Idle hands might be the devil’s workshop, but there can definitely be too much of a good thing. Prolific ’90s alternative rock heroes Weezer have never been lazy, turning around new records with the frequency of a healthy person’s bowel movements.
Although they only released two albums in the 1990s, the self-titled “Blue Album” in 1994 and Pinkerton in 1996, the band have churned out a staggering thirteen records since the turn of the century. Many longtime fans feel that Weezer lacks quality control in the studio, focusing on creating a product at a steady clip instead of focusing on important pieces of art.
In a recent interview with Flea’s “This Little Light” podcast, Weezer mastermind Rivers Cuomo went on the record about his feelings on the band’s towering discography, saying (via Consequence):
“I think, if I were to go back and plan out an ideal artist’s career, I don’t know — maybe there’s too much quantity. Maybe the whole thing would be more impactful if we could go back in time and just release the very best stuff. Cherry-pick and release it in a very strategic way. But hindsight is 20/20, and hopefully future generations will sort it all out and they’ll focus on the best stuff.”
Cuomo also lamented fan reactions when bands change style, which has happened to Weezer on a constant basis ever since the Pinkerton days.
Cuomo said: “I really want to listen and see where their [fans’] heads are at, and what they’re reacting to, and sometimes it’s not exactly where I would have gone on my own.”
“Specifically, they seem to like changes to happen more slowly. I would just say, ‘It’s a new day. Let’s throw out the recipe book and let’s start over from scratch with something totally new.’ For whatever reason, they want to hang onto what they loved about the past. That doesn’t mean I can’t do anything new — I just need to mix it in a little more gradually.”
Cuomo is currently crowdsourcing ideas from fans for an upcoming musical, which will also serve as the basis for Weezer’s follow-up to SZNZ.
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