Weezer

Weezer is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1992. Since 2001, the band has consisted of Rivers Cuomo (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Patrick Wilson (drums, backing vocals), Scott Shriner (bass guitar, keyboards, backing vocals), and Brian Bell (guitar, keyboards, backing vocals).

After signing to Geffen Records in 1993, Weezer released their self-titled debut album, also known as the Blue Album, in May 1994. Backed by music videos for the singles "Buddy Holly", " Undone – The Sweater Song", and " Say It Ain't So", the Blue Album became a multiplatinum success. Weezer's second album, ''Pinkerton'' (1996), featuring a darker, more abrasive sound, was a commercial failure and initially received mixed reviews, but achieved cult status and critical acclaim years later. Both the Blue Album and ''Pinkerton'' are now frequently cited among the best albums of the 1990s. Following the tour for ''Pinkerton'', founding bassist Matt Sharp left the band and Weezer went on hiatus.

In 2001, Weezer returned with the Green Album with their new bassist, Mikey Welsh. With a more pop sound, and promoted by singles " Hash Pipe" and " Island in the Sun", it was a commercial success and received mostly positive reviews. After the Green Album tour, Welsh left for health reasons and was replaced by Shriner. Weezer's fourth album, ''Maladroit'' (2002), achieved mostly positive reviews, but weaker sales. '' Make Believe'' (2005) received mixed reviews, but its single "Beverly Hills" became Weezer's first single to top the US Modern Rock Tracks chart and their first to reach the top ten on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100.

In 2008, Weezer released the Red Album; its lead single, "Pork and Beans", became the third Weezer song to top the Modern Rock Tracks chart, backed by a Grammy-winning music video. ''Raditude'' (2009) and ''Hurley'' (2010) featured more "modern pop production" and songs co-written with other artists, achieved further mixed reviews and moderate sales. ''Everything Will Be Alright in the End'' (2014) and the White Album (2016) returned to a rock style and achieved more positive reviews; '' Pacific Daydream'' (2017) featured a more mainstream pop sound. In 2019, Weezer released an album of covers, the Teal Album, followed by the Black Album. In 2021, they released '' OK Human'', which featured an orchestral pop sound, followed by the hard rock–inspired ''Van Weezer''. In 2022, they released a series of extended plays based around the four seasons, a project known as ''SZNZ''. Weezer has sold 10.2 million albums in the US and over 35 million worldwide.

History

Formation and first years (1986–1994)

Vocalist and guitarist Rivers Cuomo moved to Los Angeles from Connecticut in 1989 with his high school metal band, Avant Garde, later renamed Zoom. After the group disbanded, Cuomo met drummer Patrick Wilson, and moved in with him and Wilson's friend Matt Sharp. Wilson and Cuomo formed a band, Fuzz, and enlisted Scottie Chapman on bass. Chapman quit after a few early shows; the band reformed as Sixty Wrong Sausages, with Cuomo's friend Pat Finn on bass and Jason Cropper on guitar, but soon disbanded. Cuomo moved to Santa Monica, California, and recorded dozens of demos, including the future Weezer songs "The World Has Turned and Left Me Here" and " Undone – The Sweater Song". Sharp was enthusiastic about the demos, and became the group's bassist and de facto manager.

Cuomo, Wilson, Sharp and Cropper formed Weezer on February 14, 1992. Their first show was on March 19, 1992, closing for Keanu Reeves' band Dogstar. They took their name from a nickname Cuomo's father gave him. Cuomo gave Sharp one year to get the band a record deal before Cuomo accepted a scholarship at the University of California, Berkeley. In November, Weezer recorded a demo, '' The Kitchen Tape'', including a version of the future Weezer single " Say It Ain't So". The demo was heard by Todd Sullivan, an A&R man at Geffen Records, who signed Weezer in June 1993.

The "Blue Album" (1994)

Weezer recorded their debut album with producer Ric Ocasek at Electric Lady Studios in New York City. Cropper was fired during recording, as Cuomo and Sharp felt he was threatening the band chemistry. He was replaced by Brian Bell. Weezer's self-titled debut album'','' also known as the "Blue Album", was released in May 1994. Described by ''Pitchfork'' as integrating "geeky humor, dense cultural references, and positively gargantuan hooks", it combined alternative rock, power pop, polished production and what ''AllMusic'' critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine called an "'70s trash-rock predilection ... resulting in something quite distinctive".

Weezer's first single, " Undone – The Sweater Song", was backed by a music video directed by Spike Jonze;movies.yahoo.com Spike Jonze Biography
, ''Yahoo! Movies''. Retrieved on September 5, 2006 filmed in an unbroken take, it featured Weezer performing on a sound stage with little action, barring a pack of dogs swarming the set. The video became an instant hit on MTV. The song reached No. 57 on the Billboard Hot 100. Jonze also directed Weezer's second video, "Buddy Holly", splicing the band into footage from the 1970s television sitcom ''Happy Days''. The video achieved heavy rotation on MTV and won four MTV Video Music Awards, including Breakthrough Video and Best Alternative Music Video, and two ''Billboard'' Music Video Awards.''LA Times Past Winners Database-VMA's 1995 '' a
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retrieved on September 5, 2006 "Buddy Holly" peaked at No. 18 on the Hot 100 Airplay and No. 2 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart. The song is included on Rolling Stone's 500 Best Songs Of All Time. A third single, " Say It Ain't So", followed. It was met with critical acclaim and later Pitchfork ranked it #10 on the top 200 tracks of the 90s list. The song reached No. 51 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart and No. 7 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart.

Their debut album gained critical and commercial success. In 2020, Rolling Stone ranked it number 294 on The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time. ''Weezer'' is certified quadruple platinum in the United States as well as Canada, making it Weezer's best-selling album.

''Pinkerton'' (1995–1997)

In 1994, Weezer took a break from touring for the Christmas holidays. Cuomo traveled to his home state of Connecticut and began recording demos for Weezer's next album. His original concept was a space-themed rock opera, '' Songs from the Black Hole, ''that would express his mixed feelings about success." The album featured a story in which each member of the band played a character. Other characters were played by Rachel Haden ( The Rentals and That Dog), Joan Wasser ( The Dambuilders), and Karl Koch. The story was set in 2126, with the spaceship ''Betsy II'' embarking on a galaxy-wide mission.'' Alone: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo'' (liner notes). Rivers Cuomo. Geffen Records. 2007. B0010417-02 Cuomo conceived the story as a metaphor for his conflicted feelings about touring in a successful rock band. The ship's name ''Betsy II'' is taken from Weezer's first tour bus, nicknamed Betsy; M1 represents Weezer's management and record label; Wuan and Dondó represent the part of Cuomo that was excited about success; Jonas represents his doubts and longing; Laurel and Maria represent his relationships with women. Weezer developed the concept through intermittent recording sessions through 1995. At the end of the year, Cuomo enrolled at Harvard University, where his songwriting became "darker, more visceral and exposed, less playful", and he abandoned ''Songs from the Black Hole''.''Pinkerton Deluxe'' liner notes

While attending Harvard, Cuomo experienced loneliness and frustration while also undergoing an extensive surgery for his left leg. These experiences influenced his songwriting for the next record. The other members of Weezer decided to embark on their own side projects during this time. Sharp started The Rentals who released their debut album, Return of the Rentals, in October 1995. The album also featured Patrick Wilson on drums. Wilson also formed his band, The Special Goodness, during this time. Bell decided to work on his band, Space Twins.

Weezer's second album, ''Pinkerton'', was released on September 24, 1996. ''Pinkerton'' is named after the character BF Pinkerton from '' Madama Butterfly'', who marries and then abandons a Japanese woman named Butterfly. Calling him an "asshole American sailor similar to a touring rock star", Cuomo felt the character was "the perfect symbol for the part of myself that I am trying to come to terms with on this album". It produced three singles: " El Scorcho", "The Good Life", and "Pink Triangle".

With a darker, more abrasive sound, ''Pinkerton'' sold poorly compared to the Blue Album''Anticipated return has Weezer in the ''Green'' '' a
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retrieved on September 18, 2006 and received mixed reviews; it was voted "one of the worst albums of 1996" in a ''Rolling Stone'' reader poll. However, the album eventually gained a cult following and came to be considered among Weezer's best work; in 2002, ''Rolling Stone'' readers voted ''Pinkerton'' the 16th greatest album of all time, and it has been listed in several critics' "best albums of all time" lists. In 2004, ''Rolling Stone'' gave the album a new review, awarding it five out of five stars and adding it to the "''Rolling Stone'' Hall of Fame". ''Pinkerton'' was later certified platinum in 2016.

In July 1997, sisters Mykel, Carli and Trysta Allan died in a car accident while driving home from a Weezer show in Denver, Colorado. Mykel and Carli ran Weezer's fan club and helped manage publicity for several other Los Angeles bands, and had inspired the "Sweater Song" B-side "Mykel and Carli". Weezer canceled a show to attend their funeral. In August, Weezer and other bands held a benefit concert for the family in Los Angeles. A compilation album, Hear You Me! A Tribute to Mykel and Carli, was dedicated to their memory. The album included "Mykel and Carli", as well as songs by Ozma, That Dog, and Kara's Flowers. In 2001, Jimmy Eat World released "Hear You Me" which was dedicated to Mykel and Carli.

Hiatus (1997–2000)

Weezer completed the ''Pinkerton'' tour in mid-1997 and went on hiatus. Wilson returned to his home in Portland, Oregon to work on his side project, the Special Goodness, and Bell worked on his band Space Twins. In 1998, Sharp left Weezer due to differences with the band members. He said of his departure: "I certainly have my view of it, as I'm sure everybody else has their sort of foggy things. When you have a group that doesn't communicate, you're going to have a whole lot of different stories."

Cuomo returned to Harvard but took a break to focus on songwriting. He formed a new band composed of a changing lineup of Boston musicians, and performed new material. The songs were abandoned, but bootlegs of the Boston shows are traded on the internet. Wilson eventually flew to Boston to join Homie, another Cuomo side project. The members of the band were composed of Greg Brown (Cake and Deathray), Matt Sharp, Yuval Gabay (Soul Coughin) and Sulfur), Adam Orth (Shufflepuck), and future Weezer bassist Mikey Welsh. Although a Homie album was being recorded, they ended up only releasing one song called "American Girls" for the 1998 film Meet The Deedles.

In February 1998, Cuomo, Bell and Wilson reunited in Los Angeles to start work on the next Weezer album. Rumors suggest Sharp did not rejoin the band and left the group in April 1998, which Sharp denies. The group hired Mikey Welsh, who had played with Cuomo in Boston, as their new bassist. Welsh was also previously a bassist for Juliana Hatfield. Weezer continued rehearsing and recording demos until late 1998. Frustration and creative disagreements led to a decline in rehearsals, and in late 1998, Wilson left for his home in Portland pending renewed productivity from Cuomo. In November 1998, the band played two club shows with a substitute drummer in California under the name Goat Punishment, consisting entirely of covers of Nirvana and Oasis

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