THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3,2002
MUSIC
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN = 5
Review
Weezer releases concert album
By Bill Heinen bheinen@kansan.com Jayplay writer
The new Weezer album, The Lion and the Witch was created from the band's World Cup Tour 2002 in Japan and has given music fans another reason to love Weezer.
In simplest terms, this six-song collection is a breath of fresh air, a much-needed glimpse into the surreal and creative atmosphere of a live Weezer show.
The songs will likely keep a lot of the new younger Weezer fans from immediately seeking out this limited-edition CD, which is available in Lawrence only at Kief's Downtown Music, 823 Massachusetts St., according to Weezer's official Web site, weezer.com. The album doesn't automatically begin with the anthem-like "Dope Nose," although that is the first "real" song. Instead, frontman Rivers Cuomo begins with gentle Pixies-esque, high-pitched coos and wails amid the noise of countless Japanese fans and feedback from the arena. It
In simplest terms, this six-song collection is a breath of fresh air, a much-needed glimpse into the surreal and creative atmosphere of a live Weezer show.
feels like the beginning of a great show. Then, after a greeting from the lead nerd Cuomo who said, "Good morning, Japan. Welcome to our show," they proceed to play with a furious intensity—the drums pounding, the guitar solo off by just a second, the defiant vocals growling through the microphone, driving the Attention Deficit Disorder-inspired lyrics home.
the imperfections of a live show shine through. The second verse, beginning with "I asked you to go to the Green Day concert," isn't complete, but this only makes the song all the more beautiful. The band fumbles its way incredibly to the refrain in a methodical manner.
Included among the songs are two Pinkerton classics, "Falling for You," in which Cuomo begs for the Lord's assistance before the opening notes are played flawlessly, and "El Scorcho." For a lot of the older listeners, "El Scorcho" is considered a difficult song and in this album all
"I island in the Sun" is more aggressive here than on the green album, with a hefty supply of distortion and choppier vocals. But the best part is the finale, when the audience screams for more and Cuomo lets the last note of the chorus linger on. The other two songs, "Death and Destruction" and "Holiday" are rarely played live, so their appearance on The Lion and The Witch is a treat.
The band wanted to include all of its mistakes on the final demo, from bassist Scott Shriner's shaky "Holiday" harmonization with Cuomo during the breakdown to drummer Pat Wilson's shenanigans before a few songs.
If that isn't enough, the CD sleeve contains four letters from Japanese fans who each saw different concerts. Their praise of
Contributed art
the band in somewhat incoherent English is adorable. Even across the sea, Weezer means rock.
Critics have said the demo is incomplete. The album seems incomplete but that is its most amazing aspect. It just leaves you drooling, ready for more. Luckily, the fans won't have to wait too long. According to weezer.com, the band plans to record material for its fifth album during the fall and winter of 2002 and wants to release it and a DVD in early 2003. Whether the album is white, yellow or red, it's going to fulfill all expectations and bring in a new era of nerd rock.
— Edited by Adam Pracht