A lot of critics embraced La Cucaracha as a return to form for Ween. That same enthusiasm was not shared by this writer. That album sounded as if Dean and Gene were just trying too damn hard to be the lampooning geniuses that their fans expect them to be. It didn’t work. This EP, which features a re-mix of the title track (a different version appears on Cucaracha) is a brilliant return to form and hits the Pet Shop Boys mark that the first version missed. You can just see the disco ball and roller skates as this one pumps delicious synthesizer and drum machine beats through the speakers. The dance floor silliness continues through “I Got to Put The Hammer Down,” a cute little ditty about a drug dealer. They capture a fun reggae vibe on “King Billy,” which is the exact opposite of the irritating “The Fruit Man.” “Billy” features a synthesized keyboard lead that sounds like half bug zapper and half fart machine. “Slow Down Boy” is a merger of the arty pop of 10cc and the sentiment of J.D. Souther. This is the kind of fun and fucked-up innovation we have come to expect from Ween. It’s a great return to form, even if it for less than 20 minutes. (Chocodog)
