One of the best

The scene: Late 1994, Stafford Springs, CT. I was a freshman and had just started to make some older friends in high school. Friends with cars. So one day a few of us were out at the mall, and when I saw one of the other guys picking up The Blue Album, I wanted to look cool, so I picked it up, too. After all, I had seen the videos on MTV, and they were pretty cool, and those songs were catchy. I'm not sure where I got the money, and I distinctly remember one of the other guys calling the two of us "posers" for buying the album, at which I blushed a bit (since he had hit the nail on the head, at least for me). But my friends, The Blue Album ended up being my introduction to what I still consider my favorite band in the world, and I have never regretted buying it that day.

Weezer at that time was made up of Rivers Cuomo (the frontman), Matt Sharp (guitars), Pat Wilson (drums), and Brian Bell (bass). They are perhaps the most unlikely group of rockers you've seen in some time, and that image is part of what earned them the reputation as the pioneers of "nerd rock." Though the album sold only 90 copies in its first week of release, it's made a solid enough place in history to be worthy of mention on Rolling Stone's 500 greatest albums of all time.

The album opens with "My Name Is Jonas," and after ten years of listening to this album I still have no idea what it's about, but it's sure catchy.

The building's not goin' as he planned
The foreman has injured his hand
The dozer will not clear a path
The driver swears he learned his math

With lyrics like that it's not hard to see why it's tough to decipher, but it remains one of my favorite songs by Weezer to date, so there's something special about it.

10/10

Next comes "No One Else," which is one of the tracks on the album which helps to cement the "nerd rock" reputation. It's about a guy who's breaking up with his girlfriend because he's insecure about her paying attention to other people.

I want a girl who will laugh for no one else
When I'm away she puts her makeup on the shelf
When I'm away she never leaves the house
I want a girl who laughs for no one else

The insecurity and frustration expressed here is classic, and it certainly did connect with this 14-year-old (at the time, that is). Though it's sad and insecure, there's a hint of anger underlaying the chorus in later repetitions, and in the bridge.

10/10

"The World Has Turned and Left Me Here" is a touching rumination on a man ruing the loss of a love. The tone is somewhat upbeat, but Rivers' voice conveys a lot of emotion that belies the happy melody. More than anything, the heartbreak in this song rests in the doubt apparent in the singer concerning his memories. "You laughed enchanted by my intellect, or maybe you didn't." When even your good memories can't provide you solace, what can?

9/10

"Buddy Holly" was one of the most popular singles off of the album, in large part because of its revolutionary music video directed by Spike Jonze, who placed them in the middle of a Happy Days episode. Another nerd rock song, Rivers likens his bespectacled face to Buddy Holly's, singing "I don't care what they say about us anyway." This song really captures the essence of the album, with an upbeat song that's got a very deep undercurrent of insecurity.

10/10

"Undone - the Sweater Song" is another of those that's pretty confusing, and I still don't know what the real point is. It opens on a crowd of people talking for some reason, about a party "after the show," and then the indecipherable lyrics kick in. It's slower but it has a driving beat, and it's among the catchier songs on the album.

10/10

Next comes "Surf Wax America," which is one of the songs on the album that's not about being pathetic or anything like that. It's just about surfing and how much better it is than the rat race of life. It's a delightful little tune to listen to while driving, and it perks me up every time despite the lyrics of the bridge:

All along the undertow is strengthening its hold
I never thought it'd come to this Now I can never go home

Though those are a bit depressing, the song picks right up afterwards and it's all happy again, and you can forget right about that depressing bit about the undertow.

10/10

"Say It Ain't So" was my favorite song in the world for a long, long time. I think it would probably be fair to even say that I was obsessed. It's a heartbreaking song, sung a bit slower but with a driving rhythm, and in a minor key. It's about (I think) a son coming to terms with his father's alcoholism, and with its legacy in his life. I didn't know all of that ten years ago, though. It was really just the music that got to me, and the desperation of the vocals. I was in that teen angst period, and the only thing that seemed to make me feel better, for some reason, was to listen to music that expressed what I was feeling. This one hit the nail right on the head.

10/10 (would be more if possible)

"In the Garage" is really the quintessential "nerd rock" song, if you'd like to classify it that way. It speaks of dungeon master's guides, twelve sided dies, Kitty Pryde and Nightcrawler, things like that. Nerdy things, as it were. The harmonica in the beginning and end of the song is just kitschy enough, and we can really feel the sadness of the singer, who must be very put upon by his peers to exclaim:

In the garage
I feel safe
No one laughs about my ways

10/10

"Holiday" is a wonderful song about escape, about running away and not looking back. There's not much more to it, and it's enough to put me in a great mood every time I hear it. This time both the tune and the lyrics are upbeat, and Weezer shows that they can pull off a happy song as well as those filled with depression.

9/10

"Only in Dreams" is the 8-minute long power ballad that wraps up the album, and I can't think of a better way to do it. This is one of the few songs of this length that doesn't get old halfway through. It's a song about obsession, about not being able to get a girl out of your mind, and I can certainly identify there, as I'm sure many can.

Only in dreams
We see what it means
Reach out our hands
Hold on to hers
But when we wake
It's all been erased
And so it seems
Only in dreams

In my opinion, one of the most haunting and beautiful lyrics I've heard.

10/10

I know that I've given a lot of 10/10s up there, and it might seem like I'm a little biased, but believe me, I'm not. It's that good of an album, and if you don't have it, I recommend going out as soon as possible and getting it.

Weezer reviews!

Blue Album Deluxe Edition
Pinkerton
Green Album: (coming soon)
Maladroit: (coming soon)