francis

I return to the site, hoping it’s the last time, because I’ve noticed that the comments on this review show no signs of dwindling. For what it’s worth, I actually regret having written it, especially since the initial intention was poorly interpreted. This review was born out of pure provocation, with a playful spirit, and was a reaction to how several albums I liked were treated by certain reviewers on Debaser. I wanted to prove that, by applying the same superficial and stereotypical criteria used for artists I prefer, the product wouldn’t change, generating reactions not different from those of various fans of Oasis, U2, Blur, The Beatles, etc. who in turn are accused of "fanaticism" or "victimhood"... all just to have a laugh about how acceptable the line is between a gratuitous and extramusical criticism dictated perhaps by some "guru," while it’s not acceptable when directed towards an "untouchable" group or however one wants to call it. The downside is that this review also painted me as someone highly superficial, and gives the impression of a person I don’t think I am... but these are clearly the risks one runs when wanting to express "different" thoughts. In any case, re-reading it after two years, I realize I exaggerated with the terms, expressing opinions that do not reflect my real view of things; the taste for paradox got the better of me, and if anyone truly felt offended by certain things I wrote, I’m sorry. If I could turn back time, I wouldn’t write it: not because I actually appreciate the Doors (I really don’t like them, that’s the only point I won’t debate) but because the trick of "now I will tear down your idols" put me on the same level as people who have no respect for music and for "writing about music".... this can also be understood from the almost pedestrian way in which I expressed my opinions, markedly different from almost all my other reviews on this site... instead of a caricatural response, it turned into an unnecessarily violent invective with sincere insights but presented in a foolish way. So yes, I don’t like the Doors, and yes, I truly believe that their mythologization is disproportionate to their artistic merits, but in any case I regret having indirectly offended the fans of this group with extramusical statements that I exaggerated for the reasons I mentioned above and that in fact I wouldn’t rewrite in those tones. That's all, I don’t think I have anything else to add.

you really don't understand a thing, it's a fantastic track with superb production....one of the greatest pieces of '70s disco music

Going back to this album, "Battleships" is by far the most beautiful song of the year.

"Lifeblood" was a great album full of wonderful songs, this new one from the Manics is a total mess, a pedestrian imitation of their old clichés, inhuman crap. I refuse to write a review about it.

Some additional information or consideration that I didn't specify in the review: it's true that the band for several years refrained from performing live the songs from "Pinkerton," but given the resurgence of popularity of this album and the increasing demands from fans in this decade, Weezer started playing them again, even if Cuomo allowed Brian Bell and Scott Shriner to sing different tracks... one last note regarding the mood of the album: perhaps some might be influenced by some somewhat sensationalist definitions I've used, and might notice that some songs do not maintain the tension and disorientation of "Tired Of Sex": I still recommend listening to the songs while simultaneously reading the lyrics to better grasp the spirit of the album and understand how this is profoundly different from the others released by this band.

I need to add a postscript to the review because I overlooked some very important details (unfortunately, I have the habit of writing spontaneously): "Pinkerton" is conceptually based on Puccini's "Madame Butterfly," and many lyrics should be read as Cuomo's personal interpretation of this famous opera, in which he found many affinities with his own private story. In fact, the drama tells the tumultuous relationship, destined to end in tragedy, between an American officer (Pinkerton) and a 14-year-old geisha, and the lead singer of Weezer took inspiration from the story to use as references in songs like "Across The Sea" (which speaks of the epistolary relationship he maintained for years with a girl from the Land of the Rising Sun), "El Scorcho" (which seems to address a girlfriend from that period, who was also Japanese), and especially the concluding "Butterfly," which clearly refers to the Puccini opera... another central theme of the album is therefore a very personal analysis of the social and cultural differences between Japan and the United States (let's not forget that Weezer comes from California, the part of the "Western" world most exposed to Japanese culture).

GrantNicholas, honestly I don't have a high opinion of Weezer post "Green Album": "Maladroit" and "Make Believe" are two albums severely hampered by overproduced and overdub-laden sound, at the expense of the immediacy that has always been a strong point of the band... furthermore, there aren't any truly memorable songs, and it seemed to me that Weezer was just repeating the same college rock cliché but without the freshness of their early days (come on, Rivers Cuomo, at 35, still playing the frustrated college student is frankly pathetic). They could also have spared us certain stylistic missteps like the single "Beverly Hills," which I find terrible... not surprisingly, the band is now on hiatus, probably to gather their thoughts, to the point that Cuomo has stated he wants to release a solo album. And I am of the opinion that Matt Sharp's departure has not benefited the careers of either...

I thank everyone who is reaching out to congratulate me...thank you from the bottom of my heart, but the credit is not mine, I am just a listener...it's the record that is fantastic and inspires us to write about it.
much love & respect for you

Indeed, I don't care at all, dear anonymous, whether I'm esteemed by the editors or not; I just want to entice the listener towards an artist, striving to pique the reader's curiosity about an album without resorting to personal mental gymnastics or making rhetorical winks that are truly nauseating to read... what is that? What kind of comparison can that be between Paolo Vallesi and Slint?? Is it fun to write that?
So I’ll do the same; I’ll pick a random year, let’s say 1982, and I’ll write that while John Cale was releasing "Music For A New Society," in Italy, Riccardo Fogli won at Sanremo with "Storie di tutti i giorni"... come on, really.
I know it doesn't seem like it, but I don't want to stir up controversy: I just ask that you don't drag me into it, because they’re rather boring issues...