Rock's most reclusive, bedroom-bound mastermind since Brian Wilson, Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo lets us in on his little lonely world with "Alone -- The Home Recordings," a demo collection issued last week by Geffen. The only familiar song

Last update: December 23, 2007 - 5:54 AM

Rock's most reclusive, bedroom-bound mastermind since Brian Wilson, Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo lets us in on his little lonely world with "Alone -- The Home Recordings," a demo collection issued last week by Geffen. The only familiar song on the album is an amusingly sluggish solo recording of "Buddy Holly." Otherwise, it's full of unreleased tunes and a few fun covers, many recorded in the early '90s with Cuomo playing all the instruments. Although rough in production value, the disc has some bona fide gems. The best ones represent the album's sonic yin and yang: The pretty, softly sung piano ballad "Longtime Sunshine," which sounds like an outtake from "Pinkerton," and the truly blasting rocker "Blast Off!"

CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER