A Look Back At Pinkerton: Weezer’s Second Album

 

Almost a month before, on 24 September 2021, Pinkerton, Weezer’s second album turned 25. Pinkerton is the second album by Weezer released 25 years ago on 24 September 1996. This album was initially considered a failure due to its lower sales and lower rating compared to its predecessor, The Blue Album. Now, this album is the band’s highest-rated album. This is the last album that features Matt Sharp as a bassist before his departure in 1998.

 

 

According to the post on Weezer’s Facebook fan page, there was a feud between Weezer and Pinkerton security company over usage of the word “Pinkerton” which shares the same name as the album. Rivers Cuomo, the Weezer lead singer, and guitarist explained the story of Madame Butterfly, Puccini’s opera play to a judge, and successful, then the lawsuit over the name “Pinkerton” is settled, and the album is allowed to be stocked at stores.

 

Weezer did some efforts to boost the album sales by touring across the USA and far-east countries and also played as an opening band on No Doubt’s Tragic Kingdom World Tour in 1997, but they only played in the USA. After completing the Pinkerton tour, Weezer went hiatus till 2000, with Mikey Welsh as a new bassist.

 

Till the early 2000s, this album was considered an embarrassment, as Rivers said in the interview with Kerrang! in 2002, Rivers said:

 

“I don’t like ‘Pinkerton’. [expletive] it’s a [expletive] album! I wish people would leave it alone.”

Rivers Cuomo 2002 interview with Kerrang!

as transcribed on WeezerLat (2002)

 

In their 2000s shows, Weezer didn’t play many songs from Pinkerton, only some of them are played, such as “The Good Life”, “Tired of Sex”, and “Pink Triangle”.

 

Though this album initially had a mediocre rating, in the review by Rob O’Conner on Rolling Stone in 1996, this album was rated 3 stars. Now, this album is Weezer’s highest-rated album, especially after the deluxe version of this album was released in 2010. In the review by Brent Koepp on Beats Per Minute he stated “Ultimately, the legacy Pinkerton leaves behind is it being one of the most emotional and raw albums ever made.” and this album rated 100%. In Metacritic, various critics and reviewers gave this album mostly high-rate, ranging from 90-100.

 

 

The song lyrics portray a failure in finding love, being left behind, and awkward feelings towards the opposite sex.

 

“No, there is no other one, no there is no other one, I can’t have any other one, though I would, now I never could with one“

 Weezer – No Other One

 

In conclusion, this album is worth to listen if you like emo songs. The deluxe version has more songs on it, you should listen to this. In my opinion, this album is an outstanding work of Weezer and deserved to be rated that high for its great lyrics and its aggressive-sounding instruments, I rate this album 10/10.