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By Evan SawdeyPopMatters Interviews Editor Let’s just be honest for a moment: the Weezer of the 21st century has been perpetually dogged with a very simple (and alarmingly frequent) criticism—that they aren’t the same Weezer that emerged in 1994. It may seem strange to criticize a band for, in essence, no longer being the same band that they were in their hey-day, but this is exactly what has happened to groups like Weezer and (rather interestingly) U2. Both acts released era-defining albums filled with iconic rock anthems that still get played to this day, and both bands—years down the line—then took a drastic, somewhat unexpected turn towards fully-bodied pop songs. Though we most certainly expect our rock idols to grow with each release and try new sounds and experiments, we frequently take issue when said group of artistic merit makes an “obvious” grab for a pop hit. We like our Radioheads and our Flaming Lips because bands of their ilk have remained “true” to their vision, their only actual “hits” being minor, sometimes even flukes (as is the case with the Lips’ “She Don’t Use Jelly”). When U2 inched ever closer to creating modern-day dance-rock hybrids during the late ‘90s (culminating with an album that was explicitly titled Pop), the political, anthemic spirit of their early days got lost in a sea of disco balls and laser shows, permanently losing some hardcore fans in the process despite the multiple “back to basics” efforts that dote U2’s post-Pop discography. So while some fans bemoaned the glitzy detour that U2’s career took during the ‘90s, Weezer too have suffered similar pangs. As iconic as Weezer’s 1994’s eponymous debut was, it was the band’s 1996 album Pinkerton that truly defined their legacy. A “sleeper” album if there ever was one, the disc was conceived as a very deliberate step away from the Ric Ocasek-assisted pop sheen of their debut: self-produced, gritty-as-hell, and featuring frontman Rivers Cuomo’s must unabashedly personal lyrics to date. Though deemed a failure during the time of its release (Rolling Stone even calling it the “Worst Album of the Year”), the record slowly, gradually picked up followers, fans coming to the subtle realization that Cuomo had penned a true masterpiece, and even while the group remained inactive for the rest of the decade, their audience grew and swelled. So when the band’s second eponymous album emerged in 2001 (aka “the Green Album”), the group was greeted with open arms and several charting singles, something that was furthered with 2002’s rush-released follow-up Maladroit. Though Cuomo was shying away from the diary-level confessionals that made Pinkerton so compelling, the band’s knack for a catchy melody was still very much intact, tracks like “Island in the Sun” and “Dope Nose” still carrying Cuomo’s metaphors home each and every time. Then, Make Believe happened. After taking a three year break, the band returned with the single “Beverly Hills”—a rather blatant ode to wanting to live in ... Beverly Hills. Gone were the character studies, personal tales, and occasionally-deep metaphors: Cuomo was now dabbling in modern-day hedonistic fantasies and very little else, causing some speculation that Cuomo’s mid-life crisis was being played out in his remarkably shallow lyrics. Though the group’s melodic sense was sharper than ever (as evidenced by follow-up single “Perfect Situation”), Cuomo’s lyrical prowess was immediately called into question by fans and critics alike. “We Are All on Drugs”, for example, was an after-school special delivered via ‘80s synth-hooks, and several other songs on Make Believe were just flat-out embarrassing for a band who had previously plumbed such incredible emotional depths. When last year’s third eponymous disc came out (a.k.a. “the Red Album”), the band scored one of their biggest hits ever (“Pork & Beans”) with some of the most inane lyrics of their career (“Everyone likes to dance to a happy song / With a catchy chorus and beat so they could sing along / Timbaland knows the way to the top of the charts / Maybe if I work with him I can perfect the art”). It’s almost as if Cuomo wasn’t even trying anymore, just laying out his intentions threadbare: he wants hits, and wants to make songs about getting laid. Though it has always been noted that Cuomo has never wanted to revisit his more confessional side, never would his late ‘90s fans ever have guessed that it would lead to a track like “Troublemaker”, wherein he actually manages to rhyme the word “kids” with “beyotch”. Herein lies the problem. Though, yes, Cuomo’s latter-day lyrics certainly don’t hold up to close scrutiny, are we judging them because of their one-dimensional nature, or are we judging them simply because they’re not the same kind of lyrics that Cuomo was penning in the ‘90s? In short, are we criticizing Weezer for not being Weezer anymore? It’s a difficult issue to navigate. Though Cuomo has opened himself up (somewhat) via his two volumes of rarities and demos (2007’s Alone and its 2008 follow-up, respectively), those albums were more for archival purposes than anything else, showing insight into his process but not his motivations. Thus, in approaching Raditude—the band’s seventh full-length album—let us not judge it by comparing it to other Weezer albums. Let us judge it for what it is: a collection of straight-faced, irony-free pop songs written by a guy who knows his way around a hook ... With that in mind, then, why is Raditude one of the worst albums to be released in 2009? The reason is simple. Raditude is an album that forgets one of the principal rules of songwriting: specificity leads to universality. In the Chuck Klosterman book Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs, Klosterman notes the power of the Trisha Yearwood song “She’s in Love with the Boy”, wherein the girl at the center of the story gets proposed to by her high school sweetheart “outside the Tastee Freeze”. Being as how Tastee Freezes were (and in some places still are) a very iconic part of the South and Midwest, that unusually specific detail actually wound up describing the lives of millions of people, much like how Cuomo once tried to take a girl to a Green Day concert who then said that she has “never heard of them”—another specific detail that is, in fact, relatable to many, as it describes a very specific type of girl. Even in “Beverly Hills”, Cuomo was able to draw out analogies of not going off to boarding school lead him to not being looked at by preppy girls—another somewhat specific detail that made his ode to the upper crust just a slight bit more relatable. Even though Raditude is unabashedly mainstream, rarely has pop music ever been so painfully generic. On the sitar-accented track “Love Is the Answer”—which was already given a better, rock-oriented treatment on Sugar Ray’s Music for Cougars (of all things)—the sentiments that Cuomo expresses are more saccharine than what passes for a Hallmark card these days:
The international flavor of the track feels more like blatant trend-chasing than anything else, a sentiment which can also be shared with the Lil’ Wayne-assisted rap song “Can’t Stop Partying”, in which Cuomo does his best Kevin Rudolf impression and—again—details his desire for pretty women, jewels, and alcoholic beverages (because even though Timbaland knows the way to the top of the charts, apparently only Polow da Don was available). There isn’t a trace of satire, parody, or sarcasm on any of these tracks: everything on Raditude is cringe-inducingly superficial, mistaking bumper sticker slogans for actual emotional depth. Some may argue that Weezer is just “having fun” these days, but what true fun can had via riffs and words that we’ve heard hundreds of times before, here rehashed for the umpteenth time? Raditude isn’t fun, no. Instead Raditude is just downright forgettable. As the “Mutt” Lange-esque horndog anthems pile up (“I’m Your Daddy”, “The Girl Got Hot”, the “homies”-night-out tale “Let It All Hang Out”), so do the oodles of lyrical clichés (like the meandering Patrick Wilson-penned “In the Mall”—which is primarily about ... spending time in a mall). The love-hate relationship of the characters in “Tripping Down the Freeway” is unrealistic on every count (they hate each other one moment and then abruptly pledge eternal love to each other for absolutely no reason to speak of), leaving the lead single “(If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To” as the only song featuring any sort of substance or actual, palpable excitement—though even that’s deflated somewhat. With wry chord changes a fun little drum-lead pre-chorus, “I Want You To” initially leads us to believe that Raditude will actually live up to its Rainn Wilson-inspired title and just be nothing more than a delightful romp through rock music’s storied party-hearty history. Yet even with some solid verses and more fleshed-out character descriptions (it says a lot about a couple when they watch Titanic and don’t get sad), the overall sentiment of simply getting some (and in a hurry, no less, as the narrator hasn’t got all night) is a bit tired, even as the upbeat acoustic pluckings that swirl around the track try desperately to raise the sentiment above its sophomoric surroundings. Yet there’s something profoundly, profoundly strange about Raditude. On last year’s Alone II compilation, both “Can’t Stop Partying” and Raditude‘s closing number “I Don’t Want to Let You Go” were presented in acoustic demo format—and, remarkably, they worked. Cuomo’s delivery was unpretentious and honest, “Can’t Stop Partying” working especially well in the lo-fi format because the minor-key chords and simple acoustic strummings came off as an ironic gesture, almost as if the track’s young narrator was simply wishing for all of these things to happen to him, and by projecting his rap video fantasies outward, there existed a chance that maybe—just maybe—they’d come true. Tragically, the full-bodied production on the Raditude versions of these songs ultimately rob them of any sort of emotional honesty, as the glitzy, radio-ready sheen suddenly makes Cuomo’s words sound like they’re written solely for pop chart consideration—something that doesn’t come across at all on the Alone II versions. Although hardcore fans have already bemoaned Weezer’s more recent efforts for playing to the lowest common denominator, others (as previously mentioned) have accepted the fact that Weezer simply just want to have fun with their music these days, and what’s really so wrong about that? Well, Raditude is what’s wrong with that: it’s an album filled with hooks that don’t last beyond a few listens and lyrics that we’ve already heard several times over, all topped off with an sneering attitude that feels more like the band just threw up their hands and said “why put effort into the songs if people are going to buy them anyways?” Although it’s one thing to come down on an album for just being mediocre (which Raditude very much is), it’s a whole different matter when its makers don’t seem to care what you think about it anyway, so long as you buy it (pandering Lil’ Wayne cameos and all). In the end, it doesn’t matter if you look at this as a Weezer album or just a pop album, because the result is the same: Raditude is not art. It’s not a serious rock album nor is it a collection disposably fun songs. No, Raditude is product. Coldly calculated, joyless product that is designed to be sold, not to be enjoyed. As a Weezer album, it is nothing short of a profound disappointment. By any other standard, it’s just the worst album of the year.
— 2 November 2009Weezer—(If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To 
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Comments
Man i love rock reviewers who demand that party rock albums be serious, artistically satisfying endeavors. Makes me wonder when your last party was.
Comment by charlie — November 2, 2009 @ 1:11 am
When I’ve read that Weezer has released era-defining albums, I simply could not continue. How come reviewers are almost expected to come up with ridiculous statements like this presenting them like stone cold facts these days?
Comment by Levy — November 2, 2009 @ 5:38 am
Good review, although you didn’t touch on “Put Me Back Together”, which is, in my opinion, the only remotely listenable song of the bunch.
Comment by Jason from Montreal — November 2, 2009 @ 8:09 am
Whenever I read mincing justifications of painfully bad music on the grounds that it’s “fun”, I cannot continue. If I’m ever at a party that’s playing a post-Maladroit Weezer release, I’m finding another party.
That said, a ‘1’ might be a tad harsh…
Comment by Ross — November 2, 2009 @ 8:13 am
I was one of those people that thought everyone was being too hard on Weezer through most of the 00s, and didn’t see why they thought their new efforts were so ridiculously different, what made them think they weren’t ‘honest’. So when I picked up the new Klosterman book and he basically put everything I thought down to paper, I was pretty psyched.
That said, Raditude is indeed the worst album I’ve heard all year. The songs just aren’t good, not even as pure pop songs, and the lyrics are definitely worse than anything I’ve heard complained about before. in short, to me Raditude is the Weezer album that people have been complaining about for the last 10 years, it’s finally arrived and I’ve finally heard it.
Comment by Goon — November 2, 2009 @ 8:14 am
This is one of the worst reviews I have read in a long time. Truly. The comparison between U2 and Weezer is ludicrous and scarcely tenable, the reference to some hilariously titled book on pop culture and the introduction of this writer’s theory of specificity/universality; as if this was some scientific journal article. Fucking absurd!
Laboured and overlong too. The writer talks about how wrong it is to criticise a group for being not the same group they were when they started (which seems to me a perfectly reasonable objection)and then goes back on this and criticises Cuomo for not writing lyrics like he used to!
Finally if this writer can listen to the charming, earnest, and above all geeky inflections of Rivers Cuomo and think “cold, calculated” then I am just sorry for his loss.
Comment by mdf — November 2, 2009 @ 8:24 am
Why is it so wrong to expect more of Rivers Cuomo at this point? Used to be, he could write a clever, rocking pop song while cheekily tweaking the cliches we all know. And even when the Green album and Maladroit showed up, stripped of most of the cleverness, the hooks still held up.
Make Believe was the band’s career nadir up to this point- a shallow, mostly cynical bid for pop radio relevance. The Red album was an improvement, if only because it was so bonkers. So I don’t think it’s unreasonable to go into a new Weezer album at least hoping for a return to the days when “Photograph” and “Keep Fishin’” showed the Rivers could still write a damn fine song, even if it wasn’t quite up to the level of the band’s early days.
Instead, Cuomo seems even lazier and more out of touch than in the Make Believe days. But, you know, why should we expect quality music from a guy who just wants to have fun and write dumb party anthems these days, right? He wants to be a rock star so we should all just indulge him and keep buying Weezer albums regardless of whether they have any worthwhile songs on it.
Comment by Chris Conaton from Houston, TX — November 2, 2009 @ 9:14 am
mdf, Cuomo hasn’t been earnest or charming since Pinkerton.
you’ve been had.
Comment by dave — November 2, 2009 @ 9:14 am
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Where do people come up with this stuff? I am a long time Weezer fan and think this is their best album since Blue. In fact, I think it is the best album I have heard in the past 6 years. Many of the songs sound like they could easily fit on Pinkerton. I have grown to where I don’t trust much in the words of critics. After all, Rolling Stone initially gave Weezer Blue zero stars…and they hated Pinkerton.
Comment by Mark from georgia — November 2, 2009 @ 9:56 am
Could it be that you guys are too dumb to see the irony, parody amd satire in the songs on Raditude? It’s almost all parody wrapped around extremely catchy tunes and Pinkerton style guitar riffs. It is the work of a genius.
Comment by Vince from atlanta — November 2, 2009 @ 10:01 am
A mediocre, if slightly overbearing review…
All that talk of U2 was unnecessary, really.
Anyway, on the strength of this review I’m going to have to pick up a copy of Raditude, just to hear it for myself. Any album that conjures such an emotional, meandering piece of journalism (if you can call it that) and an equally heartfelt yet mixed bunch of comments must have something going for it… I’m intrigued!
Cheers.
TD
Comment by TaylorDunsk from London — November 2, 2009 @ 10:02 am
Great review. 1/10. //Former Weezer fan
Comment by Fredde — November 2, 2009 @ 10:40 am
But Mark, here’s the thing. They gave Quarashi 2 stars, comparing them to Limp Bizkit, and said Meat Puppets Rise to Your Knees was devoid of any melody. So if there is any magazine I would not trust in the first place, it is Rolling Stone. Heck, anytime a band speaks or sings about hating critics, I think they were talking about them.
Otherwise, giving Weezer a 1, seeing as how they kind of wallowed and took pride in Rivers’ bad taste, makes me even more curious about listening to the album. Haha!
Comment by Black Sunshine from Boston, Ma — November 2, 2009 @ 11:20 am
Mark from georgia, Rolling Stone was not giving stars when reviewing albums at the the time of the blue album release. a fact conveniently glossed over when you stated the record got a zero star review. dude, all records during that time got zero stars.
Comment by dave — November 2, 2009 @ 11:24 am
Great review. I agree almost 100%. Long time Weezer fan and I’m supremely disappointed in how insincere and insulting this album is.
Comment by Rob — November 2, 2009 @ 12:03 pm
BEST. REVIEW. Ever. You absolutely nailed it. This author deserves a high five for putting everything in to words perfectly that I’ve been attempting to say so poorly while attempting to describe Raditude.
Comment by Kyle — November 2, 2009 @ 12:13 pm
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It’s obvious Rivers wants to be hired by Disney so he has a stable job and paycheck. I’m all for this: Disney should hire Rivers Cuomo as a composer/song writer. Start the petition.
Comment by David — November 2, 2009 @ 12:34 pm
This review misses the point of progression in music on a corporate scale. You show me a band that hasn’t changed styles in years, and i’ll show you a band whose records sales have been dropping quicker than the satirical, metaphorical phrases all their hardcore fans have become so comfortable with.
Raditude sits at the higher end of my list for Weezer albums. Each song has it’s own moment of discovery that i love music for, and for the fact i believe they did an incredible job with this album.
Comment by SteveS from Rochester, MI — November 2, 2009 @ 1:07 pm
normally i read an album review and, even if i don’t share the same opinion, i can at least see where they are coming from or understand the perspective. in the case of this review, i feel like i’m missing out on a completely different weezer album than was just released. maybe i downloaded a different version of raditude, because mine is full of pretty darn good pop music.
Comment by Bill — November 2, 2009 @ 2:29 pm
Raditude. Does that sound like a title you are supposed to take seriously? When you listen to a song on an album of that name, do you predict art? That’s like if Rivers Cuomo took a shit, and you expecting that the shit turns into gold. Almost every song on Raditude has a certain influence. Every song is written by a different person’s perspective. Your mistake was listening to the album and thinking that Rivers, like he was famous for, is singing about his own desires and his thoughts. Raditude is a concept album.
Now, Evan, listen to this album again and listen to each song like he’s singing from the perspective of a completely different person. Can’t Stop Partying should be an easy one for you. It’s in the perspective of an it guy who lost his cool. A guy like that is someone who you don’t expect a lot of lyrical genius from. Think of a 50 year old Flo-Rida when listening to this song. Big ups to Lil’ Wayne making fun of himself as well in this song, although most of it was true.
Due to the amazing amount of reviewers not being able to get the idea of what Raditude is trying to present, Raditude is my album of the year candidate.
Comment by David from Cape Coral, FL — November 2, 2009 @ 4:55 pm
I was 12 when Weezer had their debut. I immediately loved their sound and became a fan ever since then. Now 28 Im still a hardcore fan and even though I agee that their sound has changed i still love these guys. The meaning and sound has changed but I believe that is the artist choice to do so. I stongly love every single album that they have released and I am sure that Ratitude will not dissapoint. Yes I have yet to hear it other then If you are wondering. I wait till the day of the release to enjoy it.
Comment by Fentloozer from Texas — November 2, 2009 @ 6:33 pm
oh great, here come all the post-Pinkerton Weezer apologists to tell us that, in fact, Raditude is not simply a very bad album, but was intended to be bad! so that makes it ok! yes, it’s truly a work of postmodern conceptual art- it’s pure genius. yawn
or maybe it’s just yet another ill-conceived attempt at chart-topping pop inanity by Rivers ‘n’ co.? sounds more PLAUSIBLE to me, i dunno.
Comment by david — November 2, 2009 @ 7:23 pm
I lived in India from 1989 to 1997, age nine to 17, and Weezer was as much a part of my youth, as cricket. I can honestly say that the “Blue Album” got me through much of 9th and 10th grade, deservingly so, because it was and is amazing. I kind of missed “Pinkerton” and only got into after the “Green Album” came out, when I was a sophomore in college. I did like that album a lot, especially the song “Glorious Day.”
Just last week, I heard a Weezer live set on the radio in Chicago, including two killer live versions of MGMT’s “Kids” and Lady GaGa’s “Pokerface.”
It’s hard for me to believe that a band that in my opinion, was the defining band of a generation, has sunk to this level. Say it ain’t so, Evan?
Comment by Shyam from Pine Lake, GA — November 2, 2009 @ 7:53 pm
Matt Sharp
Comment by jeffcdo from Redondo Beach, CA — November 2, 2009 @ 9:44 pm
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I have no idea whether Rivers is being serious about half the stuff he sings in the album, or it’s a bunch of parody. Seems kinda hard to read what he’s thinking
I mean, the way I saw it, “Beverly Hills” was panning the celebrity life rather than aspiring to reach there. Of course, it sounded like a commercial hit. It was a clever bit of songwriting, even though pretty much the rest of the album was trash.
Elsewhere, I liked how they did go with all the reminiscing of being young again and not caring stuff, but the execution, IMO, just wasn’t that great.
I’d say the additional tracks on the Deluxe Edition are among the better ones on the album.
Comment by brett — November 3, 2009 @ 12:22 am
“here come all the post-Pinkerton Weezer apologists to tell us that, in fact, Raditude is not simply a very bad album, but was intended to be bad! so that makes it ok! yes, it’s truly a work of postmodern conceptual art- it’s pure genius.”
Freddy Got Fingered fits such a description, Raditude does not. I wish it did.
Comment by Goon — November 3, 2009 @ 1:13 am
I just don’t get these reviews. I enjoy quite a lot of these songs on this album. Not because I can dissect the lyrics to try and create a greater meaning of life. But because I find my head bobbing, my foot tapping, myself humming the tunes. After all that’s what music is about in my opinion. I hate hippies who concentrate on lyrical content far too much. There are songs I like because of the lyrics, but it’s not really because of the meaning. I really enjoyed listening to this album, I expected one or two enjoyable songs and the rest would have me pressing skip. But instead I actually listened to the whole thing.
Comment by Rob W from UK — November 3, 2009 @ 2:19 am
I bought (I know. Bought. In this day and age.) this album yesterday, and I havn’t been able to stop listening to it since.
Yeah, it sounds nothing like weezers first few albums. But they were released OVER A DECADE AGO! Can any of you name any bands who have released albums, through their 15 or so long career, which have all sounded the same? No ofcourse you can’t. And even if you could, you grumps would just complain that the music “all sounds the same” and “why havn’t they progressed”. I mean Jeeeeze. JUST HAVE A LAUGH!
The songs on this album are all poppy, yes, and not lyrically brilliant in any way, but does it really matter? The band are ovbiously havning a lot of fun producing fun, catchy pop songs, and I for one, am really enjoying listening to them. I’m your daddy has made me laugh more than anything I’ve heard this year.
If you want fantastic ground breaking rock music, go listen a band who are NEW. Like maybe Them Crooked Vultures…?
Raditute - 7/10
Comment by Tom from Uk — November 3, 2009 @ 8:38 am
You people are ridiculous. Do what I do. I view Blue Album/Pinkerton Weezer and current Weezer as 2 different bands, both of which I like equally. All their albums have good stuff on them (yes even Make Believe). To me, part of the fun of Weezer is that each album is different.
I know you indie snobs pine for the days when you could jerk off to Cuomo’s songs, but it’s over. It’s been 15 years since the Blue Album. STOP! If you want to listen to bands that make the same album over and over again, there are many to choose from. As for me I like some diversity with bands.
Comment by Warren from New Jersey — November 3, 2009 @ 8:47 am
Nice try pretending you’re a critic. If you think this is “worst album of the year”, you have get out of your mom’s basement and quick. Tons of way more brutal shit out there.
Comment by Pasc — November 3, 2009 @ 10:43 am
I think it’s a decent album.
But one of these days they’ll release another album like Pinkerton. It’ll happen.
Comment by Pask — November 3, 2009 @ 6:04 pm
What amazes me is that everyone is still taking Weezer so seriously. I for one think that Raditude is a great album and for everyone who keeps saying over and over again that they are not the “real” Weezer anymore and that they have sold out is just dumb. Weezer is old and out of their prime now just like U2. Yet still, Weezer is making money and they think that is just fine. When you are 41 years old and still writing music, I’m sorry die hards, but the fans don’t matter anymore. Its all about money. But for being all about money….This album rules.
Comment by Connor from Nebraska — November 3, 2009 @ 6:19 pm
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Comment by incubeezer — November 4, 2009 @ 12:09 am
Sawdey -
Raditude is 1/10, and the worst album of the year? Sounds a lot like the initial perception of Pinkerton, too. Poor Weezer, they just can’t win. I’ll bet you were one of the people who thought Pinkerton was worthless when it first came out, but attached value and significance to it (rather than true appreciation) years later because everyone else was thinking the same thing.
By the way, Pinkerton was voted the second worst album of 1996 by Rolling Stone, not the “Worst Album of the Year” (as you claimed in your review). The -least- you could have done in your research was a friggin’ Wikipedia search. This shows me that you know nothing of the old Weezer albums, but are pretending to validate your claims. It’s fine to dislike or even hate this album, but don’t falsely inflate that opinion’s validity without even attempting to understand your claims.
Your review concedes that one ought to abandon the notion of Weezer from 10-15 years ago, and focus on what Weezer is today. Yet, your largest criticism is that the Weezer of today isn’t what it was 10-15 years ago. I’m going to listen to the Blue Album and Pinkerton, and enjoy them. Then, I’m going to listen to the Red Album and Raditude, and enjoy them, too. You can keep clutching onto Pinkerton and hope, one day, Weezer will release something similar to it. I bet if they ever do, however, you’ll probably hate -that-, too…
Comment by NAP from USA — November 4, 2009 @ 1:08 am
So, its easy to take a stab at Weezer nowadays. It’s like shooting fish in a barrel. The thing is even back in the day, when Buddy Holly was ruling the airwaves, I never saw them as an era defining band the way I highly regard Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Pavement and Pulp as awesomest 90’s band. I never took them seriously. To me they were a novelty band with cool Spike Jonze directed videos. Nothing more. So I’m not sure if somewhere along the mid 90’s to present I have incurred an amnesia or simply slept through it that now Weezer is now regarded as once genius turned hacks band. I don’t know if some CIA operatives somehow change the band’s profile and history and begin to spin tales that they were a band who once displayed genius then later became the joke of the music world. Huh! Shallow, inane lyrics? You mean they made albums with profound lyrics? Which one? Where? I’m listening to their tracks from 92-present, I don’t think anything has changed at all. Same style, same quirky videos.
Bands who have a long career will begin to suck at one point in their careers (Metallica, Iggy Pop, Oasis, Rolling Stones and yes, U2). But why is it difficult for Weezer to recover like the bands I mentioned, when in fact I think they “remained true to their vision”. Maybe, just maybe just the realization that they were never really that special after all.
Comment by Jenkins from Manila, Philippines — November 4, 2009 @ 4:07 am
I don’t care if Weezer releases an album of drum ‘n bass, or progressive jazz, or bagpipes. I only care that it’s good. The experimental aspects of Ratitude are NOT good. Experiment, learn, get it right and after years of honing THEN put it on an album.
Poor quality dance-pop, substandard beats and shallow lyrics do not amount to much, Weezer or no Weezer. There are acts who do a much better job of producing those kinds of songs.
Seeing the performance of “(If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To” on Letterman summed up for me why I am so disappointed in Ratitude. It was stellar, just damn flawless. Powerful, charming, real. Nothing on the record comes even close to this potential. It’s average. Weezer could produce a much better album. Unfortunately, they didn’t.
1 star is very harsh though. 5/10 for me.
Comment by Zaph from Australia — November 4, 2009 @ 6:57 am
Whoever says this is the worst album of the year clearly hasn’t heard Cartel’s “Cycles” of two weeks ago…
That said, there are only a handful of songs on this album that aren’t forgettable. I find 1/10 a bit harsh, though. I’d give it a 6/10.
Comment by Prez — November 4, 2009 @ 10:36 am
I used to be a Weezer fan until I went to their concert this year and heard this album. Rivers has absolutely lost whatever it was that he had. At the concert there was simply no effort. Rivers only sang a few of the songs and let the base player since most of their other hits. I felt like Rivers was making fun of his fans for spending money on the concert. Even though I haven’t liked them as much on any album since Pinkerton, it’s amazing to see the level they’ve sunk to. I even still bought the albums but this album is the first I will not pay money for. Weezer is dead. I rate this album 0/10.
Comment by Jeff from Toronto — November 4, 2009 @ 1:28 pm
does anyone just listen to music for enjoyment without analyzing it to death? i played raditude today while i was doing housework and it made it an enjoyable experience. therefore: i like raditude.
Comment by James from Cleveland — November 4, 2009 @ 2:53 pm
To the guys who purchased the physical record, did you receive the free Snuggie that comes with the album? It comes in three colors. What did you get? The blue one? Mine’s the Snuggie safari. I got the deluxe ed not the standard. The deluxe set has four more songs that music reviewers can rip into pieces.
Comment by Jenkins from Manila, Philippines — November 4, 2009 @ 8:52 pm
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Oh quit it with the apologist remarks about “oh man it’s a fun album, you guys just don’t get it.” So was The Blue Album, but those songs actually had substance. Rivers isn’t going for some sort of tongue-in-cheek interpretation of this album…otherwise he would have been clever about it. The demo of “Can’t Stop Partying” was tongue-in-cheek; the version on Raditude is merely a mediocre hip-hop song, even by modern day radio standards. This review is dead-on, and anyone who thinks otherwise clearly has no idea how to determine the value of musical output. Any 12-year-old with mediocre production skills could have put this album out. You don’t need to be a music snob or an indie elitist to realize how pathetic of an attempt (if you can even call it an attempt) this album is, you just have to have listened to more than Lil Wayne, All-American Rejects, and Katy Perry.
Comment by Ringo from Providence — November 5, 2009 @ 12:53 am
Sounds like someone allowed Pretentious Music Guy access to a computer.
Get over yourself.
Comment by Miranda from Bako — November 5, 2009 @ 9:01 am
the same thing happened to weezer as it did to many other bands…......they got popular. early music was great. later music sucked….that is why they got popular. when u start from the top, there is only one was to go…...............
Comment by rg from south carolina — November 5, 2009 @ 9:58 am
Weezer really have become a different band sine “Make Believe”. That’s their right as artists, but for those of us who are fans of Rivers’ songwriting, it is also our right to dislike the direction they’ve chosen to go in. I liked, not loved the Green Album when it came out. But I freaked out about Maladroit…some of the best songs they’ve ever written. Somehow, they’ve transitioned into a timely and disposable pop band since Make Believe, despite a few strong songs on that album (Perfect Situation, This Is Such A Pity, Peace, Haunt You Every Day).
I like it when artists grow, not regress. This article makes a strong case for the irrelevance of Weezer in 2009.
But why is it that Pinkerton took ten years to catch on? Back in ‘96 at punk shows, the kids I knew were selling it on vinyl alongside LP’s and 7” records from way more obscure bands. People in our scene got it right away. It’s been annoying to see it taken as a given that this record was ahead of its time. At 18, it seemed perfect. 13 years later, it still does.
Final 2 cents: The Blue Album, Pinkerton and Maladroit are masterpieces…The Green Album is a great exercise in pure songwriting. The last three records are the sounds of a band losing their minds. Giving Lil’ Wayne a voice on your album is not a good idea…
Great article.
Comment by devor from montreal — November 5, 2009 @ 10:10 am
I have to admit that I haven’t heard the first album. But I am an avid Weezer fan and have liked everything (except Maladroit, of course) up to this point. Yes, even Beverly Hills, which was NOT an “ode to Beverly Hills.” This reviewer, obviously, is unfamiliar with satire. Here are some of the lyrics that are supposedly an “ode” to Beverly Hills:
“Look at all those movie stars
They’re all so beautiful and clean
When the housemaids scrub the floors
They get the spaces in between
I wanna live a life like that.”
Really, dude? Really? You don’t get that? You think that Cuomo is having a mid-life crisis and is selling out? Since you don’t, apparently, I’m disregarding this entire review and am going out to buy the album tonight.
Comment by nalakin — November 5, 2009 @ 12:01 pm
The concept of the “Worst Album of the Year” is bizarre and useless. What constitutes an album? Is anything that is recorded and saved to disc an album? In this Mp3 age many serious attempts at music never become embodied in any kind of physical form at all, yet are still reviewed and judged as albums (Radiohead’s “In Rainbows” was only a loose collection of digital files at one point, yet was called the “Best Album of the Year” by some). If I record myself singing in the shower and post it on a blog…is that an album? Because I’m willing to bet it would be worse than Raditude and I’m a decent singer.
This review is an amateurish writer’s attempt to sound like Chuck Klosterman. Judged by that standard, it’s nothing less than a profound disappointment. By any other standard, it’s just the worst review I’ve read all day (something that truly can be quantified as I’ve read no other reviews, save a brief skimming of the Johnson and Molina review on this site, which I’m sure is a worse piece of writing considering that it was given the preposterous score of 8/10; Yet it only has one semi-good song on it).
Comment by Danny O'Malley — November 5, 2009 @ 11:28 pm
Wow… please don’t ever compare Cuomo to Kevin Rudolph… This is one of the worst over judgemental album reviews I have ever seen.
I don’t have the time to go in depth as to why Weezer has stayed true to there roots from the the early 90’s but one example is Cuomo’s lyrical outline in all his songs that though he is partying and par-taking in all the so-called “Hollywood fun” he still isn’t comfortable with it.
Take can’t stop partying for example… It is in fact a very dark song, from the beat to the volume of both artists voices. Cuomo states he can’t stop partying as if it were a drug addiction and even saying if you could do it you would do it to, which lets be honest, we all would. Even lil’ waynes piece is dark and riddled with almost emo-esque lyrics.
In conclusion, Weezer is still the same band they were almost 20 years back, we just fail to listen and judge so quickly at the slightest sight of an artist dabbeling in unfamiliar territory. Keep Rockin’ Weezer!
Comment by michael — November 6, 2009 @ 6:11 am
You obviously are trying to see Weezer as mainstream. Pork and Beans is about Weezer not caring if they were mainstream or not. He was being sarcastic with the Timberland line. The label wanted them to create more poppy/sell out songs. And Pork and Beans was basically a “Ehhh No” to the label.
Sorry mr reviewer. But I disagree with you.
Comment by Howdy — November 6, 2009 @ 2:35 pm
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best review ever! I couldn’t have said it better. I also agree that with make believe it pretty much began to go to hell with weezer.
Comment by tommy — November 6, 2009 @ 6:20 pm
I’m gunna have to agree with the review here. I don’t mind if Cuomo decides to produce more pop, but he’s just not very good at it.
Comment by miles — November 6, 2009 @ 11:02 pm
I dont get the “you just dont get it” attitude. There isnt much to “get”. They wanted to make a wierd pop ablum that wasnt personal. who really cares anymore. I love this band. i actually dont care for raditude, but ok, some people love it for the excact reason i dont care for it. its just fun apparently. I dont think im missing something. i love every other weezer album, still think their great. This particular batch of songs dont grab me (deluxe is great though). but i dont hear anything profound or conceptual. I dont know, i wanted to get angry at them for this album but i saw clips of them on their last (mini tour) playing these songs and everyone seemed to be having fun and enjoying it. theres something cool about that.
Comment by andy from ny — November 8, 2009 @ 7:48 pm
Rivers didn’t even pen the lyrics to “Can’t Stop Partying” and “Let it all Hang Out” (rapper Jermaine Dupri did). He is now a married family man far from the party life. Funny how everyone takes the lyrics so literally without background research….
Agreed that Raditude is all about fun and not an album to take too seriously, though.
Comment by Dan A from Seoul, South Korea — November 9, 2009 @ 7:33 pm
Well, I haven’t heard this album yet, but after reading this steaming pile of cack, I’m definitely going to do so.
You can tell this is written by an American because you obviously can’t appreciate the irony of the lyrics to ‘Pork And Beans’ for starters. For goodness’ sake man, he doesn’t really want to work with Timbaland and reach the top of the charts - he is taking the p*ss!
To top it all off, you laud Pinkerton - by far their WORST album - as their best. Dear me.
Comment by ANDREW HARPER from Swansea, UK — November 11, 2009 @ 3:04 pm
There is no deep second meaning to these songs. It is not a parody of how bad lyrics can get. There is not sub-text - you are creating depth where it does not exist. If they removed the voice tracks maybe there would be something remaining, but otherwise, I’m amazed anyone past puberty can consider this listenable. I was holding out for the last two albums trying to defend them, but RIP Weezer.
Comment by rm from austin — November 11, 2009 @ 10:17 pm
Whether you love or hate Raditude it’s great that there is so much passion from either side – people still care a hell of a lot about Weezer and that’s what will keep the band alive for a hell of a lot longer that their contemporaries.
I try not to judge any new Weezer release against their former albums. Because quite frankly Pinkerton and the Pinkerton B sides are masterpieces that 99.9% of all music compares poorly to. So I shall judge Raditude on it’s own merits.
This is an overly produced album of various commercial styles with the trademark Weezer hooks still evident. I always appreciate being able to witness the evolution of a band and their music style has certainly become incredibly polished … perhaps at the expense of the feeling and grit that a rock band needs. My highlights from the album are the ludicrously loud and joyous ‘Let it all Hang Out’, the Alone retread of ‘The Prettiest Girl in the Whole Wide World’ and the snarling nihilistic ‘Turn me Round’.
To summarise this isn’t an album with anything to say, it’s not an album that is particularly innovative … neither is it particularly memorable. It’s just a fun rock album that you can leave your brain in neutral to listen to and clap along to. I’d give it a 6 out of 10.
Comment by Killamarshan from Derbyshire — November 20, 2009 @ 11:05 am