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Ween — The Argus
Album: Quebec
Avg rating:
6.6

Your rating:
Total ratings: 1310









Released: 2003
Length: 4:51
Plays (last 30 days): 2
Yesterday we lost our lives, tomorrow we were born
Fortune smiled upon us, sacrifice the Argus
All that he might help us see

Magnet eyes that track for miles, looking for disease
Puzzled by the mountains - tricked by the sea
and the Argus is practiced compassion
with an eye on you, as one is on me
will the god eye grant his forgiveness
and allow he that's lived, a reason to see

Counting days and building walls, bells ring so's to warn
All the signs that guide us, chosen by the Argus
Tell me has chosen you

Led by form we'll shed our soul
Trusting like a child
See the dark face that saved us
Drink from his empty eyes

and the Argus is practiced compassion
with an eye on you, as one is on me
will the god eye grant his forgiveness
letting droplets of light erupt from the sea...

Lying in beds of garlic and orchids, he closes an eye, which closes another
and in sleep he dreams, of watching and looking and feather clouds dancing
He curls up his lid and sleeps...

Swirling with visions on man's confusion
All of the work, done just to appease him
The Argus he cries, though love has it's place in the sun
It's only man's fear that carries him on...
Comments (131)add comment
ooohhh I love this!!!
Sounds a lot like Wishbone Ash to me.  Not a bad thing.  And one of Wishbone Ash's most popular albums was....'Argus'.  Just saying...
this rocks, dont it
"Rubbish! This is just a ripoff of......."

*Whoosh*
Not listening to this would be like missing watching someone's freshly-painted front door dry.
 Businessgypsy wrote:
 Musical preference is, indeed, a personal thing...but linking your dislike to age is bizarre. Experience, exposure, analytical ability, aesthetic capacity - all of these things have an opportunity to increase with age. Feel free to limit yourself as you choose, but don't imagine that the rest of us find age anything but a library growing in volumes daily.


well played
 BBoyes wrote:
Argus was a Greek monster with 100 eyes.
In searching for some refresher on that I ran into this: The Argus Project

The Argus Project


 

Guess the project didn't take flight.

That's sort of a pun cuz, according to Ovid, Argus Panoptes' eyes were put in the peacock's tail after Hermes killed him. That Ovid sure was a weird one, eh?
The Argus, with an eye on you, as one is on me.

 SpinyNorma wrote:
Nope. Not even slightly. Then again, I've been a fan of his for about 40 years so might be a teeny bit biased!

(I assume you're referring to the twinkly keyboard bit that might sound like the opening bars of TB, aka 'that music from The Exorcist'.)
 
Nah, He's probably referring to the Mike Oldfield-ish Celtic sounding guitar tone and riffs. 40 years you say, and you don't hear it? Hmm.  I can confirm it's there. I know the boys and what they listen to.

As usual, it seems as though Ween is the most misunderstood and underestimated band on here. If you think you hear a reference in ANY Ween song, you probably do. They wear their innumerable influences on their sleeve, in their lyrics, even in their album titles (White Pepper anyone?) I know Mickey and Aaron personally and can tell you that YES their are definitely Michael Oldfield references in this. as well as nods to Genesis, Gentle Giant and every other Euro-prog band ever to come along. Ween does what they want, and couldn't care less if you like it or not. It's the way they've done it since they were in high school playing with drum tracks on a boom box. It's the way they did it when they got the best session musicians in Nashville to record with them as "The Shit Creek Boys", It's the way they do it on this Euro-Prog influenced album.
 jambo wrote:

no doubt if you went to canadian pubic schools. actually it sounds quite dead on. public schooling and particularly social studies in canada do not tell the indigenous story. instead, they convince us that canada was founded by the french and later english from the 16th century. in alberta, aboriginal studies is an elective course that tells you everything that ISN'T in your social studies classes. no drama. just the way is it is which sucks. 

always been kinda shh. don't talk about them. maybe they'll go away.  
 

I grew up in Ottawa.   My teachers would often exhibit sympathetic views regarding French Canadians, Black Africans, Chinese and North Americans Indians.   

As for the rest of the country..... having lived in British Columbia for most of my adult life, maybe the school system was deficient as there are lots of ignorant, not well-educated anti-First Nation jerks in this province.
What's the Quebec reference (a curious Canadian, who admits to not reading all the comments in case this has been addressed)
Oh my, that end guitar sounds very much like Martin Tielli of the Rheostatics.
 zurcronium wrote:
Who hears Mike Oldfield here? 
 

Nope. Not even slightly. Then again, I've been a fan of his for about 40 years so might be a teeny bit biased!

(I assume you're referring to the twinkly keyboard bit that might sound like the opening bars of TB, aka 'that music from The Exorcist'.)
Weird band like being gay in the army weird no disrespect love to all 
 zurcronium wrote:
Who hears Mike Oldfield here? 
 

I hear Mike Oldfield -- whenever RP plays him while I'm listening. 
Hey Folks...  Great Song...  But the similarity award has got to go to Gentle Giant...  No other band is even a close second...  just a great song done in a certain vein.
 jambo wrote:

no doubt if you went to canadian pubic schools. actually it sounds quite dead on. public schooling and particularly social studies in canada do not tell the indigenous story. instead, they convince us that canada was founded by the french and later english from the 16th century. in alberta, aboriginal studies is an elective course that tells you everything that ISN'T in your social studies classes. no drama. just the way is it is which sucks. 

always been kinda shh. don't talk about them. maybe they'll go away.  

 
but then again god love ween.
 westslope wrote:

Sounds a bit dramatic.  That does not reflect my early schooling.

 

 
no doubt if you went to canadian pubic schools. actually it sounds quite dead on. public schooling and particularly social studies in canada do not tell the indigenous story. instead, they convince us that canada was founded by the french and later english from the 16th century. in alberta, aboriginal studies is an elective course that tells you everything that ISN'T in your social studies classes. no drama. just the way is it is which sucks. 

always been kinda shh. don't talk about them. maybe they'll go away.  
Argus was a Greek monster with 100 eyes.
In searching for some refresher on that I ran into this: The Argus Project

The Argus Project


 ThePoose wrote:
Quebec, eh? I grew up in Quebec.
I bet the group members don't know what it means.
Not even most Canadians know that. Just like the
word "Canada." Most are clueless as to its meaning. 
Aboriginal people never had their language or culture
taught in school. All we white kids learned about "Indians" was they
they burned missionaries at the stake and ate their hearts.
 
Sounds a bit dramatic.  That does not reflect my early schooling.

 
Quebec, eh? I grew up in Quebec.
I bet the group members don't know what it means.
Not even most Canadians know that. Just like the
word "Canada." Most are clueless as to its meaning. 
Aboriginal people never had their language or culture
taught in school. All we white kids learned about "Indians" was they
they burned missionaries at the stake and ate their hearts.

 kremfresch wrote:
WEEN's music is the distillation of all of the music the boys grew up loving, mixed with a sarcastic and biting wit, a total disrespect for anything considered sacred by anyone, and no filter at all.  Some of the best live music I have ever seen.  I miss them dearly. 

 
They are playing the lockin festival this year. Along with an exceptional list of other artists as well.
WEEN's music is the distillation of all of the music the boys grew up loving, mixed with a sarcastic and biting wit, a total disrespect for anything considered sacred by anyone, and no filter at all.  Some of the best live music I have ever seen.  I miss them dearly. 
 Businessgypsy wrote:
 Kokoloco53 wrote:
I'm sorry, this old man just doesn't get it, RP's playlist has changed radically between tons of really old stuff, like my favorite ELP's Lucky Man that just followed this song, or tons of really bad new stuff, like Elbow.
Musical preference is, indeed, a personal thing...but linking your dislike to age is bizarre. Experience, exposure, analytical ability, aesthetic capacity - all of these things have an opportunity to increase with age. Feel free to limit yourself as you choose, but don't imagine that the rest of us find age anything but a library growing in volumes daily.

 
Hey Gypsy, just read and really appreciate your insightful and uplifting definition of aging.  thanks for sharing !
XTC, Genesis, Mike Oldfield ... just to name a few I heard playing in this song. Quite inspiring. 
No. I'm trying to ween myself off this song...
For some reason I'd marked this as a 2. I don't think that's quite fair. It isn't horrible. Bumped it to a 5. It is tolerable but not as favorite.
 Kokoloco53 wrote:
I'm sorry, this old man just doesn't get it, RP's playlist has changed radically between tons of really old stuff, like my favorite ELP's Lucky Man that just followed this song, or tons of really bad new stuff, like Elbow.
Musical preference is, indeed, a personal thing...but linking your dislike to age is bizarre. Experience, exposure, analytical ability, aesthetic capacity - all of these things have an opportunity to increase with age. Feel free to limit yourself as you choose, but don't imagine that the rest of us find age anything but a library growing in volumes daily.
The best -- absolutely -- what a great set -- Wilco & Ween -- goes together like, well, Chocolate & Cheese !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(and into Emerson, Lake and Palmer — Lucky Man - brilliant !!!)
Who hears Mike Oldfield here? 
 big stud Romeo Tuma wrote:
Everybody in my hotel room loves this song...
 

I be the holy ghost of big stud Romeo Tuma...  I am not the father—  Elvis Presley was my father—  but I am the son of Elvis Presley and the holy ghost of Romeo Tuma...  call me a polytheistic avatar...

I do not live in a hotel room anymore...  I move around to my different churches in various cities across the USA...


everybody in my churches loves this song...
 
 rdo wrote:

Romeotuma was a longtime and frequent commenter here.  He was known for his original and repetitive antics.  He was banned from the board for reasons of which I am ignorant. 

 
Start believing in reincarnation.
 Should do this in large, green font, but I can't be bothered .
great song—-love this album.
 gypsyman wrote:

Shakespeare? Really? Romeo and Juliet? Why?
 
Romeotuma was a longtime and frequent commenter here.  He was known for his original and repetitive antics.  He was banned from the board for reasons of which I am ignorant. 
 rdo wrote:

There is no world without Verona walls, But purgatory, torture, hell itself. Hence-banished is banish'd from the world, And world's exile is death: then banished, Is death mis-term'd: calling death banishment, Thou cutt'st my head off with a golden axe, And smilest upon the stroke that murders me.
 
Shakespeare? Really? Romeo and Juliet? Why?
Funny. I thought this album was called Quebec
 (former member) wrote:


Everybody in my hotel room loves this song...

 
 
There is no world without Verona walls, But purgatory, torture, hell itself. Hence-banished is banish'd from the world, And world's exile is death: then banished, Is death mis-term'd: calling death banishment, Thou cutt'st my head off with a golden axe, And smilest upon the stroke that murders me.
 RedGuitar wrote:

I thought the only keyboardist in ELP was Keith Emerson.

 

Major brain fart — Blood, Sweat and Tears, NOT Emerson, Lake, and Palmer...  I know, I know — not even CLOSE!!

{#Doh}
 WonderLizard wrote:
While on vacation—like two days after the 10CC comment below—we ate at Short's Brewing Co. in Bellaire, MI. It's a micro-brewery, serving a rotating menu of a good two dozen beers, some seasonal, some year-round, all good. Well, the owner has named all the sandwiches after songs by his favorite group...Ween. "Here There Fancypants," "Chocolate Town," "Pandy Fackler," and so on. Sorry, fans. No "Piss Up a Rope," or "Waving My Dick in the Wind." {#Lol} Is this a great country or what?
 
I guess, if THAT"S what makes a country great. Sheesh!
Ween lovers should be called weenies. I'm a bit of a weenie myself.
 TerryS wrote:

Good grief man! That was the first thing I can remember seeing on television, back in the days of steam radio.
 
When I first moved here from Canada my girlfriend figured I needed a cultural indoctrination. She showed me many things, Morecombe and Wise....The Royale Family, The only Gay In The Village....but by far the oddest thing ever was Bill and Ben...that is just scarey stuff. even scarier than the Friendly Giant or Mr. Dressup
I hear XTC...
I grew up in Quebec (the province AND the city), and still work in the province on weekdays.
Why did Ween name their album ''Quebec''? Was it recorded there?
 fredriley wrote:
WEED!!



(Ok, a bit off-topic, but more interesting and entertaining than this soporific song. )
 
Good grief man! That was the first thing I can remember seeing on television, back in the days of steam radio.

 WonderLizard wrote:
While on vacation—like two days after the 10CC comment below—we ate at Short's Brewing Co. in Bellaire, MI. It's a micro-brewery, serving a rotating menu of a good two dozen beers, some seasonal, some year-round, all good. Well, the owner has named all the sandwiches after songs by his favorite group...Ween. "Here There Fancypants," "Chocolate Town," "Pandy Fackler," and so on. Sorry, fans. No "Piss Up a Rope," or "Waving My Dick in the Wind." {#Lol} Is this a great country or what?
 
I must go to this Brewery.  I love both beer and Ween equally.

Can't believe I haven't been mainlining this band for the duration! Perfect meld of mind and music. Thanks RP (and Weenkind ) for the introduction.
So if you have too much Ween whilst doing your makeup, would that be 'overweening vanity'?

I'll get me coat...
 Biscobret wrote:
Yea RP!!

into Emerson, Lake and Palmer's Lucky Man, nice job - never noticed the similarities - fantastic.

Ween's keyboardist use to be in ELP, BTW...
 
I thought the only keyboardist in ELP was Keith Emerson.

WEED!!



(Ok, a bit off-topic, but more interesting and entertaining than this soporific song. )
Yea RP!!

into Emerson, Lake and Palmer's Lucky Man, nice job - never noticed the similarities - fantastic.

Ween's keyboardist use to be in ELP, BTW...


 natebett wrote:
Dear Bill,
Play Ween always.

P.S. Always play Ween.
 

YES!!!
 jools wrote:
The Argus is the name of our local paper here in Sunny Brighton...
 
Well, Bradford goes one better - they have the Telegraph and Argus. So {#Nyah} to all you soft Southern jessies.

Which is all more interesting than this song, which is a nice lullaby and the equivalent of a dose of Valium. "In sleepy dreams" right enough {#Sleep}

Five Ho-Hums on the trot. Things must look up soon...


The Argus is the name of our local paper here in Sunny Brighton...
Absolutely EPIC song!  whether you usually go brown, or not.

Ween is perhaps one of the most misunderstood bands ever.  Fantastic songs, great playing, they are far from a 'joke' band.
While on vacation—like two days after the 10CC comment below—we ate at Short's Brewing Co. in Bellaire, MI. It's a micro-brewery, serving a rotating menu of a good two dozen beers, some seasonal, some year-round, all good. Well, the owner has named all the sandwiches after songs by his favorite group...Ween. "Here There Fancypants," "Chocolate Town," "Pandy Fackler," and so on. Sorry, fans. No "Piss Up a Rope," or "Waving My Dick in the Wind." {#Lol} Is this a great country or what?
Cor! I thought this was an old 10CC track!
I thought this was a King Crimson track I'd never heard
I never heard this before ... I thought it was some long-lost prog-rock obscurity ... like it!  Surprised it's Ween. {#Clap}
 Giselle62 wrote:
Quebec is a great album, the mollusk and choc and cheese also great.
 
I vote Cheese as the bestest.

Quebec is a great album, the mollusk and choc and cheese also great.
Sounds like Squeeze to me.
 sirdroseph wrote:


Firstly, I am a longtime Ween fan. Secondly Quebec is one of my favorites from them. Transdermal Celebration  alone is enough for me!{#Clap}  How can you be a Ween fan and not like this album?{#Eek}
 
 I think fluffy was probably referring to La Cucaracha, which came out a couple of years after Quebec.  It has some great songs on it (My Own Bare Hands is the standout for me) but overall was a disapointment compared to many of their other releases.

speaking of Fluffy, how about playing Fluffy?!  More Ween!!

 fluffybum wrote:
ween is one of my favorite bands. the last album they put out was absolute shit though. i wish they could wipe that one clean off the planet. embarrasing.
 

Firstly, I am a longtime Ween fan. Secondly Quebec is one of my favorites from them. Transdermal Celebration  alone is enough for me!{#Clap}  How can you be a Ween fan and not like this album?{#Eek}
Just when I was going to comment that this sounds like ELP, Bill follows it with 'Lucky Man'
came here to make " one of the most underated comment "

the diversity of their body of work ..  most of it excellent  some not

but they earn big big points for trying



peace and love .. peace and love  
also, ween was the best concert i've ever seen. and i've seen a lot of shows.
daveesh wrote:
i love this whole album... i think these guys are way underrated.

Definitely one of the most underrated bands out there. Great album and great song.

ween is one of my favorite bands. the last album they put out was absolute shit though. i wish they could wipe that one clean off the planet. embarrasing.
I'm sorry, this old man just doesn't get it, RP's playlist has changed radically between tons of really old stuff, like my favorite ELP's Lucky Man that just followed this song, or tons of really bad new stuff, like Elbow.
Easy 7! 
i love this whole album... i think these guys are way underrated.
mamashannon wrote:
I saw Ween last weekend here. It was a face melting experience! They are really good musicians! I guess that suprised a little me because of all the silliness.
I saw Ween last month. It was an incredible show!
Friends: I'm going to show my ignorance, and I'm sure there are more than a few of you out there who can answer this for me... How many beats are there to the measure in this tune? It almost sounds like it is performed in waltz time. A waltz is typically written in 3/4 time, but this sounds like it's 1/3 time or something. Please enlighten. Thanks!
Another spiritual flashback: these guys sound like 10CC (Gouldman, Godley, Creme, et al.) on this track.
Fun song! Ween is a talented couple of guys. I'm not crazy about "Cucaracha" but this and Mollusk and Chocolate & Cheese are pure winners.
Dear Bill, Play Ween always. P.S. Always play Ween.
how funny. right before this song tears for fears - sketches of pain. And all i kept thinking was ween - sketches of winkle.
FlamingLotus wrote:
Same here--vastly different from what I've heard.
No two ween albums sound alike. They switch musical styles like no band i've ever heard. And somehow, they retain a surprising level of quality throughout.
Seems to be a good album... I love transdermal celebration. This is ... nice.
Hmmm...Beatles, Pink Floyd, Paul Simon in a blender!! Not very original.
...interesting stuff...
lathyris wrote:
Man, this song is pretty cool. I thought I didn't like Ween. Sounds kind of prog-rocky -- which is bueno.
Same here--vastly different from what I've heard.
mamashannon wrote:
I saw Ween last weekend here. It was a face melting experience! They are really good musicians! I guess that suprised a little me because of all the silliness.
Going to see them myself next year, I can't wait. They've ditched on their last two attempts to come to Australia, they better not ditch me this time! The new album is awesome. Gutted that my submission didn't even make it to the LRC.. thanks Bill.. I know you say "Don't take it personally" but some of the utter garbage that comes through...
I saw Ween last weekend here. It was a face melting experience! They are really good musicians! I guess that suprised a little me because of all the silliness.
I could grow to like this song. I really like Tried and True but much of Ween's stuff comes across as gratuitously adolescent.
Meh. No thanks. I could do without the repetitive keyboard.
Nebben wrote:
This kinda makes me wish they'd do more serious stuff. I like most of their music, but this song and a few songs off White Pepper leave me wanting more in the same vein.
I agree! I heard "Stay Forever" on RP and now its the best song on my I-Pod.
Nebben wrote:
This kinda makes me wish they'd do more serious stuff. I like most of their music, but this song and a few songs off White Pepper leave me wanting more in the same vein. I agree! I heard "Stay Forever" from Ween on RP and it is one of the best on my I-Pod.
siloco wrote:
Never thought I'd hear a straight-faced Ween song... and not bad at that.
This kinda makes me wish they'd do more serious stuff. I like most of their music, but this song and a few songs off White Pepper leave me wanting more in the same vein. Good stuff. Now we need to get "Piss Up a Rope" and "Japanese Cowboy" on here... ;)
Never thought I'd hear a straight-faced Ween song... and not bad at that.
This IS Damn Good!!!!
I don't quite "get" the joke songs that make up a big part of Ween, but on the albums I've listend to - this one, The Mollusk, and White Pepper - there are many songs that are amazingly well-written and lovely. The way they can play around with so many musical styles is remarkable.
This is a long way from "push the little daisies and make 'em up".
I thought this was some early Genisis when I first heard it. Pretty nifty...
All hail boognish! Please play more Ween!
Oh, and its an original Ween song.
Check out White Pepper its their Beatles album, and Chocolate and Cheese! Ween Rules!!
Man, this song is pretty cool. I thought I didn't like Ween. Sounds kind of prog-rocky -- which is bueno.
Kurt_from_La_Qui wrote:
A Buffalo Springfield reference!
different....different is good
Isn't this an old Pink Floyd tune?
Kind of King Crimson meets Crack the Sky.
This is very trippy and 60s/70s. 8.
a 7
ChardRemains wrote:
I hear a little "Broken Arrow" in here....
A Buffalo Springfield reference!
Very cool. I'll take back all the vile things I've said about these guys.
I have to echo the King Crimson sentiment... This song is really cool.
up with ween. :)
What to make of this. Sounds like a C&W version of Emerson, Lake, and Palmer auditioning for a Renaissance Faire. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
Ashbyman is clearly not indoctrinated. Long live the Boognish!
I'd love to hear something off their country album... guess I'll have to upload!
brandog wrote:
If you get a chancve to see them live, don't miss it.
I had a chance to see Ween AND Kool Kieth and i missed it. :(
this song reminded me of some old King Crimson. Every song of theirs sounds so different, I never know what to expect.
ChardRemains wrote:
I hear a little "Broken Arrow" in here....
I hear a little Mike Oldfield in here... Crazy?
Ahhhh, my favorite band! These guys can switch music styles at the drop of a hat, and have put on the best live shows I've seen. Great!
ashbyman wrote:
When did Ween become the Moody Blues?
Funny!
When did Ween become the Moody Blues? Fascinating. I wonder if they ever follow this with "Push the Little Daisies and Make em Come Up" in concert.
8)