Raditude

Raditude
Studio album by Weezer
Released	October 30, 2009
Recorded	November 2008 – January 2009 & Summer 2009
Genre	Alternative rock, power pop
Length	34:34
Label	DGC Interscope Geffen
Producer	Dr. Luke, Jacknife Lee, Polow Da Don, Butch Walker, Rivers Cuomo
Weezer chronology
Weezer (2008) Raditude (2009) Hurley (2010)
Singles from Raditude
"(If You're Wondering If I Want You to) I Want You to" Released: August 18, 2009 "I'm Your Daddy" Released: January 20, 2010 "Tripping Down the Freeway" Released: 2010 (iTunes only) "The Prettiest Girl in the Whole Wide World" Released: 2010 (iTunes only)

Raditude is the seventh studio album by American alternative rock band Weezer, released on November 3, 2009 and is their final album on DGC Records, Geffen Records and Interscope Records.^[1][2][3] The title of the album was suggested to Weezer vocalist Rivers Cuomo by actor Rainn Wilson.^[4]

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 an 2009 August edition of National Geographic Magazine.^[5][6]

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.

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 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.^[7]

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. In early summer of 2009, session drummer Josh Freese joined Weezer as the percussionist, with Pat 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.

Guitarist Brian Bell has 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 "[had] a 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."^[8]

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.^[9] The track leaked less than a week after the announcement,^[10] and the official release of the single to radio was moved up to Tuesday, August 18.^[2] 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."^[11]

Raditude is being sold in conjunction with a Weezer version of the Snuggie, a popular wearable blanket.^[12]

The album debuted at number seven on the Billboard 200, selling 66,000 copies in its first week,^[13] only about half as many copies as the band's previous album, Weezer, sold in its first week in 2008.^[13]

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	57/100[14]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AbsolutePunk.net	(64%)[15]
Allmusic	[16]
Alternative Press	[17]
Chicago Tribune	[18]
Entertainment Weekly	(B+)[19]
NME	(6/10)[20]
Pitchfork Media	(4.5/10)[21]
Popmatters	(1/10)[22]
Rolling Stone	[23]
Slant	[24]

The album has received mixed reviews from critics, with some giving the album an enthusiastic response, and others having a very negative view of the album. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received an average score of 57 ("mixed or average reviews"), based on 22 reviews.^[25]

One positive review came from Matt Collar of Allmusic, who gave the album a rating of three and a half out of five stars. He wrote that "Musically, Raditude really sounds like vintage Weezer, but never in a pandering, played-out way." and praised "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."^[16] Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone was also positive in his review, giving the album three and a half out of five stars. He noted the backlash that it had received and said "when it comes to taunting and baiting the crowd, [frontman Rivers] Cuomo makes every other rock star out there look like a dilettante." He said that the album itself is "full of gloriously cheesy Weezer tunes", describing "Can't Stop Partying" as "hilarious" and also highlighted the dance-pop sensibility of "I'm Your Daddy".^[23]

Scott Heisel of Alternative Press gave the album a mixed review, rating it three out of five stars and calling it "the antithesis of everything you loved about the first two albums [The self-titled "blue" album (1994) and Pinkerton (1996)]." He said that the album "takes a severe and almost irreversible nosedive" following the third track "The Girl Got Hot".^[17] Rob Mitchum of Pitchfork Media also gave a mixed review, rating the album four and a half out of ten stars. In regards to the album's lyrical content, he criticised Cuomo for seemingly being "stuck in an eternal puberty, forever 13-- confused, horny, hyperbolic, obsessed with brand names." and concludes that "the record's teen-boy empowerment message doesn't have much to offer anyone over 13 years old".^[21] Spencer Kornhader at Spin also had a mixed reaction towards the album, give it a six out of ten. He observed it "...might be enjoyed for what it is -- extremely catchy, fist-pumping pop -- and for what it represents: escapism" and pointed out flaw such as "the second half sags, the ballads bore, and weirdly, it's too short". He went on to conclude that it won't appeal to old-school Weezer fans.^[26]

An overwhelmingly negative review came from Huw Jones of Slant Magazine, who rated the album half a star out of five. He described 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."^[24] Evan Sawdey of PopMatters was equally negative in his review, giving Raditude one star out of ten. He commented that the album 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" but that "rarely has pop music ever been so painfully generic", making it "downright forgettable". He concluded by saying that "Raditude is product. Coldly calculated, joyless product that is designed to be sold, not to be enjoyed. 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."^[22]

Track listing

Deluxe Edition Bonus Tracks

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

^[27]

iTunes Bonus Tracks

• "The Story of My Life" (Recorded in 2003) - 3:15

^[28]

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 Rivers Cuomo's solo 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. Cuomo also said that "Can't Stop Partying" is most likely going to be a single off the album.

Chart performance

Personnel

Band

• Rivers Cuomo - lead vocals, guitar, keyboards, synthesizer
• Brian Bell - guitar, backing vocals, keyboards, synthesizer
• Scott Shriner - bass, backing vocals, keyboards, synthesizer
• Patrick Wilson - drums, guitar, 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")

Studio

• 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")
• Jermaine Dupri - writer ("Can't Stop Partying")
• 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")
• Jack 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

Artwork

• 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^[31]

References