It may seem odd to praise the intelligence of a group that wrote a song called "Put the Coke on My Dick," but Ween is a lot smarter than anyone gives them credit for. More than just a vulgar parody act, the group has proven for nearly a decade that there's no style of music they can't pull off, and there's no limit to the profanity they will drop.
"White Pepper" is the band's stab at Beatles-esque pop. There's never a moment that feels inauthentic. While there is a noticeable lack of profanity, the Jimmy Buffett "pisstake" ("Bananas and Blow" ) and the punk-rock tribute to Burt Reynolds ("Stroker Ace" ) are reminders of why Ween are the true inheritors of Steely Dan's ironic legacy. But the ultimate joke could be that "White Pepper" is almost guaranteed to win the band a wider audience. Ween will no doubt take great pleasure in offending the bejesus out of them once they decide it's time to return to the poop-ship destroyer.
