Shinola, Vol. 1

In the tradition of the classic rock bands the duo loved, Ween finally proffered its own version of an “odds and sods” collection in 2005 with Shinola, Vol. 1. With the title—a play on the old adage “you don’t know sh*t from shinola”—the band certainly wasn’t expecting its fans to treat this pool of outtakes too seriously. And yet by providing a survey of Ween’s stylistic adventures since 1991's The Pod, Shinola functions as the perfect retrospective: an anti-greatest hits album. “Big Fat F**k,” “Boys Club," and “Tastes Good on th’ Bun” rank with the most wonderfully weird songs from Ween's wild and wooly early days, while “I Fell in Love Today” and “Someday” display the more restrained sophistication of its post-2000 output. As far as strange and delightful lost gems go, Ween’s archives certainly don’t disappoint. But Shinola's highlight would have to be its trifecta of homages to the great heroes of pop and rock music. Ween puts in prodigious caricatures of Todd Rundgren (“Transitions") and Prince (“Monique the Freak”), but the tribute to Thin Lizzy (“Gabrielle”) is sublimely realistic.