Review Summary: Dork rockers successfully glamorize being dorks.
In 1994 Weezer released their self-titled debut album, now referred to by fans as the “Blue Album.” The album is somewhat short, only around 30 minutes in length, but features several diverse compositions uncharacteristic of the decade in which it was released. Powered by upbeat, chugging guitars with thick distortion and a notably present bass from Matt Sharp, the Blue Album was the last thing anyone expected to chart on the Billboard 200 in 1994, when grunge music was dominant. However, the Blue Album eventually went 3x Platinum, largely due to the success of the single “Buddy Holly,” which reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 thanks to an unusual video directed by Spike Jonze. The video featured the band inserted into an episode of “Happy Days,” and recieved heavy airplay on MTV. Other factors included rave reviews from publications such as Rolling Stone and Rock Sound.
In my own, non-professional opinion, the album’s most fully-realized compositions lie on the latter half of the album, with songs like “Say It Ain’t So,” which features use of feedback and a bridge section that rivals Radiohead, “In the Garage,” which talks of embarrassment and complacency at living the “nerdy” lifestyle as well as a harmonica, and “Only In Dreams,” an eight-minute testament to unrequited love that closes the album on the highest possible note, with an incredibly catchy bassline and perfect harmony among all intruments, all piled with a human, sincere vocal performance from lead singer Rivers Cuomo.
This is not to say, however, that the first half is worth leaving out. The opening track, “My Name is Jonas,” talks of Cuomo’s feelings after his brother was in a car accident, accompanied by a folky acoustic guitar opening and interlude. “No One Else” may be the most honest inclusion on the album, describing a man who is incredibly jealous and overprotective of his girlfriend, at the same time ignorant of the fact that he is being possessive. “Undone- The Sweater Song” is an unintentionally funny song about serious depression, opened by skits apparently taped at a Weezer show. Its video, also directed by Spike Jonze, was immensely popular, and contributed heavily to the song’s success as a single.
Overall, this album is definitely one of my favorites, which is why I chose to review it in the first. Its songs are so personal and heartfelt that the instruments seem to take on a life of their own and recreate a nostalgic teenage atmosphere that you’ll be drowning in by track 3.
