Guitar World article - December 1994
| Print interview with Rivers Cuomo | |
|---|---|
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| Publication | Guitar World (Link) |
| Published | December 1994 |
| Interviewer | Tom Beaujour |
| Interviewee | Rivers Cuomo |
| Title | Guitar Fatigue |
| Format | |
| External link | [citation needed] |
| References | See where this article is referenced on Weezerpedia |
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Guitar Fatigue WHEN WEEZER ENTERED New York's Electric Ladyland to record their stellar DGC debut, they stumbled into a real-life time warp. The studio, which was built by Jimi Hendrix and used by such rock legends as Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones and Kiss, has not changed much since the late Sixties. "They haven't remodeled, so it's really authentic - like weird murals on the wall and stuff," says Weezer lead singer/guitarist and principal songwriter Rivers Cuomo, "Every time I went to the bathroom, I'd think, 'Man, this is a toilet that Ace Frehley took a crap on!'" While Rivers is currently a card-carrying citizen of the Alternative Nation, the 23-year-old Connecticut native grew up on the stuffed crotch metal of the early Eighties. "Back when I was like 13 or 14 - so I forgive myself - I was super into Quiet Riot and Mötley Crüe. And, of course, I was into Kiss, but that was really early on. I pretty much learned how to play guitar by learning their songs off the record and stuff - and from guitar magazines too," Cuomo says. Since moving to L.A. - with a metal band - a few years ago, Cuomo has made a concerted effort to shed the shred chops he'd worked so hard to develop in favor of more restrained post-punk crunchings: "It was a major conscious decision to stop playing that way. My whole value system changed about five years ago when I went from being 'Metal Guy,' practising all the time and trying to be good technically, to just trying to play something simple and melodic. Hopefully, over the years, it will sound more natural. It also helps to get a guitar that's really hard to play, and to use big fat strings." Appropriately, the Weezer frontman plays a battered, mongrel Strat that a friend of his threw together for him. Apparently, the change of style paid off: on the strength of "Undone-The Sweater Song," Weezer is quickly becoming a household name. Cuomo is delighted, if a bit confused, by the song's success: "We fought really hard against having 'Sweater Song' released as our first single. But the record company was convinced that the song would be a hit. I thought it was crazy, but we let them go with it and I guess they were right. I just hope that people get to hear the other stuff on the album, 'cause that's definitely my least favorite song." "One thing that's nice about it," he continues, "is that it's very easy to play. There's three chords, and the melody has the range of a minor third - kinda like James Hetfield so basically, you can't fuck it up." |