What I Was Listening To 10 Years Ago : Weezer : Pinkerton

OK, so we're just barely over the ten year mark with this one. Pinkerton, by Weezer, was released September 24, 1996. I was reminded of this album while at a show this past Friday. I was in the "green room" with Richard Edwards from Margot and the Nuclear So & Sos and some friends. First, the "green room" is really just a 8 foot by 4 foot closet in the back of Club Spin. Everyone stands closely and some people smoke and laugh about silly jokes and how crammed in everyone is with one another, but no one leaves. Anyway, Richard busted out his guitar and tore into a great rendition of Weezer's Pink Triangle with America Owns The Moon former lead singer Christian Taylor. Everyone soon started singing along.

Pinkerton wasn't really a huge success for Weezer, in fact it was considered a huge commercial failure, especially after the success of the Blue Album. It's now probably looked at by many of Weezer's "true fans" to be the favorite or defining album. El Scorcho, at the time was a total flop as a first single, but I listen to it now and love every second. I was talking to my friend, Naomi, about the album and she said, "...every song, from start to finish, just spoke to me, related to what I felt was going on in my life at the time. You could just feel every bit of emotion."

This struck me funny today because she's kind of "emo" (I guess more "post-emo" now) and I read a funny line in an Amazon review about this album being the album that started the whole "emo" movement. At the time, I was looking forward to it because I really liked the Blue Album, but I was slow to take to this album. In fact, like Rivers Cuomo, after the "failure" of this album, I took many years off from it and Weezer. I maybe should've call this one "What I Was Listening To 10 Years Ago And Then Not So Much And Now A Lot More Than I Did Then."

I was able to see Weezer perform in 1995 in Louisville for only a $1.50. It was an awesome show at was what was then called the Brewery Thunderdome. I've passed on just about every other opportunity since actually.

From The Experts: "Whatever the reason, Pinkerton soon disappeared, which is a shame because it's a great album. Whereas Weezer reveled in the band's geek-rock image, Pinkerton saw Rivers Cuomo maturing as a lyricist. From the opening, "Tired of Sex," which rants about the frustrating easiness of groupies, to the new wave pop of "Getchoo" to the epic genius of "The Good Life," there's much more diversity here than the Pixies - influenced bouncy grunge of their debut. With the closing solo, the acoustic lament "Butterfly," Cuomo demonstrates a pop mastery that promises great things from this reformed geek." - Robert Burrow

Weezer - Pink Triangle
Weezer - El Scorcho

Other places to find out more: Pinkerton Wiki