Paintin' the Town Brown: Ween Live '90 - '98

Album Review

Culled from some nine years worth of tapes, Paintin' the Town Brown: Ween Live '90-'98 comes close to approximating the full gonzo brilliance of a Ween live date — granted, there's nothing quite like the experience of being there in the flesh, watching Deaner and Gener guzzling Jack Daniels while the Scotchgard-addled masses look on adoringly, but it's a fine substitute. The two-disc set (also available on three chocolate-colored vinyl LPs, natch) covers all of the duo's stage incarnations, from their earliest appearances (backed only by a drum machine) to the full band assembled in support of The Mollusk; the set list is admirably eclectic, foregoing fan favorites like "Push th' Little Daisies" and "Buenos Tardes Amigo" in lieu of non-album obscurities including "Mountain Dew," "Cover It with Gas and Set It on Fire" and "Vallejo." The highlights are a string of tunes from the now-legendary 1996 tour featuring Bobby Ogdin & the S**t Creek Boys, a group of ace Nashville sessionmen originally tapped to record Ween's classic 12 Golden Country Greats album.