ok. everyone knows what the blue album is. those 4 nerdy lookin' dudes, standing in front of a blue background. its the first thing someone thinks of when they hear the name "weezer". you may also know that this is one of two albums by the band that is unanimously considered good both by fans, critics, and the general public. now, do not expect any hot takes here, as i also love the blue album. sorry. but i just wanted to sort of explain why it means so much to me, and why it is truly untouchable when it comes to weezer's discography. to summarize, this album is probably the perfect representation of being a lonely geek, along with some other general fun tunes. the coolest thing about weezer is simply how uncool they are.
i'm likely not going to write about every song in an album in my future reviews, since some songs simply don't have much to be said about. however, all the tracks here are iconic, so i will be listing all of my thoughts on them today:
My Name Is Jonas: god, what an opener. i had never heard this song until i listened to blue fully, but it felt so nostalgic. i think its that guitar riff right at the beginning, which also happens to be one of the few remnants of founding member jason cropper, the rhythm guitarist who was kicked before the album's release. im gonna be honest with you though, i still have no idea what the lyrics mean. ive watched videos where they explain it, how its about an insurance company and a car crash or something??? i don't know. for some reason i always thought this song was about the struggles that came with growing up.
No One Else: I think this was the song that cursed weezer to have the "incel band" label, sigh. not that it's a bad song, i think its clearly meant to be over-exaggerated and portrays the man singing the song as a bad guy, but its definitely my least favorite on the album. it's still super fun and catchy, and i would definitely sing along if it wouldn't end up with others giving me weird looks. overall, pretty decent.
The World Has Turned And Left Me Here: This is a super underrated song off of blue, which is nuts to say. its meant to be a contiunation of no one else, and yet again this album has a guitar riff at the beginning with such a distinct... vibe to it. its not one a revisit a lot, but damn its good. rivers really pulls off the incel vibe in this song.
Buddy Holly: okay, one hot take. i don't think this song is that good. sorry. i think the meme and general overplaying kinda ruined it for me. along with that, i don't think it really shows the true potential of weezer's music, it doesnt have the contrast between calm segments and big, loud crunchy guitars, but thats just my preference. its still a super good track. probably one of the most fun ones in the entire album. THE buddy holly lick? iconic. also, i know i said i didnt like the memes, but the "buddy holly but x" videos are super funny. please keep it going. this one in particular is my favorite.
Undone - The Sweater Song: this is the one that finally convinced me that I should try out more weezer songs. that beginning, man. early weezer has a lot of tracks that just feel so... depressing, but in an almost comforting way. "laying in bed and staring up at the ceiling" type of feeling. i actually did that once while this song was playing, funnily enough. but enough about that, i also love the dialogue sprinkled in... it sounds like a sample straight out of some movie or tv show. but undone isn't just the intro, theres even more. like how i mentioned earlier, i think weezer is insanely good at contrasting quiet bits with loud ones. this is the perfect example of that. the soft, almost nervous vocals from rivers, to matt and brian joining in later to stream at the top of their lungs. the lyrics as well are simple but really expertly done. i really, really love this song. i almost can't believe that it was the first single they had released for the blue album, what a start.
Surf Wax America: insanely nostalgic to me. i can't entirely remember exact events of my childhood, but i swear this song was there. i also remember that this was a song that i had on repeat along with undone before i became a full-fledged weezer fan. i know i said buddy holly was probably the most fun song on the album earlier, but no... its this one. i don't even know how to explain it. its so upbeat and has that summer vibe, but then there's the later parts. the anxiety related to surfing and being lost in the ocean. definitely one of the songs i just scream out the lyrics to. i will say however that i agree with most people that the song's charm wears off after a while, but when you come back after taking a bit of a break from it i can't help but love it again.