The Pod

Named for the rural Pennsylvania farmhouse in which it was recorded, 1991’s The Pod is Ween’s most deeply insular album in a career full of insular albums. Like its predecessor, God Ween Satan, The Pod is packed to the gills with myriad song ideas and sonic fragments. But where God Ween Satan was jubilantly riotous, The Pod is foggy and paranoid. It's a loner’s album rather than a party album. The liner notes state: “In the time this album was completed, we filled up 3,600 hours of tape and inhaled 5 cans of Scotchguard.” In terms of the sonic landscape it constructs, The Pod is actually a more enjoyable place to visit than it’s been given credit for. Much like the building in which it was recorded, the album is dank and decrepit and at times frightening, but it also summons fantastical musical forms and shape-shifting characters. Those who venture into this barn of an album will be rewarded with unforgettable visions—just be sure to bring a flashlight and safety goggles.