I finally got on with it today and picked up a copy of Maladroit, about a full day after its release, lazy as I am. As I was in the store, it struck me how much of a rare event it was for me; I almost never buy any music nowadays, and I felt borderline-lost in there. The last record I purchased was, believe it or not, Weezer's last album, pretty much one year ago.
I think I only do this when it's a band or artist I really care a lot about. But then, I'm not any kind of huge freeloader either - I get a song or two when I run into something I like. I still pay for my internet access by the minute, and any kind of systematic all-night downloading would render me pretty poor in a hurry.

So after noticing an apparent rerun of Island in the Sun as track #14, on the subway heading home I turn to the thank-yous list. I guess looking through that is another sign I like a band. Either way, among other names it includes:

Dexter Holland, as far as I know vocalist and guitarist of the Offspring, which is pretty cool - I was definitely into them from my younger teens and up to the post-Ixnay era. I do hope it's that Dexter Holland and not someone else. ;

Kevin Smith, who I can only assume to be the man behind the incredibly boring movie Dogma. Supposedly, all his movies might not be as bad, but I have yet to find out. And I certainly feel more than a little intimidated. I do hope this is a totally non-celebrity Kevin Smith and not that Kevin Smith. ;

And most noteworthy for people in my position, Special Thanks to the Weezer Boards. I'm a member of only one board, and a nowadays rather small and inactive one at that, but still it feels nice to be in some way acknowledged.

Now a final word on the thank-yous: among the very top of the names is, once again, Kyoko Ito. I know it's an in-no-particular-order list, just like the one in the Green Album, supposedly, but we all know how easy it is for the subconscious to sneak out into those lists and make their order more less and less more non-particular.
This supposed Japanese girl could of course be a generally super-cool hangaround and woman-at-arms to whom the entire band wishes to express their gratitude, but the longtime fan-side of me wants it to be more than that.
Perhaps, it says, she is Rivers's very own kept-secret muse, the girl he loves more than anything else in the world. Perchance, it says, she is the one who wrote him the letter in Across the Sea. Yes. Part of me would want it to be so.

But then again, perhaps it's better not to know. My general impression is that Rivers's inspiration has been on the downfall since Pinkerton, and I don't dare to expect Maladroit to change that (I'm listening to it as I type this, but it's too early to break out any kind of review*).
I wish he'd come to terms with himself in the sense of realizing that there's nothing wrong with being personal or exposing yourself in your music. In nine cases out of ten, that's what makes it good - a catchy melody or a cool riff will only get you so far.
So in short, I wish the band wouldn't view Pinkerton as a failure. It didn't sell as well as any of the other albums, but a majority of the fans who've been sticking with Weezer since well before they got a lot of airplay on Mtv hold it as their absolutely best release, mainly because of the amount of himself Rivers poured into the songs.
To me, that should be what matters. But then again, I don't make my living through playing in a band, so maybe I'm not in a position to make statements like that.

(Speaking of girls surrounding the band by the way, I read in an interview a good while back of Rivers admitting to having had sex with around 40 women. And that was years ago, so my guess is that he's had time to further improve on that number.
I haven't had sex with 40 women. But I don't really mind. Actually, topics concerning how many sexual partners certain celebrities have had usually remind me of my (maternal) grandmother and grandfather. To the best of my knowledge, the only ones they slept with throughout their lives were each other. And their relationship was the happiest one I've ever seen, let me tell you.)