whatever works.
00:52:55
Speaker
Awesome. All right. So join us next week as we have to listen to Tyler. Oh, shit.
00:53:06
Speaker
We forced to listen to Tyler's favorite album of all time. Bad Religion's 1990s. Epic Against the Green.
00:53:16
Speaker
Epic. See you on the flip side. Fuck. Goddamn it.