Songs from the Black Hole: Difference between revisions
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A space themed rock opera/musical, ''SFTBH'' was originally envisioned as the follow-up album to ''[[Weezer (The Blue Album)|The Blue Album]]'', but during the course of songwriting/demoing, the concept was discarded, and the project evolved into the album ''[[Pinkerton]]''. Several of the ''SFTBH'' songs ended up on ''Pinkerton'' or as single b-sides, some of which were slightly altered lyrically or sonically. ''SFTBH'' was, in the words of songwriter [[Rivers Cuomo]], "supposed to be a whole album of songs transed together," meaning a seamless flow from one song to the next (previous examples of this technique include the closing medley of [[The Beatles]]' ''Abbey Road'' and various Pink Floyd albums including ''The Dark Side of the Moon'', ''The Wall'', and ''Wish You Were Here''). | A space themed rock opera/musical, ''SFTBH'' was originally envisioned as the follow-up album to ''[[Weezer (The Blue Album)|The Blue Album]]'', but during the course of songwriting/demoing, the concept was discarded, and the project evolved into the album ''[[Pinkerton]]''. Several of the ''SFTBH'' songs ended up on ''Pinkerton'' or as single b-sides, some of which were slightly altered lyrically or sonically. ''SFTBH'' was, in the words of songwriter [[Rivers Cuomo]], "supposed to be a whole album of songs transed together," meaning a seamless flow from one song to the next (previous examples of this technique include the closing medley of [[The Beatles]]' ''Abbey Road'' and various Pink Floyd albums including ''The Dark Side of the Moon'', ''The Wall'', and ''Wish You Were Here''). | ||
In a [[2007]] ''Rolling Stone'' magazine 'Rock & Roll Daily' feature the album was called one of rock music's "mythical lost masterpieces." In an April 2007 issue of the Australian weekly print mag "Zoo", the album was named number seven in their "Top Ten Never Released Albums" list | In a [[2007]] ''Rolling Stone'' magazine 'Rock & Roll Daily' feature the album was called one of rock music's "mythical lost masterpieces." In an April 2007 issue of the Australian weekly print mag "Zoo", the album was named number seven in their "Top Ten Never Released Albums" list. | ||
==History== | ==History== | ||
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#"[[What Is This I Find?]]" (1:20) | #"[[What Is This I Find?]]" (1:20) | ||
#"[[Longtime Sunshine]]" (3:17) | #"[[Longtime Sunshine]]" (3:17) | ||
#"[[Longtime Sunshine|Longtime Sunshine(Reprise)]]" (0:30) | #"[[Longtime Sunshine|Longtime Sunshine (Reprise)]]" (0:30) | ||
=== Track List 2 === | === Track List 2 === | ||
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==Possible connection to The Rentals== | ==Possible connection to The Rentals== | ||
When | When Cuomo was asked on a chat room interview what the reason was for not releasing ''Songs From the Black Hole'', he simply stated "ROTR". He was referring to original Weezer bassist Matt Sharp's then new band [[The Rentals]], whose first album was titled ''[[Return of the Rentals]]''. This album was released in 1995, in between Weezer's first two albums. | ||
Cuomo has further hinted that sonically and aesthetically, | Cuomo has further hinted that sonically and aesthetically, ''Return of the Rentals'' borrowed much of its sound from Cuomo's drafts of ''SFTBH'' songs, thus discouraging Rivers from further pursuing the sound out of fear of the public thinking he was "stealing" Matt's sound with The Rentals. | ||
However, some Weezer fans have speculated that originally both Matt and Rivers were writing songs for Songs From the Black Hole. Once Matt decided that he wanted to take his songs to The Rentals, the weight of the album rested solely on Rivers shoulders, and eventually he decided to scrap the idea. | However, some Weezer fans have speculated that originally both Matt and Rivers were writing songs for ''Songs From the Black Hole''. Once Matt decided that he wanted to take his songs to The Rentals, the weight of the album rested solely on Rivers shoulders, and eventually he decided to scrap the idea. | ||
===Lyrics=== | ===Lyrics=== | ||
A Sharp-penned song entitled "Mrs.Young" was demoed in May of 1993. Sharp wrote the core of the song but asked Cuomo for assistance on filling in details of the song and the performance on the demo. | A Sharp-penned song entitled "[[Mrs.Young]]" was demoed in May of 1993. Sharp wrote the core of the song but asked Cuomo for assistance on filling in details of the song and the performance on the demo. | ||
This song was later reworked into "Please Let That Be You", which appeared on | This song was later reworked into "[[Please Let That Be You]]", which appeared on ''Return of The Rentals''. Some portions of the lyrics may have themes that could be linked to the space theme of ''Songs From the Black Hole'': | ||
<lyrics>Lost out in the machinery | |||
[...] | |||
Walk around the complex | |||
No visitors, no oxygen | |||
Just me, no movement | |||
[...] | |||
Empty, everything's technical, sterile, and endless | |||
Inside, a malfunction | |||
</lyrics> | |||
— "Please Let That Be You", by The Rentals | |||
Also, "[[The Love I'm Searching For]]" contains lyrics that could have fit in to the oiginal theme of the project: | |||
<lyrics> | |||
The love I'm searching for in this machine | |||
The systems failed, all the circuits blown | |||
and the message lost in this machine | |||
Tried all the codes, all possibilities | |||
all combinations, but still nothing | |||
Tried all the codes, all possibilities | Called for backup from my assistants | ||
— "The Love I'm Searching For", | but no one seems to know anything | ||
Disconnect, shut the main reactor down | |||
and separate from this technology | |||
</lyrics> | |||
— "The Love I'm Searching For", by The Rentals | |||
Furthermore, an early version of "The Love I'm Searching For" can be found on The Rentals' bootleg ''[[Excellent Stocking Stuffer]]''. In this earlier take, the lyric "you should be with me" is revealed to have originally been "the mission must be complete." This ties into ''SFTBH'' in that several songs from the known track lists also mention a mission. For instance, in "Blast Off", there are lyrics referring to 'the purpose of the mission'. | |||
“I try/You know I try/I try/As hard as it may be the mission must be complete.”<br> | “I try/You know I try/I try/As hard as it may be the mission must be complete.”<br> | ||
— "The Love I'm Searching For", | — "The Love I'm Searching For" (early version), by the Rentals | ||
In another interesting turn of events, when The Rentals reunited in 2005 and began touring, the band would cover Weezer's "I Just Threw Out the Love of My Dreams", a song originally intended for ''Songs from the Black Hole''. Rachel Haden, who performs vocals on the Weezer version, handled lead vocal duties when played live with The Rentals, as she was then a part of the newly formed incarnation of the Rentals. | |||
It is presently unknown if there is any truth to these theories or if they are simply speculation on the part of fans. | |||
==See also== | |||
*[[Rivers Cuomo]] | |||
*''[[Pinkerton]]'' | |||
*[[The Rentals]] | |||
[[Category: Unfinished/unreleased Weezer projects]] | [[Category: Unfinished/unreleased Weezer projects]] | ||