It's one of the great philosophical debates of our time: are any of Weezer's recent albums good, or have they been in decline since the mid-'90s? Although releases like 2016's White Album and 2021's OK Human remain underrated by fairweather fans, even frontman Rivers Cuomo has acknowledged that he's sometimes taken a "quantity over quality" approach over the years.
The Weezer songwriter appeared on the latest episode of This Little Light, the new podcast hosted by Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea. When Flea expressed his admiration for how many albums Weezer have released, Cuomo admitted, "I don't understand how I ended up here."
He continued, "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 you 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."
He didn't get specific about which albums are good (like I said before, don't sleep on the White Album!) and which are bad (2017's Pacific Daydream, for example). He also pointed that he's become increasingly eager to consider fan expectations in his creative process.
"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," he said. "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."
Speaking of Cuomo involving the fans in his process, he's seeking input for a new musical, which will double as the next Weezer album.
The Weezer songwriter appeared on the latest episode of This Little Light, the new podcast hosted by Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea. When Flea expressed his admiration for how many albums Weezer have released, Cuomo admitted, "I don't understand how I ended up here."
He continued, "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 you 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."
He didn't get specific about which albums are good (like I said before, don't sleep on the White Album!) and which are bad (2017's Pacific Daydream, for example). He also pointed that he's become increasingly eager to consider fan expectations in his creative process.
"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," he said. "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."
Speaking of Cuomo involving the fans in his process, he's seeking input for a new musical, which will double as the next Weezer album.
