Van Weezer

Last updated
Van Weezer
Weezer - Van Weezer.png
Studio album by
Weezer
ReleasedMay 7, 2021 (2021-05-07) [1]
Recorded2018–2020
Genre
Length30:49
Label
Producer Suzy Shinn
Weezer chronology
OK Human
(2021)		Van Weezer
(2021)		 SZNZ: Spring
(2022)
Singles from Van Weezer
  1. "The End of the Game"
    Released: September 10, 2019
  2. "Hero"
    Released: May 6, 2020
  3. "Beginning of the End"
    Released: August 14, 2020
  4. "I Need Some of That"
    Released: April 21, 2021
  5. "All The Good Ones"
    Released: May 7, 2021

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 style influenced by classic rock and hard rock, 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 .

Contents

Four singles were released ahead of the album's release; "The End of the Game", "Hero", "Beginning of the End" and "I Need Some of That". A fifth single, "All The Good Ones," was released on the same day as the album. The album received generally positive reviews from critics. It debuted and peaked at number 11 on the US Billboard 200 chart. [8]

Background

In February 2019, Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo began working on new songs with a hard rock influence, in contrast to the pop rock and electropop sound that had been featured on the band's previous albums Pacific Daydream, the Teal Album, and the then-upcoming Black Album. In an interview that month with Entertainment Weekly , Cuomo mentioned that an album tentatively titled Van Weezer was in the works, and that it would take the band "back to big guitars". He remarked that when the band would perform "Beverly Hills" live in concert, he would perform a guitar solo that was not present on the recorded version of the song. "We noticed that, recently, the crowd just goes crazy when I do that. So it feels like maybe the audience is ready for some shredding again." [9]

The album has been compared to their fourth studio album Maladroit (2002), and is inspired by 1970s and 1980s hard rock and heavy metal bands such as Kiss, Black Sabbath, Metallica and Van Halen (the last of whom inspired the album's title). [10] Cuomo would also state that the album is "Blue Album-ish, but a little more riffy." [11]

Release

On September 10, 2019, the first single from Van Weezer, "The End of the Game" was released along with an announcement that the album would be released on May 15, 2020. [12] The announcement coincided with the revelation of the Hella Mega Tour, a 2020 concert tour featuring Weezer, Green Day, and Fall Out Boy. [13] On May 6, 2020, the second single "Hero" was released onto streaming services; while Weezer announced that the album release would be delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, stating that despite this fans would receive "surprises" within the next week. [14] A short snippet of "Blue Dream" debuted on The Simpsons episode "The Hateful Eight-Year-Olds", on which Weezer guest-starred as themselves. [15] On August 14, 2020, the band announced that the album had been delayed to May 2021 in order to coincide with the rescheduled Hella Mega Tour. That same day, the third single, "Beginning of the End", was released as a part of the soundtrack for Bill & Ted Face the Music. [16]

On October 6, 2020, after Eddie Van Halen died, the album was dedicated to him. [17] In addition to Van Halen, the album is also dedicated to Ric Ocasek, who produced the band's debut, The Blue Album , The Green Album , & Everything Will Be Alright in the End , as Ocasek passed away in September 2019. [18]

The track listing was announced on April 20, 2021, and the fourth single, "I Need Some of That" was released the following day. [19]

The album was officially released on May 7, 2021, along with an animated music video for "All The Good Ones".

The album was released just three and a half months after its predecessor, OK Human , which was at one point intended to be released after Van Weezer. [20]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 67/100 [21]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [22]
The A.V. Club B+ [23]
Clash 7/10 [24]
DIY Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [25]
Exclaim! 7/10 [26]
Kerrang! Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [27]
NME Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [28]
Paste 5.5/10 [29]
Pitchfork 5.9/10 [30]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [31]

Van Weezer received generally favorable reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 67 based on 20 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [21] Stephen Thomas Erlewine at AllMusic gave the album a positive review, stating "...any of its retro origins are washed away by big, dumb sounds that keep the record grounded in the eternal now, an aesthetic choice that also helps the album be a rousing good time." Erlewin praised the homage to Van Halen on the album. [22] Mark Beaumont from NME was a bit more mixed on the album, whom considered the choruses as some of the band's best, but opined that the second half of the album as lesser quality from the first half. Beaumont went on to observe "there's a stone-cold classic Weezer album hidden beneath the fretboard flam." [28]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Hero "
3:56
2."All the Good Ones"
2:44
3."The End of the Game "
3:01
4."I Need Some of That"
3:19
5."Beginning of the End"
3:15
6."Blue Dream"
2:50
7."1 More Hit"Cuomo3:05
8."Sheila Can Do It"
2:57
9."She Needs Me"Cuomo2:52
10."Precious Metal Girl"
2:50
Total length:30:49
Vinyl Bonus Tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
11."I've Thrown It All Away"
3:23
12."I Need Some of That (R.O.)" 0:50
Total length:35:02

Sample credits

Notes

1. ^ On Apple Music, tracks 1 & 3 are switched. [32]

Personnel

Credits adapted from Van Weezer liner notes [33]

Weezer

Additional personnel

Charts

Chart performance for Van Weezer
Chart (2021)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [34] 83
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [35] 26
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [36] 105
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [37] 48
Canadian Albums (Billboard) [38] 18
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [39] 25
Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ) [40] 11
Japanese Albums (Oricon) [41] 13
Scottish Albums (OCC) [42] 8
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [43] 40
UK Albums (OCC) [44] 30
US Billboard 200 [45] 11
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard) [46] 1
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) [47] 1

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>Maladroit</i> 2002 studio album by Weezer

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. Musically, the album features a hard-rock sound and heavy metal riffs uncommon to Weezer's previous releases.

<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.

<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 Best of Both Worlds</i> (Van Halen album) 2004 greatest hits album by Van Halen

The Best of Both Worlds is the second greatest hits album by American rock band Van Halen, released on July 20, 2004, on Warner Bros. The compilation features material recorded with lead vocalists David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar, but omits Gary Cherone's three-year tenure with the band. Prior to The Best of Both Worlds's release, Hagar reunited with Van Halen, and the band recorded three new tracks to include on the release.

<i>Down to Earth</i> (Ozzy Osbourne album) 2001 studio album by Ozzy Osbourne

Down to Earth is the eighth studio album by English heavy metal singer Ozzy Osbourne. Released on 16 October 2001, it reached number 19 on the UK Albums Chart and number four on the US Billboard 200. "The Ozzfest was doing well", Osbourne explained. "I just wanted to be like the Grateful Dead and keep it going by touring, but the record company said they'd like a new Ozzy album."

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beverly Hills (Weezer song)</span> 2005 single by Weezer

"Beverly Hills" is a song by American rock band Weezer. It is the first single from the band's fifth album, Make Believe. "Beverly Hills" was released to US radio on March 28, 2005. The song features Stephanie Eitel of Agent Sparks on the chorus on backup vocals, performing the "gimme, gimme" hook.

<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.

<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>Weezer</i> (White Album) 2016 album by Weezer

Weezer is the tenth studio album by the American rock band Weezer, released on April 1, 2016. The album marks their first produced by Jake Sinclair. It is the first release through Crush Music and was distributed by Atlantic Records.

<i>Weezer</i> (Black Album) 2019 album by Weezer

Weezer is the thirteenth studio album by the American rock band Weezer. Produced by Dave Sitek, it was released on March 1, 2019, through Crush Music and Atlantic Records, nearly two months after The Teal Album. It received mixed reviews.

<i>Weezer</i> (Teal Album) 2019 album by Weezer

Weezer is the twelfth studio album by the American rock band Weezer. It was released digitally on January 24, 2019, through Crush Music and Atlantic Records, with a retail release on March 8. The album is composed of cover songs, mostly from the 1980s, making it the band's first covers album. It was announced and released on the same day as a surprise precursor to Weezer's thirteenth studio album, which was released on March 1, 2019. The album received mixed reviews, with some praising the self-aware frivolity of the project, while others criticized the arrangements.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hella Mega Tour</span> 2021–22 concert tour by Green Day, Fall Out Boy, and Weezer

The Hella Mega Tour was a concert tour by American rock bands Green Day, Fall Out Boy, and Weezer that was announced on September 10, 2019 and originally included dates from March to August 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Oceanic leg was canceled, as well as the sole Canadian date. The rest of the tour was rescheduled to 2021 and 2022.

"The End of the Game" is a song by the American rock band Weezer, released on September 10, 2019, as the first single from their fifteenth studio album Van Weezer. A music video for the song was released the same day, starring American rock band Cherry Glazerr, although they are not featured on the song. The band performed the song at Jimmy Kimmel Live! the same day the song was released.

<i>OK Human</i> 2021 studio album by Weezer

OK Human is the fourteenth studio album by American rock band Weezer, released on January 29, 2021 by Crush Music and Atlantic Records. Featuring a baroque-pop influenced sound, inspired by albums such as Harry Nilsson's Nilsson Sings Newman (1970) and the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds (1966), the album was recorded entirely with analogue equipment and features a 38-piece orchestra. The album was preceded by the lead single "All My Favorite Songs", released on January 21, 2021. The album received generally positive reviews from critics. OK Human is the first of two Weezer albums to be released in 2021, followed only four months later by Van Weezer.

"All My Favorite Songs" is a song by the American rock band Weezer, released on January 21, 2021, as the first single from their fourteenth studio album OK Human. A music video was released on the same day.

References

  1. ↑ "Weezer - van Weezer - Vinyl LP".
  2. ↑ Sharples, Grant (May 4, 2021). "Weezer's Van Weezer Is Hard-Rock Cosplay". Spin. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
  3. ↑ "Top 10 alternative rock albums of 2021". Ultimate Classic Rock. December 26, 2021. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  4. ↑ "Weezer: "This album is about feeling isolated, alienated and secluded – it's perfect for now"". NME. 26 January 2021. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
  5. ↑ Westrom, Piper (May 1, 2021). "Album Review: Weezer bows at the altar of Ozzy and Eddie on 'Van Weezer'". Riff Magazine. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
  6. ↑ "Meet the Twentysomething Behind Weezer's New Classic Rock Record". Slate. 23 May 2021. Archived from the original on 3 July 2021. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
  7. ↑ Pareles, Jon (April 23, 2021). "Weezer's Rock 'n' Roll Nostalgia Trip, and 10 More New Songs". New York Times. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  8. ↑ "Weezer". Billboard .
  9. ↑ Franich, Darren. "Rivers Cuomo on Weezer's Black Album and struggling with the success of covering 'Africa'". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved September 10, 2019.
  10. ↑ Schatz, Lake (10 September 2019). "Weezer Announce New Van Weezer LP, Share "The End of the Game"". Consequence of Sound . Retrieved May 19, 2021.
  11. ↑ Matthew Strauss (September 10, 2019). "Weezer Detail New Album Van Weezer, Share New Song: Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
  12. ↑ "Weezer's Next Album Is Coming Next Year, Hear New Song 'The End of the Game' Right Now - News". Rock Sound Magazine. Archived from the original on 2020-09-23. Retrieved 2019-09-10.
  13. ↑ Greene, Andy (10 September 2019). "Green Day, Weezer, Fall Out Boy Announce 2020 'Hella Mega' Stadium Tour". Rolling Stone.
  14. ↑ Bloom, Madison (6 May 2020). "Weezer Delay Album and Share New Song "Hero": Listen". Pitchfork . Retrieved May 6, 2020.
  15. ↑ "Weezer debut new song Blue Dream on The Simpsons". The List . 11 May 2020. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  16. ↑ "weezer on Twitter - Van Weezer update". Twitter . Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  17. ↑ "weezer on Twitter". Twitter . Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  18. ↑ "Credits / Van Weezer / Weezer". Tidal. May 7, 2021. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  19. ↑ @Weezer (April 21, 2021). "It's almost Van Weezer time. These are all the songs on the album that comes out on May 7th. "I Need Some Of That" drops tomorrow at 9am PT/12pm ET" (Tweet). Retrieved May 7, 2021– via Twitter.
  20. ↑ Carter, Emily (January 26, 2021). "Rivers Cuomo explains why OK Human is being released before Van Weezer". Kerrang!. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
  21. 1 2 "Van Weezer by Weezer Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic . Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  22. 1 2 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (May 7, 2021). "Van Weezer – Weezer". AllMusic. Archived from the original on May 7, 2021. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  23. ↑ McLevy, Alex (May 6, 2021). "Good news, everyone: Van Weezer kicks ass". The A.V. Club . Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  24. ↑ Hagan, R.A. (May 5, 2021). "Weezer - Van Weezer". Clash . Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  25. ↑ Swann, Emma (May 7, 2021). "Weezer - Van Weezer" . Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  26. ↑ Hudson, Alex (May 1, 2021). "Weezer Aren't All That Heavy on 'Van Weezer,' and They're Better for It" . Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  27. ↑ Sutherland, Mark (May 6, 2021). "Album review: Weezer – Van Weezer". Kerrang! . Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  28. 1 2 Beaumont, Mark (May 5, 2021). "Weezer – 'Van Weezer' review: veteran pop-rockers throw up the Devil horns". NME . Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  29. ↑ Gomez, Jade (May 6, 2021). "Van Weezer Only Partially Delivers on False Promises". Paste . Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  30. ↑ Rytlewski, Evan (May 13, 2021). "Weezer: Van Weezer Album Review". Pitchfork . Archived from the original on May 14, 2021. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
  31. ↑ Dolan, Jon (May 7, 2021). "Weezer Deliver a Love Letter to Eighties Metal on 'Van Weezer'". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on May 11, 2021. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  32. ↑ Van Weezer by Weezer , retrieved 2021-08-01
  33. ↑ Van Weezer (Album liner notes). Weezer. 2021.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  34. ↑ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 17 May 2021". The ARIA Report. No. 1628. Australian Recording Industry Association. May 17, 2021. p. 4.
  35. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Weezer – Van Weezer" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  36. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Weezer – Van Weezer" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
  37. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Weezer – Van Weezer" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
  38. ↑ "Weezer Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  39. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Weezer – Van Weezer" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
  40. ↑ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2021. 19. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
  41. ↑ "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2021-05-17" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  42. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  43. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Weezer – Van Weezer". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
  44. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
  45. ↑ "Weezer Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 17, 2021.
  46. ↑ "Weezer Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  47. ↑ "Weezer Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
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.