小档案
中 文 名 Weezer
国 籍 美国
成立时间 1992年
成立地点 洛杉矶
性 质 摇滚乐团
艺人资料
Weezer是一个美国摇滚乐团。于1992年在洛杉矶成立,1997年解散,一段时间后,于2000年又重组。他们目前共发行过7张完整的专辑,五张EP和一张DVD。
他们在批评家和拥护者的眼里是支标准的流行朋克乐队,Weezer没有帅气的外型,也没有新生代乐队的酷劲,更没有什么偏激的言行举止激烈的吉他演奏很具诱惑力。他们的作品在幽默中掺入了晦暗、诡异的元素。对爱情主题的不雅表述也常叫人啼笑皆非,像成1994和1995年时髦金曲的《Buddy Holly》、《Say It Ain''t So》。Weezer也不是一支高产的乐队,成立十三年只发表了五张专辑,而这五张唱片里总共只有55首歌,但Weezer却创作出了一首又一首动听的大热金曲被人们广为传唱。与此同时,Weezer对美国新一代乐队的影响力又是毋庸置疑的,大批界于Punk-Pop和EMO之间的年轻乐队,都或多或少的在向Weezer偷师,而他们永远无法复制的却是Weezer永久动听的旋律和无比睿智的歌词。乐队作品主要的创作者Rivers Cuomo是个传统摇滚的支持者,Rivers从小就极具音乐天赋,这个在马塞诸塞州长大的孩子,从中学时代就开始自己玩乐队,当时他还比较偏好一些重金属乐队。后来当Rivers来到洛杉基上大学之后,他的音乐喜好有了转变,他开始接触一些后朋和新浪潮音乐,他从70年代的Kiss乐队那里学到了很多东西,他早先在洛杉矶上高中的时候是个金属迷,还曾经组建了一支乐队。上了大学后才开始对后朋克感兴趣。1992年的2月14日,Weezer在情人节这天在洛杉基成立。当时的成员为:主唱兼吉他手Rivers Cuomo,吉他手Jason Cropper,贝司手Matt Sharp,以及鼓手Pat Wilson。在经过了将近一年半的排练和演出之后,Rivers决定着手录制Demo。在与当地几家唱片公司接洽之后,他们最终与刚刚捧红Nirvana的主流大厂Geffen下属的DGC公司签下一纸合约。
1993年年底Weezer来到纽约录制乐队的首张专辑,这张唱片的制作人则是美国80年代新浪潮乐队的代表the Cars的主脑Ric Ocasek。在录制专辑期间,吉他手Jason 由于家庭原因离开了乐队,随后Brian Bell顶替了他的我位置。1994年5月,乐队首张同名专辑正式发表,后来为了把这张专辑与2001年的另一张同名专辑区别开来,两张唱片被大家习惯性的称为《Blue Album》和《Green Album》。乐队的第一张唱片轻易地便使他们拥有了几首热门金曲,但被批评家认定,是大量古怪创意的音乐电视帮了他们的忙。Cuomo默认了这个事实。于是,Cuomo决定去哈佛大学继续深造,他的两个队友则借新浪潮的东风组建了自己的乐队the Rentals。
1996年春天乐队四人又重新集结,灌录第二张专辑。这次Rivers决定不起用任何制作人,而由乐队自行制作。当年9月,这张名为《Pinkerton》上市了。与清晰明朗的第一张专辑相比,Weezer的第二张专辑无论是音乐上还是歌词上都显得相当阴暗晦涩。尽管这张专辑在销量上惨遭滑铁卢,甚至不及《Blue Album》的一半。评论界更是对这张唱片大加诋毁,权威音乐杂志《滚石》甚至将1996年度最差唱片的“殊荣”颁给了Weezer。当Weezer的第二张专辑以惨败告终时,几乎所有人都对乐队失去了信心,这其中甚至包括乐队成员自己。
1998年Matt Sharp由于忍受不了Rivers的一意孤行,最终离开了Weezer,全身心的投入到他的乐队The Rentals中去了。不久,贝司手的位置立刻由曾为民谣女歌手Juliana Hatfield做伴奏乐手的Mickey Welsh接替。不久,大多数人猜测Weezer已经解散了,因为乐队成员都在专注着自己的乐队,甚至连Rivers都在1998年组建了一支以自己名字命名的乐队。
2000年春天久违的Weezer出现在当年Vans Warped Tour的名单中,Weezer的铁杆乐迷们无不欢欣鼓舞。几乎在大众视野中消失了近三年的 Weezer又回来了。在经过巡演的洗练之后,乐队迅速调整好了自己的状态,并在2000年年秋天,开始进棚录制乐队的第三张专辑。而此时的Rivers不再固执,他找来了乐队首张专辑的制作人Ric Ocasek来操刀制作新专辑。
2000年年底乐队率先推出了一张应景之作,这张名为《Christmas CD》的圣诞EP用意非常明显,Weezer要向世人宣布乐队的全面回归。而事实也证明,次年Weezer的再次震撼乐坛,也算是一个不大不小的奇迹。
2001年5月乐队的第三张专辑《Green Album》上市之后,全世界又迅速刮起了一股Weezer旋风,绝不亚于当年他们发表处男大碟时初生牛犊的气势。其实《Green Album》与《Blue Album》确实有着太多的相似之处,无论是相同的唱片名称,还是同一位制作人,抑或是异曲同工的封套设计,都让人不自觉的回想起当年那四个让人眼前一亮的毛头小子。当然,在音乐上Weezer则又成熟了许多。
2002年发行专辑《Maladroit》。
2005年发行了录音室专辑《Make Believe》。
2008年发行同名专辑《Weezer》。
2009年发行录音室专辑《Raditude》。
2010年发行专辑《Hurley》和《Death to False Metal》。
2014年专辑《Everything Will Be Alright In the End》。
2015年单曲《Everybody Needs Salvation》和《Thank God for Girls》。
2016年发行专辑《Weezer (White Album)》。White Album发行了之后,成员Cuomo宣布将发行更黑暗的“Black album”。2016年6月,乐队发行了单曲《I Love The USA》。
Weezer is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1992, currently consisting of Rivers Cuomo (lead vocals, lead and rhythm guitar), Patrick Wilson (drums), Brian Bell (rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals, keyboards), and Scott Shriner (bass guitar, backing vocals). Weezer has sold 9.2 million albums in the US and over 17 million worldwide.
After signing to Geffen Records in 1993, the band released its debut self-titled album, also known as the ‘Blue Album’, in 1994. Backed by successful music videos for the singles "Buddy Holly", "Undone – The Sweater Song" and "Say It Ain't So", the ‘Blue Album’ became a triple-platinum success. Weezer's second album, ‘Pinkerton’ (1996), featuring a darker, more abrasive sound, was a commercial failure and initially received mixed reviews, but went on to achieve cult status and critical acclaim years later. Both the Blue Album and ‘Pinkerton’ are now frequently cited among the best albums of the 1990s. Following the tour for ‘Pinkerton’, bassist Matt Sharp left the band and Weezer went on hiatus.
In 2001, Weezer returned with another self-titled album, also known as the ‘Green Album’, with new bassist Mikey Welsh. With a more pop sound, and promoted by singles "Hash Pipe" and "Island in the Sun", the album was a commercial success and received mostly positive reviews. After the album's release, Welsh left the band and was replaced by current bassist Scott Shriner. Weezer's fourth album, ‘Maladroit’, was released in May 2002 to mostly positive reviews, but did not match the sales of ‘The Green Album’.
Weezer's fifth album, ‘Make Believe’, was released in May 2005; despite mixed reviews, its single "Beverly Hills" became Weezer's first single to top the US Modern Rock Tracks chart and the first to reach the top ten on the ‘Billboard’ Hot 100. In June 2008, Weezer's third self-titled album, also known as the ‘Red Album’, featuring "TR-808s, synths, Southern rap, and baroque counterpoint", was released to mixed reviews. Its lead single, "Pork and Beans", became the band's third song to top the Modern Rock Tracks chart, backed by a successful YouTube music video.
Weezer's seventh album ‘Raditude’ (2009) and eighth album ‘Hurley’ (2010), featuring more "modern pop production" and songs co-written with other artists, achieved further mixed reviews and moderate sales. The band's ninth and tenth albums, ‘Everything Will Be Alright in the End’ (2014) and the self-titled album also known as the ‘White Album’ (2016), returned to a rock style and achieved more positive reviews.
During promotion for the ‘White Album’, Cuomo announced the band's intentions to release a "darker" companion album, another self-titled release known as the ‘Black Album’, describing it as "like Beach Boys gone bad. If it were a movie in the United States it would be rated R instead of PG". On June 29, 2016, Weezer released a new single, "I Love The USA", through Apple Music to celebrate NASA's Juno mission, which arrived in Jupiter's orbit on July 4, 2016.