Weezer - Pinkerton

I’ve been revisiting this gem of an album lately and I seriously forgot how great it was.

Pinkerton was Weezer’s second album, released on September 24, 1996. It experienced a bit of difficulties from the get go, like scattered recording time since Rivers was at Harvard and had leg surgery. Heck, the album was almost pulled off the shelves because a security firm in California, called Pinkerton’s Inc., sued the band and their label Geffen for trademark infringement. Even with these set backs behind Pinkerton, the album failed to match the success of it’s predecessor, The Blue Album and was met with mixed reviews from fans and critics.

However, this Madame Butterfly inspired album is my favorite in the Weezer catalog. It’s actually even one of my favorite albums from the 90’s.

Pinkerton stands out from the band’s other albums because of the constant themes of finding and losing love, which is probably one of Rivers favorite topics, but the entire is focused on this theme. It also just rocks out. It’s a non-stop, foot tapper sing a long of an album. The only track that slows down is the closer, “Butterfly”.

I actually can’t name any favorites from Pinkerton, because that’s just not right. Trust me, if you don’t own this album then go out right now and pick up a copy.

Here’s the tracklisting with some links and comments.

1. “Tired of Sex” - A great opening track that’s about getting tired of sex. Weird, huh?
2. “Getchoo” - A rather aggressive track, which I think is about the narrator being just a bit too pushy in the pursuit of his love interest.
3. “No Other One” - Not as aggressive as the first two tracks, but still a rocker track about a girlfriend that does some illegal activities.
4. “Why Bother?” - A pretty upbeat number, just kidding. Giving up never sounded so catchy.
5. “Across The Sea” - A sweet song dedicated to a Japanese fan.
6. “The Good Life” - OK, this is actually an upbeat tune that cheers me up whenever I feel down.
7. “El Scorcho” - The first single from Pinkerton that has lots of cultural references.
8. “Pink Triangle” - An interesting song about a guy who falls in love with a lesbian.
9. “Falling For You” - Starts off with peaceful intro and then kicks into a rocker about (surprise, surprise) falling for someone.
10. “Butterfly” - A strictly acoustic, and very depressing, song.

Video for “El Scorcho”

VCD video for “Pink Triangle”