Weezer

Pinkerton

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Editor's Review:

Successful second efforts from music artists are infamously known as the hardest milestone to pass. Often referred to as the Sophomore Slump, many rock bands have delivered lackluster second albums to the public. In the case of Weezer, this old adage rings true. Pinkerton is the second release of a rock band whose first album did rather well, with campy tunes like "The Sweater Song" and "Buddy Holly" and a cleverly filmed video companion. Weezer's first record set a standard of cheesy alternative rock that combined the elements of bubble-gum pop and the hard edge of grunge to create a real winner in the realm of college rock. Unfortunately, Weezer's music doesn't appeal to everyone, and this album represents nothing more than the continuance of that style created with the first record.
According to the slick press release sent out with the CD, Weezer's oh-so-sensitive lead singer and guitarist, Rivers Cuomo, wrote most of these songs in the same order they appear on the album, indicating some sort of noticeable progression throughout the album, but no form of genius is evident. What is evident is the content of most of Cuomo's lyrics; sappy, whiny tales of his life with girls and his tortured soul and mind. Jams that have power and good grooves do exist on Pinkerton, such as the rhythmic riffs on "The Good Life," but the songs are eventually inundated by the trademark Weezer sound. Weezer also cleverly implements funky instrumentation, like the groovy synthesizer on the record's first track, "Tired of Sex", but once again, Cuomo chimes in with his whining and the music slips back into the realm of predictable alternative rock.
Pinkerton definitely has its moments, but there are not enough of them to hold this record together. There are Weezer fans who have made the album take off in sales, and that shows the band's appeal, but as a sophomore effort, Pinkerton stumbles into the pitfall of the dreaded slump.
-Max Sidman

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Record Label Geffen Records

Released September 1996

Tracks

1. Tired Of Sex
2. Getchoo
3. No Other One
4. Why Bother?
5. Across The Sea
6. Good Life, The
7. El Scorcho
8. Pink Triangle
9. Falling For You
10. Butterfly

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Weezer

Bio[+]

Weezer began making a name for themselves when their self-titled 1994 debut album spawned three modern alternative rock staples (“Undone,” “Buddy Holly,” and “Say It Ain’t So”). After a hiatus (during which singer / guitarist Rivers Cuomo attended Harvard University), the group reconvened to record their highly anticipated follow up, Pinkerton, which did not surpass the popularity of their first album. Bassist Matt Sharp left the group to work on his other musical project The Rentals, and was replaced with Mikey Welsh (ex-Juliana Hatfield bassist). Weezer dropped out of sight for over a year, fueling rumors of their breakup. However, the group re-emerged in 2000 on the Vans Warped Tour and released their second self-titled record (often referred to as The Green Album) to excellent reviews. Unbeknownst to the band, their fan base had grown exponentially during their hiatus, and the group easily dusted off their collective alternative rock-god crown. Maladroit was released a year later, and currently, the group is reinventing themselves as the next Kiss.

– Maurice S. Teilmann (August, 2002)