Dean and
Gene Ween were barely out of their teens when they recorded
GodWeenSatan: The Oneness, and it shows: it's juvenile in the best sense of the word, mixing their sprawling sense of humor with punk, heavy metal, and a surprising amount of pop literacy. At a whopping 23 tracks long, the album features a lot of noodling and lots of whacked-out pop, including "Nan," a dweeby tale of unrequited love, and the jazzy "Never Squeal," which shows off
Ween's musical prowess and versatility.
GodWeenSatan: The Oneness also introduces many of the song styles the band included on their later releases, such as the prog-rock-inspired ballad "Squelch the Little Weasel," the
Prince homage "L.M.L.Y.P.," the playful, helium-laced pop of "Don't Laugh" and the funky, soulful "Nicole." "El Camino"'s pseudo-flamenco, "Birthday Boy"'s surprising vulnerability, and the rambling, silly stoner-folk of "Puffycloud" also set the tone for
Ween's future work. Though they'd released plenty of cassettes on their own by the time of
GodWeenSatan: The Oneness' release,
Ween still sounds like they're trying ideas on for size. Song snippets like "Cold & Wet," "Fat Lenny," and "I Gots a Weasel" are fun but less successful than some of the band's more developed songs or their more crazed outbursts, such as "You Fucked Up," "Wayne's Pet Youngin'," and "Papa Zit." Stomping rockers like "Old Queen Cole," the sparse weirdness of "I'm in the Mood to Move" and the gospel parody "Up on the Hill" -- which introduces
Ween's inspiration, the Boognish -- make
GodWeenSatan almost as eclectic and inspired as the albums that followed it. However, the fun
Dean and
Gene Ween had creating
GodWeenSatan: The Oneness is palpable, making it more than just a promising debut. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide