Synthetic Socks
Synthetic Socks is an album by Aaron Freeman (a.k.a. Gene Ween) with several guest stars under the titular group name Synthetic Socks, released on July 30, 1987 on Teen-Beat Records on cassette tape only.[1] Freeman was 17 years old and in high school when Synthetic Socks was released.
Freeman writes in the liner notes,
Sprouted out of deep psychological problems and blossomed into a young virgin sound just waiting to be heard. It's all recorded in my bedroom with my tape deck and whatever else I can borrow off people. Synthetic Socks consists of me, and various guest stars. This cassette has been recorded over a span of about 10 years. I'm still in high school and plan to move where the trees live.[2]
According to Teen-Beat Records owner and founder Mark Robinson, the album is a compilation culled from "7 or 8 demo tapes [Teen-Beat] has received in the past 2 years."[3]
The tape insert credits guest appearances by Ken Everett, Mike Melchiondo, The Pine Sheep, and Prince.
Only 38 original cassettes, and 55 re-issue copies of Synthetic Socks were printed,[4] and today it is considered an extremely rare collector's item. However, the album's music has entered wide circulation unofficially.
Tracklist[edit | edit source]
There is significant overlap between the tracklist of this tape and the tracklist of the A Day At The Mall tape. Songs which are unique to this tape are marked with *.
| # | Song Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baked Potatoe | |
| 2 | Cops* | |
| 3 | Hence It Came | |
| 4 | Let's Live Together | |
| 5 | Once I Lived | |
| 6 | Anything Quickly | |
| 7 | Get Out Of Here Son | |
| 8 | Gi | |
| 9 | Ho Ho Ho* | |
| 10 | Some Weird Shit | |
| 11 | Eurphyoosh | |
| 12 | Tree | |
| 13 | Love | |
| 14 | Justcruisin' | Not listed on the tape - not a Synthetic Socks track but added by Teen-Beat on the Teen-Beat release |
| 15 | Acoustic Lawn Jam | Not listed on the tape - not a Synthetic Socks track but added by Teen-Beat on the Teen-Beat release |
| 16 | I Hate Snuggles | |
| 17 | Style of Carpet | |
| 18 | Collectives | |
| 19 | Cheese Fries* | |
| 20 | Weenstock* | |
| 21 | So Pink | |
| 22 | Sea of Mellchis | |
| 23 | Investigating Tornadoes | |
| 24 | Today It Is My Birthday* | |
| 25 | Sonata in A♯G Overture* | |
| 26 | Happy Family | |
| 27 | School Days | |
| 28 | I Wanna Lick It / Can I Speak To Mark With Electricity? | Ends with recording of "Rock And Roll All Nite" by Kiss |
