Weezer history and biography - 1996
|
Weezer history and biography WEEZERHistory and BiographyRivers Cuomo (vocals, guitar) Rivers (6-13-70)My name is Rivers Cuomo. I sing and play guitar in Weezer. It's hard to talk about myself without sounding like a jerk, but apparently I have no choice, so I'll try to be as simple and as honest as I can. I grew up in various little farm towns in upstate Connecticut, completely sheltered from anything remotely "cool." At 18, I freaked out and moved to Los Angeles to become a rock star, I soon realized that I was an idiot and gave up. At the same time, my girlfriend broke up with me, I was really sad and started to write songs. Most of them sucked, but it became a habit that stuck with me, Because I'm so terrible at expressing my feelings directly, and because no one really cares, and because anything real is almost impossible to talk about, I've come to rely on music more and more to express myself. Matt (9-22-69)My name is Matt and I play bass in Weezer. I'm not exactly sure what we four have in common, but I do consider Pat, Brian and Rivers to be good people and good friends that I am glad to be associated with. If I had to make a list of music I care about and have been listening to lately, the things that come to mind first are: the last three Talk Talk albums, old Gary Numan records, the Jesus Christ Superstar soundtrack, and all of that dog. (sic) songs I could get from Tony and Rachel. I hope when people listen to these ten songs, they will enjoy them as I have enjoyed some of the music I just mentioned. Besides that, I think my story is just not that interesting and I should probably stop. Brian (12-9-68)Raised in Tennessee, little Brian knew he wanted to be a rock star at an early age. Lucky enough to catch an Elvis (Presley, that is) concert at the age of four, he wanted nothing else but to be a hounddog. Studying "geetar" pickin' on TV from such fine eastern Tennessee programs as "The Barneyloo and Buster Show" and, of course, "HeeHaw," little Brian learned how to pick 'n' grin on a ukulele his grandma won at a bingo game. Brian's dad, a wacky absent-minded professor and ex-college DJ, turned him on to cool music he had from the 50's and 60's. So, armed with his first turntable, a Fisher Price lo-fi stereo system, little Brian managed to scratch and destroy most of Dad's valuable 45's. As Brian grew older, he began to feel isolated and out-of-place with the other reindeer. While the "normal" Tennessee boys were out hunting possum, chewing tobacco and making up fishing stories, he preferred to stay home and watch Billy Mumy movies. Ah, movies, music and show biz. Why was it all based in one glorious place -- Los Angeles? So, just like the Clampetts, Brian packed up his bags and moved to Yucca St., Hollywired ('cause everyone he met at first was on crystal meth). Not at all like the movies. Patrick (2-1-69)My name is Patrick Wilson and I play drums for Weezer. Years ago I was a guy with a bad haircut from Buffalo, New York. The music scene there is lame, consisting largely of cover bands and bad metal. It seems that musicians in small towns have a gunslinger attitude that is also faintly bitter. Some of them just have attitude. I decided to quit my day job and move to Los Angeles with my new friend Pat Finn (Pat is responsible for us knowing each other). After many growing pains, Weezer was formed. Since then, I've tried to understand what it means to be in a band. All I know about music is instinctual or from a record; I haven't witnessed much live music. As far as I can tell, being in a band can be just as important as any other occupation -- and so far, it's far more rewarding Karl Koch (9-15-69)My name is Karl Koch and I have been Weezer's "multifaceted" assistant (driver, roadie, visual artist, historian) since shortly after their conception on February 14, 1992[Note 1]. Originally I was just doing them an occasional favor, but somehow this has become my main occupation, causing me to quit several "real" jobs and to indefinitely shelve my own artistic endeavors in favor of putting all my efforts into Weezer. I think my devotion is the direct result of the band consisting of very good people who write and play very good music. I wouldn't be helping them if I didn't believe in them. In June '93 Weezer was signed to DGC, making my duties official (okay in Mom and Dad's eyes) and giving the band a chance to get their music out in public after 17 months of near-complete obscurity in the L.A. club scene meat grinder. Weezer - notes from Rivers on the first albumThis album is like a diary to me: each song tells what I was feeling and thinking during a particular experience. "Jonas" explains how "the plan" is reaming us all, especially my brother. It's a good introduction to the album. "No One Else" is the jealous-obsessive asshole in me freaking out my girlfriend and "The World Has Turned" is the same asshole wondering why she's gone. "Undone" is the feeling you get when the train stops and the little guy comes knockin' on your door. It was supposed to be a sad song, but everyone thinks it's hilarious. "Surf Wax" is a totally sarcastic call to hedonism, so sing along, drink and be merry. I hate drinking and only do so when I absolutely have to (which these days, seems to be quite often). "Say It Ain't So" is also about a beer. "In The Garage," "Buddy Holly" and "Holiday" were written in a sudden burst of confidence and optimism right after we got a record deal. Those positive emotions have since dissipated -- along with our cash advances -- but I still like the songs. None of these songs are perfect, but I think you can hear that we're trying hard to be honest and real. Pat really kicked ass on the drums and Brian, Matt and I sang with a lot of feeling. The record sounds kind of weird, but if you turn it up extremely loud and lie down, it can be rewarding. Pinkerton - notes from Rivers on the second albumWelcome to the new Weezer album. I've been trying for two weeks now to think of something to say for an introduction, but everything I write makes me want to vomit. Let me just say that I'm really pleased and amazed to hear my most confused feelings given form in such a faithful manner. The 10 songs are sequenced in the order in which I wrote them (with two minor exceptions). So as a whole, the album kind of tells the story of my struggle with my inner-Pinkerton. If you want to, you can listen with an ear for this story or you can just turn the shit up and rock out with your cock out. I like records that can go both ways like that. Facts
|
Gallery
See also
- This Ain't No Butterfly Girl - Making Pinkerton and more, a brief history of the making of Pinkerton, written by Koch in January 2010
Footnotes
- ↑ The "official" date of Weezer's first rehearsal has since been corrected to February 15.