Weezer’s front man Rivers Cuomo released a couplet of albums a little while back called Alone and Alone II, which chronicled the recording of Weezer’s early material in the form of demos and outtakes.
Today Cuomo has revealed the third release in the trilogy Alone III: The Pinkerton Years. As one of the most interesting releases in recent rock history, going from hated on its original release to its current stature today as a misunderstood classic, this could be the most interesting of the trilogy. We will get even more insight into the recording of Pinkerton since the Alone III package comes with a book called The Pinkerton Diaries.
Cuomo says of The Pinkerton Diaries that it is “a collection of my journals, emails, letters, photos, and school papers — so you get an inside look as to exactly what I was thinking [when I wrote Pinkerton].” It chronicles the writing of the album all the way from 1994 to 1997. The diaries detail “everything from the confusion and excitement of trying to figure out girls, to the physically and emotionally harrowing medical struggles he underwent for over a year to correct a congenital leg length discrepancy.”
The package of album plus diaries is $75, but also included are Rivers’ lyric notebooks, music compositions, and studio notes from the Pinkerton sessions. The release date has not yet been announced, but it can be pre-ordered from Rivers’ official site in multiple packages.
The track list for Alone III is below.
1. I’m So Lonely
2. Getchoo – One of the first demos Rivers recorded that would later go on to be recorded by Weezer for Pinkerton. It was recorded in December 1993 at his mother’s house in Connecticut, during a Christmas break from his life in Los Angeles, which was taken up by going to SMC and playing in Weezer. Two months prior to the demo recording, the Blue Album had been recorded in New York, but it would not be released until May 1994.
3. Lisa – written for Weezer manager’s secretary. Last of the series started by “Jamie”, “Mykel and Carli” and “Susanne”.
4. Negativland
5. You Gave Your Love to Me Softly – Recorded December 2, 1993, the same day Weezer played at a club called “On The Rox”, which is a small upstairs lounge above the Roxy on the Sunset Strip, during their “Self Punishment Tour” (AKA “The L.A. Basin Tour”). This was recorded in the Amherst House garage on Rivers’ Tascam cassette 8 track. This song would later be recorded by Weezer twice – the first version appeared on the soundtrack to “Angus”, the second was a Pinkerton b-side.
6. When You’re Alone
7. Susanne – This demo was recorded in Connecticut in December 1993 during the same session as track 2. This song was first played live acoustically (with all 4 weezer members harmonizing) in February 1994 at Geffen Records on Sunset Blvd, as a serenade to the person it was written about, Susanne Filkins. Susanne worked with Todd Sullivan, Weezer’s A+R man, had assisted him with Weezer for many months, and had been very kind to Rivers and all of Weezer. Susanne had never heard the song before and was speechless! Later Weezer recorded it for a Blue Album B-side, which was later remixed for the “Mallrats” soundtrack.
The line “even Kurt Cobain and Axl Rose” was later changed to “even Izzy Slash and Axl Rose” after Kurt Cobain’s tragic death in April 1994. Of late, the lyric has been restored in concert to its original, more satisfying version.
8. There Is No Other One – The original title of “No Other One” which was later recorded by Weezer for Pinkerton. The song was written and recorded in July 1994 when the band took an unexpected break from touring, caused when Brian had to go on a family trip to Australia that was planned before he joined the band. Rivers took the opportunity to visit some friends in Long Island.
9. Let Me Wash at Your Sink
10. Waiting on You – Recorded January 1995 in Connecticut at Rivers’s mothers house. Later recorded by Weezer for a b-side for the Pinkerton single “The Good Life”.
SUITE FROM THE BLACK HOLE
11. Oh No, This Is Not For Me
12. Tired of Sex
13. She’s Had a Girl
14. What is This I Find?
15. Now I Finally See
16. Longtime Sunshine
FULTON AVENUE SUITE
17. I’m Lonely on a Saturday Night
18. Oh God I’m Hungry
19. I’m on Fire, You’re a Liar
20. The End of My String
21. I Can’t Break Your Heart Slow
22. Money Makes Me Happy
23. My Mind’s on You
24. Defeat on the Hill
25. Clarinet Waltz
26. A Glorious Moment
