Chocolate and Cheese
| Chocolate and Cheese | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 27, 1994 | |||
| Recorded | Summer 1992–Spring 1994 | |||
| Length | 54:47 (original release) 99:36 (deluxe edition) | |||
| Label | Elektra Records | |||
| Ween chronology | ||||
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Chocolate and Cheese is a studio album by Ween, released on September 27, 1994 on Elektra Records.
Although Ween's previous album, Pure Guava, was their major label debut, Chocolate and Cheese was the first to be recorded in a professional studio.
On June 7th, 2024, a deluxe edition of the album was announced, comprising of three LPs of remastered songs and previously unreleased demos. The deluxe edition was released on August 2nd.[1]
Description and History[edit | edit source]
Ween had been signed to Elektra Records sometime in 1992 by A&R representative Steve Ralbovsky, who commented that their signing was in part because of Pure Guava's unique lo-fi sound.[2] Ween's manager at the time, Dave Ayers, later commented that Ween hypothetically could have made more albums with a similar production value to Pure Guava and the label would not have intervened.[3] Despite this, the band chose to have Chocolate and Cheese be recorded in a proper studio environment.
Demos for the album were recorded throughout the summer of 1992 at Graphic Sound Studio with Greg and Pat Frey.[4] Two of these demos would be included on the final album, "Baby Bitch" and "The HIV Song". The album proper would be recorded with Andrew Weiss at a rented space in an office park in Pennington, New Jersey,[5] from the fall of 1993 to the spring of 1994.[6]
Chocolate and Cheese was Ween's first album with a full live band, consisting of longtime producer Andrew Weiss on bass and friend of the band Claude Coleman, Jr. on drums.
Track Listing[edit | edit source]
Deluxe edition bonus LP tracks[edit | edit source]
Known Personnel[edit | edit source]
Sourced from the liner notes and/or Hank Shteamer's Chocolate and Cheese unless stated otherwise
- Gene Ween
- Dean Ween
- Andrew Weiss - producer, mixing, engineering, bass, noise effects on "Voodoo Lady"
- Claude Coleman - drums, percussion
- Ed Wilson - co-writer on "Freedom of '76"
- Mean Ween - vocals on "Candi"
- Patricia Frey Stephan - drums on "Baby Bitch"
- Scott Lowe - vocal arrangements on "What Deaner Was Talkin' About"
- Stephen Said - classical guitar on "Buenas Tardes Amigo"
- Greg Frey - recording engineer on "Baby Bitch" and "The HIV Song"
- Howie Weinberg - mastering
- John Kuczala - photography
- Danny Clinch - photography
- Ashley Savage - cover model
Quotes[edit | edit source]
We weren't in the habit of doing demos for songs and then re-recording them. Our typical thing was there's one version of it and that's the version that's on the record. Chocolate and Cheese was more rooting through the best of 50 or 60 songs, whittling it down and recording, like, 25 of them and leaving nine or ten off the record. It was a lot more structured and a lot more methodical than what we usually do, which is quantity not quality: do a song as fast as you can and then do another one.[3]
The stepped-up production — more conventional, state-of-the-art multitracking — that part of it was a conversation, but it was more like, "Here's what we wanna do — does the Elektra deal provide us with the up-front money to do it?" It wasn't like Elektra asked for a more hi-fi record. I think honestly they could've kept delivering Pure Guava and everybody would've been thrilled.[3]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ https://www.stereogum.com/2266938/ween-announce-chocolate-and-cheese-deluxe-reissue-with-previously-unreleased-tracks/news/
- ↑ H. Shteamer, Chocolate and Cheese, p.17
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 H. Shteamer, Chocolate and Cheese, p.42
- ↑ H. Shteamer, Chocolate and Cheese, p.85
- ↑ H. Shteamer, Chocolate and Cheese, p.43
- ↑ H. Shteamer, Chocolate and Cheese, p.39
Scans[edit | edit source]
Back cover
Front cover & insert 1
Insert 2
Insert 3
Insert 4
CD
