Weezer (2008 album)

Infobox Album
Name = Weezer
Type = Studio
Artist = Weezer


Released = June 3, 2008
Recorded = Spring - Autumn 2007 in Malibu, California; early 2008 in Santa Monica, California
Genre = Alternative rock
Length = 40:31
Label = Geffen
Producer = Rick Rubin, Jacknife Lee, Weezer
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|4.5|5 [http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:kjfwxzljldte link]
*"Blender" Rating|2.5|5 [http://www.blender.com/guide/reviews.aspx?id=5157 link]
*IGN rating-10|6.9 [http://music.ign.com/articles/878/878741p1.html link]
*NME rating-10|7 [http://nme.com/reviews/weezer/9728 link]
*Pitchfork Media rating-10|4.7 [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/50995-weezer-the-red-album link]
*"Rolling Stone" Rating|3|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/20949199/review/20961611/weezer link]
*"The Skinny" Rating|4|5 [http://www.theskinny.co.uk/article/43059-weezer-weezer link]
*"Spin" Rating|3.5|5 [http://www.spin.com/reviews/weezer-weezer-geffen link]
*Uncut Rating|4|5 [http://www.uncut.co.uk/music/weezer/reviews/11706 link]
Last album = "Winter Weezerland EP" (2005)
This album = "Weezer" (2008)
Next album =
Misc = Singles
Name = Weezer
Type = studio
single 1 = Pork and Beans
single 1 date = June 16, 2008
single 2 = Troublemaker
single 2 date = July 26, 2008

"Weezer", also known as "The Red Album" is the sixth studio album by American rock band Weezer, released on June 3, 2008.cite web | last =Koch | first =Karl | url = http://weezer.com/news/default.aspx/nid/13671 | title = 05/12/08 the immensity of the pork and the bean | format = | work = | publisher =Weezer.com | date=2008-05-12 |accessdate = 2008-05-13] Rick Rubin and Jacknife Lee both helped to produce the album. [cite web | last = Thompson | first = Paul | url = http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/46465-rivers-cuomo-dishes-on-new-weezer-lp-ialonei-demos | title = Rivers Cuomo Dishes on New Weezer LP, Alone Demos | format = | work = | publisher =Pitchfork Media | date=2007-10-18 |accessdate = 2007-10-25] Like the first self-titled album (and unlike most Weezer records that featured Rivers Cuomo as the main songwriter and vocalist), other band members contributed to songwriting. This is the first Weezer album to feature lead vocals from all band members.

Weezer have been criticized for their lack of promotion for "The Red Album" Fact|date=August 2008. The album's only promotion is the extensive radio play for "Pork and Beans" (along with its extremely popular music video) and the unconventional Hootenanny Tour. The sales of "The Red Album" are far below that of its 2005 predecessor, "Make Believe", which was certified Gold after the same amount of time "The Red Album" took to shift just 300,000 albums.

Background

After the platinum success of their fifth album "Make Believe", the band once again was put on hiatus.cite web | last =Kreps | first =Daniel | url = http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2007/05/15/weezer-album-six-in-the-works/ | title = Weezer: Album Six In The Works? | format = | work = | publisher =Rolling Stone | date=2007-05-15 | accessdate = 2008-05-06] Frontman Rivers Cuomo returned to Harvard University to complete his education. He ended up graduating Phi Beta Kappa.cite web | last = | first = | url =http://www.spin.com/features/heythisisawesome/2006/06/060609_rivers/ | title = Rivers Cuomo's Harvard Graduation | format = | work = | publisher =Spin |date=2006-06-09 | accessdate = 2008-05-06] Cuomo also married Kyoko Ito on June 18, 2006, a woman he had known since March 1997. He proposed to her in Tokyo shortly before Christmas of 2005.cite web |last=Chen |first=Lena |url=http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=511290 |title=Hey, Rivers Cuomo! What did you do for Valentine’s Day? |publisher=The Harvard Crimson | date=2006-02-15 |accessdate=2008-05-06] The wedding was held at a secluded beach on Paradise Cove in Malibu and was attended by over a hundred people, including six of the seven members who played in Weezer (Mikey Welsh was not in attendance) as well as notables Justin Fisher, Kevin Ridel and Rick Rubin.cite web| last =Koch | first =Karl | url = http://makebelieve.weezer.com/community/news_comment.asp?assetid=1455490&artistid=479=| title = 06/18/06 kongurachure-shonzu| publisher = Weezer.com| date=2006-06-18 | accessdate = 2008-05-06]

Meanwhile, members Patrick Wilson and Brian Bell appeared in the 2006 film "Factory Girl" playing John Cale and Lou Reed respectivelycite web | last = | first = | url = http://www.aversion.com/news/news_article.cfm?news_id=5843 | title = Weezer Members Land Roles as Velvets | format = | work = | publisher =Aversion.com | date=2006-01-26 | accessdate = 2008-05-06] and contributing a cover of the Velvet Underground song "Heroin" for the film.cite web | last = | first = | url = http://www.nme.com/news/weezer/22054 | title = Weezer 'Become The Velvet Underground'| format = | work = | publisher ="NME" |date=2006-01-25 | accessdate = 2008-05-06] Also during this time, Bell formed a new side-band called The Relationshipcite web | last = | first = | url = http://www.myspace.com/therelationship | title = The Relationship | format = | work = | publisher =Myspace | date= | accessdate = 2008-05-06] while Wilson started work on material for the next Special Goodness album.cite web | last =Wilson | first =Patrick | url = http://thespecialgoodness.com/2006/08/hiatus.html | title = Hiatus | format = | work = | publisher =The Special Goodness.com |date=2006-08-13 | accessdate = 2008-05-06] He also had a second child, Ian Patrick Wilson, with his wife in early 2008.cite web | last =Koch | first =Karl | url = http://www.weezer.com/news/default.aspx/nid/13281 | title = 01/31/08 See That Baby? He's Flyin' Across That Sky... | format = | work = | publisher =Weezer.com|date=2008-01-31 | accessdate = 2008-05-06]

The band announced in June 2007 that recording sessions for the album would begin in July.cite web | last =Koch | first =Karl | url = http://makebelieve.weezer.com/community/news_comment.asp?ParentAssetID=1570035&ArtistID=479&Start=&FullStory=Y&type= | title = 06/25/07 Message From Rivers | format = | work = | publisher =Weezer.com | date=2007-06-25 | accessdate = 2008-05-06] In December of 2007, Cuomo released "," which featured home demos that Cuomo has recorded from 1992-2007.cite web | last = Zeiss | first = John | url = http://www.prefixmag.com/blog/rivers-cuomo-alone-demos/7539 | title = Rivers Cuomo To Release Demo Collection | format = | work = | publisher =Prefix Magazine | date=2007-10-15 | accessdate = 2008-05-06] It was also during this time that a mysterious website called "albumsix.com" began gaining attention.cite web | last =Kreps | first =Daniel | url = http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2007/05/15/weezer-album-six-in-the-works/ | title = Weezer: Album Six In The Works? | format = | work = | publisher =Rolling Stone | date=2007-05-15 | accessdate = 2008-05-06] The website gave false information about the album such as the album title would be "Tout Ensemble" and a fake release date.cite web | last =Cohen | first =Jonathan | url = http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/search/google/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003676619 | title = Weezer Rallies The 'Ensemble' | format = | work = | publisher =Billboard | date=2007-11-21 | accessdate = 2008-05-06] The website fooled several news outlets such as Pitchfork Media and "Rolling Stone".cite web | last =Kreps | first =Daniel | url =http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2007/11/09/albumsixcom-is-real-announces-weezers-sixth-album-release-date/ | title = Albumsix.com Is Real, Announces Weezer’s Sixth Album Release Date | format = | work = | publisher =Rolling Stone | date=2007-11-09 | accessdate = 2008-05-06] cite web | last =Solarski | first =Matthew | url =http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/47217-weezer-lp6-site-declared-hoax-ialonei-pushed-back | title = Weezer LP6 Site Declared Hoax, Alone Pushed Back | format = | work = | publisher =Pitchfork Media | date=2007-11-27 | accessdate = 2008-05-06] The website was later revealed to be a hoax by some fans with band historian/webmaster Karl Koch stating on Weezer's official website:

Recording process

At the beginning of the album's creation each Weezer member asked themselves what they wanted to get out of the album. With that in mind, they set out to record. Recording was done in three sessions. Half of the album was recorded during the Spring of 2007 with Rick Rubin overseeing production. The second session, started in July and finished on October 18, was produced by Weezer themselves at Malibu. The third, and final session of recording was done at the request of Geffen records, who claimed that there was not enough commercial material on the album. This session was produced by Jacknife Lee and completed in March 2008.cite web | last =Koch | first =Karl | url =http://makebelieve.weezer.com/community/news_comment.asp?ParentAssetID=1602681&ArtistID=479&Start=&FullStory=Y&type=| title = 10/16/07 A Message From Weezer | format = | work = | publisher =Weezer.com |date=2007-10-16 | accessdate = 2008-05-08] In the first podcast released on www.riverspodcast.com, Rivers mentioned playing drums on two songs on the album. In a recent interview with Pitchfork Media, Cuomo stated the album will contain "longer songs, non-traditional song forms, different people writing and singing, instrument switching, TR-808s, synths, Southern rap, and baroque counterpoint."cite web | last =Crock| first =Jason | url =http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/48163-interview-rivers-cuomo | title = Interview: Rivers Cuomo | format = | work = | publisher =Pitchfork Media |date=2008-01-28 | accessdate = 2008-05-08]

Writing and composition

The majority of the album's content was written by Rivers Cuomo. However, for the first time since their debut album other members of the band contributed songwriting as well.cite web | last =Crock| first =Jason | url =http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/48163-interview-rivers-cuomo | title = Interview: Rivers Cuomo | format = | work = | publisher =Pitchfork Media |date=2008-01-28 | accessdate = 2008-05-08] Cuomo conscientiously strived to write less traditionally-structured songs, breaking away from the "verse-chorus--verse-chorus-bridge" structure that was present on past albums.cite web | last =Simon| first =Scott | url =http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91424817 | title = Weezer's Rivers Cuomo Tries Reinvention | format = | work = | publisher =NPR |date=2008-06-14 | accessdate = 2008-06-18] Much of the album's subject matter is rooted in past experiences and nostalgia.

"Pork and Beans" is the first single to be released from the album. "Troublemaker" was originally considered to be the album's first single but later was switched with "Pork and Beans." It was written by Cuomo as a reaction to a meeting with Geffen where the band was told it needed to record more-commercial material.cite news |title=Spring Album Preview |work=Issue #1050 |publisher="Rolling Stone"|page=32 |accessdate=2008-04-21] Jacknife Lee produced the track with the band in early 2008 during the third and final session for the record.

"The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (Variations on a Shaker Hymn)" is a track that includes piano, police sirens, and Cuomo singing in

"Heart Songs" is about all the artists and records that have influenced Cuomo from Gordon Lightfoot's "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" when he was 5 years old to Nirvana's "Nevermind".cite web | last =Montgomery | first =James | url =http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1536119/20060711/weezer.jhtml?headlines=true | title = Rivers Cuomo Says Weezer Are 'Done' For Now — Again | format = | work = | publisher =MTV News |date=2006-07-12 | accessdate = 2008-05-08] A multitude of other artists from the most diverse musical genres are cited throughout the song. In order, these are: Cat Stevens, Joan Baez, Eddie Rabbitt, ABBA, Devo, Pat Benatar, John Lennon, Bruce Springsteen, Grover Washington, Jr., Quiet Riot, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Slayer, Debbie Gibson, Michael Jackson, Rick Astley and DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince (though he only refers to Will Smith on the song, in the verse "if the Fresh Prince starts a fight/don't you worry for too long/'cause you know, these are the songs").

"Everybody Get Dangerous" is featured briefly in the film "21".cite web | last =Maher | first =Dave | url =http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/49674-weezer-reveal-new-album-title-or-april-fools-joke| title = Weezer Reveal New Album Title? Or April Fool's Joke? | format = | work = | publisher =Pitchfork Media |date=2008-04-01 | accessdate = 2008-05-08] The song was not included on the official soundtrack release. Cuomo's childhood friend Adam Orth recently commented on the autobiographical element of this song.cite web | last =Orth| first =Adam | url =http://web.mac.com/adamorth/adam_orth/words./Entries/2008/6/3_we_should_have_died_a_long_time_ago..html | title = We Should Have Died A Long Time Ago | format = | work = | publisher =web.mac.com |date=2008-06-03 | accessdate = 2008-06-18]

"Dreamin'" was formerly known as "Daydreamer" and was described in the liner notes to as an "epic, 6-minute, symphonic type of art song.""Alone: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo" booklet and liner notes] "This is the Way" was written as a more straightforward counterpart, and was originally selected by the band to be recorded for the Weezer album, but Cuomo persuaded the others to go with "Dreamin'" instead."Alone: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo" booklet and liner notes]

"Thought I Knew" was also the name of a song by Brian Bell's band The Relationship, and is a reworking and re-recording of the track with Weezer sung as a lead vocal by Brian Bell. The song was originally written in a minor key."Weezer (The Red Album)" Deluxe Edition booklet and liner notes] However, Bell felt that historically the band's songs haven't worked in minor and that the song needed to felt more uplifting. So he changed the song from minor to major and sped up the tempo."Weezer (The Red Album)" Deluxe Edition booklet and liner notes]

"Cold Dark World" is a song that was written by Rivers Cuomo and Scott Shriner and features Shriner on lead vocals. Shriner commented, "...I wrote this kind of creepy music, and Rivers wrote these kind of happy, positive lyrics, but when you put it together, it made a super-creepy song which I'm really proud of."cite web | last =Radke| first =Ronnie | url =http://web.mac.com/adamorth/adam_orth/words./Entries/2008/6/3_we_should_have_died_a_long_time_ago..html | title = Weezer Bassist Spills to Buzznet About New Album, 'Insane and Surreal' Video | format = | work = | publisher =Buzznet |date=2008-05-14 | accessdate = 2008-06-18]

"Automatic" was remixed by LA Riots for the upcoming video game "Gran Turismo 5 Prologue".cite web | last =Maher | first =Dave | url =http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/49674-weezer-reveal-new-album-title-or-april-fools-joke| title = Weezer Reveal New Album Title? Or April Fool's Joke? | format = | work = | publisher =Pitchfork Media |date=2008-04-01 | accessdate = 2008-05-08] This track features Patrick Wilson on lead vocals. Wilson commented, "This song is interesting. It's a big rock tune but it's kinda got a vibe to it and the lyrics are just about me wanting to give as much love as I can to my family...""Weezer (The Red Album)" Deluxe Edition booklet and liner notes]

"The Angel and the One" is the album closer. Some members of the band have claimed that this is their favorite track, including Pat Wilson."Weezer (The Red Album)" Deluxe Edition booklet and liner notes] Cuomo described the writing process of the song, "It started out as a really standard pop song called 'bad girl' and had a verse and a chorus and bridge and all that stuff. And I just wasn't satisfied with it. It was too normal. So one day I sat down with my acoustic guitar and I just played [this] song over and over, on basically looping it. My fingers hurt so much, I just kept playing it. And over the hour that I was playing it, the song slowly evolved and it smoothed over and the sections blurred into each other. And it turned into this spiritual reverie that is really just one long development without any distinction between sections.""Weezer (The Red Album)" Deluxe Edition booklet and liner notes]

"Pig" leaked as a demo in early 2007, this song details the life of a pig including playing in the mud as a piglet, falling in love, getting married, raising children and eventually being slaughtered.cite web | last = | first = | url =http://www.twelvemajorchords.com/?p=461| title = New Weezer Demo - Rivers Cuomo Pigs Out! | format = | work = | publisher =Twelve Major Chords|date=2007-05-19 | accessdate = 2008-05-08] The final version of the track appears on the deluxe edition of the Weezer album.

"King" is the last song on the deluxe edition of the Weezer album and is sung by Scott Shriner. In the liner notes for the deluxe edition Scott says that the song was not being voted by the rest of the band but was one of his favorite tracks from the demos Rivers played for the band. One day Scott called up Rivers and demanded the band add the song on the album, Rivers responded by saying that if he [Scott] wanted the song so bad he should sing it, and so he did. The song apparently took the longest to record and perfect, taking three weeks."Weezer (The Red Album)" Deluxe Edition booklet and liner notes]

Artwork

The album's cover debuted on Spinner.com on April 21, 2008.cite web | last =Spinella | first =Mike | url = http://www.spinner.com/2008/04/21/weezer-unveil-the-red-album-cover/ | title = Weezer Unveil the 'Red Album' Cover | format = | work = | publisher =Spinner.com | date=2008-04-21 |accessdate = 2007-05-04] It features the band members Brian Bell, Patrick Wilson, Rivers Cuomo and Scott Shriner in various outfits standing left to right in front of a red backdrop, and is in a manner similar to their debut and 2001 album. The cover was photographed by Sean Murphy.cite web | last =Montgomery | first =James | url = http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1586108/20080423/weezer.jhtml | title = Weezer's Awkward Red Album Cover Is The Real Deal, 'Not A Joke' Publicist Confirms | format = | work = | publisher =MTV | date=2008-04-23 |accessdate = 2007-05-04] Pitchfork Media writer Amy Phillips compared the cover to the Village People saying, "Meet the new Village People: The Bartender, the Professor, the Cowboy, and the Biker."cite web | last =Phillips | first =Amy | url = http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/50108-is-this-really-the-new-weezer-album-cover | title = Is This Really the New Weezer Album Cover? | format = | work = | publisher =Pitchfork Media | date=2008-04-21 |accessdate = 2007-05-04] The cover received mixed reactions from fans wondering if the cover was a hoax.cite web | last = | first = | url = http://www.punknews.org/article/28643 | title = Weezer cover is "Not a Joke" | format = | work = | publisher =Punknews.org | date=2008-04-24 |accessdate = 2007-05-04] cite web | last = | first = | url = http://idolator.com/382447/weezer-is-now-just-messing-with-everyone | title = Weezer Is Now Just Messing With Everyone | format = | work = | publisher =Idolator.com | date=2008-04-01 |accessdate = 2008-04-22] cite web | last =Montgomery | first =James | url = http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1586108/20080423/weezer.jhtml | title = Weezer's Awkward Red Album Cover Is The Real Deal, 'Not A Joke' Publicist Confirms | format = | work = | publisher =MTV | date=2008-04-23 |accessdate = 2007-05-04] The cover was reconfirmed by the band's publicist Jim Merlis, "Yes, that's absolutely the cover. It's what they chose. They looked at a bunch of mockups, and that's the one they decided to go with. It's not a joke."cite web | last = | first = | url = http://www.punknews.org/article/28643 | title = Weezer cover is "Not a Joke" | format = | work = | publisher =Punknews.org | date=2008-04-24 |accessdate = 2007-05-04]

From a Buzznet.com interview with Scott Shriner:cquote|"The cover for The Red Album was kind of ... a happy accident," Shriner said. "We had a whole 'nother set of photographs that we wanted to be the cover and nothing that we were looking at ever matched up to what we felt that album sounded like and represents for us. Our art director got that photo [the official album cover] , which originally was a fun photo. 'OK, everybody, go as your alter ego, and we'll take a kooky picture,' [he said.] He [the art director] put the red background behind that, and that's what felt like the strongest image that matched how we feel the album sounds."

Like the album cover, the album itself was very much a group effort. While many tend to assume that most Weezer material was scribed by Cuomo, Shriner insists that, "We all wrote music on the record. [Drummer] Pat [Wilson] and [guitarist] Brian [Bell] wrote songs, and we all sing lead vocals on songs and sing leads on different verses and choruses."cite web | last =Radke| first =Ronnie | url =http://web.mac.com/adamorth/adam_orth/words./Entries/2008/6/3_we_should_have_died_a_long_time_ago..html | title = Weezer Bassist Spills to Buzznet About New Album, 'Insane and Surreal' Video | format = | work = | publisher =Buzznet |date=2008-05-14 | accessdate = 2008-06-18] |cquote

Release

On April 1, 2008, "Rolling Stone" reported that the album would once again be self-titled and become known as "The Red Album", with the first single being titled "Pork and Beans".cite web | last =| first = | url =http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2008/04/01/spring-music-preview-weezer-unveil-familiar-title-for-new-album/| title = Spring Music Preview: Weezer Unveil Familiar Title for New Album | format = | work = | publisher =Rolling Stone |date=2008-04-01 | accessdate = 2008-05-08] Weezer later announced that the release date had been moved up to June 3, 2008, from June 24, 2008. It got released on June 16, 2008 in the United Kingdom in a standard edition with 2 bonus tracks, and a deluxe digipak including 6 bonus tracks. On May 7, 2008, the first 8 tracks from the album were leaked to the internet, leading to mixed responses from Weezer message boards and fan blogs. On May 26, 2008, the final two tracks from the album were leaked along with bonus cover "The Weight". On May 31, 2008, the 4 bonus tracks from the US Deluxe Edition were leaked.

ales

Notes

External links

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