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 In a last ditch effort to save Pinkerton and get a song on the radio, the band went into the studio to re-record [[Pink Triangle]].  Matt, being absent to record the new Rentals album, was replaced temporarily by a studio bassist.  Without Matt to help finish up the remaining Pinkerton demos ([[Getting Up and Leaving]], [[I Swear It's True]]) the label decided to release Pink Triangle as a radio promo disc rather than a commercial single.  Accordingly, [[Karl Koch]] directed the Pink Triangle video.  Pink Triangle was fairly unsuccessful as a single.
-===''The Green Album''===
+===Hiatus===
+Following Pinkerton's commercial disappointment, the band went their separate ways to work on side projects.  Matt Sharp went to Europe to write and record the next Rentals album, Brian continued his work on Space Twins and Pat began to organize what he envisioned to be the Special Goodness album.  Meanwhile, Rivers dropped out of Harvard and moved back to New England.
+====Rivers in Boston====
+Living in Boston, Rivers began to heavily focus on songwriting.  Most likely a direct result of Pinkerton flopping, Rivers wrote far less personal songs that told stories.  In the winter of 1998, he wrote Romantic, Medieval type songs such as [[Love in the Snow]].  Afterwards, he began writing songs for a new project, which he would commonly refer to as "goofball" or "country" songs.
+===Homie and the Rivers Cuomo Band===
+Looking for an outlet other than Weezer, Rivers began to work on a project called [[Homie]].  Homie would allow Rivers to release songs that did not fit into the Weezer catalogue.  To decide what songs would become Weezer songs and what songs would become Homie songs, Rivers played several shows in local Boston clubs.  The shows where Rivers tested out new Weezer material are referred to by fans as the [[The Rivers Cuomo Band|Rivers Cuomo Band]].
+====Show 1: Weezer tryout 1 of 3 (10/?/97 at "TT & the Bears" or "Axis")====
+With Rivers, there was [[Mikey Welsh]](of Chevy Heston, later to join Weezer) on bass, Kevin (of the Shods) and Zeph (from Chevy Heston and Stompbox) on drums.
+# [[Rosemary]]
+# [[1,000 Years]]
+# [[The Prettiest Girl In The Whole Wide World]]
+# [[Baby]]
+# [[Fun Time]]
+# [[American Girls]] (this is the "hard rock" version
+# [[Undone]]
+====Show 2: Weezer tryout 2 of 3 (10/?/97 at "The Paradise")====
+# Rosemary
+# 1,000 Years
+# The Prettiest Girl In The Whole Wide World
+# [[Little Sister]]
+# Baby
+# Say It Ain't So
+# Fun Time
+# American Girls (this is the "hard rock" version, which may be the bootlegged mp3 version- see solo show #1 above)
+# Undone
+====Show 3: Homie tryout 1 of 2 (11/4/97 at "The Middle East")====
+With Rivers, there was Kevin Stevenson of the Shods.
+# [[Autumn in Jayne]]
+# [[Hey M'Darlin']]
+# [[Sheila Can Do It]]
+# [[Think About]]
+# No One Else
+# [[Wanda (You're My Only Love)]]
+# [[Sunshine O]]
+# [[Stay Right Here]]
+# [[Hot Tub]]
+====Show 4: Homie tryout 2 of 2 (11/21/97 at "TT & the Bears")====
+# Autumn in Jayne
+# Hey M'Darlin'
+# Sheila Can Do [It]
+# Think About (AKA' sesame street')
+# The Good Life
+# Stay There
+# Wanda
+# Sunshine O
+# Fun Time
+# American Girls
+# Encore -- Hot Tub
+# No one else
+====Show 5: Weezer tryout 3 of 3 (1/14/98 at "TT and the Bears")====
+With Rivers, there was Pat Wilson on drums, Jake Zavrachy of Quick Fix and Boy Wonder, and ????
+# Rosemary
+# Getchoo
+# The Prettiest Girl in the Whole Wide World
+# No one else
+# Baby
+# Say it ain't so
+# Undone - the Sweater song
+# Only in dreams
+====Matt Sharp's departure====
+In a move that Karl has since claimed to save the band, Matt Sharp left Weezer in late 1997.  With tensions between the band high since Rivers took control, and with Matt's growing dissatisfaction as simply being a bass player, Matt decided that he wished to take The Rentals as his only project of focus.  Despite Rivers and Matt growing to have differences, the two remained fairly close shortly after his departure.  In fact, a bit after Matt left, he and Rivers co-wrote the song "[[My Head is in the Sun]]", which was featured on the second Rentals album, ''[[Seven More Minutes]]''.
+====Homie's Debut====
+Although Homie demo tapes exist (and have yet to be heard) and an album has been rumored to have been started (which Karl claims to be completed), the only "official" release from Homie was a recording of [[American Girls]] released in 1998 on the "''Meet The Deedles''" movie soundtrack.  Recorded in a Boston studio, it marks the final recording between the band and Matt Sharp.  Many fans were surprised with the songs release because it greatly differed from the fast paced rock version bootlegged from Rivers' Boston shows.
+====Weezer begins rehearsing====
+After recording "American Girls", the three remaining Weezer members announced on an LA Radio station interview that they were done with their side projects for the time being.  The band reconvened in Los Angeles and began recording in a professional studio.  Despite having no bass player, the band recorded "The Prettiest Girl in the Whole Wide World" twice and "Baby".  Both songs were at the time considered to be on the next album.  Band tensions remained high and eventually everyone went to do their own thing once again.
+====Mikey Welsh joins Weezer====
+Back in Boston, Rivers reconnected with his friend [[Mikey Welsh]], whom he played with for some of his '97 Boston shows.  Rivers also worked on several new demos.  The band decided it was time to reconvene in LA so in Summer of 1998 the band went into the studio, this time with Mikey Welsh officially chosen as the new Weezer bassist.  Although this first recording session is unmixed and relatively unsorted, some songs that are known to have been done were "Damn That Wine", "Ol' Backwater", and some new Rivers songs from Summer 2008: "I Have To Kill You", "Turn It Off Now" and "Everyone", all of which Karl has described as "harder and harder" songs.
+In another session, the band recorded eight songs:
+. You Lied To Us
+. I Love This Band
+. I Don't Wanna Bust My Heart
+. Everybody's Thinkin' Too Much
+. With My Own Two Hands
+. There's A Bomb In The Air
+. Why Did You Give Up?
+. I Needed You Now
+None of the songs made it to the third Weezer album, but the song "Cheri Berry" did make it to Green Album voting (see further below).  It was not until August 1998 that Weezer finally recorded a new song for release.  "Velouria", a Pixies cover, was finally released in early 1999 marking Mikey's first official release with Weezer.  Rivers and Mikey also appeared on a television program.  Karl wrote on the event,
+"In what may likely be the most regretful public appearance in the band's career, Rivers and Mikey appeared on an episode of the public access(??) local L.A. TV show, "''Colin's Sleazy Friends''". Aside from sitting there looking amused and confused, they contributed only minorly to a show widely considered to be an obnoxious waste of airtime. They were encouraged by the host to converse with and comment on the stripper guests, and they gave it an attempt. This episode was unfortunately included on the ''Colin's Sleazy Friends'' DVD collection."
+===Goat Punishment===
+In 1999, the band was anxious to get back to live performances.  Spontaneously, the band created [[Goat Punishment]] to help them anonymously play a show and get back into the swing of things.  Goat Punishment's first show was made up exclusively of Nirvana covers.
+====Show 1 (Hollywood, CA)====
+The set consisted of several songs from the album "Bleach", plus a track or two from "Incesticide" and "Nevermind"
+# Mr. Moustache
+# Aneurysm
+# Breed
+# Dive
+# Swap Meet
+# Blew
+====Show 2 (Santa Barbara, CA)====
+The show is not bootlegged or recorded, but it was written that the show was Oasis covers.  Fans also were beginning to realize who Goat Punishment was and were getting the word out to see the shows.
+===Hiatus Continues===
+With band tensions high, recordings going nowhere, and the label growing concerned about the wasted studio money, Pat Wilson left rehearsals to return to Portland and work on [[The Special Goodness]].  And so, Weezer went back on hiatus.
+By 1999 Rivers was beginning to focus on songwriting like never before.  Starting notebooks analyzing songs by Nirvana and Oasis, Rivers began to try and hone in on different songwriter's formulas.  Rivers hoped that by doing so, he too would be able to find a formula and become a "songwriting machine".  He holed himself up into his abode, covered the lights, and began to write song after song, documenting each one by writing it on the wall.  By the end of 1999, Rivers had written 121 new songs, each song with several different reworkings.  Many of these songs would go on to be recorded for the next Weezer album.
+Meanwhile, Pat continued work on The Special Goodness demoing new songs and even doing a mini tour.  Brian Bell continued work on Space Twins, playing a few shows and running off a small number of demo CDs.  Meanwhile, Mikey Welsh found himself relocated to Los Angeles to perform with a band that was seemingly going nowhere.  He took some of the bass riffs he wrote that Rivers denied and took them to former bandmates.
+===Summer Songs 2000===
+As 2000 unfolded, Rivers continued his "songwriting machine" technique cranking out more demos than ever before.  Finally, the band reconvened.  For purposes of self review, the band recorded four sessions with new songs like "Dope Nose", "Slob" and "Too Late to Try".  With so much new material from Rivers, the band wasted little time in ironing out their new material and joining some of the Warped Tour lineup.  As the band toured, fans poured in with larger numbers than anyone could have anticipated.  Bootlegs of shows and soundboard recordings of new songs were leaked onto the internet and shared among fans on then-new mp3 sharing technology.  The songs were dubbed the [[Summer Songs of 2000]] or Ss2k.  It was apparent to everyone in the band that Weezer's fanbase was stronger than ever.
+Throughout the remainder of 2000, the band spent all of their time in Rivers newly built home studio working on dozens of new songs.  Some songs were reworked, some were dropped, and new ones were constantly added.  Finally, after demoing from October to December of 2000, the band decided it was time to record a new album.
 ===''Maladroit''===