Customer Reviews

Alone 2- The Home Recordings Of Rivers Cuomo

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

So the first "Alone" album that River's released was awesome. It is great to hear demo Weezer and solo River's stuff. One of the best tunes on that one was "Chess".

River's brings us another album chock full of Weezer and solo demos that are always fun to hear. The cover of the Beach Boys was so wonderful. I am glad that they are releasing these tracks.

If you like Weezer, then you have to check out these demo recordings. A few songs you may recognize, but most of them you will have never heard before. It is like a little insight into the song writing and thought process of one of the greatest bands for the last 15 years.

The first Alone release was a treat for Weezer fans. It featured a good amount of songs, including a few that are somewhat hard to get. Alone 2 passes its predecessor. It has a better selection of songs and even more rarer songs. Also, it seems to have more listening value than Alone 1. Two stand-out tracks: "Can't Stop Partying" and "Cold and Damp". "Partying" is a slow-paced track that carries humor with it - perhaps just because of the subject matter being sung by Rivers. "Cold and Damp" is a little trickier for me to describe, but something about it sticks out. And for those who know a little about Rivers, his love for soccer shines through with "My Day is Coming."

Overall, it's probably more a 4.5 rather than a 5, but either way, it's a great collection. If you enjoyed the first Alone, this is a must.

2-3 songs are good. The rest is pretty rough. I was expecting something like Pinkerton and Blue, but not so much. You are better off with the Blue Deluxe album or Pinkerton Deluxe.

If you liked the first Alone CD, you'll love this one as Rivers goes deeper in the vault.

It's only been a good year since Rivers Cuomo released the excellent "Alone: The Home Recordings", and already we receive a second installment.

On "Alone II: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo" (19 tracks; 48 min.), we essentially get more of the same that was featured on the first volume: various demos, snippets, extracts, more polished songs, etc. etc. Somehow it all meshes quite well. What makes all of this even more worthwhile, in the end, are the excellent, and frankly essential, extensive liner notes from Rivers on all of the songs. Check out how Rivers describes being drawn to the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds album and how huge an influence that had on him, leading him to record a quick demo of "Don't Worry Baby" in March, 1993. But that is just one of many, many stories that made me smile as I read them. There are 3 more short songs from the abandoned "Songs from the Black Hole" sessions that were also featured on "Alone".

In all, given that most of these songs are quite short, yet deliver a lot of "hooks", this album flies by in no time. This is at last as good as, if not better than the first volume. It is clear that Rivers catalogues every single thing that he comes up with musically, so hopefully there are more volumes to follow in the "Alone" series. Recommended, and not just for Weezer fans.

I would have reviewed this when it first came out, but I'm never on time anyway. This 2nd solo collection by Rivers Cuomo is actually better than Alone, in my opinion. I don't think it has any waste of space songs like the first Alone did, such as "This is the Way" or "I Wish You Had An Axe Guitar". Even "I Admire you so Much" adds a nice, yet short, addition to this album. "Havard Blues" though not really a song, is a great lead in to "My Brain is Working Overtime". If I had to pick the worst tracks on this album they would have to be "My Day is Coming" and "I Want to Take You Home Tonight", but they are still good, bearable songs. It's hard for me to pick a favorite track but I would have to go with "I Don't Want to Let You Go". It was written in 2007 and it proves that Weezer can still put out great music, if they actually start putting their best work onto their albums. If you're a fan of weezer or rivers cuomo in any capacity you will enjoy this album!

Rivers Cuomo is great. I like Alone 2 even more than the first Alone album. These songs are for the most part, not available on other albums by Weezer.

The purification of water and walt disney are amazing songs. This album is worth it just for those 2, but there are some other good ones as well.

O.k... I really meant to order AloneI but somehow AloneII got into my shopping cart instead (my mistake) but I decided to keep it when it arrived, dispite my disappointment. I consider myself a devoted Weezer fan, pretty much stuck by their side thru thick and thin. I was excited, as was everyone else when I heard RIVERS had his OWN album out... looked in the stores (no where to be found), but I found it on Amazon! I really had my eyes on AloneI because I had already heard some song and wanted that one instead. Anyhow, I was disapointed, I only liked two songs from this CD #12 and #13. Most of the other songs were awful... I really tired to like them but I only found myself skipping them to get to my two faves :( In the lyric book, Rivers also writes about how he came up with the lyrics to his songs, which are mostly about girls and kind of like his black book... could he be anymore obvious! Sorry guys, it's my option =W=

Lets face it, Alone 1 was bad. Very lazy unfinished songs, but then again Rivers Cuomo is a lazy artist who doesn't sing a lot anymore or finish his songs. That being said, he is brilliant and brilliant people are always strange. This album is actually very good and the quality in songs are much better then the first Alone.