Weezer: Difference between revisions
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====Recording Red==== | ====Recording Red==== | ||
Weezer's new album sessions began shortly after Rick Rubin received a copy of ''Deliverance at Hand!'' in Spring 2007. The material was somewhat more experimental than anything Weezer had previously done. At the beginning of the album's creation each Weezer member asked themselves what they wanted to get out of the album. With that in mind, they set out to record. Recording was done in three sessions. Half of the album was recorded during the Spring of 2007 with Rubin overseeing production. Interestingly, Ruben was far less involved with the album than he was with ''Make Believe''. It is uncertain if the band and he had a falling out, but the band did comment later that he "just sort of stopped showing". Weezer went on to finish the production of the album themselves in a second recording studio. Finding themselves with an abundance of experimental (by Weezer standards) material, Geffen told Weezer that the album lagged and was too slow. This forced Weezer to enter into a third session in which two new songs were recorded with [[Jacknife Lee]]: "[[Troublemaker]]" and "[[Pork and Beans]]". The album is unique in recording because it is the first album to have multiple lead vocalists. | Weezer's new album sessions began shortly after [[Rick Rubin]] received a copy of ''Deliverance at Hand!'' in Spring 2007. The material was somewhat more experimental than anything Weezer had previously done. At the beginning of the album's creation each Weezer member asked themselves what they wanted to get out of the album. With that in mind, they set out to record. Recording was done in three sessions. Half of the album was recorded during the Spring of 2007 with Rubin overseeing production. Interestingly, Ruben was far less involved with the album than he was with ''Make Believe''. It is uncertain if the band and he had a falling out, but the band did comment later that he "just sort of stopped showing". Weezer went on to finish the production of the album themselves in a second recording studio. Finding themselves with an abundance of experimental (by Weezer standards) material, Geffen told Weezer that the album lagged and was too slow. This forced Weezer to enter into a third session in which two new songs were recorded with [[Jacknife Lee]]: "[[Troublemaker]]" and "[[Pork and Beans]]". The album is unique in recording because it is the first album to have multiple lead vocalists. | ||
====Red Album | ====Releasing 'The Red Album'==== | ||
Rivers posted on his official MySpace blog that the new single was a 12 letter word starting with T and ending with R. Fans quickly set out making lists of possible names. It was assumed the song was called "Troublemaker", although some speculated it was "Tranquilizer" and "Turbocharger". Later, Rivers published on his blog that he was wrong about the first single, and that it would now be a song about a "four legged pink farm animal". He then said "you ain't gonna figure it out boy!!" Most fans assumed Rivers was referring to Pig and that his latter statement was a sarcastic comment that it was obviously Pig. | Rivers posted on his official MySpace blog that the new single was a 12 letter word starting with T and ending with R. Fans quickly set out making lists of possible names. It was assumed the song was called "Troublemaker", although some speculated it was "Tranquilizer" and "Turbocharger". Later, Rivers published on his blog that he was wrong about the first single, and that it would now be a song about a "four legged pink farm animal". He then said "you ain't gonna figure it out boy!!" Most fans assumed Rivers was referring to Pig and that his latter statement was a sarcastic comment that it was obviously Pig. | ||
On [[April 1|Aprils fools day]], [[2008]], Rolling Stone reported that the new Weezer album (then scheduled for April 22) was a self titled "Red" album, with the lead-off single called "Pork and Beans". Most people, if not everyone, assumed it was one of many April Fools Day pranks. Rolling Stone updated the article saying "...the Weezer news...that was real". Amazon.com updated their website with a thirty second sneak preview clip of "Pork and Beans" which began with a fade in of "...you lost your cool" and went through the chorus to "...me inside." Reactions to the clip were almost unanimously positive from fans and boardies. A few days later, KROQ played "Pork and Beans" | On [[April 1|Aprils fools day]], [[2008]], Rolling Stone reported that the new Weezer album (then scheduled for April 22) was a self titled "Red" album, with the lead-off single called "Pork and Beans". Most people, if not everyone, assumed it was one of many April Fools Day pranks. Rolling Stone updated the article saying "...the Weezer news...that was real". Amazon.com updated their website with a thirty second sneak preview clip of "Pork and Beans" which began with a fade in of "...you lost your cool" and went through the chorus to "...me inside." Reactions to the clip were almost unanimously positive from fans and boardies. A few days later, KROQ played "Pork and Beans" in full on the radio. Fans were quick to bootleg the recording, and within minutes, the track was leaked. "Pork and Beans" shot to #1 on Billboard's 'Hot Modern Rock Tracks' chart and refused to move for 11 weeks, a record for Weezer and the 13th highest ever track the chart has seen. In late April, the new album's first eight tracks leaked. Geffen quickly changed the album release date from [[June 18th]] to [[June 3rd]]. Fan opinions were mixed, but were universally positive in comparison to those of [[Make Believe]]. | ||
''Weezer (The Red Album)'' was released on June 3rd in two available | ''Weezer (The Red Album)'' was released on June 3rd in South America and Canada where two versions were made available: standard and deluxe. The standard edition of Red contains 10 tracks, a throwback to the roots of Weezer. The deluxe edition contained four bonus tracks that were completely recorded, but omitted from the final track list for reasons relating to preference of the band and Geffen. The standard edition was a jewelcase; the deluxe edition was a digipak which also contained a lyric booklet with band commentary. Reviews of Red were mixed, but primarily positive. A Japanese special edition was later made available with a bonus DVD featuring footage of the band's 2005 Japan tour, behind-the-scenes footage, commentary and more. | ||
The second single, "Troublemaker" did fairly well, released on July 26th, peaking at #2 on the 'Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks' chart, another hit for the band. A European release was planned for late Novemeber, promo CD's were sent to radio stations but for unknown reasons the release was aborted. As of December 2008, a larger scale release of a third single is in the works, [[The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (Variations On A Shaker Hymn]]". [[Spike Jonze]] is attached to direct the video and 20 b-sides are contending for the release (including the fan-contributed [[Lets Write A Sawng]]. It is possible that the release many turn into an EP. | |||
The band performed their first dates for three years in Japan at the beginning of September and then embarked on what was dubbed the 'Troublemaker' tour - 21 dates around the US, including one in Canada. "Angels and Airwaves" and "Tokyo Police Club" joined them as support at each show and Brian Bell's 'other' band [[The Relationship]] also performed at a handful of dates. Shortly before the encore at each show, the band would bring on fans with various instruments and perform [[Island in the Sun]] and [[Beverly Hills]] with them. At a show in Austin, after Tokyo Police Club had played their set, Rivers was wheeled out in a box and mimed to a recording of rare Weezer demo, 'My Brain', donned in pyjamas with puppets on his hands, before being wheeled off again. This bizarre event later surfaced as the lead song for Rivers' second demo album, [[Alone 2]]. | |||
====Alone 2, Christmas Songs and Album 7?==== | |||
Rivers found time to release a second CD of home demos on October 31st, [[Alone 2]], featuring three additional pieces recorded for [[Songs From The Black Hole]], a song written by Jermaine Dupre, a variety of songs which ended up as Weezer demos and various previously unreleased tracks. Rivers also revealed that a new compilation dubbed ''[[Odds and Ends]]'' will be released during 2009. It will feature a variety of b-sides and songs that "didn't make the final cut for [a] record". It'll be very much in the vain of Rivers' two demo releases and may be the final release to expire the band's seven album Geffen contract. | |||
Another set of 2008 songs emerged in the form of [[Christmas with Weezer]], six Christmas hymns rerecorded by the band for exclusive use on the iPhone game 'Tap Tap Revenge'. The songs were ripped and leaked in perfect form making up a six track mini-album as a Christmas suprise to many fans. | |||
Billboard reported that Weezer will be heading into the studio in early November to cut Weezer album 7 with [[Jacknife Lee]] who recorded two songs on ''The Red Album'', most notably "Pork and Beans." Drummer Pat Wilson stated the band is wasting no time cutting a new record because they are all going to continue to write songs and since they no longer rely on one person for the songs, they accumulate an album's worth of songs much more quickly. However, in an interview with ''Spinner'', Brian Bell denied this, stating that someone "jumped the gun," and that although the band is currently writing new material they do not have any plans to enter the studio any time soon.<ref>Eisen, Benjy. [http://www.spinner.com/2008/10/13/weezer-not-recording-new-album-after-all/ "Weezer Not Recording New Album After All"] ''Spinner''. Retrieved on October 14, 2008.</ref> | |||
The band also wrote a song with pop duo [[Aly & AJ]], and was very pleased with the way the girls worked. It is unknown if the song will be made public on an album.<ref>[http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/feature/the-billboard-q-a-rivers-cuomo-1003919936.story?pn=3 "The Billboard Q&A: Rivers Cuomo"]. ''[[BIllboard magazine|Billboard]]''. December 7, 2008.</ref> | |||
==Members== | ==Members== | ||