Maladroit

Last updated
Maladroit
Maladroitweezer.jpg
Studio album by
Weezer
ReleasedMay 14, 2002 (2002-05-14)
RecordedDecember 2001–January 2002
Studio Cello, Los Angeles, California
Genre
Length33:43
Label Geffen
Producer Weezer
Weezer chronology
Weezer
(2001)		Maladroit
(2002)		 The Lion and the Witch
(2002)
Singles from Maladroit
  1. "Dope Nose"
    Released: March 26, 2002
  2. "Keep Fishin'"
    Released: September 20, 2002

Maladroit is the fourth studio album by American rock band Weezer, released on May 14, 2002, by Geffen Records. It was self-produced by the band, and was their first album to feature bassist Scott Shriner, following the departure of former bassist Mikey Welsh in 2001, although Shriner was featured in the music video for "Photograph" from the band's previous album Weezer (also known as the Green Album). Musically, the album features a hard-rock sound and heavy metal riffs uncommon to Weezer's previous releases. [5]

Contents

During the recording, Weezer would release demos every day on the band's website in an attempt to collect feedback from fans, although guitarist and vocalist Rivers Cuomo would often disagree with fans on most aspects of the album. The band's uploading also resulted in some radio stations playing the still unreleased songs. [6] [7]

Supported by the singles "Dope Nose" and "Keep Fishin'". Maladroit received positive reviews from critics and was ranked number 90 in a Rolling Stone readers' poll of top albums. [8] The album debuted and peaked at number three on the Billboard 200, selling 152,000 copies its first week. [9] As of 2022, the album has sold 605,000 copies in the United States and was certified Gold by the RIAA a month after its release. [10]

Background and recording

For the band's fourth studio album, Weezer attempted to incorporate an innovative system in which the group would release demos in MP3 format on the band's website every day while in the studio working on Maladroit. [11] This resulted in dozens of different versions of over thirty different songs circulating on the Internet before the album was released.

The idea was to keep communication open with the band's fan base on the group's official message board as well as, more crucially, on unofficial message boards such as the Rivers Correspondent Board (which was closed to the public at frontman Rivers Cuomo's request, chiefly so that members of the press could not gain access). Yet Cuomo and the fans strongly disagreed on a number of creative aspects of the album. One thing they did agree on was bringing back the summer 2000 song "Slob" for use on the album. Cuomo commented, "I never would have thought to put the song "Slob" on the record if the fans did not request it." Bassist Scott Shriner also wanted a hidden track, "Are You Gonna Be?" for the album. [12] Regardless of disagreements, Weezer fans are still "specially thanked" in the album's liner notes.

The band's uploading of MP3 demos onto its website resulted in some radio stations playing the still unreleased (and sometimes unfinished) songs. [6] [7] Due to a spat between Cuomo and the record label Geffen/Interscope, Weezer self-funded the recordings for Maladroit and the label was unaware of the recordings at all until the radio began to play them. It is said that Cuomo was so excited for fans to hear the music he personally mailed copies of 8 out of the 13 songs on Maladroit to key radio stations and press outlets. [13] In the week it was leaked to radio stations, the lead single "Dope Nose" reached #25 on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart without an official single having been issued.

The airplay resulted in a gag order being issued by Geffen Records in which they requested that Weezer return the master tapes from the Maladroit sessions and apologize to each radio station that played the song. [14] [15] The band members resisted, citing that they had funded all the sessions themselves and that apologizing seemed pointless. [16] The fans resisted as well, forming an online group called "Unreleased Weezer for the Masses" that rallied for the release of the album. [17]

The songs "Dope Nose" and "Hash Pipe" (off the Green Album ) were both written using the same method on the same night, with Cuomo allegedly taking "a bunch of Ritalin and ... like three shots of tequila" and pacing around for a while before writing both songs. [18] [19]

Packaging

The album title maladroit, meaning "awkward, clumsy, inept", was suggested by a board member on the Weezer message boards who went by the screen name of Lethe. [6]

The album's first 600,000 copies were specifically numbered with the number located on the back of the CD case near the lower right-hand corner. [20]

Maladroit was the first Weezer album to be released in the Enhanced CD format, which contained bonus videos including live and studio footage, as well as a video of drummer Patrick Wilson riding a skateboard down stadium ramps. [21]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 72/100 [22]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [23]
Blender Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [24]
Entertainment Weekly C+ [25]
Los Angeles Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [26]
NME 8/10 [27]
Pitchfork 5.4/10 [28]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [29]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Spin 7/10 [30]
The Village Voice B− [31]

Maladroit received generally favorable reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 72. [22] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic gave the album four stars, saying that it "retains the high quality of the Green Album". [23] PopMatters gave the album an eight out of ten, saying "Maladroit keeps it short, keeps it simple, keeps it honest, but also importantly, they keep it coming. Thank Weezer for that." [32] However, IGN later gave the album a score of five out of ten, and called it a "mixed bag", stating, "If you want to listen to a terrific Weezer cover band, proceed directly to Maladroit. Going by title alone, it's exactly as advertised. But, please, in the future, let's leave Weezer to their own devices. Ours aren't working." [33]

Spin ended up calling it the 6th best album of 2002, [34] and Rolling Stone readers voted it as the 8th best of the year. [35] In another Rolling Stone readers poll, it was voted the 90th greatest album of all time. [8]

In June 2009, Magnet had an article on the five most overrated and underrated Weezer songs. "All of Maladroit" was ranked number one on the list of the underrated half, where they comment "Maladroit, the band’s fourth album, is actually really good: not exactly deep, but it has some really stellar pop songs ... Sure, Maladroit never became a cultural touchstone the way the band’s first two albums did, but it deserves more credit than it ever got." [36]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Rivers Cuomo

No.TitleLength
1."American Gigolo"2:42
2."Dope Nose"2:16
3."Keep Fishin'"2:52
4."Take Control"3:05
5."Death and Destruction"2:38
6."Slob"3:08
7."Burndt Jamb"2:39
8."Space Rock"1:53
9."Slave"2:53
10."Fall Together"2:02
11."Possibilities"2:00
12."Love Explosion"2:35
13."December"3:00
Total length:33:40
Bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
14."Living Without You" (on some European and Japanese issues)2:49
15."Island in the Sun" (European and Australian bonus track)3:20
Total length:39:49
Enhanced CD video clips
No.TitleLength
1."The Quiet Storm"0:31
2."Dope Nose (Live)"1:03
3."Death and Destruction (Live)"1:01
4."Burndt Jamb (Live)"1:31
5."The Cobo Challenge"1:52
6."Keep Fishin' (Live)"1:25
7."Take Control (Live)"0:57
Total length:7:23

Personnel

Personnel adapted from Maladroit liner notes [37]

Weezer

Additional personnel

Charts

Singles

YearSongPeak positions
US Modern Rock
[53] 		UK
[54]
2002"Dope Nose"8—
2002"Keep Fishin'"1529

Certifications

Country Certification
United States (RIAA)Gold [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weezer</span> American rock band

Weezer is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1992. Since 2001, the band has consisted of Rivers Cuomo, Patrick Wilson, Brian Bell, and Scott Shriner. They have sold 10 million albums in the US and more than 35 million worldwide.

<i>Weezer</i> (Green Album) 2001 album by Weezer

Weezer is the third studio album by American rock band Weezer. It was released on May 15, 2001, by Geffen Records. It was the second Weezer album produced by Ric Ocasek, who produced their debut album, and it is the only studio album to feature bassist Mikey Welsh, as he left the band a few months after the album's release.

<i>Pinkerton</i> (album) 1996 studio album by Weezer

Pinkerton is the second studio album by the American rock band Weezer, released on September 24, 1996, by DGC Records. The guitarist and vocalist Rivers Cuomo wrote most of Pinkerton while studying at Harvard University, after abandoning plans for a rock opera, Songs from the Black Hole. It was the last Weezer album to feature the bassist Matt Sharp, who left in 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rivers Cuomo</span> American rock musician (born 1970)

Rivers Cuomo is an American musician best known as the lead vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter of the rock band Weezer. Cuomo was born in New York City and raised in several Buddhist communities in the northeastern U.S. until the age of 10, when his family settled in Connecticut. He played in several bands in Connecticut and California before forming Weezer in 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Shriner</span> Musical artist

Scott Gardner Shriner is an American musician best known as a member of the rock band Weezer, with whom he has recorded twelve studio albums. Joining the band in 2001, Shriner is the band's longest serving bass guitarist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Sharp</span> American musician (born 1969)

Matthew Kelly Sharp is an American songwriter and musician. Until 1998, he was the bassist for the rock band Weezer, which he co-founded in 1992. He appears on their first two albums, the Blue Album (1994) and Pinkerton (1996). In 1994, Sharp founded Rentals, who have released five albums. Sharp has also released an EP and an album as a solo artist.

<i>Weezer</i> (Blue Album) 1994 studio album by Weezer

Weezer is the debut studio album by the American rock band Weezer, released on May 10, 1994, by DGC Records. It was produced by Ric Ocasek of the Cars.

<i>The Lion and the Witch</i> 2002 live EP by Weezer

The Lion and the Witch is a live EP by American rock band Weezer. Recorded in Japan in the spring of 2002 while promoting Maladroit, released on September 24, 2002, exactly six years after the release of Pinkerton. It was distributed as a limited edition release in independently owned music stores with only 25,000 copies having been made. The album was then rereleased and remastered on vinyl in 2015, with only 3,000 copies made.

<i>Make Believe</i> (Weezer album) 2005 studio album by Weezer

Make Believe is the fifth studio album by American rock band Weezer. It was released on May 10, 2005, by Geffen Records. The album was considered to be a return to some of the emotionally vulnerable lyrics of Weezer's previous releases, and due to the strength of the hit single "Beverly Hills", the album was a commercial success, peaking at number two on the US Billboard 200 and number eleven on the UK Albums Chart. In addition, "Beverly Hills" also earned Weezer their first Grammy nomination for Best Rock Song. Despite this, Make Believe received mixed reviews from critics and fans, although it has remained a consistent seller. The recording process of Make Believe began prior to the release of their previous album, Maladroit; however, it was prolonged compared to the recording of most of Weezer's previous albums, and lasted for almost three years. Rivers Cuomo's songwriting on Make Believe was described as "[a] return to musical, emotional bloodletting", although the lyrics were noticeably simpler than before.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buddy Holly (song)</span> 1994 single by Weezer

"Buddy Holly" is a song by the American rock band Weezer. The song was written by Rivers Cuomo and released by DGC as the second single from the band's debut album, Weezer (1994). The lyrics reference the song's namesake, 1950s rock-and-roll singer Buddy Holly, and actress Mary Tyler Moore. Released on September 7, 1994—which would have been Holly's 58th birthday—the song reached number two on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart. Outside the US, the song peaked at number six in Canada, number 12 in the United Kingdom, number 13 in Iceland, and number 14 in Sweden. The song's music video, which features footage from Happy Days and was directed by Spike Jonze, earned considerable exposure when it was included as a bonus media file in Microsoft's initial successful release of the operating system Windows 95.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Say It Ain't So</span> 1995 single by Weezer

"Say It Ain't So" is a song by American rock band Weezer. It was released as the third and final single from the band's self-titled 1994 debut album on May 15, 1995. Written by frontman Rivers Cuomo, the song came to be after he had all the music finished and one line, "Say it ain't so". Cuomo made a connection to an incident in high school where he came home and saw a bottle of beer in the fridge. He believed his mother and father's marriage ended because his father was an alcoholic, and this made him fear the marriage between his mother and step-father would end this way as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hash Pipe</span> 2001 single by Weezer

"Hash Pipe" is a song by American rock band Weezer. Released in 2001, it was the first single off the band's third album Weezer, and the only one of the Summer Songs of 2000 songs to make it onto the album, although "Dope Nose" and "Slob" were released on Maladroit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dope Nose</span> 2002 single by Weezer

"Dope Nose" is a song by American rock band Weezer. It is the first single off the band's fourth album, Maladroit. It was officially released in March 2002, though it had been performed live and in the studio during the band's 2000 summer tour comeback after hiatus.

<i>Songs from the Black Hole</i> Unfinished album by Weezer

Songs from the Black Hole is an unfinished album by the American rock band Weezer, recorded between 1994 and 1996. The songwriter, Rivers Cuomo, conceived it as a rock opera that would express his mixed feelings about the success of Weezer's 1994 self-titled debut album. Its characters were to be voiced by members of Weezer, plus the guest vocalists Rachel Haden and Joan Wasser.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weezer discography</span> Band discography

The discography of Weezer, an American rock band, consists of 15 studio albums, two compilation albums, one video album, nine extended plays, 37 singles and 40 music videos. Weezer's self-titled debut studio album, often referred to as The Blue Album, was released in May 1994 through DGC Records. The album was a commercial success, peaking at number 16 on the US Billboard 200 and spawning the singles "Undone – The Sweater Song" and "Buddy Holly", both of which were responsible for launching Weezer into mainstream success with the aid of music videos directed by Spike Jonze. It has sold 3.3 million copies in the United States and has been certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), becoming the band's best selling album to date. Following the success of their debut album, Weezer took a break from touring for the Christmas holidays. Lead singer Rivers Cuomo began piecing together demo material for Weezer's second studio album. Cuomo's original concept for the album was a space-themed rock opera, Songs from the Black Hole. Ultimately, the Songs from the Black Hole album concept was dropped; the band, however, continued to utilize songs from these sessions into work for their second studio album. Pinkerton was released as the band's second studio album in September 1996. Peaking at number 19 on the Billboard 200, it was considered a critical and commercial failure at the time of its release, selling far less than its triple platinum predecessor. However, in the years following its release, it has seen much critical and commercial championing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Undone – The Sweater Song</span> 1994 single by Weezer

"Undone – The Sweater Song" is a song by the American alternative rock band Weezer, released on the band's self-titled 1994 debut album. It was released as their debut single in 1994.

<i>Weezer</i> (Red Album) 2008 album by Weezer

Weezer is the sixth studio album by the American rock band Weezer, released on June 3, 2008, by DGC and Interscope Records. Rick Rubin and Jacknife Lee both produced parts of the album, with the band producing a handful of tracks themselves. It is the only Weezer album to feature lead vocals from all four band members. The album also features more musical experimentation in comparison to their previous efforts, especially shown in such songs as "Dreamin'", "The Angel and The One", and "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived".

<i>Everything Will Be Alright in the End</i> 2014 studio album by Weezer

Everything Will Be Alright in the End is the ninth studio album by American rock band Weezer, released on October 7, 2014. It is Weezer's only album released by Republic Records, and the third and final Weezer album produced by Ric Ocasek, who previously produced the Blue Album (1994) and Green Album (2001).

<i>Pacific Daydream</i> 2017 studio album by Weezer

Pacific Daydream is the eleventh studio album by American rock band Weezer, released on October 27, 2017. The album is their second release by Crush Management, is distributed by Atlantic Records, and is trademarked by a modern pop sound, differing from their previous work. The lead single, "Feels Like Summer", was released on March 16, 2017. The second single, "Happy Hour", was released on October 31.

<i>Van Weezer</i> 2021 studio album by Weezer

Van Weezer is the fifteenth studio album by American rock band Weezer, released on May 7, 2021, by Crush Music and Atlantic Records. Featuring a classic rock and hard rock inspired sound, the album was announced in September 2019 with an original release date of May 2020, coinciding with announcement of the band's participation in the Hella Mega Tour alongside Green Day and Fall Out Boy. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the tour was delayed indefinitely and Van Weezer's release was delayed until May 2021, almost four months after the release of the band's previous album OK Human.

References

  1. 1 2 "Weezer Maladroit". Pitchfork.
  2. 1 2 Powers, Ann (May 9, 2002). "Maladroit". Rolling Stone . Retrieved January 16, 2010.
  3. ↑ Richardson, Sean (May 9, 2002). "Dope noise". Boston Phoenix. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  4. ↑ Harrison, Shane (May 14, 2002). 'Maladroit'? No way; Weezer rocks: [Home Edition]. Atlanta, Georgia: CMG Corporate Services, Inc. p. E.2. ISSN   1539-7459.
  5. ↑ "Weezer: Maladroit". PopMatters. 27 June 2002. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  6. 1 2 3 Luerssen D., John. Rivers' Edge: The Weezer Story. ECW Press, 2004, ISBN   1-55022-619-3 p. 405
  7. 1 2 Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 406
  8. 1 2 "2002 Rolling Stone Readers' 100". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 2007-10-02.
  9. ↑ Inc, Nielsen Business Media (2002-06-01). Billboard.{{cite book}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  10. 1 2 "Gold & Platinum". RIAA. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  11. ↑ Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 398
  12. ↑ "Odder Than Hell". Guitar World . Archived from the original on 2007-11-03. Retrieved 2005-07-09.
  13. ↑ Orshoski, Wes. "Geffen's Weezer on 'Maladroit'." Billboard: The International Newsweekly of Music, Video and Home Entertainment May 11, 2002: 1,1, 72. ProQuest. Web. 21 July 2015 .
  14. ↑ Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 410
  15. ↑ Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 411
  16. ↑ Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 413
  17. ↑ Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 412
  18. ↑ Eliscu, Jenny. "Rivers Cuomo's Encyclopedia of Pop". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on 2009-10-21. Retrieved 2015-07-09.
  19. ↑ Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 420
  20. ↑ Luerssen D., John. Rivers' Edge: The Weezer Story. ECW Press, 2004, ISBN   1-55022-619-3 p. 432
  21. ↑ Maladroit (CD back cover). Weezer. Geffen Records. 2002.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  22. 1 2 "Reviews for Maladroit by Weezer". Metacritic . Retrieved January 16, 2010.
  23. 1 2 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Maladroit – Weezer". AllMusic . Retrieved January 15, 2011.
  24. ↑ Ratliff, Ben (June–July 2002). "Weezer: Maladroit". Blender (7): 100. Archived from the original on August 8, 2004. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
  25. ↑ Browne, David (May 24, 2002). "Maladroit". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on December 22, 2016. Retrieved May 4, 2012.
  26. ↑ Cromelin, Richard (May 12, 2002). "From Weezer, Exuberant 'Maladroit' Is Anything But". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved August 30, 2013.
  27. ↑ Beaumont, Mark (December 21, 2002). "Weezer : Maladroit". NME . Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved January 25, 2011.
  28. ↑ Mitchum, Rob (May 27, 2002). "Weezer: Maladroit". Pitchfork . Retrieved January 15, 2011.
  29. ↑ "Weezer: Maladroit". Q (190): 118. May 2002.
  30. ↑ Sinagra, Laura (June 2002). "Rivers' Edge". Spin . 18 (6): 101–02. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
  31. ↑ Christgau, Robert (April 22, 2003). "Not Hop, Stomp". The Village Voice . New York. Archived from the original on December 20, 2013. Retrieved February 9, 2013.
  32. ↑ Damas, Jason (June 28, 2002). "Weezer: Maladroit". PopMatters . Retrieved May 15, 2013.
  33. ↑ JR (2007-05-14). "Weezer - Maladroit Review". IGN . Retrieved 2011-01-15.
  34. ↑ Spin Magazine Staff. "Best Albums of 2002". Spin . Archived from the original on 2012-10-12. Retrieved 2007-10-02.
  35. ↑ "Rolling Stone Readers' Top Ten of 2002". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on 2011-06-28. Retrieved 2007-10-02.
  36. ↑ "The Over/Under: Weezer". Magnetmagazine.com. 2009-06-30. Retrieved 2011-09-24.
  37. ↑ Maladroit (liner). Weezer. Geffen Records. 2002.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  38. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Weezer – Maladroit". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  39. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Weezer – Maladroit" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  40. ↑ "Weezer Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  41. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Weezer – Maladroit" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  42. ↑ "Weezer: Maladroit" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  43. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Weezer – Maladroit". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
  44. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Weezer – Maladroit" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  45. ↑ "Top 75 Artist Album, Week Ending 23 May 2002". GfK Chart-Track. Archived from the original on 2 May 2018. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
  46. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Weezer – Maladroit". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  47. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Weezer – Maladroit". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  48. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Weezer – Maladroit". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  49. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  50. ↑ "Weezer Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  51. ↑ "Top 200 Albums of 2002 (based on sales)". Jam! . Archived from the original on September 6, 2004. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  52. ↑ "Canada's Top 200 Alternative albums of 2002". Jam! . Archived from the original on December 4, 2003. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
  53. 1 2 "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2002". Billboard. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  54. ↑ "UK Top 40 Singles Chart". Everyhit.com. Retrieved 2007-11-26.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.