WHITE PEPPER / SHAH MIRCH KORA

White Pepper is Ween's seventh full-length album, and the last album they would release on Elektra Records. It was released on May 2, 2000. White Pepper is one of Ween's more polished albums. Songs such as "Even If You Don't" feature powerful, radio-friendly production and musicianship. Ween's bizarre sense of humour is still intact (such as on the Steely Dan send-up "Pandy Fackler") and their hard rock roots still show as seen on "Stroker Ace" and "The Grobe", but for the most part, Ween play the album much more subdued than usual, using pop (especially Beatles-based pop) and AM radio staples for its inspiration. The title is said to be a tip of the hat to The Beatles, combining Sgt. Pepper's and The White Album into one name, and the cover to Edward Weston's Pepper No. 30

The band helped promote the album by performing "Exactly Where I'm At" on the Late Show with David Letterman. The track "Even If You Don't" was made into a music video and directed by Trey Parker and Matt Stone of South Park fame. According to Dean Ween (Mickey Melchiondo), he and Gene Ween (Aaron Freeman) are good friends of Parker and Stone, and Melchiondo has even referred to them (Parker and Stone) as kindred spirits.

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