Weezer's Pinkerton Gets The Expanded Treatment

What really needs to be said about Weezer's Pinkerton that hasn't already been said, written, or talked about? We all pretty much know that this was the career defining moment for Weezer. Pinkerton is the album that pretty much made the group and put them on the map in 1996. The record was/is so good that in the fourteen years since it's release they've tried to match its grandeur with little success. The record has become so influential and so important that there is a current campaign to raise money ($10 million) for the band to just retire now and never make another record with the knowledge that their first two albums are and always will be their best.

So here we are now with an expanded edition of Pinkerton that re-masters the album and adds a whole second disc of live and rare tracks that until this point Weezer had probably hidden in a shoe box. Rather than reviewing the actual album which the world pretty much acknowledges as one of the most important indie rock records (although it was on DGC) of the last 20 years, lets take a look at all the additional material that's never been released. Starting on disc one and taking all of disc two, the unreleased material features ten live tracks, several radio mixes and alternate takes, as well as a bunch of unreleased songs. It's a lot of material that pretty much plays out like a complete live album, b-sides collection, and a few promo singles thrown in. This two disc set is massive and while I really don't need to hear three versions of "Tired of Sex," live, I love just about every one of the radio mixes, and unreleased works that are included here.

Weezer are clearly one of those bands, like Oasis, whose b-sides and unreleased tunes are just as good as the material that makes up their records. The nine exclusives and b-sides spread out here could almost be a complete second album in and of itself. The tunes are so solid and so good that they might even be better than some of the material released after Pinkerton came out. Songs like "Long Time Sunshine," and "Getting Up and Leaving," show an emotional Weezer that can find rays of pop goodness amongst a sea of darkness. Whether it's a minimal piano tune or a drawn out grungy guitar work out, Weezer continually sound so fresh and so fun. There's a reason why front man Rivers Cuomo has always been an indie poster child and you can hear the reasons on just about every song on this record...the guy is an emotional train wreck and he spills his guts in the name of pop music.

Whether or not you find this record important enough to buy is dependent on how much you actually like Weezer. If you love them a lot, or know that Pinkerton is pretty much the essential Weezer album, you'll find this two disc collection an interesting slice of history and a fascinating peek into the album that made Weezer who they are. For those of you who have a passing interest or already have Pinkerton, you can probably live without it. If you've never heard of Weezer at all...go buy the Blue Album and Pinkerton (non special edition) and discover the joys of nerd pop.

Weezer Comesback For Hurley

I'll be the first to admit that I fell off the Weezer bandwagon, somewhere after the Green Album. This once legendary band seemed to have lost the plot and it kind of made sense...three albums in and things like that were bound to happen. By the time they put Green Album behind them, the world had moved on and kind of left them behind and yet Weezer were a persistent bunch they kept recording and plugging away. Now, ages after their last officially good record, they stumbled upon Hurley. Featuring a huge picture of Jorge Garcia aka Hurley from LOST, the record is a return to form for the band and a loving tribute to one of the quirkiest characters to be on TV.

Hurley isn't necessarily anything new or different, but it seems as though front man Rivers Cuomo found his mojo again and has come up with a whole batch of songs that you'll want to listen to more than once. Weezer have really made a play at being the great band they were here and if there's such a thing as a comeback for indie bands I would say that Hurley is one heck of an attempt at one. With enough power pop guitar fireworks, soaring melodies, humor, cynicism, and a strange feeling of getting old Weezer are on the mark throughout this record. Hurley is a melodic treat that speeds along faster than Ben from LOST could ever hope to move the island and before you know it the whole thing has vanished...just like the island.

Anyway, time shifts aside, the gang might look older (except Rivers "Richard" Cuomo oddly enough) but it hasn't gotten them down, instead they seem to have channeled that wisdom into each and every song here and truly made something special. I would say that over half of the songs on Hurley are easily better than anything they've written in the last five years and the album as a whole it's amongst their four best. This is a band that's re-focused, sharp, sarcastic, and back on their game and to think it all came about because of Hurley. I have thoroughly enjoyed this stupendously good power pop record; it's energy and songs are infectious and sound as fresh as their Blue Album did 16 years ago. Weezer are back and they don't look a day over 5 albums old.

Weezer Get Rad

It's hard to believe but it's been sixteen years since Weezer's debut album was released. That's crazy to even think about and it's even crazier to think that Weezer would still be releasing albums that people would even care about. But, here they are in 2009 still cranking out music, releasing albums, and touring endlessly. Truly like the elder statesmen that they are, Weezer are still quite good at what they do and while they might not generate the kind of buzz they once did with albums like Pinkerton their latest album Raditude isn't exactly a throwaway kind of affair either.

With all the power pop spunk that made them famous still in tact, Weezer ploughs through the ten songs of Raditude as if their career was riding on it...and while it might after so many years, the band really have nothing to worry about. While this in, no way, shape, or form resembles their first two albums, Raditude is a blast of punchy pop that shows Rivers Cuomo still has the chops to write sugary treats that are cross generational and oh so delectable. Weezer for all intensive purposes sound no different then they have over the last decade. I mean why should they change a formula that has literally made them indie rock legends? They know that, we know that, and we know what exactly to expect when you pick up one of their records. Think of Weezer as comfort food for your ears; you know you're going to like what they play no matter what decade their in and Raditude lives up to those expectations.

Raditude is packed with jumpy riffs that have Rock Band written all over them and it's all sandwiched together with ridiculous choruses, lots of oohs and ahhs, and a sense of humor that only Rivers could have. I have to admit, I didn't think this record stood a chance, but I was wrong, Raditude is really a good pop record that seems like the band has found a second spark. It's packed to the gills with top notch power pop songs that are more addictive than crack and a sense of fun that's lost on so much of today's music. When the band says they, "Can't Stop Partying," you can't help but join them because Weezer definitely knows how to have a good time and it always involves great tunes...like the ones that make Raditude awesome. Nice to have you back guys.