Pinkerton (album)

Pinkerton is the second studio album by the American rock band Weezer, released on September 24, 1996 on DGC Records. After abandoning plans for a rock opera titled Songs from the Black Hole, Weezer recorded Pinkerton between songwriter Rivers Cuomo's terms at Harvard University, where he wrote much of the album.

To better capture their live sound, Weezer produced Pinkerton themselves, creating a darker, more abrasive album than their 1994 self-titled debut. Cuomo's lyrics express disillusionment with the rock lifestyle; the album is named after the character BF Pinkerton from Giacomo Puccini's 1904 opera Madama Butterfly, whom Cuomo described as an "asshole American sailor similar to a touring rock star". Like the opera, the album contains references to Japanese culture.

Pinkerton debuted at number 19 on the US Billboard 200 and fell short of sales expectations after the success of Weezer's debut. It initially received mixed reviews, but went on to achieve cult status and wide acclaim years later; the 2010 "Deluxe Edition" reissue holds a perfect score on aggregate review website Metacritic. The album produced three singles: "El Scorcho", "The Good Life" and "Pink Triangle". It is the last Weezer album to feature bassist Matt Sharp.

Weezer

Weezer is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1992, currently consisting of Rivers Cuomo (lead vocals, lead guitar), Patrick Wilson (drums), Brian Bell (guitars, backing vocals, keyboards), and Scott Shriner (bass, backing vocals, keyboards). The line-up has changed three times since its formation in 1992. Weezer has sold 9.2 million albums in the US and over 17 million worldwide.

After signing to Geffen Records in 1993, Weezer released their debut self-titled album, also known as The Blue Album, in 1994. Backed by successful music videos for the singles "Buddy Holly", "Undone – The Sweater Song" and "Say It Ain't So", The Blue Album became a triple-platinum success and received critical acclaim. Weezer's second album, Pinkerton (1996), featuring a darker, more abrasive sound, was a commercial failure and initially received mixed reviews, but went on to achieve 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 Pinkerton, bassist Matt Sharp left the band and Weezer went on hiatus.

Weezer (disambiguation)

Weezer is an American rock band. The name may also refer to any of the four eponymous albums by the band:

Weezer (2008 album)

Weezer, also known as The Red Album, is the sixth studio album by the American alternative rock band Weezer, released on June 3, 2008.Rick Rubin and Jacknife Lee both produced parts of the album, with the band producing a handful of tracks themselves. Like the group's 1994 debut album Weezer, other band members contributed to songwriting. This is the first and, so far, the only Weezer album to feature lead vocals from all four band members. The album also features more musical experimentation in comparison to their previous efforts, especially shown in such songs as "Dreamin'", "The Angel and The One" and "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived".

Two official singles were released from the album—"Pork and Beans" and "Troublemaker"—with both becoming relatively successful modern rock songs. The video for the former also became the most-watched video on the internet the weekend following its release. Additionally, an unconventional Hootenanny Tour replaced the traditional rock concert tour to promote the album. Despite this, the album proved to be less successful than their previous album, Make Believe, failing to be certified Gold.