I came across this strange essay by Rivers Cuomo of the rock band Weezer. While I admire his attempts to become a better person, the essay he wrote about it is just weird.
Case in point:
“My goal was to purge myself of all weakness so that I could write “perfect” songs as reliably as a machine.”
He then goes on to describe the response to the 2 albums that came out of this period in his life:
“Many fans also criticized the music. They heard both Maladroit and The Green Album as being “mechanical” and “emotionless”. I tried to evaluate the criticism objectively but I had a difficult time.”
Um, Rivers, you tried to write songs “as reliably as a machine” and then wonder why people perceive your music as emotionless?
Odd.
Oh yeah, make sure you check out his cover of The Star Spangled Banner.
I dig the man, but why do so many musicians do this? If I had a nickel for every “one love” musical manic depressive freak of nature I’ve met, I’d buy the label and put out the “Live Aid” for mental health.