Just a disclaimer on this post. I am 25 years old and when Weezer’s first album came out (the Blue album) I was in middle school. And for anyone in my age range can tell you - it was a very special album. Many of my younger acquaintances are more prone to remember Weezer’s later years, when the pop songs they made usually only lasted a few minutes, and were’nt very memorable. But for you younger visitors, I implore you to read on, for I am about to tell you a very interesting story of Rock n Roll history.

After Weezer’s first album they followed it up with Pinkerton, a slower, softer, and lower production record. I liked the record, but you could tell that something just wasn’t right. That’s because this was never intended to be Weezer’s second album. Weezer had something much different planned for their Blue album follow-up; Songs from the Black Hole.

Songs from the Black Hole was going to be a high-concept album; a rock opera set in space. The plot would follow a band of space travelers (and their robot companion) on a mission through the universe.

Rivers Coumo (the lead singer of Weezer for you young folk) began recording demo songs that would eventually become the rock opera. Matt Sharp, who was a co-founder of the group, had taken the time off from Weezer to play with the Rentals. A pit stop that would eventually become permanent. So Rivers toiled away, mostly alone, at times getting the band together to record the demos with him.

Coumo eventually gave up on the project, later citing Sharp’s departure as the main cause. A few of the songs from the album got re-worked and released on Pinkerton (possibly adding to the disjointed feel of the album). As time went on, Rivers would attempt to release the lost demos he had made, but wasn’t able to because of record label obligations (they owned them technically). A couple got leaked years ago, in fact, I remember being in high school and hearing one of the songs I’m about to post and being heart-broken at how cool it was.

2007 comes around and the record company allows Coumo to release a single song (unrelated to album) and the song becomes immensly popular on the internet. And as the old story goes, the suits smell money and a B-Sides and Rarities album gets prepped for release. But this time it would be different, Rivers got to select the tracks himself and included a large amount of song from the lost rock opera space drama album.

For the muffin, I’ll share two songs with you. The first is that track I got a glimpse at long ago, and which is featured on the newly released The Home Recordings of Rivers Coumo album. It was meant to be the opening track for the album; appropriately titled “Blast Off.” Rivers sings all the parts in the song himself, but the plan included each character to be sung by different people. Of particular note is the inclusion of their robot friend singing of course in a vocoder robot voice. The second song I’m posting was also slated to be on this lost album. To end this post, I give you the lyrics to Blast Off, which will give you a good idea of how ridiculous and awesome that album would have been.

Weezer - Blast Off!

Jonas:
Blast off! Up to the stars we go And leave behind everything I used to know.
Somebody’s giving me a whole lot of money to do
What I think I want to
So why am I still feeling blue?
Oh Wuan and Dondo…

Wuan:
Goddamn, get your head out of your hands.
Here’s to all the times we’re gonna have.
Cooped up for a year with the two best-looking babes I’ve seen all year
Get me another bottle of beer
‘Cos I’m feeling fine

Dondo:
Go ahead, waste your head
We’ve got the time. I hope you don’t object if I
Speak my mind

M1:
Don’t forget the purpose of the mission,
Or Nomis will be swallowed by its sun.
Each one of you is a top graduate of the Star Corps Academy
It’s up to you reach for a dream
Oh Wuan and Dondo…

Wuan:
Go ahead and waste your life
I’m still in fear.
I hope you don’t object if I
Crack another beer.

Dondo:
Hold on, who is it here that I see?
Wasn’t she a she a favorite bitch in the Academy?
I don’t know if I wanna lead on this woman,

Jonas:
You know I’ve done that before.
She’s actually a good girl,
Or at least a cheap ho…

Weezer - Longtime Sunshine