Russ Hicks- Ween? Really?

Keith Cordell · Post by **Keith Cordell** » 20 May 2005 7:01 am

I went and listened to an old CD I had laying around by one of my favorite weird bands, Ween. These guys are known for their odd, left handed cigarette inspired songwriting; they decided to do a CD called Golden Country Greats a few years ago, hiring a few Nashvegas session guys and doing their thing after the tracks were built. I looked in the credits and saw that Russ Hicks was listed as the pedal steel player. Anyone familiar? Am I displaying my ignorance by having to ask? Good stuff, Pete Wade was on it as well, playing Dobro.

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Sierra S8, Rickenbacher T-Logo Bakelite lap steel, Peavey Delta Blues, Regal Dobro, Teese RMC2 Wah, Proco Rat, Lap Dawg bar

Tim Harr · Post by **Tim Harr** » 20 May 2005 7:10 am

I think Nashville's Mike Sweeney was involved with those guys a while back too...?[This message was edited by Tim Harr on 20 May 2005 at 02:36 PM.]

John Macy · Post by **John Macy** » 20 May 2005 7:16 am

Hank Singer played fiddle and actually went on the road with them...

Bob Blair · Post by **Bob Blair** » 20 May 2005 7:17 am

Russ Hicks is a top Nashville player and a Forum member. He has played at a lot of the the conventions, and used to perform with Jimmy Crawford at St. Louis. His wife Laney is a terrific singer and the two of them are staples on the Steel Guitar Convention circuit and always well-received.

L. A. Wunder · Post by **L. A. Wunder** » 20 May 2005 7:53 am

Russ Hicks is an excellent player. His work alone, should make the CD worth listening to.

Mark van Allen · Post by **Mark van Allen** » 20 May 2005 8:22 am

Hey, keith, next time you drop by I'll play you some of Russ' solo stuff and his wonderful work with Jimmy Crawford. You're reminding me of a boring Christmas party I was at where I put that Ween CD in the player. A couple of folks have never forgiven me.

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Stop by the Steel Store at: www.markvanallen.com

Chad Karnitz · Post by **Chad Karnitz** » 20 May 2005 8:55 am

I have a bootleg of a Ween show with Stu Basore on steel. Yes, the lyrics are "adult" but the music's cool. Russ and Stu do some great playing on the studio and live stuff.

"Like a Japanese cowboy..."

Stephen LeBlanc · Post by **Stephen LeBlanc** » 20 May 2005 9:49 am

There is a lot of great picking on that CD, depending on what level of parenting you do when it comes to language, etc...you might not want to play it when the kids are around. I think it's really funny stuff but my sense of humor is a bit warped

Keith Cordell · Post by **Keith Cordell** » 20 May 2005 10:14 am

Mr. Richard Smoker... Yeesh.

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Sierra S8, Rickenbacher T-Logo Bakelite lap steel, Peavey Delta Blues, Regal Dobro, Teese RMC2 Wah, Proco Rat, Lap Dawg bar

Jennings Ward · Post by **Jennings Ward** » 20 May 2005 11:09 am

WHERE AND HOW CAN I GET A COPY????? PLEASE REPLY.....JENNINGS........

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EMMONS D10 10-10 profex 2 deltafex ne1000 pv1000, pv 31 bd eq, +

Stephen LeBlanc · Post by **Stephen LeBlanc** » 20 May 2005 11:10 am

buy direct from the band...

http://www.ween.com/

choose the html version of the website if you want to get right down to it

Brad Sarno · Post by **Brad Sarno** » 20 May 2005 12:24 pm

Russ will tell you a great story about that Ween session. It's hilarious. Russ had no idea he was playing steel to such sarcastic and raunchy lyrics. Personally, I really like that album. Russ played great too!

Brad Sarno

John Poston · Post by **John Poston** » 20 May 2005 12:35 pm

Great and funny record, and the playing on it is just sick (in a good way). A lot of Ween fans got really POed when they picked it up.

Russ shouldn't feel too bad - at least he didn't wind up doing an Elmer Fudpicker record.

Keith Cordell · Post by **Keith Cordell** » 20 May 2005 12:49 pm

A lot of Ween fans still don't get that record. It was probably a financial disaster, as it didn't sell... even for a Ween record it was pretty weak. But it is probably my favorite Ween record ever.

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Sierra S8, Rickenbacher T-Logo Bakelite lap steel, Peavey Delta Blues, Regal Dobro, Teese RMC2 Wah, Proco Rat, Lap Dawg bar

John Drury · Post by **John Drury** » 20 May 2005 6:00 pm

Nice playing by Russ Hicks. Not a bad album, although I could have done without "Mr. Richard Smoker" and "Piss up a rope".

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John Drury
NTSGA #3

Stephen LeBlanc · Post by **Stephen LeBlanc** » 20 May 2005 7:36 pm

A lot of Ween fans got really POed when they picked it up.

while that was probably true of many Ween fans early on...most all have grown to love the album over time...when they play songs from that album live the crowd goes nuts...and no, not just Piss up a Rope

John McClung · Post by **John McClung** » 20 May 2005 11:22 pm

Anyone have great old Barefoot Jerry records? Russ played on those, HUGE influence on me, great stuff. Anyone know if these ever made it to CD?

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E9 lessons
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Stuart Basore · Post by **Stuart Basore** » 21 May 2005 10:27 am

Well, OK, I went on tour with WEEN in '96 and had a ridiculous time! You can hear me on "Paintin' the Town Brown" (CD) and Ween Live; some of the cuts from our tour. I love these guys! We recorded in New York, near where Woodstock happened.

Keith Cordell · Post by **Keith Cordell** » 22 May 2005 6:27 pm

That's killer, stuart- I love the Paintin' album, pure Ween silliness. Poop Ship Destroyer was just lovely...

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Sierra S8, Rickenbacher T-Logo Bakelite lap steel, Peavey Delta Blues, Regal Dobro, Teese RMC2 Wah, Proco Rat, Lap Dawg bar

Mike Sweeney · Post by **Mike Sweeney** » 22 May 2005 7:05 pm

Tim,

I'm not saying I wouldn't work on a Ween project because I probably would but, I haven't yet.
As far as Russ Hicks goes, He also was a member of another great band that was cutting edge in the '70's and that was Barefoot Jerry.

Mike

Russ Hicks · Post by **Russ Hicks** » 25 May 2005 8:10 am

Those sessions for their country CD were 'quite interesting'....real nice guys and highly complimentary of everyone's efforts, but when they sent me a copy of the finished product I was very thankful that none of my family were around when I played it...definitly not a family thing. BTW, J.M., that was Buddy Spicher on fiddle.

Jonathan Gregg · Post by **Jonathan Gregg** » 25 May 2005 9:33 am

Mr. Hicks is also a great guitar player, btw.

Kiyoshi Osawa · Post by **Kiyoshi Osawa** » 26 May 2005 6:38 am

'round here, everybody calls me the "japanese cowboy".

I love that record!

Jason Odd · Post by **Jason Odd** » 27 May 2005 4:09 am

Man, anyone who claims to be a Ween fan and doesn't like that record is not a real Ween fan.

Jeremy Steele · Post by **Jeremy Steele** » 27 May 2005 4:19 am

My good buddy Glenn McClelland has played keyboards for Ween for years...my favorite album is "12 Golden Greats"...it has 9 songs on it..LOL.