Exegeting Weezer (Red Album)
It’s been 14 years! 14 years, I tell ya. 14 years since the sounds of “My Name is Jonas” first rang in my ear and opened me up to a whole new musical genre.
I’ve waited with anticipation for Weezer to captivate me like they did with their debut album: Weezer (Blue Album). And now, finally, it has happened. The latest self-titled offering has grabbed me and isn’t letting go.
Though there were glimpses of Rivers Cuomo’s brilliance on Pinkerton and Weezer (Green Album), this is the first album since their debut which gets a full play for me.
There is a coming-of-age in this album. Musically and lyrically. Being only a pedestrian bass player and a sometimes drummer, I’ll keep my comments mostly to the lyrics.
The first radio single “Pork and Beans” has several layers. Cuomo’s songwriting has simplified in one sense and matured in another. Though initially dealing with the cult of cool, the song becomes a battle cry for those with eclectic taste:
“I’ll eat my candy with the pork and beans …”
After so many years of so-so albums (receiving commercial and fan criticism), it’s as if the band has settled on the idea that they shouldn’t be about others’ expectations. Instead, they are opting for what is inspired. And this album mostly is inspired.
“The Greatest Man that Ever Lived” is a fun and satirical romp through this very journey of trying (but failing) to please:
“After the havoc that I’m gonna wreak
No more words will critics have to speak
I’ve got the answers to the tangled knot
Sleep tight in your cot.Oh baby,
I’ve been told I’m goin’ crazy.
Oh baby,
But I can’t be held down.
Oh baby,
Somehow I’m keeping it steady.
Oh baby,
I’m tearin up this town.”
And then the quintessential statement:
“I am the greatest man that ever lived
I was born to give and give and give.”
Now, I don’t think Rivers Cuomo is trying to lay claim to what can only belong to Jesus of Nazareth (or, who knows … maybe he is). But, he understands that the gifts (of music) are his to give. He’s not responsible for how the gift is received.
There’s a very deep theological statement there. God gives all good things we need to follow and worship Christ. It’s up to us to make that gift of grace responsible. That is to say, it’s up to us to respond to the gift(s).
A reflection on years past weaves throughout the whole of this album. On “Everybody Get Dangerous” we hear the confession:
“Hockey games on frozen ponds
No safety pads were ever put on
Drivin’ home on country roads
Sixty-five in a twenty-five zone
In my parents Tercel
How did we survive so well
Throw the keys and the wheel locked up
I almost killed every one us”
And the reflection poses a problem for the band, now responsible for their own children:
“What will we say when our kids come to us
And ask, with a smile on their face,
‘Hey Dad, my friend’s got some new ninja swords!
Is it cool if we slash up his place?’”
Oh, if only my 3-year old, Eliot, would only ask before embarking on his paths of destruction! But the progression from college kid to father is evident. The Weezer journey has paralleled my own. Their first album in large part set the parameters for my college experience.
The Bonus version of the album has some very nice additions. “The Spider” delves into a bit of existential angst with a twist:
“Cuz I’m in pain just like the spider
In the drain, I am a fighter
But I can’t win I’ve got to lose
Give me strength to see me through
And ease the pain that I must feel
As my bones break and I taste the steel
As I go down …the drain…
I’m insane”
The twist comes in the next song, “King:”
“You see I own this town. You best not come around.
If you wanna get by, then cool it down.
If you wanna start something, know one thing: I’m king.
If you wanna mess around like that, that’s just how it is.
If you wanna get by, then mind your biz.
If you wanna start something, know one thing: I’m king.”
Cuomo knows he’s only king in his own mind. But aren’t we all? It takes a daily effort of yielding to rely on something outside ourselves (in my case, Christ).
Perhaps, I should have titled this post “A Brief Look at the New Weezer Album and How I See Things That Went Into Writing the Songs Through My Theological Lens.” But that’s a wordy title, don’t you think?
SO TELL ME SOMETHING:
Are you a Weezer fan? What’s your take on their new album?
——
Brian Niece
www.brianniece.com
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By Jay Sellers
, June 26, 2008 @ 12:13 pm
The world has always revolved around Rivers. He just lets us get a view of things through his entertainment room window, which I seriously doubt contains a bookshelf full of works by Christian authors, as he is a student of Buddhism.
These guys are masters of crafting pop hooks. As a musician, I appreciate their use of time changes within songs. Plus, Cuomo gets away with some things lyrically that would be considered over the top cliches by lesser bands, such as the “MySpace” song that appears on the new album from The Afters.
Red will be in regular rotation on my playlist.