That Not So Fresh Feeling » Blog Archive » 2008 Top Ten: #3 — Weezer “The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (Variations on a Shaker Hymn)”

Dec 31

2008 Top Ten: #3 — Weezer “The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (Variations on a Shaker Hymn)”

Posted by Ryan Toohil in Music

#3: Weezer — The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (Variations on a Shaker Hymn)

Rivers Cuomo is insane. The good kind of insane.

From Weezer’s latest album (affectionately known as “The Red Album“), you’ve got a song that again follows in the grand Brian Wilson tradition. Take a bunch of elements of varied popular music and figure out how to fit them together into a little pop masterpiece.

I suppose, at 5+ minutes, this isn’t a “little” pop masterpiece. But it’s a masterpiece nonetheless. Where Brian Wilson incorporated doo-wop, orchestral arrangements, surf rock, and barbershop harmonies, Rivers incorporates a capella harmonies, rap, your usual alternarock, and a bit of a hymn to create this bit of indulgence.

Fill in the blank: Rivers Cuomo : Brian Wilson :: “The Greatest Man That Ever Lived” : ?

It’s not for everybody. But it should be.

The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (Variations on a Shaker Hymn) – Weezer

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