Alone: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo
Encyclopedia
Alone: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo is a compilation album
by Weezer
frontman Rivers Cuomo
, released on December 18, 2007. It is available as a digital release, CD release and 12" vinyl (released on January 8, 2008). The album features home demos
that Cuomo has recorded from 1992-2007.
"The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo" leaked online on December 12, 2007.
When released, it opened with sales of 14,000, and debuted at #163 on the Billboard Top 200. The album also topped the Billboard Top Heatseekers
chart. The album has sold 43,000 copies as of December 2008. A sequel - Alone II: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo
- was released on November 25, 2008.
, earlier bands, and self-recorded demos. Despite the large amount of unreleased material that has been made available by Cuomo on the internet, large chunks of his work remain unheard by fans. These include certain demos for The Blue Album
, various songs from the scrapped Songs from the Black Hole
project, over a hundred songs he composed and demoed throughout 1999 (songs which he has described as ranging from "drone-y Romantic," "abrasive dissonance" and "riffy pop-rock") and well over a hundred songs that didn't make the cut for Make Believe.
Cuomo brought up the idea for the compilation album to his record company in 1998. However, they discouraged him from the idea because they didn't want to "dilute the Weezer name" by putting out less polished material. It wasn't until 10 years later that Cuomo pushed harder for the collection and it gained enough support for a release.
There were some legal issues between Cuomo and Geffen
about releasing the album:
because of the well-known high demand from fans for these songs. "I knew 'Blast Off' and some of these other Songs from The Black Hole had to be on there, because for years Weezer fans
have been wanting to hear these songs, and I knew if I put out the album without these songs on there, they would hunt me down and kill me." Cuomo also considered releasing the entire Songs from the Black Hole album, but felt it wasn't right considering most of the songs have been released anyway, either as songs on Pinkerton
or otherwise:
, but he was cropped out for the album cover. Other photos were taken by Robert Fisher, Julie Kramer, Beverly Shoenberger, and by Cuomo himself. The pictures were taken during various periods of Cuomo's life.
While reviewing the album, Pitchfork Media
's Jason Crock described the inside cover:
The album's liner notes
featured detailed descriptions and offered much insight into where Cuomo draws inspiration to write and arrange his music, specifically stating the time and dates where songs were written. Pete Townshend
of The Who
is specifically thanked in the liner notes "for paving the way with his Scoop series
."
On March 19, 2008, a music video for "Lover in the Snow" was released via Rivers' MySpace page.
, which has expressed disappointment in Weezer's past three albums, gave Alone a positive review, stating, "[The Album] remind[s] us why we fell for dorks with horn-rimmed glasses and flying-V guitars in the first place,' and that, 'If nothing else, Alone reminds us that a lot of those over-ambitious, silly-on-paper ideas often blossomed in Cuomo's hands, and [that] there was more to Weezer in their early days than just crisp power-pop
and cute videos.'" Popmatters
claimed that the album featured "...some of the strongest material that Cuomo has ever recorded."
project will be an extremely detailed account of Cuomo's entire life, not just his time with Weezer; including photos, journal entries and poems.
In a news article from Gigwise, it was revealed that the multimedia project will take the format of a massive multi-volume tome, currently Cuomo has eight volumes sketched out.
As of October 2007, the book was already more than 400 pages in length.
records. Of the reported 15 hours of demos Cuomo has made, he believes that one or two more solid albums on the level of Alone can be created. In late July 2008, Cuomo posted a spreadsheet on riverscuomo.com containing a list of songs by year and whether or not they had been released. Of particular interest was that many songs are slated for Alone II: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo
.
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
by Weezer
Weezer
Weezer is an American alternative rock band. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Brian Bell , and Scott Shriner . The band has changed lineups three times since its formation in 1992...
frontman Rivers Cuomo
Rivers Cuomo
Rivers Cuomo is an American musician, best known as the lead singer, lead guitarist, and principal songwriter of the alternative rock band Weezer. Raised in an Ashram in Connecticut, Cuomo moved to Los Angeles at age 19, where he participated in a number of rock bands before founding Weezer in 1992...
, released on December 18, 2007. It is available as a digital release, CD release and 12" vinyl (released on January 8, 2008). The album features home demos
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
that Cuomo has recorded from 1992-2007.
"The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo" leaked online on December 12, 2007.
When released, it opened with sales of 14,000, and debuted at #163 on the Billboard Top 200. The album also topped the Billboard Top Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical...
chart. The album has sold 43,000 copies as of December 2008. A sequel - Alone II: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo
Alone II: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo
Alone II: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo is a compilation album by Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo. It is a sequel to Alone: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo...
- was released on November 25, 2008.
Background
Rivers Cuomo has long been known by fans to have recorded a great deal of unreleased material, nearly 800 songs in his lifetime. This material was recorded with WeezerWeezer
Weezer is an American alternative rock band. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Brian Bell , and Scott Shriner . The band has changed lineups three times since its formation in 1992...
, earlier bands, and self-recorded demos. Despite the large amount of unreleased material that has been made available by Cuomo on the internet, large chunks of his work remain unheard by fans. These include certain demos for The Blue Album
Weezer (The Blue Album)
Weezer, also known as The Blue Album, is the debut album by the American alternative rock band Weezer, released in May 1994 through DGC Records. The album was produced by former Cars frontman Ric Ocasek and recorded in Electric Lady Studios in New York City...
, various songs from the scrapped Songs from the Black Hole
Songs from the Black Hole
Songs from the Black Hole is an unreleased, unfinished Weezer album. A space themed rock opera/musical, it was originally envisioned as the follow-up album to The Blue Album, but over the course of recording, the album's concept was discarded and the album was transformed into Pinkerton...
project, over a hundred songs he composed and demoed throughout 1999 (songs which he has described as ranging from "drone-y Romantic," "abrasive dissonance" and "riffy pop-rock") and well over a hundred songs that didn't make the cut for Make Believe.
Cuomo brought up the idea for the compilation album to his record company in 1998. However, they discouraged him from the idea because they didn't want to "dilute the Weezer name" by putting out less polished material. It wasn't until 10 years later that Cuomo pushed harder for the collection and it gained enough support for a release.
There were some legal issues between Cuomo and Geffen
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
about releasing the album:
Song selection
When deciding on the track listing, Cuomo listened to a great deal of his past recordings. He described choosing the songs to be very difficult. However, he knew very early in the process to include "Blast Off!" and other tracks from the aborted Songs from the Black HoleSongs from the Black Hole
Songs from the Black Hole is an unreleased, unfinished Weezer album. A space themed rock opera/musical, it was originally envisioned as the follow-up album to The Blue Album, but over the course of recording, the album's concept was discarded and the album was transformed into Pinkerton...
because of the well-known high demand from fans for these songs. "I knew 'Blast Off' and some of these other Songs from The Black Hole had to be on there, because for years Weezer fans
Fan (person)
A Fan, sometimes also called aficionado or supporter, is a person with a liking and enthusiasm for something, such as a band or a sports team. Fans of a particular thing or person constitute its fanbase or fandom...
have been wanting to hear these songs, and I knew if I put out the album without these songs on there, they would hunt me down and kill me." Cuomo also considered releasing the entire Songs from the Black Hole album, but felt it wasn't right considering most of the songs have been released anyway, either as songs on Pinkerton
Pinkerton (album)
Pinkerton is the second studio album by American alternative rock band Weezer, released on September 24, 1996. After finishing tours in promotion of their 1994 album Weezer, the band originally planned to record a space-themed rock opera entitled Songs from the Black Hole...
or otherwise:
Artwork and liner notes
The album's cover photo was taken by Weezer's webmaster, friend, and historian Karl Koch. It was taken in 1993 in a rehearsal studio during The Blue Album era. The original photograph featured Weezer guitarist Brian BellBrian Bell (musician)
Brian Bell is an American guitarist and songwriter. Active since 1989, he is best known as the rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist for the American alternative rock band Weezer. Bell joined Weezer in 1993 following the departure of founding member Jason Cropper...
, but he was cropped out for the album cover. Other photos were taken by Robert Fisher, Julie Kramer, Beverly Shoenberger, and by Cuomo himself. The pictures were taken during various periods of Cuomo's life.
While reviewing the album, Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
's Jason Crock described the inside cover:
The album's liner notes
Liner notes
Liner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:...
featured detailed descriptions and offered much insight into where Cuomo draws inspiration to write and arrange his music, specifically stating the time and dates where songs were written. Pete Townshend
Pete Townshend
Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
of The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
is specifically thanked in the liner notes "for paving the way with his Scoop series
Scoop (album)
Scoop is a compilation album by Pete Townshend containing 25 demos of various released and unreleased Who songs, as well as demos of entirely new material.-History:...
."
Music videos
On January 6, 2008, Cuomo announced on his MySpace blog that he would be making a video for the song "Blast Off!" The video, which also features Alone track "Ooh," premiered on January 11, 2008 on Yahoo!Yahoo!
Yahoo! Inc. is an American multinational internet corporation headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, United States. The company is perhaps best known for its web portal, search engine , Yahoo! Directory, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Groups, Yahoo! Answers, advertising, online mapping ,...
On March 19, 2008, a music video for "Lover in the Snow" was released via Rivers' MySpace page.
Reception
Alone was positively received by critics. Highly praising the album, Allmusic gave the album a near-perfect four and a half stars out of five, stating, "...Alone will stand as an idiosyncratic gem in his catalog, showcasing him at his eccentric best." Even Pitchfork MediaPitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
, which has expressed disappointment in Weezer's past three albums, gave Alone a positive review, stating, "[The Album] remind[s] us why we fell for dorks with horn-rimmed glasses and flying-V guitars in the first place,' and that, 'If nothing else, Alone reminds us that a lot of those over-ambitious, silly-on-paper ideas often blossomed in Cuomo's hands, and [that] there was more to Weezer in their early days than just crisp power-pop
Power pop
Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...
and cute videos.'" Popmatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
claimed that the album featured "...some of the strongest material that Cuomo has ever recorded."
Additional archival recordings
On December 27, 2007, Cuomo stated "I would love to put out at least one more, I'm talking with the record company (now) to figure out what's the best way for me to get more of this stuff out, and if they're gonna be involved or not. But it's certainly my hope to put out as much of this stuff as I can."Book plans
Originally, the album was to be released along with a book Cuomo is writing. However, he later decided it would be best to release the album and book separately. According to Cuomo, "the book is now going to come out at a much later date - a year? Two years? Three years? I don't know. It's going to be very cool, though." The multimediaMultimedia
Multimedia is media and content that uses a combination of different content forms. The term can be used as a noun or as an adjective describing a medium as having multiple content forms. The term is used in contrast to media which use only rudimentary computer display such as text-only, or...
project will be an extremely detailed account of Cuomo's entire life, not just his time with Weezer; including photos, journal entries and poems.
In a news article from Gigwise, it was revealed that the multimedia project will take the format of a massive multi-volume tome, currently Cuomo has eight volumes sketched out.
As of October 2007, the book was already more than 400 pages in length.
Track listing
All songs written by Rivers Cuomo, except where noted.- "Ooh" – 0:47
- "The World We Love So Much" (Gregg AlexanderGregg AlexanderGregg Alexander is an American singer/songwriter and producer, best known as the frontman of the New Radicals, who scored the international hit "You Get What You Give" in late 1998. Earlier in life he recorded two solo albums, Michigan Rain and Intoxifornication...
cover) – 3:40 - "Lemonade" (co-written with Patrick WilsonPatrick Wilson (musician)Patrick "Pat" George Wilson is an American musician, best known as the drummer for the alternative rock band Weezer. He joined the band in 1992. In addition to his work in Weezer, he also fronts his own band, The Special Goodness....
) – 2:31 - "The Bomb" (Ice CubeIce CubeO'Shea Jackson , better known by his stage name Ice Cube, is an American rapper and actor. He began his career as a member of the hip-hop group C.I.A. and later joined the rap group N.W.A. After leaving N.W.A in December 1989, he built a successful solo career in music, and also as a writer,...
cover) – 1:18 - "Buddy HollyBuddy Holly (song)"Buddy Holly" is a song by the rock group Weezer, written by Rivers Cuomo. It was released as the second single from the band's debut album Weezer in 1994. The single was released on what would have been Buddy Holly's 58th birthday. The lyrics reference the song's 1950s namesake and actress Mary...
" – 3:01 - "Chess" – 2:26
- "Longtime Sunshine" – 3:15
- "Blast Off!" – 1:57
- "Who You Callin' Bitch?" – 0:46
- "Wanda (You’re My Only Love)" – 3:38
- "Dude, We're Finally Landing" – 0:56
- "Superfriend" – 3:30
- "Lover in the Snow" – 3:16
- "Crazy One" – 3:14
- "This is the Way" – 4:17
- "Little Diane" (DionDion and the BelmontsDion and the Belmonts was a leading American vocal group of the late 1950s. The group formed when Dion DiMucci, lead singer , joined The Belmonts - Carlo Mastrangelo, baritone , Freddie Milano, second tenor , and Angelo D'Aleo, first tenor , in late 1957.-History:After an unsuccessful first single,...
cover) – 2:41 - "I Wish You Had An Axe Guitar" – 0:36
- "I Was Made for You" – 4:02
Track origins
All information is taken from the liner notes.- Tracks 1-6 were recorded before the release of the band's debut album, Weezer (The Blue Album).
- Tracks 7-9, 11-12 were demos for Songs from the Black HoleSongs from the Black HoleSongs from the Black Hole is an unreleased, unfinished Weezer album. A space themed rock opera/musical, it was originally envisioned as the follow-up album to The Blue Album, but over the course of recording, the album's concept was discarded and the album was transformed into Pinkerton...
, recorded in 1994 and 1995. - Track 10 was recorded in 1995, originally intended for the movie Angus. The song was rejected by the film's producers. Weezer's "You Gave Your Love to Me Softly" was chosen instead.
- Tracks 13-14 were recorded in 1997 ("Lover in the Snow") and 1998 ("Crazy One") during Weezer's hiatus between PinkertonPinkerton (album)Pinkerton is the second studio album by American alternative rock band Weezer, released on September 24, 1996. After finishing tours in promotion of their 1994 album Weezer, the band originally planned to record a space-themed rock opera entitled Songs from the Black Hole...
and Weezer (The Green Album). - Track 15 was considered for Weezer (The Red Album)Weezer (2008 album)Weezer, also known as "The Red Album", is the sixth studio album by the American alternative rock band Weezer, released on June 3, 2008. Rick Rubin and Jacknife Lee both helped to produce the album...
, but was ultimately omitted from the album. - Track 16 was recorded in 2003 with members of SloanSloan (band)Sloan is a Toronto-based alternative rock quartet from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Throughout their 20-year tenure Sloan has released 10 LPs , two EPs, a live album, a "best of" collection and no less than thirty singles...
. - Track 17 is a recording of Rivers Cuomo and his friends talking about his favorite band KissKISS (band)Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
in Summer 1984. - Track 18 was written for Make Believe.
Changes from earlier versions
- "Lover in the Snow" was edited down from a previous version that leaked to the internet several years ago. Its total running time is 3:16, while the older version clocked in at 4:23. Only a few repeated sections of the song are edited.
- "Blast Off!" originally had the first part of the song "Who You Callin' Bitch?" but was edited to make the songs separate. There are also noticeable edits within the song, namely being the omission of the word "fine" in the second verse.
Personnel
All information is taken from the liner notes.- Rivers CuomoRivers CuomoRivers Cuomo is an American musician, best known as the lead singer, lead guitarist, and principal songwriter of the alternative rock band Weezer. Raised in an Ashram in Connecticut, Cuomo moved to Los Angeles at age 19, where he participated in a number of rock bands before founding Weezer in 1992...
– vocals, guitar, percussion, bass, piano, clarinet, photography - Patrick WilsonPatrick Wilson (musician)Patrick "Pat" George Wilson is an American musician, best known as the drummer for the alternative rock band Weezer. He joined the band in 1992. In addition to his work in Weezer, he also fronts his own band, The Special Goodness....
– drums on "Lemonade". - SloanSloan (band)Sloan is a Toronto-based alternative rock quartet from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Throughout their 20-year tenure Sloan has released 10 LPs , two EPs, a live album, a "best of" collection and no less than thirty singles...
(Chris Murphy, Patrick Pentland, Jay Ferguson, Andrew Scott) - guitar, bass, drums on "Little Diane." - Karl Koch - photography
- Todd Sullivan - A&R
- Stephen Marcussen - mastering
- Stewart Whitmore - digital editing
- Rich Mouser - digital editing
- Robert Fisher - photography
- Julie Kramer - photography
- Beverly Shoenberger - photography
Alone II
During promotional interviews for Alone, Cuomo mentioned the possibility of releasing more demo albums through GeffenGeffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
records. Of the reported 15 hours of demos Cuomo has made, he believes that one or two more solid albums on the level of Alone can be created. In late July 2008, Cuomo posted a spreadsheet on riverscuomo.com containing a list of songs by year and whether or not they had been released. Of particular interest was that many songs are slated for Alone II: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo
Alone II: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo
Alone II: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo is a compilation album by Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo. It is a sequel to Alone: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo...
.