Raditude

''Raditude'' is the seventh studio album by American rock band Weezer, released on October 30, 2009, and is their final album on DGC Records, Geffen Records and Interscope Records. The title of the album was suggested to Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo by actor Rainn Wilson. The album's first single, " (If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To", was released in August 2009. The album debuted at number seven on the ''Billboard'' 200. The album's cover artwork is a photo of a dog named Sidney, originally published in the August 2009 issue of ''National Geographic''.

The album was initially released in Australia on October 30, 2009. It was made available in the United Kingdom on November 2, 2009, and the following day in the United States. It opened at number seven on the Billboard 200, selling 66,000 copies in its first week of availability. As of September 2010, it has sold 240,000 copies.

Background and recording

Knowledge of the record was first made public by Billboard.com, who reported that Weezer was to head into the studio in early November 2008 to record a seventh album. A YouTube post titled "Let's Write A Sawng: Step 16," uploaded on November 15, 2008, showed frontman Rivers Cuomo in the studio with producer Jacknife Lee short-listing three songs from a list of 23, adding speculation to the recording of a seventh album or new B-sides.

In May, the band's webmaster and archivist Karl Koch revealed that the album had no set release date, and that the band would be recording additional material. He revealed that Cuomo would be the sole lead vocalist on this album unlike their previous album, 2008's ''Weezer'' (also known as the ''Red Album''). In early summer of 2009, session drummer Josh Freese joined Weezer as the percussionist, with regular drummer Patrick Wilson taking over guitar duties for Cuomo. Freese performed with the band at the KROQ Weenie Roast. In an interview for the event, the band revealed that the new album would be released in summer 2009.

On July 24, Weezer played three new songs in Korea at the Jisan Valley Rock Festival: "Can't Stop Partying", "I'm Your Daddy", and "The Girl Got Hot". "Can't Stop Partying" had previously been released in demo form on Cuomo's ''Alone II'' album in 2008. While performing "The Girl Got Hot" on July 26, 2009, at the Fuji Rock Festival, Cuomo revealed that Weezer's seventh studio album would be released in October 2009. August 4, 2009, saw the final recording sessions for the album, with mixing of the disc beginning two days later.

"Can't Stop Partying" was co-written with hip-hop producer Jermaine Dupri, and features rapper Lil Wayne. "Put Me Back Together" was co-written with The All-American Rejects members Tyson Ritter and Nick Wheeler.

Rhythm guitarist Brian Bell stated that he had reservations about the inclusion of outside collaborators and the album's overall mainstream pop aesthetic. In a 2010 interview, Bell revealed that he " ada conversation with Rivers about 'Raditude'' And he said, to put my mind at ease, that this is just one album out of many more that we are going to make in our career. When I heard that, I was like, okay, cool, well that’s a great way to think of it. We’re just trying something and this is just one record out of many more. When I heard that, I was fine with it."

Promotion

On August 14, 2009, MTV confirmed that the first single, " (If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To", was to be released on American rock radio on August 25. The track leaked less than a week after the announcement, and the official release of the single to radio was moved up to Tuesday, August 18. A music video for the single was filmed with director Marc Webb and co-starring Odette Yustman.

Via updates on their official website, the band revealed in August 2009 that the album would be called ''Raditude'' and released on October 27. This date was pushed back a week to November 3. On October 13, the band announced "The Weezer Raditude Club," which allowed customers to pre-order ''Raditude'' and gain access to exclusive tracks each week leading up to the album's release.

Weezer recorded a promotional performance for '' Sessions@AOL''. Guests included Kenny G, Chamillionaire and Sara Bareilles. Kenny G's contribution was a solo after the second chorus of "I'm Your Daddy". Prior to the performance he said that he knew nothing of Weezer. Although Cuomo and Kenny G live near each other in Malibu they had never met before the recording, which was done in one take. Kenny G commented in the green room on the lack of rehearsal, "...that's OK. I'm a professional."

''Raditude'' was sold in conjunction with a Weezer version of the Snuggie, a popular wearable blanket.

The album debuted at number seven on the ''Billboard'' 200, selling 66,000 copies in its first week,Caulfield, Keith
"Carrie Underwood Claims Second No. 1 on Billboard 200"
Billboard.com. November 11, 2009 only about half as many copies as the band's previous album, ''Weezer'', sold in its first week in 2008.

While Weezer did not necessarily promote the album live (this can likely be attributed to the cancellation of the majority of the album's promotional tour), handfuls of songs from this album were still performed throughout 2009 and some of 2010, and the lead single has become one of their more frequently played live songs in recent years.

Critical reception

''Raditude'' received mixed reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 57 ("mixed or average reviews"), based on 22 reviews.

A positive review came from Matt Collar of AllMusic, who wrote that "Musically, ''Raditude'' really sounds like vintage Weezer, but never in a pandering, played-out way", praising "I'm Your Daddy" and "The Girl Got Hot" for being "as sparkling with creative enthusiasm as anything the band has done since 'Buddy Holly'." "Songs about going to meet your girlfriend's parents or how the ugly duckling in junior high school suddenly turned into a double-take ice queen, are an odd thing for men pushing 40 to sing about. But perhaps because Weezer are as sexually threatening as melted Solero, such an approach sounds uniquely stylized rather than criminally creepy," ''Kerrang!'' reviewer Ian Winwood remarked.Winwood, Ian. ''Kerrang!'' #1286, November 7, 2009. Album reviews. "Seventh full-length album from the cutest cult band in the world." p. 50. Noting the backlash the album had received, Rob Sheffield of ''Rolling Stone'' wrote that "when it comes to taunting and baiting the crowd, rontman RiversCuomo makes every other rock star out there look like a dilettante", while praising the album itself as being "full of gloriously cheesy Weezer tunes".

Scott Heisel of ''Alternative Press'' gave ''Raditude'' a mixed review, calling it "the antithesis of everything you loved about the first two albums" and writing that the album "takes a severe and almost irreversible nosedive" following the third track "The Girl Got Hot". Rob Mitchum of ''Pitchfork'' criticized Cuomo's lyrics for seemingly being "stuck in an eternal puberty, forever 13—confused, horny, hyperbolic, obsessed with brand names", and concluded that "the record's teen-boy empowerment message doesn't have much to offer anyone over 13 years old". Spencer Kornhaber of '' Spin'' wrote that the album "might be enjoyed for what it is—extremely catchy, fist-pumping pop—and for what it represents: escapism", but felt that "the second half sags, the ballads bore, and weirdly, it's too short". Huw Jones of ''Slant Magazine'' panned the album as "a thematically vacant and sonically uninspired collection of ditties tailor-made for mainstream radio" that contains "an abhorrent cocktail of deluded lyricism and indolent musicianship." Evan Sawdey of ''PopMatters'' felt that ''Raditude'' should be judged for being "a collection of straight-faced, irony-free pop songs written by a guy who knows his way around a hook", concluding, "As a Weezer album, it is nothing short of a profound disappointment. By any other standard, it's just the worst album of the year."

Track listing

Amazon MP3 Exclusive Version Bonus Tracks
* "Turn Me Round" (Recorded in 2003) - 3:10

International Bonus Tracks
* " I Woke Up In Love This Morning" (Japan only) (Recorded in 2003, Rivers Cuomo and Sloan) - 3:04
* "Turn Me Round" (Recorded in 2003) (UK, Russia & Australia only) - 3:09

iTunes Bonus Tracks
* "The Story of My Life" (Recorded in 2003) - 3:15
* " Kids/ Poker Face" - 4:58

iTunes Pass: The Weezer Raditude Club Tracks (exclusive to the iTunes Pass)
* " Should I Stay or Should I Go" (Live At Virgin Mobile FreeFest '09 - Cover of The Clash) - 3:07
* "I Hear Bells" (Recorded in 2000) - 2:44
* "Put Me Back Together" (Rich Costey Mix) - 3:15
* "Cold Dark World" (Rivers Lead Vocal) (Originally featured on the ''Red album'' with Scott Shriner on vocals) - 3:52
* "Across the Sea" (Live Song from the Japan 2005 Tour) - 4:32
* Tour Video Introductions from the US 2009 Tour - 4:46
* "The Good Life" (Live) (video) - 4:38
* "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To" (Steve Aoki Remix) - 6:36
* "The Prettiest Girl In The Whole Wide World" (Karlophone Remix) - 4:21
* "I'm Your Daddy" (Pat Wilson Remix) - 3:08
* "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To" Music Video - 3:31
* "Can't Stop Partying" (Coconut Teaser Mix) - 3:32
* "Love Is The Answer" (Laid Back Mix) - 3:01
* Live Video from Rehearsals - 5:29
* Making of Raditude (video) - 12:18
* "I’m Your Daddy" (Serban Ghenea Mix) - 3:08

"Can't Stop Partying", "I Don't Want to Let You Go", and "The Prettiest Girl in the Whole Wide World" were previously released in demo form on Cuomo's compilation album '' Alone II: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo''. Sugar Ray previously recorded the track "Love Is the Answer" on their 2009 album '' Music for Cougars'' with a guest appearance by Cuomo.

Personnel

Weezer
* Rivers Cuomo – lead vocals, lead guitar, keyboards, synthesizer
*Patrick Wilson – drums, percussion, lead guitar, keyboards, synthesizer
*Brian Bell – rhythm guitar, backing vocals, keyboards, synthesizer
* Scott Shriner – bass guitar, backing vocals, keyboards, synthesizer

Additional musicians
*Lil Wayne – vocals ("Can't Stop Partying")
* Josh Freese – drums ("I'm Your Daddy," "The Girl Got Hot" and "Let It All Hang Out")
* Jacknife Lee – keyboards, backing vocals, guitar, percussion, programming ("Love is the Answer," "In the Mall," "I Don't Want to Let You Go," "Get Me Some," "Run Over By A Truck," "The Prettiest Girl In The Whole Wide World" and "The Underdogs")
*Amrita Sen – vocals ("Love is the Answer")
* Nishat Khan – additional vocals, sitar ("Love is the Answer")
*Aaron Suplizio – additional bass ("Love is the Answer")
*Sim Grewall – additional percussion ("Love is the Answer")
Design
*Andy Mueller – art direction and design
*Johannes Gamble – art direction and design
*Morning Breath Inc. – cover co-design
*Jason Neely – dog photography
*Sean Murphy – band photography
*Karl Koch – additional photography
*Daniel Field – additional photography

Production
* Butch Walker – producer ("(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To," "The Girl Got Hot," "Put Me Back Together," and "Let It All Hang Out")
* Jacknife Lee – producer ("Trippin' Down The Freeway," "Love is the Answer," "In the Mall," "I Don't Want to Let You Go," "Get Me Some," "Run Over By A Truck," "The Prettiest Girl In The Whole Wide World" and "The Underdogs")
* Dr. Luke – producer ("I'm Your Daddy")
* Polow da Don – producer ("Can't Stop Partying")
*Ananda Sen – producer ("Love is the Answer")
*Shawn Everett – producer ("Love is the Answer")
*Tom McFall – recording (Jacknife Lee sessions)
*Sam Bell – additional engineering and editing (Jacknife Lee sessions)
*Shawn Everett – drum & guitar recording ("Trippin' Down the Freeway," "Love is the Answer" and "In the Mall")
* Jake Sinclair – recording (Butch Walker sessions)
*Joe Zook – recording (Butch Walker sessions)
*Doug McKean – recording ("I'm Your Daddy")
* Rich Costey – mixing
*Charlie Stavish – mixing assistant
*Serban Ghenea – mixing ("Put Me Back Together")
*John Hanes – mixing engineer ("Put Me Back Together")
*Tim Roberts – mixing assistant ("Put Me Back Together")
*Joshua Minyard – mixing assistant
*George Gumbs – mixing assistant
*Douglas Forsdick – studio tech
*Henry Trejo – guitar tech
*Mike Fasano – drum tech
* Dave Collins – mastering

Charts

References

External links

''Raditude''
at YouTube (streamed copy where licensed)

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Weezer albums
2009 albums
Albums produced by Butch Walker
Albums produced by Dr. Luke
Albums produced by Jacknife Lee
Albums produced by Polow da Don