Ween Announce Deluxe Edition of Chocolate and Cheese

1994 alternative rock classic remastered and reissued with 15 previously unreleased outtakes and demos out August 2nd

June 7, 2024June 7, 2024 Ron Hart 0 Comments 1994, 30th Anniversary, Aaron Freeman, Chocolate and Cheese, Dean Ween, Elektra Records, Gene Ween, Mickey Melchiondo, Ween

Chocolate and Cheese album art (Image: Discogs)

Since it browned the alternative nation 30 years ago, Ween’s classic fourth album, Chocolate and Cheese, remains a gold star favorite amongst fans of Gene and Dean Ween.

In honor of this significant anniversary, Rhino is releasing a deluxe edition of the album exclusively on vinyl this coming August 2nd. The 3-LP set includes a remastered version of the original record, loaded with such Boognish delights from the men born Aaron Freeman (Gene) and Mickey Melchiondo (Dean) as “Spinal Meningitis (Got Me Down),” “Buenas Tardes Amigo,” “Baby Bitch,” “Freedom of ‘76” and “A Tear For Eddie” in homage to the late Funkadelic guitarist Eddie Hazel.

Amending the updated version of Chocolate And Cheese is a trove of 15 previously unreleased demos and outtakes across two LPs. Melchiondo himself rooted through hundreds of hours of material from the Ween vault before selecting what they felt was the cream of the crop.

Chocolate and Cheese Deluxe Edition (Image: Rhino)

“Keeping with Ween tradition, Aaron and I probably picked all the wrong songs, mixed them, and now here they are,” goofs Deaner. In addition to demo versions of key album tracks like “Candi,” “Take Me Away,” “Voodoo Lady” and “Roses Are Free,” other bonus tracks include such non-album treats as “Warm Socks,” “Smooth Mover,” “Dirty Money” and a previously unreleased version of the Chocolate-era chestnut “Junkie Boy,” which you can check out below.

Renowned audio engineer Bernie Grundman–best known for his esteemed work on classic albums such as Michael Jackson’s Thriller and Steely Dan’s Aja–remastered the album for the Deluxe Edition using the original flat master tapes to optimize audio fidelity. Grundman also mastered the set’s 15 bonus tracks, sourced from cassettes and DAT tapes from the band’s extensive archive.

In the Deluxe Edition’s liner notes, Melchiondo writes about how listening to Chocolate and Cheese now takes him back to the era. “When I hear it, I feel like I’m listening to an autobiography of our lives in the early to mid-’90s…If it sounds like we had fun making it, we did. That’s kind of what Ween is all about, though.”

Ween are hitting the road for select dates in the Pacific Northwest in August before playing a sold-out gig at the Mann Music Center in Philadelphia on September 27th, where they will be playing Chocolate and Cheese in its entirety.

Check tour dates and the reissue’s complete tracklisting below.

Tour Dates

Aug 2 KettleHouse Amphitheater

Bonner, MT

Aug 3 KettleHouse Amphitheater

Bonner, MT

Aug 4 Pavilion at Riverfront

Spokane, WA

Aug 6 Paramount Theater

Seattle, WA

Aug 8 Pioneer Courthouse Square

Portland, OR