Weezer
Before Weezer, Rock bands tried to look cool, aloof and desirable. But Weezer was none of those things. They looked and sounded like geeks who had spent too much time being alone. When there are no girlfriends, or even dates, and all you've got is your Cheap Trick and KISS albums, you either develop a hostile, quirky sense of humor or die.
It would seem inconceivable that a kid going to Harvard could Rock but that's the Rivers Cuomo story. Born and raised in Massachusetts, Cuomo vaulted to L.A. to attend college. While growing up, he played in Metal bands but once in the land of sun and smog he developed an interest in Alternative Rock. Weezer formed in '93 with guitarist/vocalist primary songwriter Cuomo, bassist Matt Sharp and drummer Patrick Wilson. They attacked the L.A. club scene eventually earning a deal with DGC Records. Shortly before going into the studio they added a second guitarist, Brian Bell. Once recording was completed Cuomo left to go study at Harvard. Meanwhile, other band members pursued their own projects - most notably Sharp and Wilson started The Rentals.
Produced by former Cars frontman Ric Ocasek, Weezer's self-titled debut scored a series of out of the box hits - "Undone (The Sweater Song)," "Buddy Holly," and "Say It Ain't So" - all helped by clever videos. This led many to assume that Weezer would to be a short-lived gimmick band. Interestingly, Cuomo agreed with that assessment.
For their sophomore LP "Pinkerton," released in '96, there weren't going to be any videos. The music would stand on its own merit. With Cuomo now firmly in control there may have been some questioning of that decision but there wasn't any rebellion. Though it received generally good reviews, "Pinkerton" failed to be a big commercial success. DGC, looking to increase sales, did get Weezer to finally make one video to support "Pinkerton." But "The Good Life" was too little, too late. Also, everybody seemed to view Weezer's as passé. MTV hardly aired the video, modern Rock radio took a walk and Rolling Stone weighed in naming "Pinkerton" the "Worst Album of 1996."
Now things were moving slowly, if at all. A frustrated Sharp departed to concentrate on The Rentals. There were rumors that Weezer had broken up but they were unfounded as Mikey Welsh took Sharp's place.
A stint on the 2000 Warped Tour proved that audiences still responded to Weezer. The group returned to the studio with Ocasek producing.
Led by "Hash Pipe" and "Island In The Sun," both high rotation MTV favorites, the "Green Album" (actually another self-titled release that got the moniker to distinguish it from the first one) brought Weezer back to the forefront. Welsh took ill during the summer tour and was replaced by Scott Shiner. "Maladroit" came out a year later and was followed in '02 by the live "Lion And The Witch" EP. With Rick Rubin producing, Weezer returned to the studio with "Make Believe," containing the hit "Beverly Hills,"arriving in '05.
A week before Christmas in '07, Weezer's frontman issued his solo album, "Alone -- The Home Recordings Of Rivers Cuomo." It was his "favorite demos from '92 to '07." That might have been viewed as a personal high point but Cuomo was in for a even bigger thrill. During the '08 Mia Hamm and Nomar Garciaparra Celebrity Soccer Challenge charity game in Carson, CA, he scored a goal. "It was a dream come true," said Cuomo. "It's just unreal." The match raised money for L.A.'s Children's Hospital.
That was followed by Weezer's sixth studio album. This, like two previous albums, was self-titled. So to prevent any confusion it was quickly dubbed "The Red Album" (for the predominance of red on the cover). The set included longer and non-traditional songs as well as drum machines and synthesizers. In addition, Cuomo stepped aside for a bit so other band members could write and sing. While that might seem a democratic move it rarely yields positive results.
During an album meeting with the group's label, Geffen, the execs said they didn't feel there was a single. They wanted something commercial. "I came out of it pretty angry," said Cuomo. "But ironically, it inspired me to write another song." Produced by the group and Jacknife Lee, "Pork And Beans" (a song about the foibles of chasing pop stardom and the comfort found in relying on the basics - like pork and beans), became "The Red Album's" lead single.
L.A. radio station KROQ premiered "Pork And Beans" on April, 15th, '08. A little over a month later the song rolled to the top of the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks for an extended stay becoming Weezer's third #1 and their biggest single to date. No doubt "Pork And Beans" was helped by a rather unconventional video. YouTube 'stars' (people with embarrassing moments or engaged in questionable activities that were viewed by millions) were assembled to appear in the clip.
Another chapter in Weezer's unique marketing efforts came a few months later. On August 21st, Weezer and their fans set five official Guinness World Records in L.A. while shooting the video for "Troublemaker. The records were for the Largest Air Guitar Ensemble, the Largest Game of Dodgeball, Most People in a Custard Pie Fight, Most People Riding on a Skateboard and Longest Guitar Hero World Tour Marathon. Busy day.
"The Red Album" was released earlier than originally planned, June 3rd, because several tracks were leaked online.
You gotta love Weezer. These jokers still can deliver. "Make Believe" is full of smart-ass Rock, though not as raw or rough as previous outings. The snotty "Beverly Hills" scores right off (the video is perfect). "We Are All On Drugs" is another classic. "This Is Such A Pity" and "Damage In Your Heart" shows the band's pop instincts.
Weezer, rightly or wrongly, got classified as a singles band. That makes Weezer's two self-titled albums, their debut and the "Green Album" the first choices. "Pinkerton" is a good set as the group stretches a bit. Some works, some doesn't. For "Maladroit," Weezer loads up on irony and shoves out "Dope Nose" and "American Gigolo" to get across. The album is just a notch below their best.
A collection of demos and outtakes is always dicey. Not everything an artist or group produces is genius and some tracks are barely listenable.
With that in mind, a Weezer fan might approach "Alone: The Home Recordings Of Rivers Cuomo" with some trepidation. Not surprising, the tracks that work the best are those that resemble a full-blown Weezer effort, like the alternate (more keyboards) version of "Buddy Holly." With a wasted opening, "Ooh," the album starts like some half-baked, over-indulgent piece of clap-trap. But it doesn't end that way. Cuomo is able to roust himself for several fully realized performances.
Sometimes a band is too smart of their own good. "The Red Album" suffers for it. Sure, it can get boring for a musician (to say nothing of their audience) to play everything in the same style, key and time signature. But jumping around within a song like some demented schizophrenic doesn't work either. "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (Variation On A Shaker Theme)" is the prime example/offender. This indulgence would be forgivable if everything else was killer. But Rick Rubin, a producer with a stellar reputation, buries Weezer in the production. He has the skill to make just about anything fit together but the effort often doesn't match the result. Though "Troublemaker" is a sassy open and several tracks have their moments, only the post-Grunge "Pork And Beans" ("excuse my manners") really works. So it's little wonder it did so well.
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