La Cucaracha
| La Cucaracha | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 23, 2007 | |||
| Recorded | March–April 2007 | |||
| Length | 49:25 (Regular version) 52:01 (with iTunes bonus track) | |||
| Label | Chocodog Records, Rounder | |||
| Ween chronology | ||||
| ||||
La Cucaracha is the ninth studio album by Ween, released on October 23, 2007 on Rounder Records.
Description and History
La Cucaracha was written over the period between 2004 and 2007, and recorded in March and April of 2007 at a rented farmhouse in Pennsylvania, which served as the band’s temporary studio and rehearsal space. The album was recorded on 24-track, 2-inch tape.[1]
Dean and Gene Ween spoke unfavorably about the conditions in the poorly-maintained farmhouse studio, both of them having contracted respiratory infections after being exposed to toxic mold in the house. Dean Ween said in a 2007 press statement:
“We wrote and recorded La Cucaracha in a rented, moldy 200-year-old farmhouse in our hometown of New Hope, PA. It is one of the most disgusting places I’ve ever had the displeasure of working and I’m sure that Gener and Andrew Weiss will back me up on that one. None of us will let our kids go there, I’m not lying to you. Right now [9/6/2007] I have an upper respiratory infection that was initially spawned by working in our black-mold-filled "studio". Hell, I wouldn’t even let my dog crap in that place. After we move out, I hope a tree falls on it so they have to bulldoze the building to its foundation, although the house is already about to cave in on its own.”[1]
The album was released through both Ween's own label, Chocodog, and Rounder Records.The iTunes release contained an exclusive bonus track, "Bag of Fat".
Gene Ween has expressed dissatisfaction with the album, in 2014 calling it “a big piece of shit”, though he clarified that he thought "the songs on it were good, or a bunch of songs.”[2]
Cover art
The album cover, designed by Aaron Tanner, features an illustration of a Pennsylvania wood cockroach drawn by Joe MacGown[3][4] over a Mexican flag.
Track Listing
| 1 | Fiesta |
| 2 | Blue Balloon |
| 3 | Friends |
| 4 | Object |
| 5 | Learnin' to Love |
| 6 | My Own Bare Hands |
| 7 | The Fruit Man |
| 8 | Spirit Walker |
| 9 | Shamemaker |
| 10 | Sweetheart in the Summer |
| 11 | Lullaby |
| 12 | Woman and Man |
| 13 | Your Party |
Known Personnel
Sourced from the liner notes unless otherwise stated.
- Gene Ween
- Dean Ween
- Andrew Weiss - producer, engineer, mixing
- Claude Coleman, Jr.
- Dave Dreiwitz
- Glenn McClelland
- Chuggy Carter
- David Sanborn - saxophone on "Your Party"
- Bunny Seigler
- Gloria Galante
- Debbie Reichard
- Emma Kummrow
- Olga Konopelsky
- Igor Szwec
- Larry Gold - string arrangements on "Sweetheart in the Summer"
- Gabe Monago - quality control
- Howie Weinberg - mastering
- Joe MacGown - cover art
- Aaron Tanner - album design
Scans
Cover
Back cover
CD
Insert 1
Insert 2
Poster
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 https://web.archive.org/web/20251230073649/https%3A%2F%2Fjambands.com%2Fnews%2F2007%2F09%2F06%2Fa-letter-from-dean-ween%2F
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20251114012528/https://americansongwriter.com/qa-shooting-the-breeze-with-aaron-freeman-aaron-freeman/
- ↑ https://www.reddit.com/r/ween/comments/be8czo/comment/l45n0ws/
- ↑ https://www.joemacgown.com/insect-art-3?pgid=jv8ccorq-2fbaa789-477e-473f-a5e3-b2b25a9845b1