Thursday, May 15, 2008

Weezer, I Wish I Knew How to Quit You

Just when I think I'm out, they bring me back in.


Weezer is about to release an album (their 3rd eponymous album - which completes the primary color trilogy - , but the first with a cowboy-hatted and mustachioed Rivers Cuomo), and the past three have beaten out of me all hope of their return to greatness. And then they decided to attempt the "Bohemian Rhapsody" of the 2000's.

It's called "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (Variations on a Shaker Hymn)" (Rivers is so humble).

A Shaker hymn is a variation of a work/dance song called "Simple Gifts" from 1840's Maine (they knew how to rock). Many will recognize it as "Lord of the Dance" from Bible school.

HERE'S THE SONG (yes, I'm linking to Perezhilton...I don't know how to quit that either):

I took the liberty of identifying the various musical styles they breeze through about a dozen different takes on the classical melody.

Rivers is so cultured.

0:00 - 0:10 - live album
0:11 - 0:33 - 3rd grade piano recital
0:34 - 0:40 - an episode of COPS
0:35 - 1:25 - Limp Bizkit
1:26 - 1:51 - Jason Mraz (I admit I don't know if this actually sounds like Jason Mraz...he was just the 1st tool with a guitar that came to mind)
1:52 - 2:17 - military pledges of allegiance
2:18 - 2:43 - Al Green
2:44 - 3:07 - Blue Album-era Weezer:-)
3:08 - 3:33 - Muppet music video-era Weezer :-(
3:34 - 4:05 - The Rentals
4:06 - 4:37 - Shakespearean "Beverly Hills"-era Weezer
4:38 - 5:10 - Rockapella as a church choir
5:11 - 5:48 - back to Blue album-era Weezer!!


And somehow, this recipe spells musical genius. At least that's what my 17-year-old soul that's stuck in 1997 tells me.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

actually, jason mraz does NOT sound like that [except for in his song "the boys gone."] In any case, by putting down Mr A to Z, you're the tool. And I guess I'm now a tool for referring to him as previously noted.

By the way, this is a DEFINITE try-to rendition of Bohemian Rapsody.

TC said...

At this point, Weezer fans are abused wives.

"You don't see what he's like during the good times when we're alone ['Pork & Beans']!" You only see what he's like when he gets angry and drinks [That awful leaked song that name drops Eddie Rabbit and sounds like LFO. And their last album]."

If only Sally Jesse Raphael were still around to slap you around and make you realize that dammit, you deserve better (starting with the new single from The Hold Steady).

KatwomanJulie said...

I know this is like from a billion years ago but I stumbled on this and it's so absolutely true its messing with my mind