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Weezer: Pinkerton

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by Sean Adams
  • Type: Album
  • Release date: 26/09/1996
This is as good as it gets.
Sun's shining. Speakers a-rattlin'.
For at least four summers this album has been my only constant, frown-shifting, life really ain't that bad, affirming thang. This is my scribbled day-glo post-it note reminder why I love music. Not just that, but this is the ultimate break-up album, the best unrequited love album and the greatest collection of confused emotions captured in the universe...EVER!

Anyway, many moons ago in a not so distant land, a clean shaven, bespectacled fella named Rivers, decided to turn his personal ad into a party record. And boy what a party, boys and girls came from far and wide, to do the boogaloo, to sit cross legged as 4 nerds stuffed to the loft conversion synths, party streamer guitar solos, conga drums and lots and lots of scuzzy, fuzzy noises that sound somewhat like cartoons on a de-tuned tv. And lyrics, actual stories and harmony-ridden choruses, with tales of life stripped down to those primal feelings of falling in and outta love. And all the while a fearful, panic attack edge, elements of loners, people watching and seeing the only one you really want but writing a whole book or maybe just 20 pop songs about them instead of just going up and saying 'hello kitty'.

Pick a track, any track and it's a college movie soundtrack complete with angst on the rocks and no compromises. Why weren't Weezer part of Dazed and Confused, Slacker and all their cast offs?
Pick a track, any track and it's all smiles and sighs, shaking heads, wiggling booties, spinning, tears, joy, cute Japanese girls, imaginary friends in tank tops, glittery diaries filled with nihilistic thoughts and stoner disco: aceness!

And yeah, playing this over and over does beg the question whether just anyone could cut and paste together The Beach Boys, The Beatles, some 80s Synth Bands and a bunch of punk records and come out with the same results, but some people think too much.
Think Less. Feel More. A simple principle, so rarely applied, but often copied. Far too many bands use this album as their bible, where Rivers doth teacheth like an older brother all there is to know about pop and humanity. Bands take this too literally, word for word, note for note, and put out their update, missing the suitcases full of heartfelt genius but getting a briefcase or two of money for doing very little. Daddy can't buy you suffering and imagination. You'll never top this, how could anyone?


Weezer - Pinkerton

fucking hate weezer.

fab review tho.

x
gen

Weezer - Pinkerton

I was utterly convinced I would loathe this album for *years* before I heard it, but it really is dead good. I mean, it's not "Radio City" or "Skylarking" or anything, but it's certainly in the first division of wimpy indie-pop.

And to think I only borrowed it off a mate because I thought it had that Buddy Holly song on it...

Re: Weezer - Pinkerton

I know the feeling... other than Buddy Holly and Say It Ain't So, I just couldn't get into the first album. Some lass at work foisted this on me and now I'm a bona fide Weezerphile.

Weezer - Pinkerton

Rivers - the modern day Brian Wilson? Discuss.

One of my all time favourite records

Re: Weezer - Pinkerton

pffftt!!!!
now i kinda do understand where yr coming from...but that's just a mite silly now

*perspective*

Re: Weezer - Pinkerton

Beach Boys were relevant from 67-72. Weezer were making important music from 94-97.. Brian had SMiLE, Rivers had Songs From The Black Hole.. Brian had a lot of music, just check out riverscuomo.com's Catalogue Of Riffs.

There are other loose links, but I'm unsure why you singled out Pinkerton?

Re: Why Pinkerton

I personally think Pinkerton is the weezer album of note. Fortunately it is the album I heard first, and I love its happy-sadness. The subjects may seem shallow, but the lyrics get that everyday shit so well portrayed.

Then I heard the other weezer albums. Somehow they didnt do it for me. I've read a lot of stuff about Cuomo regretting pinkerton for revealing too much of himself and upsetting die hard weezertons. Its a shame because thats what I love in music - music that refelcts real life. Nevermind.

Weezer - Pinkerton

Its the only one i havent heard, i suspect i should!

Re: Weezer - Pinkerton

Yes you definately should! Its one of those records that divides people for some reason. Most people hated it at the time (Rolling Stone ridiculously named it worst album of 1996) but now its considered a classic. The songwriting is fantastic, theres noise and feedback all the place and the delivery is more passionate than any thing else Weezer have done. Rivers said its "a shit album." But hes crazy isn't he..

Weezer - Pinkerton

I bought this CD at a garage sale at the weekend for $2 and already it's becoming a favourite album of mine.
I'd not really heard much Weezer before then, apart from the odd single here and there. From what I gather the reason this album was panned when it was released was because it was so different from the album before it. To me it's just a great pop album with good catchy riffs and hooks and some smart lyrics. My favourite tracks so far are 'Across The Sea', 'The Good Life' and 'El Scorcho'.

Weezer - Pinkerton

I got this album a few months ago, I don't think it's as good as the first one, but it's still a great cd. "The Goodlife", "Pink Triangle"and "Butterfly" are my favourites.

The Blue Album

is one of (if not the) greatest college/indie rock albums of all time - period. Rolling Stone calling pinkerton the worst album proves what an outdated (and later proved via hindsight)mistake -ridden publication it had become by that point. The fact that this album is secured as a classic weezer release proves that this review is bang on the money- well done DiS, well done