View source for Pitchfork Media article - September 16, 2003

'''<font size=3>Weezer's Fifth Album Finally Getting a Move-On</font>'''<br>
''Possible cover colors narrowed to red, orange, and burnt cyan''


[Posted Tuesday, September 16th, 2003 04:00:00 Pitchfork Central Time]


'''John L. Ferrer reports:'''<br>
For a while there, it looked like Weezer was going to push it into Zappa gear and start cranking their discs out like they eat breakfast. ''Maladroit'', the band's quickie sequel to their 2001 comeback album, opened to so-so sales and reviews, and was surely their weakest effort yet. But one has to kinda admire the pure speed of its arrival, especially since it contained at least two instant classics ("Dope Nose" and "Keep Fishin'"). The whole scenario looked even more impressive when the group started the rumor mill churning on album five, which was originally slated for earlier this year. But then the band, or possibly just Rivers Cuomo, simply... gave up? So it's a little difficult to report on their next album, now that the wheels are in motion again, simply because no one has any idea what to expect. Will it contain throwaway ''Maladroit'' tracks like "Private Message" and "Sandwiches Time?" Is it the same album they started working on last year, or did they start everything all over from scratch? Will all the guitar solos still mimic the vocals?

Only Cuomo knows for sure, but the we can tell ya that Rick Rubin has been signed on as producer for some time now. He told Billboard that Cuomo's latest outpourings are deeply personal, in fact, "deeper than he's ever gone." So, ''Pinkerton'' part two it is. The band has been practicing and recording demos with Rubin (a process you can investigate via photos of roundtable singalongs available at the official site) and the final recording will go down some time next summer or fall, for release on Geffen. No tentative release date yet, just some time next year. Unless they scrap it again (which they might).

Meanwhile, an unused 1995 demo track, "You Won't Get With Me Tonight," will be released on ''Gimme Skelter'', a Buddyhead compilation of exclusive rare tracks from popular bands such as Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Le Tigre. That comes out October 21st on Nettwerk Records, wrapping up several odds-and-end releases for Weezer-- including a live version of "Why Bother" (from a Vegas Records seven-inch benefiting ex-That Dog violinstress Petra Haden) and a cover of "Worry Rock" on the recent Green Day tribute album, ''A Different Shade of Green''.

And finally, bringing to a close to this near-novel of somewhat boring Weezer information, there's a DVD in the works, and an upcoming "special edition" of the band's groundbreaking self-titled "Blue Album" debut. The former is almost finished, according to the official site, and waiting for band commentaries to be affixed to the somewhat secret contents. The latter will be a two-disc set collecting all the Blue Album B-sides, along with some other rare and unreleased songs and heavy duty liners, no doubt explaining everything about Weezer that I haven't just told you. So watch out for all that. Maybe one day, if they keep working hard, they'll be your favorite band again and you can fly the winged "W" with pride.

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