8:40 The “goddamn you half Japanese girls…” line on El Scorcho, and most of the rest of the song (and much of the rest of the album) is a direct reference to Madame Butterfly. Basically, a play about a Japanese woman who falls in love with, and is eventually driven to suicide by, a heartless American man. The woman protagonist is named “Cho Cho San”, and the American man is named “Pinkerton”.
@@ninja_tony It's not. It's part of the truth but the version of the song that ended up getting released is pretty blatantly not about that. Was the character in Madame Butterfly even half-Japanese? I don't think so. Pretty sure she was Japanese. Is the rest of the song a reference to Madame Butterfly? Well there is a reference to the main character. A reference to the girl listening to the opera. Not at all the same. Does Rivers have a bit of a weird relationship with Japanese women? Lets ask the man himself "Well, I suppose that halfway through writing the album, I started to realize or become aware of a pattern in my life that I seem to be having a lot of disastrous encounters with half Japanese girls. And then it developed into disastrous encounters with Asian girls of all sorts. Yeah, I suppose it’s fair to say that I’m fascinated by Asian girls [grimaces]. For some reason, they’re particularly beautiful to me. I don’t know why." Yeah. He does.
@@johnpaulcross424 so true, and there's zero rhythm or rhyme to when a good album will come along. you'll think they're done making good music and then they drop EWBAITE or the white album and blow you away before dropping albums you can't stand again.
Pinkerton’s lyrics are extremely disturbing to me. But in a way... that’s exactly why I love them. It’s emotionally open to the point of extreme discomfort, making it a real and accurate depiction of a human with all its flaws and insecurities. It’s not trying to look good, it’s just real and I find it fascinating
yeah thats eactly what makes it a great album.... its basically spilling out all those uncomfortable feelings you had when you were like 14, it had all the bad thoughts a lot of people kept inside for years and had a way to vent them without becoming... well brock turner hell one of the last lyrics on the album is "I'm sorry for what i did", basically an apology for the perverted nature he had
I really don’t think Pinkerton’s lyrics are that disturbing (except for a few lines in Across the Sea). They just seem very personal and real to me. They sound like things that lots of people think about but Weezer actually had the guts to release them on an album.
Yeah, like Rivers himself said with that album that he wanted to project all of the ugliest and worst parts of his personality at the time into music, and that’s what really makes the album work for me. It’s just an insanely honest and open album in a lot of ways, and even if a lot of the lyrics have aged poorly and Rivers comes across as a bit of an incel on that album now, I still really commend that a major label band released an album this out there and ballsy.
Yeah I would call them uncomfortably honest rather than severely disturbing myself (for the most part, I agree there are definitely a few parts that veer into a little suspect lol) but as mentioned, that's the point. His physical pain and emotional discomfort was the crux of the album and it's not made for people who aren't willing to look at that kind of honesty. That's why a lot of people react to it with jokes and scorn and such, basically as a defense mechanism. I agree with Philly, I think if someone's out here saying they've never shared a single thread of thought with anything on Pinkerton, they're lying to themselves. It's really quite human to be awkward and weird and frankly a little gross. We just hide it.
Weezer is like the Sonic of rock bands. Peaked in the 90s, passionate fans argue about what releases afterward are good/bad, a couple returns-to-form in the 2010s that people really like, and outsiders just think it all sucks no matter what and was possibly never good to begin with (wrong).
Weezer's Raditude had the best album cover of all time, and it's not even close. That jump took years for that dog to master, and it had finally paid off he's not only a National Geographic spotlight, but also an iconic role on the front cover of Weezer's masterpiece. i guess you could say it put the dogs confidence back together, and he got hot and started tripping down the freeway. And to this day he's still jumping and still partying!!!
You claim there is no depth to Raditude, yet this is entirely false. You have to have a very high IQ to understand songs like Can’t Stop Partying and Love Is The Answer. There are so many interesting layers that Raditude fans are still dissecting and analyzing to this very day. Lil’ Wayne’s verse on Can’t Stop Partying contains many fascinating statements about human existence and the meaning of life as a whole. This album is pure genius, and clearly the band’s magnum opus. It reaches new heights that Blue and Pinkerton never could, just like how I reached new heights with my epic jump that I never could before. Some people just don’t understand art. P.S. I am most definitely a funny doggo.
I am so glad that one of the most popular TH-cam commenters right now is promoting the best Weezer album. I am still disappointed they didn’t include the Lil Wayne feature on OK Human
Can't Stop Partying actually feels a lot more meaningful now that I've listened to the solo acoustic version. Feels like a desperate plea to stop the constant "drugs sex money" expectation of fame
Honestly, the lyrics on Pinkerton are my favorite part of the album. They're dark, gross, creepy, and unflattering, and I think that kind of blunt honesty is what I like the most in Weezer. Pinkerton shows you every part of Rivers, especially the dark corners of his mind. Everyone has darkness in them that we try to ignore, so it's interesting to see it almost embraced in this strange, nervous way. That's why my least favorite Weezer albums are the ones that feel less authentic, like Green and Raditude. Even though the other material is a mixed bag, I like that Rivers can unapologetically be himself and write what he wants to write. That all being said, White is their best album
As you said, there is a certain abrasiveness to Pinkerton. Raw energy mixed with raw emotion, unfiltered through the mixing really stuck to me. The desperation of some tracks resonates the feeling of being an emotionally depraved teenager, some great examples of this is No Other One or Butterfly. Pinkerton can also be fun and light hearted sometimes. I feel like El Scorcho and The Good Life is a fun song to play and sing along to. In a sense, Pinkerton defined my teenage years: confused, deprived, tired and just want to find happiness. I know there are other ways to cope with the previous mentioned, but the roughness of Pinkerton just WORKED for me.
I'm 29 yo. Listened to Pinkerton for the first time february this year and I would start a cult over this album. Pinkerton is so disgusting, raw and weird that makes It a unique experience. Rivers was really brave to put himself in such a bad light, because the content of those lyrics are embarassing to say the least (and he knew that). It isn't an easy listening, but there aren't many album like Pinkerton out there. I think Its a special work
White Album was a sleeper hit for me. First I was like "This is pretty good!" and now it's my second favorite Weezer album. Nothing in my life will ever be as thematically linked to music ever again as when I spent 6 months living by the beach in San Francisco during the pandemic and moved right after the summer ended; that album legit felt like the soundtrack to my life, closer "Endless Bummer" in particular.
I can't hate Beverly Hills, it was the first music video I ever bought for my ipod video and I watched it over and over. I also related to the lyrics. I grew up very religious in a dull town, and romanticized California and teenage party culture bc I had none of that. And it was around when I started playing guitar and it introduced me to what a voice box was. Though as an adult I find the image of Californian culture to be shallow and off-putting and realizing this is a very simple song, I still have a soft spot for it.
Adult who got into Pinkerton fairly recently here: I've been into Weezer, particularly the blue album, since I was a teen, but Pinkerton was always one with a few songs I enjoyed, but overall didn't get into, until the pandemic hit. I was a regularly touring musician, and just like that, the industry I had spent my life working in was essentially gone, and instead of doing what I loved, I spent a year stuck at home without a single other person. All the loneliness and insanity of the record spoke to me more and more with every listen. I can relate to the apathy of Tired Of Sex and Why Bother, the longing for human connection of Across The Sea and Pink Triangle (without the creepy aspects), and most of all the desire of to be able to go back to the good life of... El Scorcho.
I didn't think it was my personal situation that made me fall in love with Pinkerton, but then I realised I was in a situation with unrequited love, frustration, feeling aimless... so yeah. I was 21. I still love the album but it's definitely not personally relatable to me anymore. What I respect the most is Rivers just putting himself unabashedly out there with no pretense.
I listened to Weezer’s new stuff first, starting with none other than Pacific Daydream. Knowing nothing about them, I thought the music was cool and that was it. With the release of the Black Album, I thought I’d give them a try and ended up falling in love with Rivers and the crew. I dig deeper, and though my tastes wouldn’t initially allow me to listen to their older stuff, I appreciated the band enough that I started listening to it. Honestly the more I learn about this band the more I love it. They are relatable to me in some sense, and I got every reference on their latest album Van Weezer. I think that I come from a different “backwards” perspective if you will on Weezer. As a result, I am one of the few fans that truly loves ALL their music (if not every song, at least every album). I love the phases Rivers has gone through and I have lots of love for everything about this band. I will also note that, unsurprisingly, more than the Blue Album, Pacific Daydream, Everything Will be Alright, and the Black Album, are the most nostalgic to me.
I'd love to see blink-182 covered on here. For the face of goofy pop punk in the early 2000's, their discography is incredibly varied, from mid-90's skate punk, to classic 2000's pop punk, and even some pretty experimental albums. Their untitled record from 2003 is my favorite album of all time, and I'd love to hear your opinion on the band.
I got into Weezer and fell in love with Pinkerton in Uni, so I fell in love with it without that nostalgic perspective. The music itself is amazing of course, with Falling for you as a highlight. And this might also be the most important song for explaining my love for the album at a later age. It is the realisation that you still haven't overcome the demons of a previous you. You are still afraid of being vulnerable again after thinking you've left that behind in the past (The Good Life, Pink Triangle and to an extent El Scorcho), but instead you feel like you are hitting that wall again. But before returning to that old place and thinking you are just a simple 3-chord loser, you think to yourself, fuck it, "I'm ready lets do it". With this, you can appreciate the journey before Falling for you, with Across the Sea as a clear low point: "So you send me your love from all around the world As if I could live on Words and dreams and a million screams Oh, how I need a hand in mine to feel" It inspires to have an honest look back at your lows in order to explain the insecurities you are still having, of which you used to think that you would grow out of them somehow. I would still rank Blue over Pinkerton, but it is a clear #2 for me. Oh btw, Everybody get Dangerous is an amazing song and your trash opinion about it deserves to be burned as well.
Would love to see Cocteau Twins and Pinback added to the poll. Iconic and deeply influential groups that often aren’t given the proper recognition IMO. Fantastic, hilarious, brilliantly written and edited as always. Thank you for being the only god-tier music TH-camr with a consistent upload schedule (RIP rickthelai)
I left the radio playing on accident while I went to sleep once. During this epic, cinematic dream, "Hero" was playing the whole time. I developed a new found appreciation for Weezer after that.
I became a huge fan of Pinkerton after I turned 26 and got my first apartment all alone. I had just faced painful rejection from someone I really cared about and slept around with a lot of people and hung got into some drugs I’m glad I don’t do anymore. That album was a way for me to wallow in self pity but also sort of remind me that I wasn’t living the life I was meant to live. I remember starting the album right after sex in a car with someone I was getting sick of, and it was like a movie moment. TMI, but that’s my story. It will always be nostalgic to me for these reasons.
It interesting how they started as a post-punk band, transitioned into being an earnest and heartfelt rock band, transformed into a ironic flashy alternative band in the 90s, and now they're back to their earnest rock and roll roots. They’re a great band with many great eras.
Didn’t get into Pinkerton until I was an adult, and it’s slowly become my favorite album in general. I appreciate the production, composition, and honesty the most. None of the criticisms of the lyrics ever made sense to me as they are clearly self aware and never attempt to glorify Rivers’ thoughts. It just seems like low having fruit to criticize something like across the sea for instance, as if you’re intentionally missing the point.
I marathoned the entire discography of this band, amde a tierlist and wrote pocket size reviews for my friends in 12 hours befroe watching this video. I MADE MY HOMEWORK, MIC.
Somehow matched in most of the opinions, except i thought greater of hurley due to the course correction attempt, finding white a bit too pop to rate higher over others albums like green i.e., hating black more than your meh rating, liking ok human a lot more and somehow gettigna complete lyrical meaning from you? (i need to get my ears checked) and not enjoying van wezzer due to it' cut n paste approach to homage. It's been a year has an of this changed with time?
Raditude is a fantastic record. It's super original, fun to listen to, and asks some deep questions we have to ponder for ourselves. I didn't understand its beauty until years after discovering it, but now it's all clear and I've become enlightened
I commemorate Rivers for writing those lyrics for Pinkerton especially for “Across The Sea”. 90% or more of people experience intrusive thoughts and when you’re in such a state as rivers was, you can go multiple ways but the ways that I think about it is. I think he might’ve consciously or unconsciously made the decision of not being a cynical asshole across Pinkerton. It can be real easy to be cynical when you’re in a state that he was in. I’d say it’s Alice In Chains type of honesty
That disgusting shit shouldn’t be celebrated man. And no, it’s nothing like Alice in Chains. Alice in Chain aren’t confessing about being sexually attracted to teenagers.
I found OK Human to be Rivers’ most personal album next to Pinkerton. Listening to it made me feel that he really poured his heart and soul into this as well as what he learned from his depression era in the mid to late nineties.
perfect situation will forever hold a special place in my heart because that was the first song I listened to after my first breakup... lots of bitter-sweet memories lie in that opening guitar solo...
Pinkerton(and blue album) changed my life, I got into it after my first breakup, my ex cheated on me after 5 years,which caused me to drop out of college and move back into my parents house. I had never had experienced this much failure and sorrow at once in my life at this point. I listened to Pinkerton in the shower in the morning before I went to work, sobbing and singing along from the pain I felt. All I had known had gone to nothing, my potential dream career gone, my supposed best friends all gone and my ex who was my first kiss, first time and first girlfriend. A real turning point in my life and I felt the deep parts of Pinkerton because of this. Blue Album also contributed to this but Pinkerton really brought out the pain in my heart at the time and helped me cope with it.
I love Weezer. Thank you for doing this one!! It would be cool if you did a Fall Out Boy one since they just did a tour with Green Day and Weezer recently
OK Human is probably one of my favorite Weezer albums since I guess The Blue Album and Pinkerton. Just a total change of pace, from out of nowhere. Rivers is really at his songwriting best in my opinion.
I think I saw a post on the Weezer subreddit that confirmed that Sidney the dog passed away in November 2019, but he was indeed a very good boy. Sidney actually “interviewed” Rivers as part of the album’s rollout.
I didn't hear Pinkerton in it's entirety until last year (I'm 22). I actually prefer it to Blue because of it's abrasive nature. It's honest, nasty, weird and even creepy in some places. But that's how human emotion is, isn't it?
There’s nothing more satisfying than finishing an artist’s entire discography and watching these videos when your finished. I did it with AJR, Green Day and now Weezer.
This series is really enjoyable especially the more “out there” artists. I think a deep dive on the Smashing Pumpkins or the Flaming Lips would be great!
I never really listened to Weezer. Sure, I was familiar with like Buddy Holly and My Name is Jonas, but that was really about it. When I heard OK Human for the first time last year, I instantly fell in love with it and then decided to start further looking into the band. I first heard "Pinkerton" when I was 28 years old. It's my second favorite weezer album right behind OK Human now.
So Pinkerton entered my life when I was around 18? I was into Weezer beforehand but the Pinkerton aspect didn't really fully sink in until I feel like towards the end of High School and the start of college. However I'm 28 now so the timeline might be blurring a little bit. This was during the same point where I was really digesting the catalogs of Nirvana, Alice In Chains, and other 90's adjacent acts. It struck a pretty decent cord back then. However as I get older that cords gets hit a little less but I still appreciate it. Just instead of it feeling it in a more direct fashion I feel like an observer reminiscing on my old angst, alongside Rivers. Which if my teenage angst flares up it'll Pinkerton will probably do the job again but I'm a lot happier these days! I find that as I've gotten more comfortable with myself the Blue Album is a bit more relatable. The bridge in Across The Sea has my favorite Weezer lyrics ever though with “As if I could live on / Words and dreams and a million screams / Oh, how I need a hand in mine to feel.” Also Crab is a bop.
Found this years later as an adult. I loved it and STILL love it. One of my all time favorite albums. Great songs, and the recording is great. Granted, I'm not much of a person for paying attention to lyrics so maybe that's it.
Man I haven't listened to Weezer since High School, but I do have fond memories of their first 2 albums plus plenty of nostalgia. So it's nice to think about. Personally I'd recommend you check out the deluxe version of Pinkerton, there's a lot of excellent stuff on there.
Damn, you didn't listen to Van Weezer on vinyl because you didn't mention "I've Thrown It All Away", the hidden track after "Precious Metal Girl". What a great return to form for Weezer despite it being an unreleased song from the Blue Album days.
I personally think that both California Kids and Wind in our Sails is my personal favorite weezer songs of all the albums. For me, I really was trying to get though highschool at the time and I found this album. I was driving home in the winter and it made me feel important. While I think that all the other songs can be better, I really think this is a really good opener for a weezer album and I always come back to this song during those cold winter nights. I know its a little dramatic, but that's I feel.
The deluxe version of Pinkerton has some equally great bonus tracks, and a few I think are even better than some main album songs. I think it’s definitely worth checking out.
I was a pretty big Weezer fan growing up, but I didn’t discover Pinkerton until I was a freshman in college for whatever reason. As a nerdy, awkward kid who would fall in love with basically any girl who would talk to him, the lyrics of unrequited love and the frustrations that come from that really hit home with me. I still love the album and play it every now and then. Although I definitely agree with you that a few lyrics can be a bit problematic.
Dude, Hurley is painfully underrated. Run Away, Ruling Me and Trainwrecks are bangers. Where's Billy Cobb to back me up?!? That being said, White Album and Blue Album are the best Weezer albums.
my favorite weezer song has always been susanne off the mallrats soundtrack. contains just about everything i enjoy in a weezer song condensed into a somewhat short runtime, feels like a shot of serotonin to my cranium
Hey Mic, as a huge fan of the DDD series who just recently got into his music, I highly suggest Devin Townsend. Not only has this fascinating man proved his creativity and musical diversity with every single one of his albums so far, he also lived an interesting life that played a big part in the creation of said music. Even though I am not really a metal listener I got totally absorbed in the world of Strapping Young Lad, Ocean Machine and more. So I'd absolutely love to hear your thoughts on all of it.
I thought this was a great video and was really well made, I agree a lot about it. I only have one thing to add. Tripping Down the Freeway is a top tier song. Not only is it one of their best works, but its better than anything on Blue, it’s got one of their best hooks, the lyrics are incredibly wholesome, and do not slander my baby ever again.
as I get older I actually grow to enjoy Pinkerton more, no clue why I always thoughts I just grew to like the compositions more and more but I think as I get older I grow more and more desperate feeling or at lest being able to understand and relate to those types of emotions more
I went to one of the 2000 shows and it was absolutely incredible. There were 4 unknown songs (none of them were on the green album), but the rest was from the Blue album or Pinkerton. The energy in the crowd was incredible. Seemed that almost all of us were huge fans and were so incredibly excited the band hadn't broken up.
My intro to Weezer was the Blue Album but like in 1999 (I was 8) when a friend of mine's older brother made me a copy following him blasting it when his sister and I were working on a school project. that album's going to have a soft sport for me because it was one of the first ones I listened to that wasn't pop music on the radio or my parent's/grandparent's/bitchy aunt's music.
As someone who kinda grew out of their Weezer phase, I still have mad respect for the die-hard fans who still stick with them, even if they are fully aware of how many disappointments their discography has. edit: I am going to blame this video for me getting into another Weezer phase. After listening to their newer stuff in full, I made a playlist of their best late-period songs, and they've been in rotation for two weeks now.
Those Red album takes caught me by surprise. The band written tracks I've always considered the bad part of the record, and I love the stupidity of everybody get dangerous and troublemaker. Also maladroit is definitely up there as one of the great Weezer albums imo, 5th on my list. Great video!
I didn't listen to Pinkerton until last year. It's my favorite Weezer album because there are no songs I feel like are worth skipping, the sound of the songs is overall very consistently good (though I can understand why some people would think it can sound kinda same-y), and musically, it's the heaviest album in their discography which I love so much
I fell in love with Pinkerton as an adult in sophomore year of college. There was a lot of change going on in my life and a lot of new emotions I was dealing with (I had been a year on taking estrogen) and I found myself listening to a lot of classic early 1st wave Dischord era emo; as well as 5th wave emo like Weatherday. I always wrote Weezer off as a joke since I only knew their massive hits, but something about the emotional honesty in the lyrics combined with the noisy Pixies-esque production immediately got me hooked. What can I say? I love screams of pain from an artist.
I listened to Pinkerton for the first time when I was a freshman in college. I had no friends and was generally having a bad time. This album spoke to me at the time and because of that it's still my favorite album of theirs
I got Pinkerton freshman year of college after having spent lots of time with Blue, EWBAITE, and White within the previous couple years. I didn't quite get it at first, but within a few spins I was hooked. The thing about Pinkerton, I think for me to love it at least, I had to be open to lots of adolescent relationship pains and depressions and anxieties while listening to it. Yeah, some of the lyrics are certainly iffy, but I think that comes with the territory when you're being so open about deep anxieties and anything to do with relationships. People often aren't sane when they're struggling with those feelings, and they end up thinking or saying things they might regret if they looked back on them from a better mental space. I take all the lyrics as just Rivers being as honest as he can be about thoughts that were plaguing his mind and heart, which I almost always prefer to Rivers trying to act cool or trying to write hits. The other thing is, if you've gone trough similarly disturbing mental states about love or lack of love or loss of love, the situations described on Pinkerton are difficult not to relate to. I've never fallen in love with a lesbian by accident (to the best of my knowledge), but sometimes I've been driven into such a horrible state of depression about relationship failure I've taken solace in the idea that I may have been rejected by someone because our sexualities weren't compatible. It's somehow funny and makes the depression more bearable to thing something like that is responsible. Similar things apply across the rest of the album. El Scorcho speaks to the desperation of trying to get someone to like you, and speaks words you know better than to actually say to your crush, "I'm a lot like you, so please, hello, I'm here, I'm waiting." Across The Sea deals with the idea that someone perfect for you who likes you back probably exists, but they're just miles and miles away and you'll never have the chance to meet them in person. Why Bother deals with the inevitable state of giving up on love because it just hurts more and more every time you fail, knowing all the while you still want it but putting on the breaks to protect yourself from the pain of having it refused. Falling For You realizes the fantasy of finding the perfect person, but suddenly all the fears about being ready for a serious relationship leap to the front of your mind, and you find yourself shaking and scared of the person you thought you so desperately wanted. Butterfly then works as a perfect aftermath. A somber acoustic apology to those you likely harmed in your pursuits and failures and with your personal shortcomings. Butterfly concludes that you may be hopeless, but you're not evil, and you never meant anyone any harm, but accepts that you may never be forgiven. So yeah, that's why I tend to look past the more specific, objectionable side of the lyrics. It's just honest details that, while unlikeable, are necessary to admit to really get to the heart of what Rivers is struggling with. Oh oh oh, also, side note. I love Beverly Hills. Big dumb fun song. It's no work of art, but it just works for me.
Blue is a High School album, Pinkerton is a college album, and the rest are what happens when you believe you peaked in high school
Perfection
nah white album and ok human are what happens when you believe you peaked in college
us weezer fans never peaked wdym
Goddamn
Ok. You need to be a music critic.
you're not even gonna mention their 2018 masterpiece "twin fantasy?" damn.
i am gonna be so happy when he finally does car seat headrest and calls all the albums up to Teens of Denial shit cuz of the lo-fi production :(
@@msicouldntthinkofafunnynam4770 i am gonna be so happy when he does car seat headrest and calls all the albums shit :)
2011 has way more charm tbh
@@themandownstairs4765 perhaps, i like both equally - like 2 halves of a whole project (though i slightly prefer 2011)
You mean 2017?
8:40 The “goddamn you half Japanese girls…” line on El Scorcho, and most of the rest of the song (and much of the rest of the album) is a direct reference to Madame Butterfly. Basically, a play about a Japanese woman who falls in love with, and is eventually driven to suicide by, a heartless American man. The woman protagonist is named “Cho Cho San”, and the American man is named “Pinkerton”.
Oh shit
@@Robyn_iz_Here shut the duck up anime pfp
That's all completely true, but unfortunately, if people accept the actual truth about the song they can't pretend to be offended by it anymore.
@@ninja_tony It's not. It's part of the truth but the version of the song that ended up getting released is pretty blatantly not about that. Was the character in Madame Butterfly even half-Japanese? I don't think so. Pretty sure she was Japanese. Is the rest of the song a reference to Madame Butterfly? Well there is a reference to the main character. A reference to the girl listening to the opera. Not at all the same. Does Rivers have a bit of a weird relationship with Japanese women? Lets ask the man himself
"Well, I suppose that halfway through writing the album, I started to realize or become aware of a pattern in my life that I seem to be having a lot of disastrous encounters with half Japanese girls. And then it developed into disastrous encounters with Asian girls of all sorts. Yeah, I suppose it’s fair to say that I’m fascinated by Asian girls [grimaces]. For some reason, they’re particularly beautiful to me. I don’t know why."
Yeah. He does.
Not only that but he later learned that particular woman was actually Korean. (Based on a quote used in the Genius annotation)
an essential element of being a Weezer fan is regularly hating half of their stuff
Half? More like 85%
@@Georgeirfx nah more like 60, the other 40 ranges from passable to top albums OAT
@@johnpaulcross424 so true, and there's zero rhythm or rhyme to when a good album will come along. you'll think they're done making good music and then they drop EWBAITE or the white album and blow you away before dropping albums you can't stand again.
@@Georgeirfx you aren’t a fan
@@Georgeirfx it’s really more like 60%. No one who has heard their stuff actually thinks they only have 2 good albums.
Let's start a petition to call the next album Weezens.
Also, way to sneak in the Billy Cobb Carl Weezer Say It Ain't So Cover there.
Weasons
Weazons
well it’s called SZNS (Seasons) so pretty close ☠️
CZsWorld is a Weezer fan???!?!
Well hello professor
Fancy seeing you here
i'll never forget a classmate who found out the historical significance of the pink triangle because of that one weezer song…
well, the more you know 👍
It me
@@quackerbarrel3709 me too
Degenerate symbols
I learned that from Weezer too lol
Pinkerton’s lyrics are extremely disturbing to me.
But in a way... that’s exactly why I love them. It’s emotionally open to the point of extreme discomfort, making it a real and accurate depiction of a human with all its flaws and insecurities. It’s not trying to look good, it’s just real and I find it fascinating
yeah thats eactly what makes it a great album.... its basically spilling out all those uncomfortable feelings you had when you were like 14, it had all the bad thoughts a lot of people kept inside for years and had a way to vent them without becoming... well brock turner
hell one of the last lyrics on the album is "I'm sorry for what i did", basically an apology for the perverted nature he had
I really don’t think Pinkerton’s lyrics are that disturbing (except for a few lines in Across the Sea). They just seem very personal and real to me. They sound like things that lots of people think about but Weezer actually had the guts to release them on an album.
Extremely disturbing is a bit of a stretch. Most rap songs have way more disturbing lyrics.
Yeah, like Rivers himself said with that album that he wanted to project all of the ugliest and worst parts of his personality at the time into music, and that’s what really makes the album work for me. It’s just an insanely honest and open album in a lot of ways, and even if a lot of the lyrics have aged poorly and Rivers comes across as a bit of an incel on that album now, I still really commend that a major label band released an album this out there and ballsy.
Yeah I would call them uncomfortably honest rather than severely disturbing myself (for the most part, I agree there are definitely a few parts that veer into a little suspect lol) but as mentioned, that's the point. His physical pain and emotional discomfort was the crux of the album and it's not made for people who aren't willing to look at that kind of honesty. That's why a lot of people react to it with jokes and scorn and such, basically as a defense mechanism. I agree with Philly, I think if someone's out here saying they've never shared a single thread of thought with anything on Pinkerton, they're lying to themselves. It's really quite human to be awkward and weird and frankly a little gross. We just hide it.
Weezer is like the Sonic of rock bands. Peaked in the 90s, passionate fans argue about what releases afterward are good/bad, a couple returns-to-form in the 2010s that people really like, and outsiders just think it all sucks no matter what and was possibly never good to begin with (wrong).
if weezer is sonic, who's mario
@@jackieburkhart3268…Foo Fighters?
@@jackieburkhart3268 Radiohead
@@ahoksure Or Green Day.
@@jackieburkhart3268Nirvana
"Pump it up into me" is the most catchy part of Van Weezer, actually
Please daddy please daddy
"raditude is one of the Weezer albums of all time" lol
Weezer's Raditude had the best album cover of all time, and it's not even close. That jump took years for that dog to master, and it had finally paid off he's not only a National Geographic spotlight, but also an iconic role on the front cover of Weezer's masterpiece. i guess you could say it put the dogs confidence back together, and he got hot and started tripping down the freeway. And to this day he's still jumping and still partying!!!
You claim there is no depth to Raditude, yet this is entirely false. You have to have a very high IQ to understand songs like Can’t Stop Partying and Love Is The Answer. There are so many interesting layers that Raditude fans are still dissecting and analyzing to this very day. Lil’ Wayne’s verse on Can’t Stop Partying contains many fascinating statements about human existence and the meaning of life as a whole. This album is pure genius, and clearly the band’s magnum opus. It reaches new heights that Blue and Pinkerton never could, just like how I reached new heights with my epic jump that I never could before. Some people just don’t understand art.
P.S. I am most definitely a funny doggo.
thank you dog from raditude, i'm a huge fan of your work
I am so glad that one of the most popular TH-cam commenters right now is promoting the best Weezer album. I am still disappointed they didn’t include the Lil Wayne feature on OK Human
Love is the Answer is worse than Can’t Stop Partying. I stand by that.
Can't Stop Partying actually feels a lot more meaningful now that I've listened to the solo acoustic version. Feels like a desperate plea to stop the constant "drugs sex money" expectation of fame
Fax
Honestly, the lyrics on Pinkerton are my favorite part of the album. They're dark, gross, creepy, and unflattering, and I think that kind of blunt honesty is what I like the most in Weezer. Pinkerton shows you every part of Rivers, especially the dark corners of his mind. Everyone has darkness in them that we try to ignore, so it's interesting to see it almost embraced in this strange, nervous way. That's why my least favorite Weezer albums are the ones that feel less authentic, like Green and Raditude. Even though the other material is a mixed bag, I like that Rivers can unapologetically be himself and write what he wants to write. That all being said, White is their best album
@ghost mall cope
Pinkerton is misogynistic, predatory, and awful.
@@bitterman7258 grow up.
@@ninja_tony im sorry ninja tony, i will indeed grow up in the future, ninja tony
Maladroit man, don't forget Maladroit
Rivers yelling KEVIN GREENE is one of the most entertaining things I’ve seen in a while
As you said, there is a certain abrasiveness to Pinkerton. Raw energy mixed with raw emotion, unfiltered through the mixing really stuck to me. The desperation of some tracks resonates the feeling of being an emotionally depraved teenager, some great examples of this is No Other One or Butterfly. Pinkerton can also be fun and light hearted sometimes. I feel like El Scorcho and The Good Life is a fun song to play and sing along to. In a sense, Pinkerton defined my teenage years: confused, deprived, tired and just want to find happiness. I know there are other ways to cope with the previous mentioned, but the roughness of Pinkerton just WORKED for me.
I'm 29 yo. Listened to Pinkerton for the first time february this year and I would start a cult over this album. Pinkerton is so disgusting, raw and weird that makes It a unique experience. Rivers was really brave to put himself in such a bad light, because the content of those lyrics are embarassing to say the least (and he knew that). It isn't an easy listening, but there aren't many album like Pinkerton out there. I think Its a special work
I’m so glad you mentioned the opening line of “El Scorcho” because I and every other half-Japanese person I know hates it
White Album was a sleeper hit for me. First I was like "This is pretty good!" and now it's my second favorite Weezer album. Nothing in my life will ever be as thematically linked to music ever again as when I spent 6 months living by the beach in San Francisco during the pandemic and moved right after the summer ended; that album legit felt like the soundtrack to my life, closer "Endless Bummer" in particular.
White album I feel is on par with Blue and Pinkerton.
Which is first? I have it as second as well, just below Pinkerton
@@al3ph35 I have it behind Blue Album, personally
For me it Goes Blue Album Pinkerton and White Album.
Where did you move to after?
I can't hate Beverly Hills, it was the first music video I ever bought for my ipod video and I watched it over and over. I also related to the lyrics.
I grew up very religious in a dull town, and romanticized California and teenage party culture bc I had none of that. And it was around when I started playing guitar and it introduced me to what a voice box was.
Though as an adult I find the image of Californian culture to be shallow and off-putting and realizing this is a very simple song, I still have a soft spot for it.
I think you should do a DDD on Kid Cudi. He's such an influential figure in modern rap and I would love to see your take on speedin bullet 2 heaven.
i still think its ome of the best cudi albums
this guy is the Scott the Woz of music
Adult who got into Pinkerton fairly recently here: I've been into Weezer, particularly the blue album, since I was a teen, but Pinkerton was always one with a few songs I enjoyed, but overall didn't get into, until the pandemic hit. I was a regularly touring musician, and just like that, the industry I had spent my life working in was essentially gone, and instead of doing what I loved, I spent a year stuck at home without a single other person. All the loneliness and insanity of the record spoke to me more and more with every listen. I can relate to the apathy of Tired Of Sex and Why Bother, the longing for human connection of Across The Sea and Pink Triangle (without the creepy aspects), and most of all the desire of to be able to go back to the good life of... El Scorcho.
Blows my mind how much the quality of these videos has improved over the last 2 years. Need a deep discog dive on deep discog dive
I didn't think it was my personal situation that made me fall in love with Pinkerton, but then I realised I was in a situation with unrequited love, frustration, feeling aimless... so yeah. I was 21. I still love the album but it's definitely not personally relatable to me anymore. What I respect the most is Rivers just putting himself unabashedly out there with no pretense.
"I'mma do the things that I wanna do. I ain't got a thing to prove to you." ❤❤❤
Bold of you to tackle Weezer after Pat Finnerty’s legendary video
One of the best TH-cam videos I’ve ever seen!!
It's incredible
Beato.
I didn't like it.
i don't know about that guy
I listened to Weezer’s new stuff first, starting with none other than Pacific Daydream. Knowing nothing about them, I thought the music was cool and that was it. With the release of the Black Album, I thought I’d give them a try and ended up falling in love with Rivers and the crew. I dig deeper, and though my tastes wouldn’t initially allow me to listen to their older stuff, I appreciated the band enough that I started listening to it. Honestly the more I learn about this band the more I love it. They are relatable to me in some sense, and I got every reference on their latest album Van Weezer. I think that I come from a different “backwards” perspective if you will on Weezer. As a result, I am one of the few fans that truly loves ALL their music (if not every song, at least every album). I love the phases Rivers has gone through and I have lots of love for everything about this band. I will also note that, unsurprisingly, more than the Blue Album, Pacific Daydream, Everything Will be Alright, and the Black Album, are the most nostalgic to me.
I can't believe Mic skipped over the Statefarm jingle cover, it's unironically one of the best things Weezer has ever done
"In conclusion, Raditude is one of the Weezer albums of all time." -Mic the Snare
Being a Weezer fan is a constant cycle of fleeting optimism and crushing disappointment.
Just like his idol, Scott the Woz, Mic commits Arson when he moves house
I'd love to see blink-182 covered on here. For the face of goofy pop punk in the early 2000's, their discography is incredibly varied, from mid-90's skate punk, to classic 2000's pop punk, and even some pretty experimental albums. Their untitled record from 2003 is my favorite album of all time, and I'd love to hear your opinion on the band.
Not a big Weezer fan but I love their hits. There is something very charming about their music
I got into Weezer and fell in love with Pinkerton in Uni, so I fell in love with it without that nostalgic perspective. The music itself is amazing of course, with Falling for you as a highlight. And this might also be the most important song for explaining my love for the album at a later age. It is the realisation that you still haven't overcome the demons of a previous you. You are still afraid of being vulnerable again after thinking you've left that behind in the past (The Good Life, Pink Triangle and to an extent El Scorcho), but instead you feel like you are hitting that wall again. But before returning to that old place and thinking you are just a simple 3-chord loser, you think to yourself, fuck it, "I'm ready lets do it".
With this, you can appreciate the journey before Falling for you, with Across the Sea as a clear low point:
"So you send me your love from all around the world
As if I could live on
Words and dreams and a million screams
Oh, how I need a hand in mine to feel"
It inspires to have an honest look back at your lows in order to explain the insecurities you are still having, of which you used to think that you would grow out of them somehow.
I would still rank Blue over Pinkerton, but it is a clear #2 for me.
Oh btw, Everybody get Dangerous is an amazing song and your trash opinion about it deserves to be burned as well.
Pinkerton is a disgusting predatory album that deserves to burn.
Would love to see Cocteau Twins and Pinback added to the poll. Iconic and deeply influential groups that often aren’t given the proper recognition IMO. Fantastic, hilarious, brilliantly written and edited as always. Thank you for being the only god-tier music TH-camr with a consistent upload schedule (RIP rickthelai)
Yes please. I love the cocteau twins. Exceptional band
I left the radio playing on accident while I went to sleep once. During this epic, cinematic dream, "Hero" was playing the whole time.
I developed a new found appreciation for Weezer after that.
I became a huge fan of Pinkerton after I turned 26 and got my first apartment all alone. I had just faced painful rejection from someone I really cared about and slept around with a lot of people and hung got into some drugs I’m glad I don’t do anymore. That album was a way for me to wallow in self pity but also sort of remind me that I wasn’t living the life I was meant to live. I remember starting the album right after sex in a car with someone I was getting sick of, and it was like a movie moment. TMI, but that’s my story. It will always be nostalgic to me for these reasons.
I believe an interesting band to do a DDD on would be U2. They have a lot of material to cover, especially from Unforgettable Fire to Pop
I also find it interesting to see when people think they fall off, as well as how good they thought the band was during their peak
It interesting how they started as a post-punk band, transitioned into being an earnest and heartfelt rock band, transformed into a ironic flashy alternative band in the 90s, and now they're back to their earnest rock and roll roots. They’re a great band with many great eras.
@anyway96 I agree although I think it’s a noticeable step down from their best work. Unfortunately a lot of people don’t seem to agree
what is a weezer
idk, ask weezer
Didn’t get into Pinkerton until I was an adult, and it’s slowly become my favorite album in general. I appreciate the production, composition, and honesty the most. None of the criticisms of the lyrics ever made sense to me as they are clearly self aware and never attempt to glorify Rivers’ thoughts. It just seems like low having fruit to criticize something like across the sea for instance, as if you’re intentionally missing the point.
Rivers Cuomo confessing to having a thing for teenage Japanese girls is not something that should be commended or celebrated. He should be in jail.
It's cuz he's a white man who doesn't suck the peepee, the criticism of his lyrics
I marathoned the entire discography of this band, amde a tierlist and wrote pocket size reviews for my friends in 12 hours befroe watching this video. I MADE MY HOMEWORK, MIC.
Somehow matched in most of the opinions, except i thought greater of hurley due to the course correction attempt, finding white a bit too pop to rate higher over others albums like green i.e., hating black more than your meh rating, liking ok human a lot more and somehow gettigna complete lyrical meaning from you? (i need to get my ears checked) and not enjoying van wezzer due to it' cut n paste approach to homage.
It's been a year has an of this changed with time?
Raditude is a fantastic record. It's super original, fun to listen to, and asks some deep questions we have to ponder for ourselves. I didn't understand its beauty until years after discovering it, but now it's all clear and I've become enlightened
Parting partying
Partying partying
I don't know why but I love their take of Lost In The Woods from the Frozen 2 soundtrack. It's just a fantastic song
"I hope the dog is getting lots of pets"
Who's gonna tell him...
Cant wait for your speech on Raditude, the greatest work of art in musical history.
I commemorate Rivers for writing those lyrics for Pinkerton especially for “Across The Sea”. 90% or more of people experience intrusive thoughts and when you’re in such a state as rivers was, you can go multiple ways but the ways that I think about it is. I think he might’ve consciously or unconsciously made the decision of not being a cynical asshole across Pinkerton. It can be real easy to be cynical when you’re in a state that he was in. I’d say it’s Alice In Chains type of honesty
That disgusting shit shouldn’t be celebrated man. And no, it’s nothing like Alice in Chains. Alice in Chain aren’t confessing about being sexually attracted to teenagers.
I found OK Human to be Rivers’ most personal album next to Pinkerton. Listening to it made me feel that he really poured his heart and soul into this as well as what he learned from his depression era in the mid to late nineties.
I'm slowly diving into Weezer thanks to this video. Atm I really love Foolish Father
The year is 3021 and the spoon ddd still hasn’t dropped
perfect situation will forever hold a special place in my heart because that was the first song I listened to after my first breakup... lots of bitter-sweet memories lie in that opening guitar solo...
Now that you’ve covered Weezer, I can finally start voting for King Gizzard in every single DDDD. Hooray.
man of culture
Pinkerton(and blue album) changed my life, I got into it after my first breakup, my ex cheated on me after 5 years,which caused me to drop out of college and move back into my parents house. I had never had experienced this much failure and sorrow at once in my life at this point. I listened to Pinkerton in the shower in the morning before I went to work, sobbing and singing along from the pain I felt. All I had known had gone to nothing, my potential dream career gone, my supposed best friends all gone and my ex who was my first kiss, first time and first girlfriend. A real turning point in my life and I felt the deep parts of Pinkerton because of this. Blue Album also contributed to this but Pinkerton really brought out the pain in my heart at the time and helped me cope with it.
I thought I knew a lot about Weezer. Nope. Loved the video, thanks for all the work putting it together!
24:00 I'm glad you agree
17:00 I dont know but riff is pretty damn crunchy
34:25 I was disappointed Rivers didn't do that rap verse
I love Weezer. Thank you for doing this one!! It would be cool if you did a Fall Out Boy one since they just did a tour with Green Day and Weezer recently
OK Human is probably one of my favorite Weezer albums since I guess The Blue Album and Pinkerton. Just a total change of pace, from out of nowhere. Rivers is really at his songwriting best in my opinion.
I think I saw a post on the Weezer subreddit that confirmed that Sidney the dog passed away in November 2019, but he was indeed a very good boy.
Sidney actually “interviewed” Rivers as part of the album’s rollout.
Probably just recency bias, but OK Human is my currently favorite Weezer record. I’m glad out turned around on it!
I didn't hear Pinkerton in it's entirety until last year (I'm 22). I actually prefer it to Blue because of it's abrasive nature. It's honest, nasty, weird and even creepy in some places. But that's how human emotion is, isn't it?
There’s nothing more satisfying than finishing an artist’s entire discography and watching these videos when your finished.
I did it with AJR, Green Day and now Weezer.
This series is really enjoyable especially the more “out there” artists. I think a deep dive on the Smashing Pumpkins or the Flaming Lips would be great!
I never really listened to Weezer. Sure, I was familiar with like Buddy Holly and My Name is Jonas, but that was really about it. When I heard OK Human for the first time last year, I instantly fell in love with it and then decided to start further looking into the band. I first heard "Pinkerton" when I was 28 years old. It's my second favorite weezer album right behind OK Human now.
So Pinkerton entered my life when I was around 18? I was into Weezer beforehand but the Pinkerton aspect didn't really fully sink in until I feel like towards the end of High School and the start of college. However I'm 28 now so the timeline might be blurring a little bit. This was during the same point where I was really digesting the catalogs of Nirvana, Alice In Chains, and other 90's adjacent acts.
It struck a pretty decent cord back then. However as I get older that cords gets hit a little less but I still appreciate it. Just instead of it feeling it in a more direct fashion I feel like an observer reminiscing on my old angst, alongside Rivers. Which if my teenage angst flares up it'll Pinkerton will probably do the job again but I'm a lot happier these days! I find that as I've gotten more comfortable with myself the Blue Album is a bit more relatable. The bridge in Across The Sea has my favorite Weezer lyrics ever though with “As if I could live on / Words and dreams and a million screams / Oh, how I need a hand in mine to feel.”
Also Crab is a bop.
Found this years later as an adult. I loved it and STILL love it. One of my all time favorite albums. Great songs, and the recording is great. Granted, I'm not much of a person for paying attention to lyrics so maybe that's it.
Man I haven't listened to Weezer since High School, but I do have fond memories of their first 2 albums plus plenty of nostalgia. So it's nice to think about. Personally I'd recommend you check out the deluxe version of Pinkerton, there's a lot of excellent stuff on there.
Finally a Weezer take that isn't just the "Blue good, Pinkerton bad, oh and the rest of the albums don't exist" kind. Great video man!
not even mentioning Neil Cicierega's mashup of "Say It Ain't So" with "In the Hall of the Mountain King"? smh my head
Damn, you didn't listen to Van Weezer on vinyl because you didn't mention "I've Thrown It All Away", the hidden track after "Precious Metal Girl". What a great return to form for Weezer despite it being an unreleased song from the Blue Album days.
I personally think that both California Kids and Wind in our Sails is my personal favorite weezer songs of all the albums. For me, I really was trying to get though highschool at the time and I found this album. I was driving home in the winter and it made me feel important. While I think that all the other songs can be better, I really think this is a really good opener for a weezer album and I always come back to this song during those cold winter nights.
I know its a little dramatic, but that's I feel.
The deluxe version of Pinkerton has some equally great bonus tracks, and a few I think are even better than some main album songs. I think it’s definitely worth checking out.
Yeah, a lot of those songs were meant for Songs from the Black Hole, and are some of my favorite songs of all time.
I was a pretty big Weezer fan growing up, but I didn’t discover Pinkerton until I was a freshman in college for whatever reason. As a nerdy, awkward kid who would fall in love with basically any girl who would talk to him, the lyrics of unrequited love and the frustrations that come from that really hit home with me. I still love the album and play it every now and then. Although I definitely agree with you that a few lyrics can be a bit problematic.
Dude, Hurley is painfully underrated. Run Away, Ruling Me and Trainwrecks are bangers. Where's Billy Cobb to back me up?!?
That being said, White Album and Blue Album are the best Weezer albums.
my favorite weezer song has always been susanne off the mallrats soundtrack. contains just about everything i enjoy in a weezer song condensed into a somewhat short runtime, feels like a shot of serotonin to my cranium
Hey Mic, as a huge fan of the DDD series who just recently got into his music, I highly suggest Devin Townsend. Not only has this fascinating man proved his creativity and musical diversity with every single one of his albums so far, he also lived an interesting life that played a big part in the creation of said music. Even though I am not really a metal listener I got totally absorbed in the world of Strapping Young Lad, Ocean Machine and more. So I'd absolutely love to hear your thoughts on all of it.
Mic, A FOB DDD would be a great one to see you do. Plus you now have the other Hella Mega bands. Great stuff man
as a massive fan of weezer, this was a great in depth video to watch. fantastic job
I thought this was a great video and was really well made, I agree a lot about it. I only have one thing to add.
Tripping Down the Freeway is a top tier song. Not only is it one of their best works, but its better than anything on Blue, it’s got one of their best hooks, the lyrics are incredibly wholesome, and do not slander my baby ever again.
I'm so glad you referenced the greatest cover of all time, Billy Cob's cover of Wrestle With Jimmy.
as I get older I actually grow to enjoy Pinkerton more, no clue why I always thoughts I just grew to like the compositions more and more but I think as I get older I grow more and more desperate feeling or at lest being able to understand and relate to those types of emotions more
I went to one of the 2000 shows and it was absolutely incredible. There were 4 unknown songs (none of them were on the green album), but the rest was from the Blue album or Pinkerton. The energy in the crowd was incredible. Seemed that almost all of us were huge fans and were so incredibly excited the band hadn't broken up.
Can we get a coheed and Cambria episode
I’d love to see him try to dissect the plot.
My intro to Weezer was the Blue Album but like in 1999 (I was 8) when a friend of mine's older brother made me a copy following him blasting it when his sister and I were working on a school project. that album's going to have a soft sport for me because it was one of the first ones I listened to that wasn't pop music on the radio or my parent's/grandparent's/bitchy aunt's music.
As someone who kinda grew out of their Weezer phase, I still have mad respect for the die-hard fans who still stick with them, even if they are fully aware of how many disappointments their discography has.
edit: I am going to blame this video for me getting into another Weezer phase. After listening to their newer stuff in full, I made a playlist of their best late-period songs, and they've been in rotation for two weeks now.
This feels like a music reviewing Scott the Woz.
I love it.
Those Red album takes caught me by surprise. The band written tracks I've always considered the bad part of the record, and I love the stupidity of everybody get dangerous and troublemaker. Also maladroit is definitely up there as one of the great Weezer albums imo, 5th on my list. Great video!
I think a Foo Fighter DDD would be awesome. Really enjoy the videos
I didn't listen to Pinkerton until last year. It's my favorite Weezer album because there are no songs I feel like are worth skipping, the sound of the songs is overall very consistently good (though I can understand why some people would think it can sound kinda same-y), and musically, it's the heaviest album in their discography which I love so much
I fell in love with Pinkerton as an adult in sophomore year of college. There was a lot of change going on in my life and a lot of new emotions I was dealing with (I had been a year on taking estrogen) and I found myself listening to a lot of classic early 1st wave Dischord era emo; as well as 5th wave emo like Weatherday. I always wrote Weezer off as a joke since I only knew their massive hits, but something about the emotional honesty in the lyrics combined with the noisy Pixies-esque production immediately got me hooked. What can I say? I love screams of pain from an artist.
I'm still waiting for that Bring Me the Horizon DDD that was supposed to be the first one of the series...
i first got into pinkerton as an adult, but it’s raw intensity and emotional honesty make it my favourite weezer album by a mile
Undone the sweater song is my favorite
I think Aloo Gobi from Ok Human is my favorite song that whole album is awesome. King of the world is up there with it as well.
Just gonna say it the angel and the one is my favorite weezer song
I'm one of those people who actually really enjoys Make Believe
Saw them in London 2022 they put on an awesome show, way better than I dared hope for 👏 👏 👏
Pls do a deep discog dive on the death metal band Death someday.
I listened to Pinkerton for the first time when I was a freshman in college. I had no friends and was generally having a bad time. This album spoke to me at the time and because of that it's still my favorite album of theirs
This is Scott the woz but for music
I got Pinkerton freshman year of college after having spent lots of time with Blue, EWBAITE, and White within the previous couple years. I didn't quite get it at first, but within a few spins I was hooked. The thing about Pinkerton, I think for me to love it at least, I had to be open to lots of adolescent relationship pains and depressions and anxieties while listening to it. Yeah, some of the lyrics are certainly iffy, but I think that comes with the territory when you're being so open about deep anxieties and anything to do with relationships. People often aren't sane when they're struggling with those feelings, and they end up thinking or saying things they might regret if they looked back on them from a better mental space. I take all the lyrics as just Rivers being as honest as he can be about thoughts that were plaguing his mind and heart, which I almost always prefer to Rivers trying to act cool or trying to write hits. The other thing is, if you've gone trough similarly disturbing mental states about love or lack of love or loss of love, the situations described on Pinkerton are difficult not to relate to. I've never fallen in love with a lesbian by accident (to the best of my knowledge), but sometimes I've been driven into such a horrible state of depression about relationship failure I've taken solace in the idea that I may have been rejected by someone because our sexualities weren't compatible. It's somehow funny and makes the depression more bearable to thing something like that is responsible. Similar things apply across the rest of the album. El Scorcho speaks to the desperation of trying to get someone to like you, and speaks words you know better than to actually say to your crush, "I'm a lot like you, so please, hello, I'm here, I'm waiting." Across The Sea deals with the idea that someone perfect for you who likes you back probably exists, but they're just miles and miles away and you'll never have the chance to meet them in person. Why Bother deals with the inevitable state of giving up on love because it just hurts more and more every time you fail, knowing all the while you still want it but putting on the breaks to protect yourself from the pain of having it refused. Falling For You realizes the fantasy of finding the perfect person, but suddenly all the fears about being ready for a serious relationship leap to the front of your mind, and you find yourself shaking and scared of the person you thought you so desperately wanted. Butterfly then works as a perfect aftermath. A somber acoustic apology to those you likely harmed in your pursuits and failures and with your personal shortcomings. Butterfly concludes that you may be hopeless, but you're not evil, and you never meant anyone any harm, but accepts that you may never be forgiven.
So yeah, that's why I tend to look past the more specific, objectionable side of the lyrics. It's just honest details that, while unlikeable, are necessary to admit to really get to the heart of what Rivers is struggling with.
Oh oh oh, also, side note. I love Beverly Hills. Big dumb fun song. It's no work of art, but it just works for me.
one Boards of Canada deep discog dive please
As a dude that was 12 when the blue album came out, I LOVE the Teal album!!