…And in the opposite corner, we have The Green Album. Whereas a gloriously on-edge, unhinged performance like “Getchoo” highlights exactly why Pinkerton is so satisfying even a dozen years on, by 2001 Rivers Cuomo had changed directions. In his mind, that approach now represented the sophomore slump, his biggest commercial failure; while many would be […]
Pinkerton is not just the greatest record Weezer will ever make. It is, in my opinion, one of the greatest records anybody has; though it’s not the best record of all time, it might very well be my favorite. And when you’ve got a record that boasts “Falling For You,” “Tired Of Sex,” “Across the Sea” and “Butterfly,” […]
“Island in the Sun” is the most released song of Weezer’s career. Too released. More released than any one song ever should be. To wit: THE (MAYBE IN)COMPLETE “ISLAND IN THE SUN” DISCOGRAPHY The Green Album (2001) Radio-only promo CD (2001) UK retail CD single #1 (2001; with “Island in the Sun” music video CD-ROM) […]
“Burndt Jamb” is, without question, one of Maladroit’s finest tunes. It’s got a summery jazz-funk groove to it, the likes of which the band has seldom attempted prior or since. Rivers’ lyric, while simple, is decently effective, contrasting the bright pop milieu against some humdrum mopery. It’s essentially three brief verses, the first of which referencing “gothic […]
As it happens, the song Cuomo referred to as “Daydreamer” in his notes on “This Is The Way” wound up being titled “Dreamin.” That’s not all that had changed: instead of being 6 minutes long, it clocks in at a trimmer 5:12. And “Dreamin’” is perhaps the finest example of Cuomo’s tendency to overstate his […]
Whereas Cuomo boasted on the Rivers Correspondence Board of “world domination” and the “millions of new fans” that would be replacing his current ones after 2001’s triumphant return, Maladroit‘s immediate failure quickly cut at the heels of Cuomo’s engorged ego and the band’s renewed confidence. While sessions for Weezer’s fifth outing had begun a couple […]
I pondered for a few moments on how to introduce Maladroit, and “Love Explosion” wound up being what I chose. This may seem like a bit of a dubious call to anyone familiar with the album, what with it being one of the less-remembered, late-album tracks…But I’m confident that I have good reason. I’ve always […]
Even to the most fervent Weezer diehards, “Hash Pipe” must have come as a big surprise. Hitting airwaves in April of 2001 as the first single from The Green Album, which dropped the following month, it was the first officially released Weezer song in five years — and it was a clear departure. To hear that […]
In very brief summary, Pinkerton was an album of unmitigated genius that the world simply didn’t want to hear in 1996. It was all at once too personal, ugly and complex for a market that then wanted little more than simple melodies and big arena refrains from their rock songs (all thanks be to the […]
With a sudden onslaught of poppy, distorted guitars, a rush of lyrics about love and loneliness, and some truly fantastic falsetto harmonies provided by bassist Matt Sharp, this track embodies all that is great about Blue Album-era Weezer. Rivers Cuomo’s lyric is one of the most cleverly understated of his career, as he pines, “I […]