Weezer is currently one of the biggest rock bands out there. Right now they're riding on the success of their latest release Maladroit, which came out just a year after another huge success, their self titled Green Album. They're planning on releasing albums more frequently now, so who knows how many albums will add to their legacy, which dates back to their classic debut The Blue Album? Yup, they sure do have a great catalog so far.
Oh wait. There was that other album they put out, wasn't there?
Sadly, that is how a lot of people regard Weezer's contributions to the music world. There are those three and counting great, catchy albums that everybody knows the words too, and then there's that other album, or as more devoted Weezer fans call it, Pinkerton. Released in 1996, Pinkerton was nowhere near as successful as its predecessor. Much to River Cuomo's chagrin, this album became a cult favorite but never achieved the mass appeal he had hoped for.
The lack of success was attributed to the album's lack of a single - the excuse everyone gave for it not getting radio play. In my opinion, it has singles, but no one ever gave them a chance. Although I've never heard any of these songs on the radio, I do remember Tired of Sex being mentioned as a potential single. No, no, no. That is not a song that can carry an album like this, especially after everyone was expecting Blue Album-type stuff. Granted, there is not much on the album that resembles the previous album, but some songs are at least a little closer in style. Tired of Sex is a good song but not one that could have hooked fans who were looking for Buddy Holly.
My choices for singles would have been El Scorcho and The Good Life. These are fun and catchy in a slightly different way. The Good Life has a chorus that is easy to sing along to: "I wanna get back/ I wanna get back/ And I don't even know how I got off the track." It's all about wanting to recapture your youthful days of livin' it up, or as Weezer puts it, "shakin' booty, makin' sweet love every night." Not only is this a fun song, it's an anthem, a reminder for anyone to never stop having fun.
Had El Scorcho gotten more airtime, I'm sure many, many more people would be singing this one. It's a great song for a bunch of friends to sing along to with its slow yet energetic tempo and crazy lyrics (including a reference to ECW). Best of all, it's the kind of song that lends itself to large groups of people singing off key, so no one has to sit out the sing along!
Once these songs hooked listeners, they would have been pleasantly surprised by the rest of the album. It may not be quite as catchy as its predecessor, but it's far from unlistenable. Getting back to Tired of Sex, it's not a bad song; it's just not what people may have been expecting at the time. It's louder and grittier than their usual, polished, radio-friendly style. Rivers' voice sounds angry and nearly insane while the drums pound so hard, there's no escaping the control they will have over the motion of your head. Getchoo and Falling For You follow the same style with more aggressive vocals and wailing guitars.
The thing that gives Pinkerton a more traditional Weezer style is the fact that many of the lyrics describe heartbreak in the form of all kinds of topics. Pink Triangle deals with loving a lesbian and contains the great line, "If everyone's a little queer, can't she be a little straight?" No Other One is about sticking with his girl because he can't get anyone else - kind of a reverse of Pearl Jam's Betterman, only funny. Across the Sea is a sad and more personal one about a rock star loving a young fan from Japan. This song contains the very touching line "I've got your letter and you've got my song."
Another part of this album that is quite different from usual Weezer is the closing song, Butterfly. This one is slow, sad, and acoustic. This is clearly one of Weezer's simplest yet most beautiful tunes.
Overall, this is a great, emotional album that bounces between sorrow and pure fun. It is a shame that not enough people know about Pinkerton, but those smart enough to ignore its "lack of hits" understand its greatness.
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