Weezer’s Pinkerton is the second studio album by Weezer, released on September 24, 1996. The album was produced by the band and was Weezer’s last album with bassist Matt Sharp.
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Overview
The album is named after the lead character in Madame Butterfly, Lt. Benjamin Franklin Pinkerton. In an interview with Guitar World, Cuomo said that he “became obsessed” with the opera while writing the album. Many of the songs on Pinkerton are about Cuomo’s failed relationship with a Japanese woman he met while touring in Asia.
Pinkerton was not as successful as Weezer’s debut album, but has since been considered a cult classic among Weezer fans. In 2002, Cuomo said that Pinkerton was “the most important album Weezer will ever make”. In 2017, Spin ranked it the fourth-best Weezer album.
Track listing:
1. “Tired of Sex”
2. “Getchoo”
3. “No Other One”
4. “Why Bother?”
5. “Across the Sea”
6. “The Good Life”
7. “El Scorcho”
8. “Pink Triangle”
9. “Falling for You”
10. “Butterfly”
Background
Weezer’s 1994 self-titled album, also known as the “Blue Album”, is the band’s debut studio album. The album was released on May 10, 1994 by DGC Records. Weezer was produced by Cars frontman Ric Ocasek and recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York City from August to September 1993.
The Blue Album was a critical and commercial success. It peaked at number sixteen on the Billboard 200 and received positive reviews from music critics. The singles “Buddy Holly”, “Undone – The Sweater Song” and “Say It Ain’t So” became Weezer’s most successful songs to date, each charting within the top ten of multiple Billboard rock charts.
“Buddy Holly” was Weezer’s breakthrough hit and its music video was directed by Spike Jonze and aired frequently on MTV. The video, which cost less than $50,000 to produce, became an instant success and helped propel the album to commercial success. “Undone – The Sweater Song” was Weezer’s second single and its music video was also directed by Spike Jonze. “Say It Ain’t So” was Weezer’s third single and its music video was directed by Kevin Kerslake.
The Blue Album has been certified triple platinum in the United States and Canada and has sold over four million copies worldwide. In 2006, Weezer released a deluxe edition of the album to celebrate its tenth anniversary. The reissue included B-sides, demos, and previously unreleased tracks. In 2016, Weezer released a “White Album” deluxe edition to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the album’s release.
Weezer’s 1996 self-titled album is considered to be one of the best albums of the 1990s. It was ranked number fifty-nine on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and number thirteen on Pitchfork Media’s list of The Top 100 Albums of the 1990s. Weezer’s debut album is also one of the most influential albums of the 1990s. It has been credited with helping to revive interest in guitar-driven rock music and inspiring a wave of “geek rock” bands. Weezer’s self-titled album is also considered to be one of the best pop punk albums of all time.
Pinkerton, on the other hand, was released in 1996 to mixed reviews. The album was a commercial disappointment compared to their debut, but has since been regarded as one of the best albums of the 1990s.
Pinkerton was recorded during a difficult time for the band. The album is often considered to be one of the most important albums of the 1990s. It influenced a generation of musicians and helped to shape the sound of alternative rock.
Rivers Cuomo at Harvard
Rivers Cuomo, the frontman of American rock band Weezer, enrolled at Harvard University in 1995. He took a leave of absence in 1997 to record the band’s third album, but returned to complete his degree in English in 2005. Rivers Cuomo is one of the few successful musicians to also have a college degree.
Cuomo has said that Pinkerton is “a very personal record,” and that it is “the most autobiographical” album he has ever made. He has also said that the album is “about coming to terms with the fact that you’re not always gonna be happy.”
In an interview with Pitchfork, Cuomo spoke about how the album deals with his feelings of loneliness and isolation:
“A lot of these songs are about me feeling really alone and really misunderstood by the world. I was really struggling at that time. I was living in a van, I was traveling around by myself, and I just felt very alone. And a lot of these songs are me crying out for help, or trying to make sense of why the world doesn’t seem to be giving me what I want.”
Cuomo has also said that the album is “a very dark record,” and that it deals with “a lot of really heavy subject matter.” He has said that h was inspired by the work of Kurt Cobain, and that Pinkerton is “an attempt to make something as beautiful and compelling as Nevermind.”
Pinkerton was a commercial failure, selling only 810,000 copies worldwide. Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo has said that the album’s failure “hurt really bad.”
In an interview with Rolling Stone in 2016, Cuomo reflected on the album’s failure: “It felt like such a personal rejection at the time. I think I was just really immature and didn’t understand that it’s not all about you… I’m really proud of that record now.”
Despite its commercial failure, Pinkerton is now considered to be one of Weezer’s best albums by fans and critics alike.
Madame Butterfly
Pinkerton was heavily influenced by Madame Butterfly. Madame Butterfly is a tragic opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini, set to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa.
This opera tells the story of a young Japanese geisha who falls in love with an American naval officer and is left heartbroken when he abandons her. The opera was first performed at La Scala in Milan in 1904.
Madame Butterfly has become one of the most popular operas in the repertoire, and is often performed around the world.
Madame Butterfly is one of the great tragic love stories of all time. Puccini’s music is beautiful and heartbreaking, and the story will stay with you long after you see it. If you’re looking for an opera that will move you, Madame Butterfly is the perfect choice.
More About Weezer
Weezer was formed on February 14, 1992, in Los Angeles by Cuomo, bassist Matt Sharp, and drummer Patrick Wilson. Weezer’s debut album, Weezer (“The Blue Album”), was released on May 10, 1994. The album was a commercial success, selling over three million copies in the United States.
The success of The Blue Album led to a worldwide tour that included dates in Japan, Australia, and the UK. Weezer’s second album, Pinkerton, was released on September 24, 1996. The album was a commercial and critical disappointment, selling only 1.8 million copies in the US and receiving mixed reviews. Weezer’s third album, Weezer (“The Green Album”), was released on May 15, 2001.
The album sold over three million copies in the US and received positive reviews from critics. Weezer’s fourth album, Maladroit, was released on May 14, 2002. The album sold over two million copies in the US and received positive reviews from critics.
Weezer’s fifth album, Make Believe, was released on May 10, 2005. The album sold over two million copies in the US and received mixed reviews from critics. Weezer’s sixth album, Weezer (“The Red Album”), was released on June 3, 2008. The album sold over one million copies in the US and received positive reviews from critics.
Weezer’s seventh album, Hurley, was released on September 14, 2010. The album sold over two million copies in the US and received mixed reviews from critics. Weezer’s eighth album, Everything Will Be Alright in the End, was released on October 7, 2014.
The album sold over one million copies in the US and received positive reviews from critics. Weezer’s ninth album, Weezer (“The White Album”), was released on April 1, 2016. The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 and received positive reviews from critics. Weezer’s tenth album, Pacific Daydream, was released on October 27, 2017. The album sold over one million copies in the US and received mixed reviews from critics.
Weezer has released eleven studio albums, two compilations, a live album, and a DVD. Weezer has sold 9.2 million albums in the US and over 35 million worldwide. Weezer has been nominated for five Grammy Awards, winning Best Alternative Music Album for Weezer (“The Blue Album”) and Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for “Beverly Hills”. In 2010, Rolling Stone ranked Weezer number 61 on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
In 1994, Weezer won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Alternative Music Video for “Buddy Holly”. Weezer has been nominated for fourteen additional MTV Video Music Awards, winning two more in 2006 for Best Group Video and Best Rock Video for “Perfect Situation”. Cuomo was ranked ninth on Spinner’s list of the 22 Greatest Living Songwriters in 2010, and Weezer was ranked second on Paste’s list of 50 Best Live Bands of All Time in 2009. In 2020, Weezer was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Rivers Cuomo’s inspiration for Pinkerton
Rivers Cuomo, the frontman of the American rock band Weezer, has been open about his struggles with depression. In an interview with Rolling Stone in 2018, he spoke candidly about how depression has affected him both personally and professionally.
“It’s something that I’ve dealt with my whole life,” Cuomo said. “I think a lot of people can relate to feeling like you’re not good enough or feeling like you’re not doing anything important.”
Cuomo said that his depression often manifests itself as perfectionism, and that it can be crippling when it comes to creating new music.
“I’ll get into these spirals where I’m just convinced that what I’m working on is garbage and everyone is going to hate it,” he said. “I’ll get so down that I can’t write anything at all.”
Cuomo added that he’s grateful to have Weezer as an outlet for his creativity, and that the band has helped him through some dark times.
“Making music with Weezer is one of the things that keeps me going,” he said. “It’s such a great feeling to be able to connect with people through our music.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with depression, there are resources available. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides 24/7, free, and confidential support for people in distress, as well as prevention and crisis resources. You can call them at 1-800-273-8255, or visit their website for more information.
Bands influenced by Weezer’s Pinkerton
Since its release in 1996, Pinkerton has been hugely influential for bands across a wide range of genres. Here are just a few of the bands who have cited Pinkerton as an influence:
-Indie rockers Death Cab for Cutie drew comparisons to Pinkerton with their 2003 album Transatlanticism, which shares many of the same themes of love and loss.
-Emo pioneers The Get Up Kids were heavily influenced by Pinkerton when they wrote their 1999 album Something to Write Home About.
-Pop punk band New Found Glory named Pinkerton as one of their biggest influences, and even covered the song “El Scorcho” on their 2002 album Sticks and Stones.
-Post-hardcore band Brand New drew comparisons to Pinkerton with their debut album Your Favorite Weapon, which was released just a year after Pinkerton.
-And of course, Weezer themselves have continued to be influenced by Pinkerton, as evidenced by their 2010 album Hurley which contains many references to the album.
The bottom line on Weezer’s Pinkerton
Weezer’s Pinkerton is widely regarded as one of the band’s best albums, despite its initially mixed reception. The album’s complex and personal lyrics, along with its experimental sound, have helped it to stand the test of time.
While the album may not have been a commercial success at the time of its release, Weezer’s loyal fanbase has kept Pinkerton alive, and it continues to be an important part of the band’s catalogue. Weezer’s willingness to experiment and take risks on Pinkerton has undoubtedly paid off in the long run, and the album remains one of their most beloved works.
