Weezer “The Blue Album”
[Please Note: I first reviewed music in 1999. I took a break at one point in the early 2000’s, so I missed some stuff that I’m trying to write short reviews for now. The “Essential Album Review” is based upon albums that I purchased upon release but before I began actually reviewing music. I’d say the time frame is from about 1990 to 1999, but in reality I wasn’t buying this music when I was ten years old, so it’s more like 1993 to 1999 or so. You can figure it out if you really care. This is basically an album that helped shape my musical mind, I can sing through word for word to this day and I have never reviewed it before mainly because it was before I started writing about music. I hope you enjoy.]
One thing most people don’t know about me is that the first official sort of musical event I ever went to saw Weezer opening for the band Live at a place called the Sting in New Britain, Connecticut. To put that into a time perspective that you can better relate to, I need to tell you that I had this album already and “Undone” as a cassette single, as only “Undone (The Sweater Song)” had been making its way onto radio. In fact, during their set, Weezer frontman River Cuomos commented that, “This is going to be our next single” before playing “Buddy Holly”. At this time same, Live had a video on Mtv for “Selling the Drama”, but “I Alone” was quickly becoming a single as well. Yes, they were both at a point in their musical journeys where they were sort of known for only one song, yet they were on the brink of their second hit and, well, all of the glory and fame that came afterward. The next time either band would come back to the state, they would be on much bigger stages (Weezer headlining Toad’s Place and Live at an amphitheater)
Needless to say, this album (And Live’s “Throwing Copper”, which I will do second) means a lot to me. I don’t remember what my thoughts were the first time I heard this album, just that I knew it was something special. It had that quality- and still does- where any song off of it could be a hit single.
Each song is unique in its own way, so as to stand out from the rest, yet they all have that same general Weezer vibe to them so as to not make this sound like a compilation of artists but rather it ties them all back to the same. I have used this album as a comparison for others when reviewing music that came after it. I’ve heard Jonas from The Hope Conspiracy sing the first song while walking around a random VFW.
This single piece of music is just such a strong part of so many people—not just myself—and it’s everywhere. I remember when “Pinkerton” was released after this and everyone freaked out over it, and then came some albums that the original fans weren’t too fond of (me included). Eventually, I made peace with those albums I once refused to listen to, while this was still that staple that made Weezer the household name that they are today.
If we didn’t have “In the Garage”, we wouldn’t have “Island in the Sun”. If we didn’t have “Only In Dreams”, we wouldn’t have “I Want You To”. All of the songs on the radio that you hear from Weezer now and forever will are all a result of this single album. That’s not something that many bands can say, and while fans generally think of “Pinkerton” as their favorite for whatever indie rock nerd reasons, this is still the foundation on which the castle was built.
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