Screeching Weasel

Weasel Mania (Fat)
by Ewan Wadharmi

Honestly, it’s about time. Screeching Weasel are stalwarts, as revered as The Vandals but with a more regular and generous output. In its illustrious history, Screeching Weasel has had more break-ups and re-entries than NASA, but six years past its last album, it looks like this time it’s over for good. The prolific Ben Weasel can now focus on Riverdales, writing books and magazine columns, or scrapbooking, if it suits him. The selections on this questionably advertised “Greatest Hits” package are culled from thirteen albums (for those playing along at home). Nearly always good for a laugh, Ben Weasel delivers a Mike Ness meets Ramones aesthetic that fits neatly into the punk rock psyche. Note the Mania Ramones tribute, even post-mortem.

Yes, they’ve saved the so-called best for last, like “Jeannie’s Got A Problem With Her Uterus,” “Pervert At Large,” and the classic “Cindy’s on Methadone.” But where most of us would’ve included “I Hate Led Zeppelin” and “Guest List,” we get lesser fare “What We Hate” and “Racist Society.” When Weasel is taking the piss, he’s far more respectable than when he’s trying to make a statement. Later work (like Emo) took an interesting, darker turn that was never fully pursued to my satisfaction. This collection, while arguably incomplete, is a fair enough representation, with enough quality to attract new listeners and quell fans who haven’t Limewired all this stuff yet.
(www.fatwreck.com)