Harvard Blues: Difference between revisions

| Album          = Alone II

 

''Harvard Blues'' was recorded in [[1997]] while [[Rivers Cuomo]] was attending [[Harvard University]].  The track is comprised of a phone message from Cuomo's answering machine played at two different speeds -- one out of each speaker.  The message was left by a classmate who explains an elaborate assignment using extensive literature jargon.  The track concludes with a frustrated scream from Cuomo. On ''Alone II'', the track purposely segues into [[My Brain Is Working Overtime]] to extend the frustrated theme of the song.

In February, 1997, I went back to Harvard to finish my Junior Year. I decided to take all English classes as if I were an English major, leaving open the option to formally switch to English (from Music) at the end of the semester. I had become disillusioned with my goal of becoming a classical composer. That was because, firstly, with Harvard's emphasis on scholarship, as a music student I was mostly writing papers anyway. I might as well be an English major. Secondly, the music being created at Harvard and at other contemporary music schools was not the kind of classical music that I liked. Harvard music, to my ears, was modern, 20th century, atonal, serial, non-catchy, and non-emotional. The music I liked was Romantic, heart-stirring, with Puccini and Tchaikovsky-esque melodies, and of course the even older music of Bach and Beethoven. Thirdly, I now blamed my love for classical music and large scale composition for the failure of Weezer's second record. I perceived my interest in this field as egotistical and pompous. What, was I too good for simple three minute pop songs that everyone loved? Then I deserved to fail. And lastly, now that my career as musician was in doubt, English seemed like the more practical choice in the event of a necessitated career change.

 

* Rivers Cuomo – scream