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'{{pp-dispute}} {{for|the ''[[Lost (TV series)|Lost]]'' episode|Across the Sea (Lost)}} {{Featured article}} {{Infobox album | name = Pinkerton | type = studio | artist = [[Weezer]] | cover = Pinkerton cover.jpg | alt = A village in a mountainous landscape during night. A man with a conical hat and a cane, and a saddled horse can be seen in the foreground. At the top left corner of the image is written "Weezer", and at top right is "Pinkerton". | released = {{startdate|1996|9|24|mf=yes}} | recorded = September 1995–June 1996 | studio = {{ubl|[[Sound City Studios]] and Hollywood Sound Recorders, [[Los Angeles]]|[[Fort Apache Studios]], [[Boston]]|Rumbo Recorders, [[Canoga Park, Los Angeles|Canoga Park]]|[[Electric Lady Studios]], [[New York City]]}} | genre = {{flatlist| * [[Alternative rock]] * [[power pop]] * [[emo]] * [[pop punk]] }} | length = {{duration|m=34|s=36}} | label = [[DGC Records|DGC]] | producer = Weezer | prev_title = [[Weezer (Blue Album)|Weezer]] | prev_year = 1994 | next_title = [[Weezer (Green Album)|Weezer]] | next_year = 2001 | misc = {{Singles | name = Pinkerton | type = studio | single1 = [[El Scorcho]] | single1date = September 19, 1996 | single2 = [[The Good Life (Weezer song)|The Good Life]] | single2date = October 29, 1996 | single3 = [[Pink Triangle (song)|Pink Triangle]] | single3date = May 20, 1997 }} }} '''''Pinkerton''''' is the second [[studio album]] by American [[Rock music|rock]] band [[Weezer]], released on September 24, 1996 by [[DGC Records]]. After abandoning plans for a [[rock opera]] entitled ''[[Songs from the Black Hole]]'', Weezer recorded the album between songwriter [[Rivers Cuomo]]'s terms at [[Harvard University]], where he wrote most of the songs. To better capture their live sound, Weezer self-produced ''Pinkerton'', creating a darker, more abrasive album than their [[Weezer (1994 album)|self-titled 1994 debut]]. Cuomo's lyrics express disillusionment with the rock lifestyle; the album is named after the character BF Pinkerton from [[Giacomo Puccini]]'s 1904 opera ''[[Madama Butterfly]]'', whom Cuomo described as an "asshole American sailor similar to a touring rock star". Like the opera, the album contains references to [[Japanese culture]]. ''Pinkerton'' produced the singles "[[El Scorcho]]", "[[The Good Life (Weezer song)|The Good Life]]", and "[[Pink Triangle (song)|Pink Triangle]]", and debuted at number nineteen on the US [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]]. It received mixed reviews and did not meet sales expectations. Embarrassed by the reaction, Cuomo returned to more traditional pop songwriting and less personal lyrics for Weezer's subsequent albums. However, ''Pinkerton'' went on to achieve wide acclaim; it was [[certified platinum]] in 2016, and several publications have named it one of the best albums of all time. It was the last Weezer album to feature bassist [[Matt Sharp]]. ==Background== [[File:Rivers Cuomo in Thailand.jpg|alt=|thumb|upright|Frontman [[Rivers Cuomo]] (pictured in 1997) cites struggles with music success as an inspiration on the writing of ''Pinkerton'']] In 1994, after the [[Music recording certification|multi-platinum]] success of Weezer's [[Weezer (1994 album)|self-titled debut album]], Weezer took a break from touring for the Christmas holidays.{{sfn|Luerssen|2004|p = 137}} In his home state of Connecticut, songwriter [[Rivers Cuomo]] began preparing material for Weezer's next album using an [[Multitrack recording|8-track]] recorder.<ref name="weezerofficalpage">{{cite web |url=http://www.weezer.com/info/recording/WeezRecHist7.htm |title=Weezer Record History Page 7|date=March 2006 |work=weezer.com|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070515090914/http://www.weezer.com/info/recording/WeezRecHist7.htm|archivedate=May 15, 2007 |accessdate=June 4, 2013}}</ref> His original concept was a [[science fiction]] [[rock opera]], ''[[Songs from the Black Hole]], ''that expressed his mixed feelings about success.<ref name="weezerofficalpage"/> Weezer developed ''Songs from the Black Hole'' through intermittent recording sessions throughout 1995.{{sfn|Luerssen|2004|p = 139}} In March 1995, Cuomo, who was born with one leg shorter than the other, had [[Limb lengthening methods|extensive leg surgery to lengthen his right leg]], followed by painful [[physiotherapy]] sessions. This affected his songwriting, as he would spend long periods hospitalized, unable to walk without the use of a cane, and under the influence of painkillers.{{sfn|Luerssen|2004|pp = 148–149}} In the same period, Cuomo applied to study classical composition at [[Harvard University]] with an application letter describing his disillusionment with the rock lifestyle, writing: <blockquote>Fans ask me all the time what it is like to be a rock star. I can tell that they are dreaming, as I dreamed, when I was a kid, of someday ruling the world with a rock band. I tell them the same thing I would tell any young rock-star-to-be ... You will get lonely. You will meet two hundred people every night, but each conversation will generally last approximately thirty seconds, and consist of you trying to convince them that no, you do not want their underwear. Then you will be alone again, in your motel room. Or you will be on your bus, in your little space, trying to kill the nine hours it takes to get to the next city, whichever city it is. This is the life of a rock star.{{sfn|Cuomo|2011|p = 41}}</blockquote> Cuomo felt frustrated by the "limitations of rock". Every night after performing with Weezer, he would listen to [[Giacomo Puccini]]'s 1904 opera ''[[Madama Butterfly]]; ''the "depth of emotion and sadness and tragedy" inspired him to go further with his music.<ref name="5-10">{{Cite web |url=http://pitchfork.com/features/5-10-15-20/9590-rivers-cuomo/ |title=Rivers Cuomo |work=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] |date=February 9, 2015 |accessdate=February 15, 2015 |last=Cohen |first=Ian}}</ref> By May 1996, Cuomo's songwriting had become "darker, more visceral and exposed, less playful", and the ''Songs from the Black Hole'' concept was abandoned.<ref name="PinkertonDeluxe">''Pinkerton Deluxe'' liner notes</ref> Weezer's second album would instead feature songs written while Cuomo was at Harvard, chronicling his loneliness and frustration, or what Cuomo referred to as his "dark side".<ref name="weezerofficalpage" />{{sfn|Cuomo|2011|p = 170}} ==Recording== In 1995, a few days before Cuomo left to study at Harvard University, Weezer spent two weeks at New York City's [[Electric Lady Studios]], where they had recorded their debut, and tracked the songs "[[Why Bother? (Song)|Why Bother?]]", "[[Getchoo]]", "No Other One" and "Tired of Sex".{{sfn|Luerssen|2004|p = 158}}{{sfn|Luerssen|2004|p = 157}} Weezer hoped to explore "deeper, darker, more experimental stuff"{{sfn|Luerssen|2004|p = 157}} which would better capture the band's live sound;{{sfn|Luerssen|2004|p = 191}} they decided against hiring a [[record producer|producer]], feeling that "the best way for us to sound like ourselves is to record on our own".{{sfn|Luerssen|2004|p = 190}} To give the album a live, "raw" feel, Cuomo, guitarist [[Brian Bell]] and bassist [[Matt Sharp]] recorded their vocals in tandem around three microphones rather than [[overdubbing]] them separately.{{sfn|Luerssen|2004|p = 192}} While Cuomo was at Harvard, other Weezer members worked on side projects.{{sfn|Luerssen|2004|p = 159}} Sharp promoted ''[[Return of the Rentals]]'', the debut album by his band the [[The Rentals|Rentals]],{{sfn|Luerssen|2004|p = 159}} and Bell and drummer [[Patrick Wilson (musician)|Patrick Wilson]] worked on material for their bands the [[Space Twins]] and the [[The Special Goodness|Special Goodness]], respectively.{{sfn|Luerssen|2004|p = 158}}{{sfn|Luerssen|2004|p = 159}} In January 1996, during Cuomo's winter break, Weezer regrouped for a two-week recording session at [[Sound City Studios]] in Van Nuys, California, to complete the songs they had worked on in August.{{sfn|Luerssen|2004|p = 176}} After recording "[[El Scorcho]]" and "[[Pink Triangle (song)|Pink Triangle]]", they separated again while Cuomo returned to Harvard.{{sfn|Luerssen|2004|p = 176}} During Cuomo's 1996 spring break, Weezer regrouped at Sound City Studios and recorded "[[The Good Life (Weezer song)|The Good Life]]", "Across the Sea" and "Falling for You", before Cuomo returned to Harvard for his university finals.{{sfn|Luerssen|2004|p = 187}} They completed ''Pinkerton'' in mid-1996 in Los Angeles. Two additional tracks, "I Swear It's True" and "Getting Up and Leaving", were abandoned prior to [[Audio mixing (recorded music)|mixing]].{{sfn|Luerssen|2004|p = 189}} ==Music and lyrics== ''Pinkerton'' features a darker, more abrasive sound than Weezer's debut.<ref name="AllMusic" /><ref name="Tiny Mix Tapes">{{cite web|url=http://www.tinymixtapes.com/Weezer,631 |title=Tiny Mix Tapes Reviews: Weezer – ''Pinkerton'' |work=[[Tiny Mix Tapes]] |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071018131019/http://www.tinymixtapes.com/Weezer%2C631 |archivedate=October 18, 2007 |accessdate=June 4, 2013 |deadurl=yes |df= }}</ref> Writing from a more direct and personal perspective,{{sfn|Luerssen|2004|p = 202}} Cuomo wrote of his [[Relational aggression|dysfunctional relationships]], [[sexual frustration]], and struggles with [[Personal identity|identity]].{{sfn|Luerssen|2004|p = 192}}{{sfn|Luerssen|2004|p = 193}}{{sfn|Luerssen|2004|p = 194}}{{sfn|Luerssen|2004|p = 195}}{{sfn|Luerssen|2004|p = 196}} The album charts his "cycle between 'lame-o and partier'."<ref>Edwars, Gavin. ''Rivers' Edge''. Details Magazine, 1997, Volume 15, number nine.</ref> At just under thirty-five minutes, ''Pinkerton'' is, according to Cuomo, "short by design."{{sfn|Luerssen|2004|p = 192}} Critics have described the album as a mixture of genres including [[alternative rock]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://music-mix.ew.com/2010/11/02/weezers-pinkerton-reissue-rivers-cuomo/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101105204748/http://music-mix.ew.com/2010/11/02/weezers-pinkerton-reissue-rivers-cuomo/ |dead-url=yes |archive-date=November 5, 2010 |title=Weezer's 'Pinkerton' reissue: Read the 2001 EW story where Rivers Cuomo called the now-classic album a 'hugely painful mistake' |last=Highfill |first=Samantha |work=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=November 2, 2010 |accessdate=August 15, 2014 }}</ref> [[emo]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20437325,00.html |title=''Pinkerton'': Deluxe Edition Review |last=Vozick-Levinson |first=Simon |date=November 3, 2010 |work=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |accessdate=June 4, 2013}}</ref><ref name="MTVimportant">{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/bands/enwiki/w/weezer/news_feature_102504 |title=mtv.com: Weezer Are the Most Important Band of the Last 10 Years |last=Montgomery |first=James |work=[[MTV|mtv.com]] |publisher=[[MTV Networks]] |accessdate=June 4, 2013 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130525215050/http://www.mtv.com/bands/enwiki/w/weezer/news_feature_102504/ |archivedate=May 25, 2013 |df= }}</ref> [[power pop]],<ref name="AllMusic">{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/pinkerton-mw0000646499 |title=''Pinkerton'' – Weezer |last=Erlewine |first=Stephen Thomas |authorlink=Stephen Thomas Erlewine |work=[[AllMusic]] |publisher=[[AllRovi]] |accessdate=June 4, 2013}}</ref> and [[pop punk]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/sacred-cows-weezers-pinkerton-is-not-a-masterpiece-its-creepy |title=Sacred Cows – Weezer's 'Pinkerton' Is Not A Masterpiece, It's Creepy |last=MacKay |first=Emily |work=[[NME]] |date=November 12, 2010 |accessdate=April 10, 2016 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141107181303/http://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/sacred-cows-weezers-pinkerton-is-not-a-masterpiece-its-creepy |archivedate=November 7, 2014 |deadurl=yes |df= }}</ref> {{Quote box | quoted = true | bgcolor = #FFFFF0 | salign = center | quote = There are some lyrics on the album that you might think are mean or sexist. I will feel genuinely bad if anyone feels hurt by my lyrics but I really wanted these songs to be an exploration of my "dark side" - all the parts of myself that I was either afraid or embarrassed to think about before. So there's some pretty nasty stuff on there. You may be more willing to forgive the lyrics if you see them as passing low points in a larger story. And this album really is a story: the story of the last 2 years of my life. And as you're probably well aware, these have been two very weird years. | source = Rivers Cuomo's letter to the Weezer fan club (July 10, 1996)<ref name="lori"/> | align = right | width = 25% }} The first song, "Tired of Sex", written before the release of the ''Blue Album'',{{sfn|Luerssen|2004|p = 105}} has Cuomo describing meaningless sex encounters with [[groupies]], reciting his list of encounters and wondering why true love eludes him.{{sfn|Luerssen|2004|p = 192}} "Across the Sea" was inspired by a letter Cuomo received from a Japanese fan: "When I got the letter, I fell in love with her. It was such a great letter. I was very lonely at the time, but at the same time I was very depressed that I would never meet her."{{sfn|Luerssen|2004|p = 195}} "[[The Good Life (Weezer song)|The Good Life]]" chronicles the rebirth of Cuomo after an identity crisis as an [[Ivy League]] loner. Cuomo, who felt isolated at Harvard, wrote the song after "becoming frustrated with that hermit's life I was leading, the ascetic life. And I think I was starting to become frustrated with my whole dream about purifying myself and trying to live like a monk or an intellectual and going to school and holding out for this perfect, ideal woman. And so I wrote the song. And I started to turn around and come back the other way."{{sfn|Luerssen|2004|p = 194}}{{sfn|Luerssen|2004|p = 195}} "[[El Scorcho]]" addresses Cuomo's shyness and inability to approach a girl while at Harvard; he explained that the song "is more about me, because at that point I hadn't even talked to the girl, I didn't really know much about her."{{sfn|Luerssen|2004|p = 195}} "[[Pink Triangle (song)|Pink Triangle]]" describes a man who falls in love, but discovers the object of his devotion is a lesbian.{{sfn|Luerssen|2004|p = 196}} ''Pinkerton'' is named after the character BF Pinkerton from ''Madama Butterfly'', who marries a Japanese woman named Butterfly.<ref name="lori">{{cite web |url=http://www.inkblotmagazine.com/rev-archive/Weezer_Pinkerton.htm |title=Weezer: ''Pinkerton'' |last=Latimer |first=Lori |work=Ink Blot Magazine |accessdate=June 4, 2013 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924035024/http://www.inkblotmagazine.com/rev-archive/Weezer_Pinkerton.htm |archivedate=September 24, 2015 |df= |date=}}</ref> Calling him an "asshole American sailor similar to a touring rock star", Cuomo felt the character was "the perfect symbol for the part of myself that I am trying to come to terms with on this album."{{sfn|Cuomo|2011}} Other titles considered included ''Playboy'' and ''Diving into the Wreck'' (after a poem by [[Adrienne Rich]]).{{sfn|Cuomo|2011}} Like ''Madama Butterfly'', ''Pinkerton'' views Japanese culture from the perspective of an outsider who considers Japan fragile and sensual;<ref name="trackingchocho">{{cite web |url=http://japanreview.net/review_madame.htm |title=Reviews ''Madame Butterfly'' |work=japanreview.net |accessdate=June 4, 2013 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121030033130/http://www.japanreview.net/review_madame.htm |archivedate=October 30, 2012 |df= }}</ref> the Japanese allusions are infused with the narrator's romantic disappointments and sexual frustration.<ref name="Tiny Mix Tapes" /> Cuomo wrote that ''Pinkerton'' "is really the clash of East vs West. My hindu, zen, kyokushin, self-denial, self-abnegation, no-emotion, cool-faced side versus my Italian-American heavy metal side."{{sfn|Cuomo|2011|p = 158}} The songs are mostly sequenced in the order in which he wrote them, and so "the album kind of tells the story of my struggle with my inner Pinkerton".<ref name="Wstory">{{cite web |url=http://home.pacbell.net/wepeel/weezer101/weezer1.htm |title=:::The =W= Story::: |work=home.pacbell.net |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071022194039/http://home.pacbell.net/wepeel/weezer101/weezer1.htm |archivedate=October 22, 2007 |accessdate=June 4, 2013}}</ref> ==Artwork== [[File:Hiroshige nuit de neige à Kambara.JPG|thumb|The artwork for ''Pinkerton'' is from an ukiyo-e print by [[Hiroshige]]|alt= A village in a mountainous landscape. A man with a conical hat and a cane, and a saddled horse can be seen in the foreground. Japanese characters are seen in the down left and top central parts of the image.]] The cover artwork is ''Kambara yoru no yuki'' ("Night snow at Kambara") from Japanese [[ukiyo-e]] artist [[Hiroshige]]'s series [[The Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō|''53 Stations of the Tōkaidō'']].<ref name="Kambara">{{cite web |url=http://www.davidrumsey.com/amica/amico519412-46347.html#record |title=Hiroshige / Evening Snow at Kambara (''Kambara yoru no yuki''), no. 16 from the Series ''Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido'' (''Tokaido gosantsugi no uchi'') / 1832 – 1833 |work=daviddrumsey.com |accessdate=June 4, 2013}}</ref> Lyrics from ''Madama Butterfly'' are printed on the ''Pinkerton'' CD in their original Italian: "Everywhere in the world, the roving Yankee takes his pleasure and his profit, indifferent to all risks. He drops anchor at random..."<ref name="booklet">{{cite AV media notes |title=Pinkerton |others=[[Weezer]] |year=1996 |publisher=[[DGC Records]]}}</ref> Behind the CD tray is a map with the title ''Isola della farfalla e penisola di cane'' (Italian for "Island of the Butterfly and Peninsula of Dog").<ref name="booklet" /> On the map are a ship named ''USS Pinkerton'' and "[[Hear You Me! A Tribute to Mykel and Carli|Mykel and Carli]] Island", alluding to Weezer's fan club founders, and the names of some of Cuomo's influences, including [[Howard Stern]], [[Yngwie Malmsteen]], [[Brian Wilson]], [[Lou Barlow]], [[Joe Matt]], [[Camille Paglia]] and [[Ace Frehley]].<ref name="booklet" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.howardstern.com/rundown.hs?d=1129521600 |title=Howard Stern.com |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071024021313/http://www.howardstern.com/rundown.hs?d=1129521600 |archivedate=October 24, 2007 |accessdate=June 4, 2013}}</ref>{{sfn|Luerssen|2004|p = 215}} ==Release and promotion== [[Geffen Records|Geffen]] A&R rep Todd Sullivan described ''Pinkerton'' as a "very brave record," but worried: "What sort of light does this put the band in? It could have been interpreted as them being a disposable pop band."{{sfn|Luerssen|2004|p = 196}} Geffen was pleased with the record and felt that "no one's going to be disappointed".{{sfn|Luerssen|2004|p = 196}} Weezer turned down a video treatment for lead single "[[El Scorcho]]" proposed by [[Spike Jonze]], who had previously helped raise the band's status with his videos for "[[Undone – The Sweater Song]]" and "Buddy Holly". Cuomo explained: "I really want the songs to come across untainted this time around... I really want to communicate my feelings directly and because I was so careful in writing that way. I'd hate for the video to kinda misrepresent the song, or exaggerate certain aspects."{{sfn|Luerssen|2004|p = 202}} The final video featured the band playing in an assembly hall in Los Angeles, surrounded by light fixtures flashing in time to the music.{{sfn|Luerssen|2004|p = 195}} Director [[Mark Romanek]] quit after numerous arguments with Cuomo, leaving Cuomo to edit the video himself.{{sfn|Luerssen|2004|p = 200}} The video debuted on [[MTV]]'s [[120 Minutes]] and received moderate airplay.{{sfn|Luerssen|2004|p = 202}} A day before ''Pinkerton'' was to be released on September 24, 1996, a [[restraining order]] was obtained by [[Encino, California]]-based security firm [[Pinkerton National Detective Agency|Pinkerton's Inc]]. The company sued Weezer and Geffen for alleged [[United States federal law|federal]] [[trademark infringement]], claiming they were trying to capitalize on the company's reputation.{{sfn|Luerssen|2004|p = 203}} Under the terms of the restraining order, which had Pinkerton's Inc seeking two million dollars in damages, Weezer would be kept from "selling, distributing, or advertising an album with the name ''Pinkerton''."<ref>{{cite web | last = Andrade | first = Dereck | url = http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Pinkerton+obtains+temporary+restraining+order+against+major+U.S....-a018707555 | title = Pinkerton obtains temporary restraining order against major U.S. record company; suit alleges trademark infringement by Los Angeles-based Geffen Records | work = | publisher =[[Business Wire]] | date = September 24, 1996 | accessdate = September 24, 2007}}</ref> Geffen spokesman Dennis Dennehy defended the title, arguing that "to Weezer, Pinkerton is a character in Puccini's opera ''Madama Butterfly''...&nbsp;It was not meant to be aimed at any sort of corporate entity."{{sfn|Luerssen|2004|p = 204}} Cuomo wrote a six-page paper defending the title, explaining "why I chose it, and how it works for the album, and how it's essential".{{sfn|Luerssen|2004|p = 205}} The case was thrown out of court after the judge determined that "the hardship of not issuing the ''Pinkerton'' disc would be greater for Geffen than any hardship Pinkerton's Inc or its shareholders might incur from consumers who mistakenly presume the company has anything to do with the album."{{sfn|Luerssen|2004|p = 205}} As ''Pinkerton'' was not meeting sales expectations, Weezer felt pressure to make another music video more to the liking of MTV.{{sfn|Luerssen|2004|p=221}} The music video for "[[The Good Life (Weezer song)|The Good Life]]", directed by [[Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris]], stars [[Mary Lynn Rajskub]] as a pizza delivery girl and uses simultaneous camera angles appearing on screen as a fractured full image.{{sfn|Luerssen|2004|p=221}} Geffen rush-released the video to try to save the album, but was not successful.{{sfn|Luerssen|2004|p=222}} In October 1996, Weezer toured the [[Far East]] with concert appearances in Australia, New Zealand and Japan.{{sfn|Luerssen|2004|p=219}} Afterwards, the band flew home to [[Los Angeles]], where Wilson and Sharp made a promotional appearance on the nationally syndicated radio show ''Modern Rock Live''.{{sfn|Luerssen|2004|p=219}} A few days later, on November 1, Weezer began a tour of North America at the Ventura Theatre in [[Ventura, California]].{{sfn|Luerssen|2004|p=219}} On November 6, Weezer performed an acoustic set at [[Shorecrest High School]] in [[Seattle]] due to a contest won by a student.{{sfn|Luerssen|2004|p=222}} A few of the performances were released in 1997 on the ''[[The Good Life (EP)|Good Life]]'' EP.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://makebelieve.weezer.com/info/tunes/index02.html|title=Pinkerton era releases (1996–1999)|accessdate=September 24, 2007|publisher=''Weezer.com''|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060315184843/http://www.weezer.com/info/tunes/index02.html|archivedate=2006-03-15|dead-url=yes|df=}}</ref> Weezer continued to tour until mid-1997.{{sfn|Luerssen|2004|p=223}} ==Critical reception== {{Album reviews | subtitle = Initial reviews | rev1 = ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' | rev1Score = B<ref name="EW1996">{{Cite magazine|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,294340,00.html|title=Sugar Bare: Weezer's 'Pinkerton' Could Use The Sweet Relief of Their Debut|work=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|issue=346|page=78|date=September 27, 1996|accessdate=September 26, 2007|last=Gordinier|first=Jeff}}</ref> | rev2 = ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' | rev2Score = {{Rating|3|4}}<ref name="LATimes">{{Cite news|url=http://articles.latimes.com/1996-11-06/entertainment/ca-61631_1_weezer-stars-cuomo|title=Weezer, 'Pinkerton,' DGC|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|page=4, Calendar F: Entertainment|date=November 6, 1996|accessdate=August 18, 2016|last=Appleford|first=Steve}}</ref> | rev3 = ''[[NME]]'' | rev3Score = 7/10<ref name="NME1996">{{Cite journal|url=http://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews/19980101001163reviews.html|title=Weezer – ''Pinkerton''|work=[[NME]]|page=57|date=September 28, 1996|accessdate=August 18, 2016|last=Beaumont|first=Mark|authorlink=Mark Beaumont (journalist)|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20000817105959/http://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews/19980101001163reviews.html|archivedate=August 17, 2000}}</ref> | rev4 = ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]'' | rev4Score = 7.5/10<ref name="Pitch"/> | rev5 = ''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]'' | rev5Score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="Q">{{Cite journal|title=Weezer: ''Pinkerton''|work=[[Q (magazine)|Q]]|page=138|issue=122|date=November 1996}}</ref> | rev6 = ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' | rev6Score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref name=RS1996/> | rev7 = ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]'' | rev7Score = 7/10<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dgSxMMIfuU8C&lpg=PP1&pg=PA120#v=onepage&q&f=false|title=Weezer: ''Pinkerton''|work=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]|volume=12|issue=8|pages=120–121|date=November 1996|accessdate=November 21, 2009|last=Berrett|first=Jesse}}</ref> }} ''Pinkerton'' debuted and peaked at number 19 on the US ''Billboard'' charts, selling 47,000 copies its first week,<ref name="billboard">{{cite magazine|url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=weezer|chart=all}}|title=Billboard 200|accessdate=2007-09-19|magazine=Billboard|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20071023222814/{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=weezer|chart=all}} |archivedate = October 23, 2007|deadurl=yes}}</ref><ref name="Billboard2">{{cite web |first= Kenneth |last=Partridge |title=Weezer's 'Pinkerton' Turns 20: Why the Landmark, Raw Album Wasn't a Big Hit for the Band|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/7517890/weezer-pinkerton-anniversary|work=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |accessdate=September 26, 2016 }}</ref> falling far short of Weezer's previous album sales.<ref name="WeezerStatisics">{{cite web | url = http://www.gloriousnoise.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=3940 | title = For The Statistically Minded | website =Glorious Noise | accessdate = February 6, 2007}}</ref> Initial reviews were mixed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tower.com/details/details.cfm?wapi=105768883|title=Pinkerton|accessdate=September 25, 2007|publisher=[[Tower Records (music retailer)|Tower Records]]|deadurl=yes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071024033118/http://www.tower.com/details/details.cfm?wapi=105768883|archivedate=2007-10-24|df=}}</ref>{{sfn|Luerssen|2004|p = 206}} Jeff Gordinier of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' criticized Weezer's choice to self-produce the album and dismissed it as "a collection of get-down party anthems for [[agoraphobia|agoraphobics]]".<ref name="EW1996"/> In ''[[Rolling Stone]]'', Rob O'Connor gave the album 3/5 stars, calling the songwriting "juvenile" and describing "Tired of Sex" as "aimless". However, he praised "Butterfly" as "a real treat, a gentle acoustic number that recalls the vintage, heartbreaking beauty of [[Big Star]] ... underneath the geekyteenager pose is an artist well on his way to maturity."<ref name="RS1996">{{Cite news |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |publisher=Wenner Media LLC|location=New York City|issue=746 |date=October 31, 1996 |page=66 |first=Rob |last=O'Connor |editor-first=David |editor-last=Fricke |editor-link=David Fricke |title=Recordings: ''Pinkerton'' Weezer |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/pinkerton-19980202 |accessdate=June 30, 2005 |deadurl=no |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070106061850/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/weezer/albums/album/301487/review/5945269/pinkerton |archivedate=January 6, 2007}} Posted on February 2, 1998.</ref> ''Rolling Stone'' readers voted the album the third worst of 1996.{{sfn|Luerssen|2004|p = 228}} Some listeners were perturbed by the sexual nature of the lyrics;<ref name=":2">{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/how-weezers-pinkerton-went-from-embarrassing-to-essential-w441144|title=How Weezer's 'Pinkerton' Went From Embarrassing to Essential|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|publisher=Wenner Media LLC|location=New York City|date=September 23, 2016|access-date=December 29, 2016|last=Braun|first=Laura Marie}}</ref> ''[[Melody Maker]]'' praised ''Pinkerton's'' music, but advised the listener "to ignore the lyrics entirely."<ref>{{Cite magazine |title=Weezer: Pinkerton|magazine=[[Melody Maker]]|page=78|date=October 5, 1996}}</ref> Steve Appleford of the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' wrote that ''Pinkerton''{{'}}s songs often "are sloppy and awkward, but express a seemingly genuine, desperate search for sex and love."<ref name="LATimes" /> [[Mark Beaumont (journalist)|Mark Beaumont]] of ''[[NME]]'' praised the album, writing that "by the time the affecting acoustic lament 'Butterfly' wafts in like Big Star at a wildlife protection meeting, ''Pinkerton'' starts feeling like a truly moving album."<ref name="NME1996" /> Ryan Schreiber of ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]'' wrote that "''Pinkerton'' might actually be a bit much for fans who were wooed with the clean production and immediately accessible sound of these guys' debut, but if given a chance, it might surprise even some anti-Weezer folk."<ref name="Pitch">{{cite web|first=Ryan |last=Schreiber |title=Weezer: ''Pinkerton'' |url=http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/23115-pinkerton |website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] |publisher=Pitchfork Media|location=Chicago, Illinois|accessdate=9 October 2009 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080307031531/http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/23115-pinkerton |archivedate=7 March 2008 |deadurl=yes |df= }}</ref> ''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]'' was complimentary and wrote, "On every tale of romance, delivered in perfect verse/chorus formula, you can see [[Jennifer Aniston]] giving it some attitude in the kitchen."<ref name="Q" /> ==Legacy== {{Album reviews | subtitle = Retrospective reviews | rev1 = [[AllMusic]] | rev1Score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref name="AllMusic" /> | rev2 = ''[[American Songwriter]]'' | rev2Score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://americansongwriter.com/2010/12/weezer-pinkerton-deluxe-edition/|title=Weezer: ''Pinkerton'' [Deluxe Edition]|work=[[American Songwriter]]|date=December 15, 2010|accessdate=December 15, 2010|last=Gold|first=Adam}}</ref> | rev3 = ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' | rev3Score = A<ref>{{Cite journal|url=http://ew.com/article/2010/11/03/pinkerton-deluxe-edition/|title=''Pinkerton'': Deluxe Edition|work=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|date=November 3, 2010|accessdate=July 2, 2018|last=Vozick-Levinson|first=Simon}}</ref> | rev4 = ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]'' | rev4Score = 10/10<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/14817-weezer-pinkerton-deluxe-edition-death-to-false-metal/|title=Weezer: ''Pinkerton'' [Deluxe Edition] / ''Death to False Metal''|work=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]|date=November 3, 2010|accessdate=February 5, 2018|last=Cohen|first=Ian}}</ref> | rev5 = ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' | rev5Score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref name="RS2004"/> | rev6 = ''[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide]]'' | rev6Score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref>{{cite book|chapter=Weezer|last=Sheffield|first=Rob|authorlink=Rob Sheffield|title=[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide|The New Rolling Stone Album Guide]]|editor1-last=Brackett|editor1-first=Nathan|editor2-last=Hoard|editor2-first=Christian|publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]]|edition=4th|year=2004|isbn=0-7432-0169-8|pages=865–66}}</ref> | rev7 = ''[[Tiny Mix Tapes]]'' | rev7Score = {{rating|5|5|full=TMT full.svg|half=TMT half.svg|empty=TMT empty.svg|rating=mark}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tinymixtapes.com/music-review/weezer-pinkerton|title=Weezer - Pinkerton|work=[[Tiny Mix Tapes]]|date=December 14, 2006|accessdate=February 5, 2019}}</ref> }} Despite ''Pinkerton''<nowiki/>'s mixed reception, in later years it garnered enduring sales, critical acclaim and [[cult status]] through internet [[word of mouth]].<ref name="college rock">{{cite web|url=http://media.www.dailytexanonline.com/media/storage/paper410/news/2007/06/14/LifeArts/5.More.College.Rock.Albums.For.Your.Inner.Indie.Snob-2915124.shtml|title=5 more college rock albums for your inner indie snob|last=Ramirez|first=Ramon|work=[[The Daily Texan]]|accessdate=October 1, 2007|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071023222341/http://media.www.dailytexanonline.com/media/storage/paper410/news/2007/06/14/LifeArts/5.More.College.Rock.Albums.For.Your.Inner.Indie.Snob-2915124.shtml|archivedate=October 23, 2007|deadurl=yes}}</ref>{{sfn|Luerssen|2004|p = 307}} It came to be considered among Weezer's best work by fans and critics.<ref name="AllMusic" /><ref name="NudeAsTheNews">{{cite web|url=http://www.nudeasthenews.com/reviews/1220 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060221161309/http://www.nudeasthenews.com/reviews/1220 |dead-url=yes |archive-date=2006-02-21 |title=Nude as the News: Weezer: Pinkerton |last=Donohue |first=Mark |publisher=[[Nude as the News]] |work= |accessdate=2007-10-01 |df= }}</ref> Cuomo was embarrassed by ''Pinkerton's'' reception and the personal nature of its songs. In August 1997, he wrote: "This has been a tough year. It's not just that the world has said ''Pinkerton'' isn't worth a shit, but that the ''Blue'' album wasn't either. It was a fluke. It was the ["[[Buddy Holly (song)|Buddy Holly]]"] video. I'm a shitty songwriter."{{sfn|Cuomo|2011|p = 232}} In 2001, he told ''Entertainment Weekly'': <blockquote>It's a hideous record... It was such a hugely painful mistake that happened in front of hundreds of thousands of people and continues to happen on a grander and grander scale and just won't go away. It's like getting really drunk at a party and spilling your guts in front of everyone and feeling incredibly great and cathartic about it, and then waking up the next morning and realizing what a complete fool you made of yourself.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,256491,00.html|title=Older & Weezer|last=Brunner|first=Rob|date=May 25, 2001|newspaper=Entertainment Weekly|issue=597|pages=40–43|accessdate=November 16, 2011}}</ref></blockquote> After the ''Pinkerton'' tour, Sharp left the band and Weezer went on a five-year hiatus.<ref name=":2" /> During this time, ''Pinkerton'' amassed a [[cult following]], and a wave of mainstream [[emo]] bands including [[Jimmy Eat World]], [[Saves the Day]], [[Dashboard Confessional]] and [[Motion City Soundtrack]] were citing it as an influence.<ref name=":2" /> Cuomo was not comforted by this development, and told ''Rolling Stone'' in 2001: "The most painful thing in my life these days is the cult around ''Pinkerton.'' It's just a sick album, sick in a diseased sort of way."<ref name=":2" /> For Weezer's subsequent albums, Cuomo moved to simpler songwriting with less personal lyrics.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2006/4/26/rivers-end-the-directors-cut-the/|title=Rivers' End: The Director's Cut {{!}} Arts {{!}} The Harvard Crimson|website=www.thecrimson.com|accessdate=2015-07-20}}</ref> ''Rolling Stone'' described Weezer's 2001 comeback album, the ''[[Weezer (Green Album)|Green Album]],'' as the "anti-''Pinkerton''", with album art and "squeaky-clean" production that recalled Weezer's debut.<ref name=":2" /> ''Pinkerton''<nowiki/>'s critical standing continued to rise. In 2002, ''Rolling Stone'' readers voted it the 16th greatest album of all time.<ref name="Readers16">{{cite magazine | url = http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/rstone.html#Readers%20100 | title = 2002 Rolling Stone Readers' 100 | magazine =Rolling Stone | accessdate = 2007-03-08}}</ref> In 2003, ''Pitchfork'' gave ''Pinkerton'' a perfect score and named it the 53rd greatest album of the 1990s.<ref name="Pitchfork2003" /> In 2004, ''Rolling Stone'' gave the album a new review, awarding it five stars out of five and adding it to the "''Rolling Stone'' Hall of Fame".<ref name="RS2004">{{Cite news |newspaper=Rolling Stone |issue=963 |date=December 9, 2004 |page=185 |last=Edwards |first=Gavin |title=The Rolling Stone Hall of Fame: Weezer ''Pinkerton'' |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/weezer/albums/album/301487/review/6635729/pinkerton |accessdate=May 15, 2006 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061005045759/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/weezer/albums/album/301487/review/6635729/pinkerton |archivedate=October 5, 2006}}</ref> In 2005, ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]'' named it the 61st best album of the last 20 years.<ref name="SpinMagazine">{{Cite journal |magazine=Spin |volume=21 |issue=7 |date=July 2005 |page=87 |title=100 Greatest Albums, 1985-2005 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p6-UYTO7l1MC&lpg=PP1&pg=PA87#v=onepage&q&f=false | accessdate = 2007-02-06}}</ref> In 2007, ''[[Drowned in Sound]]'' praised it as "the ultimate break-up album, the best unrequited love album and the greatest collection of confused emotions captured in the universe... EVER!"<ref>{{cite web | last =Adams | first =Sean | url = http://www.drownedinsound.com/release/view/4819 | title = Drowned in Sound&nbsp;— Reviews&nbsp;— Weezer&nbsp;— Pinkerton| work = | publisher = [[Drowned in Sound]] | accessdate = 2007-09-25 | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070908050025/http://www.drownedinsound.com/release/view/4819 <!-- Added by H3llBot --> | archivedate = 2007-09-08}}</ref> By August 2009, ''Pinkerton'' had sold 852,000 copies in the US<ref name="billboardraditude">{{cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/267638/weezer-filled-with-raditude-this-fall|title=Weezer Filled With 'Raditude' This Fall|last=Ayers|first=Michael D.|date=2009-08-21|work=Billboard|accessdate=2010-01-27}}</ref> and was [[RIAA certification|certified gold]].<ref name="riaagold">{{cite web|url=http://riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS&artist=Weezer&perPage=50|title=Gold & Platinum|publisher=RIAA|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017054917/http://riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS&artist=Weezer&perPage=50|archivedate=2015-10-17|deadurl=yes|accessdate=2007-03-08|df=}}</ref> In 2016, almost 20 years after its released, it was certified platinum for sales of over one million copies in the US.<ref name="riaaplat">{{cite web|url=https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&ar=WEEZER&ti=PINKERTON|title=Gold & Platinum|publisher=RIAA|accessdate=2016-09-19}}</ref> By 2008, Cuomo had reconsidered the album, saying: "''Pinkerton''<nowiki/>'s great. It's super-deep, brave, and authentic. Listening to it, I can tell that I was really going for it when I wrote and recorded a lot of those songs."<ref>{{cite web |date=January 28, 2008 | last =Crock | first =Jason | url = http://www.pitchfork.com/features/interviews/6773-rivers-cuomo/ | title = Interview: Rivers Cuomo | publisher=Pitchfork Media |work=[[pitchfork.com]] | accessdate = 2008-02-01}}</ref> In 2010, Bell told ''[[The Aquarian Weekly]]'': "''Pinkerton'' has definitely taken on a life of its own and became more successful and more accepted ... As an artist, you just have to do what you believe in at the time, whether it’s accepted or not. You just have to keep going with it."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theaquarian.com/2010/04/29/interview-weezer-they-want-you-to/ |title=Interview with Weezer: They Want You To &#124; The Aquarian Weekly |publisher=Theaquarian.com |date=2010-04-29 |accessdate=2011-08-16}}</ref> In 2010, Weezer embarked on the Memories Tour, playing ''Blue'' and ''Pinkerton'' in their entirety.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1654191/weezers-rivers-cuomo-reflects-on-memories-tour-plans-more-shows-in-2011/|title=Weezer's Rivers Cuomo Reflects On Memories Tour, Plans More Shows In 2011|last=Archive-Matt-Elias|website=MTV News|language=en|access-date=2019-07-31}}</ref> Cuomo said of the tour: "The last time we played all of those [''Pinkerton''] songs, they went over like a lead balloon. And I just remember that feeling of just total rejection. And then to see 5,500 people singing along to every last word through every song on the album, even the really difficult ones, was incredibly validating for me."<ref name=":3" /> ===Accolades=== ''Pinkerton'' has been named one of the greatest albums by numerous publications.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://acclaimedmusic.net/Current/A1728.htm|title=List of Pinkerton Accolades|accessdate=2007-09-19|publisher=[[Acclaimed Music]]|deadurl=yes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071023183938/http://acclaimedmusic.net/Current/A1728.htm|archivedate=2007-10-23|df=}}</ref> {| class="wikitable" |- ! Publication ! Country ! Accolade ! Year ! Rank |- | ''[[Magnet (magazine)|Magnet]]'' | rowspan="2"| United States | Top 60 Albums 1993–2003<ref>{{cite web | last = | first = | url = http://acclaimedmusic.net/061024/magnet2003.htm | title = Top 60 Albums 1993–2003 | work = | publisher =[[Magnet (magazine)|Magnet]] | accessdate = 2007-02-06}}</ref> | 2003 | #17 |- | ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]'' | 100 Greatest Albums, 1985–2005<ref name="SpinMagazine" /> | 2005 | #61 |- | ''The Movement'' | New Zealand | The 101 Best Albums of the 90s<ref name="themovement">{{cite web|url=http://acclaimedmusic.net/061024/movement.htm|title=The 101 Best Albums of the 90s|last=|first=|work=|publisher=The Movement|accessdate=2007-02-06}}</ref> | 2004 | #12 |- | [[Pitchfork (website)|''Pitchfork'']] | rowspan="5" | United States | Top 100 Albums of the 1990s<ref name="Pitchfork2003">{{Cite web |url =http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/5923-top-100-albums-of-the-1990s/5/ |title=Top 100 Albums of the 1990s: 053: Weezer ''Pinkerton'' |work=Pitchfork |publisher=Pitchfork Media |date=November 17, 2003 |first=Rob |last=Mitchum |accessdate={{date|2007-03-08}} }}</ref> | 2003 | #53 |- | ''[[Guitar World]]'' | Top 100 Guitar Albums of All-Time<ref name="Guitarworld">{{cite magazine|url=http://chud.com/forums/showthread.php?t=93854|title=Top 100 Guitar Albums of All-Time|magazine=[[Guitar World]]|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070823050531/http://chud.com/forums/showthread.php?t=93854|archivedate=August 23, 2007|deadurl=yes|accessdate=2007-03-08}}</ref> | 2005 | #76 |- | ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' | 100 Greatest Albums of the '90s | 2010 | #48 |- |''[[Guitar World]]'' |Top 100 Guitar Albums of All Time |2007 |#76 |- | ''[[Alternative Press (music magazine)|Alternative Press]]'' | One of the 10 Essential Albums of 1996 ("Class Reunion of '96" issue) | 2006 | N/A |} ==Reissues and other releases== On November 2, 2010, DGC released a "deluxe" ''Pinkerton'' reissue with an additional disc containing live performances, B-sides, and previously unreleased songs.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://pitchfork.com/news/40201-weezer-reveal-pinkerton-reissue-details/|title=Weezer Reveal Pinkerton Reissue Details {{!}} Pitchfork|website=pitchfork.com|access-date=2016-08-18}}</ref> The reissue debuted at number six on the ''Billboard'' [[Top Pop Catalog Albums|Catalog Albums]] chart<ref name=":0">{{cite magazine|url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=weezer|chart=all}}|title=Pinkerton – Weezer|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=2011-01-10}}</ref> and achieved a perfect score on the aggregate review website [[Metacritic]].<ref name="Metacritic">{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/pinkerton-deluxe-edition|title=Reviews for ''Pinkerton'' (Deluxe Edition) by Weezer|website=[[Metacritic]]|accessdate=November 11, 2011}}</ref> Cuomo's 2011 compilation album [[Alone III: The Pinkerton Years|''Alone III: The Pinkerton'' ''Years'']] comprises demos recorded between 1993 and 1996, when Cuomo was studying at Harvard and writing material for ''Pinkerton'' and the abandoned ''Songs from the Black Hole'' project. The album was included with a book, ''The Pinkerton Diaries'', which collects Cuomo's writings from the era.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://pitchfork.com/news/44605-rivers-cuomo-releasing-pinkerton-diaries-book-and-demos-comp-alone-iii/|title=Rivers Cuomo Releasing Pinkerton Diaries Book and Demos Comp Alone III|last=Pelly|first=Jenn|date=November 11, 2011|website=|publisher=Pitchfork Media|accessdate=July 13, 2014}}</ref> In May 2016, ''Pinkerton'' was reissued on [[Gramophone record|vinyl]] by the record subscription service [[Vinyl Me, Please]]. The album is pressed on "dark blue translucent vinyl with black marbling" and is packaged in a custom sleeve with pop-out art, a custom lyric sheet, artwork by Japanese painter Fuco Ueda, and a sake cocktail recipe.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://pitchfork.com/news/65107-weezers-new-pinkerton-reissue-comes-with-a-sake-cocktail-recipe/|title=Weezer's New Pinkerton Reissue Comes with a Sake Cocktail Recipe {{!}} Pitchfork|website=pitchfork.com|access-date=2016-08-18}}</ref> ==Track listing== {{tracklist | headline = | total_length = 34:36 | all_writing = [[Rivers Cuomo]] | title1 = Tired of Sex | length1 = 3:01 | title2 = Getchoo | length2 = 2:52 | title3 = No Other One | length3 = 3:01 | title4 = Why Bother? | length4 = 2:08 | title5 = Across the Sea | length5 = 4:32 | title6 = [[The Good Life (Weezer song)|The Good Life]] | length6 = 4:17 | title7 = [[El Scorcho]] | length7 = 4:03 | title8 = [[Pink Triangle (song)|Pink Triangle]] | length8 = 3:58 | title9 = Falling for You | length9 = 3:47 | title10 = Butterfly | length10 = 2:53 }} ===Deluxe Edition=== {{Track listing | headline = Disc one bonus tracks<ref name="punknews-reissue">{{cite web| last = Paul| first = Aubin| title = Weezer's deluxe "Pinkerton" reissue detailed| work = Punknews.org| date = September 27, 2010| url = http://www.punknews.org/article/39970| accessdate = September 27, 2010}}</ref> | title11 = You Gave Your Love to Me Softly | note11 = | length11 = 1:57 | title12 = Devotion | note12 = | length12 = 3:11 | title13 = The Good Life | note13 = radio remix | length13 = 4:08 | title14 = Waiting on You | note14 = | length14 = 4:13 | title15 = I Just Threw out the Love of My Dreams | note15 = | length15 = 2:39 | title16 = The Good Life | note16 = live and acoustic | length16 = 4:40 | title17 = Pink Triangle | note17 = radio remix | length17 = 4:02 | title18 = I Swear It's True | note18 = | length18 = 3:19 | title19 = Pink Triangle | note19 = live and acoustic | length19 = 4:18 | title20 = Interview – 107.7 The End – Blue vs. Pinkerton | note20 = unlisted track | length20 =1:32 }} {{tracklist | headline = Disc two<ref name="punknews-reissue"/> | title1 = You Won't Get With Me Tonight | note1 = | length1 = 3:29 | title2 = The Good Life | note2 = live at Y100 Sonic Session | length2 = 4:37 | title3 = El Scorcho | note3 = live at Y100 Sonic Session | length3 = 4:07 | title4 = Pink Triangle | note4 = live at Y100 Sonic Session | length4 = 4:10 | title5 = Why Bother? | note5 = live at Reading Festival 1996 | length5 = 2:18 | title6 = El Scorcho | note6 = live at Reading Festival 1996 | length6 = 4:09 | title7 = Pink Triangle | note7 = live at Reading Festival 1996 | length7 = 4:52 | title8 = The Good Life | note8 = live at X96 | length8 = 4:13 | title9 = El Scorcho | note9 = live and acoustic | length9 = 4:26 | title10 = Across the Sea Piano Noodles | note10 = | length10 = 0:38 | title11 = Butterfly | note11 = alternate take | length11 = 2:48 | title12 = Long Time Sunshine | note12 = | length12 = 4:17 | title13 = Getting Up and Leaving | note13 = | writer13 = Cuomo, [[Patrick Wilson (musician)|Patrick Wilson]] | length13 = 3:28 | title14 = Tired of Sex | note14 = tracking rough | length14 = 2:58 | title15 = Getchoo | note15 = tracking rough | length15 = 2:57 | title16 = Tragic Girl | note16 = | length16 = 5:26 }} ==Personnel== Adapted from the booklet enclosed with the album.</small><ref name="booklet" /> '''Weezer''' * [[Rivers Cuomo]]&nbsp;– guitar, vocals, keyboards, xylophone * [[Patrick Wilson (musician)|Patrick Wilson]]&nbsp;– drums * [[Brian Bell]] – guitar, backing vocals * [[Matt Sharp]]&nbsp;– bass, backing vocals * Karl Koch&nbsp;– percussion on "Butterfly" '''Production''' {{div col|colwidth=35em}} * [[Joe Barresi]]&nbsp;– engineer * Billy Bowers&nbsp;– engineer * Jim Champagne&nbsp;– engineer * David Dominguez&nbsp;– engineer * [[Greg Fidelman]]&nbsp;– engineer * [[Dave Fridmann]]&nbsp;– engineer * [[Hiroshige]]&nbsp;– cover art * Rob Jacobs&nbsp;– engineer * [[Spike Jonze]]&nbsp;– photography * [[Adam Kasper]]&nbsp;– engineer * Karl Koch&nbsp;– webmaster * [[George Marino]]&nbsp;– mastering * Dan McLaughlin&nbsp;– engineer * [[Shawn Everett]]&nbsp;– engineer, mixer * [[Clif Norrell]]&nbsp;– engineer * [[Jack Joseph Puig]]&nbsp;– engineer, mixing * Jim Rondinelli&nbsp;– engineer * Janet Wolsborn&nbsp;– art assistant {{div col end}} ==Charts== ===Album=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Chart !style="width:5em; line-height:1.3"| Peak position |- {{albumchart|Australia|38|artist=Weezer|album=Weezer (Pinkerton)|accessdate=6 October 2018}} |- {{albumchart|Austria|41|artist=Weezer|album=Weezer (Pinkerton)|accessdate=6 October 2018}} |- {{albumchart|Canada|15|artist=Weezer|album=Weezer (Pinkerton)|accessdate=6 October 2018}} |- {{albumchart|Netherlands|94|artist=Weezer|album=Weezer (Pinkerton)|accessdate=6 October 2018}} |- {{albumchart|Germany|65|artist=Weezer|album=Weezer (Pinkerton)|accessdate=6 October 2018}} |- {{albumchart|Finland|35|artist=Weezer|album=Weezer (Pinkerton)|accessdate=6 October 2018}} |- {{albumchart|New Zealand|11|artist=Weezer|album=Weezer (Pinkerton)|accessdate=6 October 2018}} |- {{albumchart|Norway|18|artist=Weezer|album=Weezer (Pinkerton)|accessdate=6 October 2018}} |- {{albumchart|Sweden|4|artist=Weezer|album=Weezer (Pinkerton)|accessdate=6 October 2018}} |- {{albumchart|UK|43|artist=Weezer|album=Weezer (Pinkerton)|accessdate=6 October 2018}} |- {{albumchart|Billboard200|17|artist=Weezer|album=Weezer (Pinkerton)|accessdate=6 October 2018}} |- |} ===Singles=== {| class="wikitable" |- !rowspan="2"| Year !rowspan="2"| Song !colspan="8"| Peak positions |- style="font-size:85%;line-height:1.3;vertical-align: top" ! style="width:4em" | [[Modern Rock Tracks|US Modern Rock]]<br /><ref name="billboardsinglesweez">{{cite magazine|url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=weezer|chart=all}}|title=Weezer Artist Chart History|accessdate=2007-09-19|magazine=Billboard}}</ref> ! style="width:4em" | Sweden<br /><ref name="swedenalbum">{{cite web|url=http://swedishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Weezer&titel=El+scorcho&cat=s|title=Swedish album chart archives|accessdate=2007-09-19|publisher=hitparad.se}}</ref> ! style="width:4em" | Finland<br /><ref name="Finlandcharts">{{cite web|url=http://finnishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Weezer&titel=El+scorcho&cat=s|title=Finland Charts|accessdate=2007-09-19|publisher=finnishcharts.com}}</ref> |- | 1996 | "[[El Scorcho]]" | style="text-align: center; "| 19 | style="text-align: center; "| 10 | style="text-align: center; "| 18 |- | 1996 | "[[The Good Life (Weezer song)|The Good Life]]" | style="text-align: center; "| 32 | style="text-align: center; "| – | style="text-align: center; "| – |- | 1997 | "[[Pink Triangle (song)|Pink Triangle]]" | style="text-align: center; "| – | style="text-align: center; "| – | style="text-align: center; "| – |} ==References== {{reflist|30em}} '''Works cited''' * {{cite book |last=Luerssen |first=John D. |year=2004 |title=Rivers' Edge: The Weezer Story |publisher=ECW Press |isbn=1-55022-619-3 |ref=harv}} * {{cite book |last=Cuomo |first=Rivers |authorlink=Rivers Cuomo |year=2011 |title=The Pinkerton Diaries |ref=harv}} ==External links== <!-- This is a licensed stream for the album, which is allowed under Wikipedia polices --> *[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLC2qC-e5YikfyU3PmYBqMMzEL4cJ1b0Kr ''Pinkerton''] at [[YouTube]] (streamed copy where licensed) * {{Discogs master|35071}} {{Weezer}} {{Madama Butterfly}} [[Category:1996 albums]] [[Category:Albums recorded at Electric Lady Studios]] [[Category:DGC Records albums]] [[Category:Geffen Records albums]] [[Category:Weezer albums]] [[Category:Emo albums by American artists]] [[Category:Concept albums]]'