Dean Ween
AKA Michael "Mickey" Melchiondo, Jr.
Feel free to bow, cower, or even run. You can't hide from the Boognish. Boognish is the demon-god, who has, it has been reported, thrice appeared to the prophets of The Cult of Boognish. Boognish, legend has it, originated from somewhere outside the orbital buffer. It sounds so technical, that it is almost certainly true. One of the prophets to whom he has appeared, Dean Ween, is the subject of this mighty tribute page. Dean Ween, born with the no-less-mighty name Michael "Mickey" Melchiondo, Jr., is the super-famous guitarist in the legendary band Ween. When he met the other soon-to-be prophet of The Cult of Boognish, Aaron Freeman a.k.a. Gene Ween, they formed and adopted the illustrious and never-before-seen surname "Ween".
Dean also shreds in another group, called "The Moistboyz". The name makes me uncomfortable just thinking about it, so I can only imagine its origins. I'll leave that discovery as an exercise for the reader. Below is what will have to pass for Ween's early discography. These are the albums which turned up after a cursory search (thanks Wikipedia), and any new additions can be mailed in to someone else. This is the first listed release. I can't find any other information about it. One of the early cassette releases! This is the card text. This album had some new, as well as some old songs. Very little is known about it. Split Live & Studio EP. Only 500 ever pressed, but digital copies are available online. Early best-of album, comprising songs from their first 5 cassettes. Gene Ween's own release, with Dean on a few tracks. Ween signs with A&R, and the world gets its first taste of all that is Boognish. Originally released on Twin/Tone in 1990, this is the first album from Ween and a gloriously ramshackle exploration of basement-rock excess. The name of this second studio album comes from the nickname given to the band's apartment. Major label debut, baby! Also considered by some to be one of their best albums. There was a book written about this album, by Frank Shteamer. It also has one of the greatest album covers ever. First Moistboyz release. Mickey is known as Mickey Moist. Factoid: Most of the instruments played for this album were by established country and western artists. The first Moistboyz full-length, it was released with the previous EP on Grand Royal. They were later released together on Sanctuary, and again on Chocodog. Described by Aaron Freeman as "their dark, acid rock album", and is Dean's favourite Ween album. They later discovered that the album was a great inspiration in the creation of SpongeBob SquarePants. Dean gave this album away online, as the band was considering different media paradigms. Elektra released this live compilation of Ween's 1990-1998 material. Despite the album's tight polish, it would be Ween's last on Elektra. Formed in 2001, Ween began releasing on their own label, Chocodog Records. Denied the right to release Paintin' the Town Brown on Chocodog, this album became their label debut. The first Moistboyz album to feature real drums, III was released on Ipecac Records. This 3 CD release was recorded during two dates at Stubb's, Austin Texas. The songs span all previous studio albums, and 3 previously unreleased tracks. Ween signs to Sanctuary Records in 2003. One of their darker albums, Quebec was the first studio album in 3 years. This Chocodog release is the only place to hear all 5 parts of The Stallion, and its track-list was based on fan requests. Ween's fifth live album included a DVD of the performance at The Vic Theatre in Chicago. Deaner says that Shinola comes from songs that they regretted not putting on other albums. Recorded in 2006, The Friends EP would shortly precede the full length La Cucaracha. Despite a few strong tracks, Gene is said to think that this album is a big piece of shit. This 2 CD Chocodog release contains a live performance from 1992, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Having spent a lot of time in Beach Haven NJ as a youth, Mickey set his sights to the sea, and became a fishing boat captain, producing a 12 episode web series called "Brownie Troop Fishing Show". He also gives tours, bookable through his website, http://www.mickeysfishing.com/
Then Deaner did something, and Gener got pissed. He released Ween stuff without consulting the band. These songs were recorded between 2001 and 2003, and contains material that made it on to Quebec, as well as some previously unreleased stuff. This release is the one that Gener was so mad about. A Sanctuary Records release, IV also features Ween's Claude Coleman, Jr. Dean and the crew finally release their fifth album, and on their own label, Neverman Records. This 2 CD album has the band playing their first album in its entirety, from a performance in 2001. A self-proclaimed rotating cast of characters, fronted by Dean Ween himself. This is the first release of The Dean Ween Group, for which a 2017 tour is planned.
The Boognish
This here is Boognish.
Early Discography
Mrs. Slack
The Crucial Squeegie Lip
Axis: Bold as Boognish
Erica Peterson's Flaming Crib Death
The Live Brain Wedgie/WAD
Prime 5
Synthetic Socks
Early 90's Low-Fi Madness
GodWeenSatan: The Oneness
The Pod
Pure Guava
Chocolate and Cheese
Moistboyz EP
12 Golden Country Greats
Moistboyz II
The Mollusk
Craters of the Sac
Paintin' the Town Brown
White Pepper
Chocodog!
Live in Toronto
Moistboyz III
Live at Stubb's
Sanctuary
Quebec
All Request Live
Live in Chicago
Shinola, Vol. 1
The Friends EP
La Cucaracha
At the Cat's Cradle - 1992
Post-Ween
The Caesar Demos
Moistboyz IV
Moistboyz V
GodWeenSatan: Live
The Dean Ween Group
The Deaner Album