Defending the "Most Disappointing Sophomore Album of All Time": The Rentals
Posted by: zac | From: May 19, 2004
The critical revisionist history of Weezer isn't really limited to that Pinkerton recordand while I'm not really one for musical martyrdom, it's only in recent years that the subject of my affection for Weezer and their assorted side projects has been breached without slight embarrassment and hesitation outside of my immediate devote peer group. But along with the public deification of the "Old Weezer" (albums which came under such critical decent upon initial releaseRolling Stone "worst album of the year," etc.) upon the onslaught of crummy ol' new Weezer, comes by strange extension, a similar critical acclaim for Matt Sharp's Rentalsor at least for their debut, Return of the Rentals. A quick google on the record yields showers of praise, some relatively reputable sources crediting this weird one-off for the return of synthpop. Though upon its release I seem to recall a much less warm reception, I do appreciate that nearly everyone I know holds a universally warm spot in their hearts for Return, a simple, nostalgic pop record that still comforts nine years later.
I'm not saying you have to be an asshole not to like Return of the Rentals, but it would probably help.
But this leads us to the real point of contention between myself and seemingly everyone else on earth: that the Rentals brilliance didn't simply end with Return; that the trainwreck that is Seven More Minutes, the band's follow-up, is a worthyand occasionally superiorsophomore effort. It's something of a contrarian stance, as I will admit that Seven More Minutes is unforgivably indulgentthe result of listless globe hopping, hobnobbing, and obscene over-workingbut to a certain extent, it couldn't have been any other way.
Let me first address all of the record's immediate short-comings: Yes, Matt Sharp's vocal delivery does make him sound like an asshole. Yes, the album is diffused by its lack of sonic focus, especially after the genre-specific Return. Yes, the Britpop cameos (Blur's Damon Albarn, Elastica's Donna Matthews, Lush's Miki Berenyi and Ash's Tim Wheeler) do all feel tacked on. Yes, the early demos of these songs are in large part all superior. and yes, "Big Daddy C" is sort of unforgivable.
Granted.
But Let me also propose, with full awareness of how ridiculous this sounds, that Seven More Minutes is in fact a failed concept recorda record as much about indulgence as it is itself indulgent. It's clear, whether Sharp was aware of it or not, that his lackadaisical life styleall on Madonna's (Maverick) dime had taken a toll on his acumen, and is evidenced in the bulk of the album's lyrical content. Every song is essentially about being comfortably bored, with living a lifestyle of underachievement, and indulging in the simplest of urgeslike riding the snooze bar for just seven more minutes of sleep. Now whether this is a worthy topic for a concept record is up for debate, but it must be said that if you're gonna make a record about indulgence, you had better not make it sound like a streamlined Gary Numan album. You better make it sound stupid indulgent. MISSION: ACCOMPLISHED.
I suppose it's impossible to defend an album that I've already called "unforgivable" twice in the preceding paragraphs, but I do confess to actually preferring Seven to Return as an album. plus, this lady sings on it:
which, honestly, is enough to make any band the Greatest Band of All Time.
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