Weezer - The Green Album

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The Return of Weezer

Weezer was formed on February 14, 1992 in Los Angeles. Then the band comprised of LA transplants Rivers Cuomo, who moved to LA at the age of 18 to start a band, Guitarist Jason Cropper, bassist Matt Sharp, and drummer Pat Wilson. The band began writing music and playing around local clubs. Despite not having much success at first, the band pressed forward and after just 16 months together, where signed in the post-Nirvana alternative band signing frenzy by Geffen. The band moved to New York to record at the famed Electric Lady studios under producer and former Cars producer Ric Ocasek.

During the recording of the self titled debut Weezer, Jason left the band to take care of his girlfriend, who was pregnant with their first child. Jason was replaced by Brian Bell, who had moved from Tennessee where he learnt guitar by playing along to songs on Hee Haw on a ukulele his grandmother won at a bingo game. The debut album was released on May 10, 1994, and was a hit from the start. The quirky first single "Undone - the sweater song" with it's Spike Jonze produced video became a staple on MTV. The bands second single "Buddy Holly" really put the band at the fore front. Spike Jonze again produced the video and created an innovative video that spliced the group into old footage from the sitcom Happy Days, the single quickly became a hit, helping push the album a multi-platinum status. After touring the band took some time off with, Sharp and Wilson going on to form the New Wave revival band the Rentals, which had a hit later that year with "Friends of P." Bell resumed work with a former band of his, the space twins, while Cuomo became a recluse, disappearing to Harvard.

Weezer reconvened to record their second album in the early winter of 1995 and the summer of 1996, but this time they were to produce the album themselves. On September 24th 1996, Weezer's much-awaited second LP, entitled Pinkerton, was released. It was the opposite of Weezer; the guitars are more gruff, the lyrics darker and deeper in meaning, and the band's talent and style had matured considerably. The album came out to strong reviews by critics. However the album

seemed cursed at the beginning with the security company Pinkerton Service taking umbrage to the name and suing, with legal proceedings shortly after its release. Also in the four years since the release of Weezer the musical taste of the mainstream had changed and the album was all but ignored by fans, MTV and modern rock radio. The band seemed destined to break up after the commercial disappointment of Pinkerton, and the departure of Matt Sharp in 1998, however the album has steadily continue to sell at a moderate level and has now reached gold status and is treated like the holy grail of the emo scene. The band replaced sharp with bassist Mikey Welsh and started playing small shows again before going out on the Warped Tour in 2000, and were shocked by the positive response from both fans and other bands on the tour. The band decided to return to the studio and record their third album again with Ric Ocasek at the helm as producer.

Right from the start you no the Weezer of old has returned. The album is again self titled and the cover art for the album closely resembling that of the band's eponymous debut, which is referred to as "The Blue Album" by most fans, a picture of the foursome against a solid backdrop, this time green, hence the title "The Green Album".

The album opens with the sugary pop of the albums second single "Don't Let Go." With the first "Ohhh oh oh" over churning power chords you know it's definitely Weezer and sounds like something that would fit perfectly on Blue. The song is pretty straight forward with the guitar solo simply restating the vocal parts which seems to happen with a lot of the guitar solos on this disc, not that it's a bad thing. Its really catchy hook laden song that you've come to expect and love from this band. "Photograph" is introduced by some guitar feedback before Coumo's singing backed by hand claps and more "ohh ohhh" break in. Anyone worried about the band not being able to cope with the loss of Matt Sharps backing falsetto harmonies, their fears are for the most part put to rest after hearing these first two tracks.

The first single from the disc "Hash Pipe" is a little bit darker, it's an apparent take on Los Angeles prostitution, ("I can't love my business if I can't get a drink/Down on Santa Monica where tricks are for kids"). The song has already started getting major airplay on radio, being the number one most added song last week to debut at #37 on the Modern rock chart and jumping up to #8 this week. It was also awarded "Airpower/Greatest Gainer/Best 1st Impressions" for the second week in a row. The quieter "Island in the Sun" finds Cuomo daydreaming about running away from everything with his significant other (We'll run away together/We'll spend some time forever/We'll never feel that anymore). "Crab" is one of the odder songs lyrically, but one of the harder edged musically. "Knockdown Drag Out" is a quick and revved up track about a couple in the midst of an argument, and trying to make up.

"Smile" slows things up a little bit, it again finds Cuomo telling the story of a couple trying to rekindle something. "Simple Pages" opens with some serious guitar riffing before the line "gimme some love" and breaks in and is repeated over and over along, it's probably my least favorite track on the album, its by no means a bad song just the weakest on a pretty strong album. "Glorious Day" starts out with a nice slow guitar intro before moving into distorted power chords, as Cuomo sings of a future that he foresees ("glorious children on my mind/glorious wastings of my time/glorious friends we make up/all sane things in life"). The album closer "O' Girlfriend" opens with a similar guitar riff as the previous song, before Cuomo begins to tell of a relationship that has ended. With the said subject left in the sad state of popping pills to mellow out, while sitting alone thinking back to the good ol days and wanting it all back. One of the darker songs and along with "Hash Pipe" one of the only two tracks I could see on their previous album Pinkerton.

Overall the album seems to be a nice mixture of the previous albums, along with a little new stuff sprinkled in just to give a hint of were the band will give us on the next album. The only thing bad I can say about this album, and it's a real stretch, is that it's a little to short. There are only ten tracks, like the previous two albums, and the entire album clocks in around the thirty minute mark, rumor has it that when the band decided to get back into the studio to record this album Rivers had over 100 songs written so why only 10? No matter when this album comes out on May 15 don't hesitate to snatch it up as quickly as possible, it stands head and shoulders above the Creeds and O-towns that are currently populating "pop" radio.


	Steamer Trunk \| home stuff about me \| album reviews \| PS2 game reviews \| pictures \| web watch \| getting in touch Rilo Kiley - Take Offs and Landings \| Slipknot - Iowa \| Ozma - Rock and Roll Part Three \| Ben Folds - Rockin' the Suburbs \| Lit - Atomic \| Garbage - Beautifulgarbage \| The Strokes - Is This It \| Live - V \| Tori Amos - Strange Little Girls \| Jimmy Eat World - Bleed American \| Blink 182 - Take Off Your Pants and Jacket \| Weezer - The Green Album \| Alkaline Trio From Here to Infirmary \| Alkaline Trio - Hell Yes \| American Hi-Fi \| Our Lady Peace - Spiritual Machines \| Aerosmith - Just Push Play \| Dave Matthews Band - Everyday \| Blue Meanies - Post Wave \| Weston - The Massed Albert Sounds \| U2 - All That You Cant Leave Behind \| Green Day - Warning \| Offspring - Conspiracy of One \| Everclear - Songs from an American Movie Vol. 2 \| Radiohead - Kid A \| Limp Bizkit - Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water \| Smashing Pumkins - Machina II \| Superdrag - In The Valley Of Dying Stars \| Voodoo Music Festival Weezer - The Green Album The Return of Weezer Weezer was formed on February 14, 1992 in Los Angeles. Then the band comprised of LA transplants Rivers Cuomo, who moved to LA at the age of 18 to start a band, Guitarist Jason Cropper, bassist Matt Sharp, and drummer Pat Wilson. The band began writing music and playing around local clubs. Despite not having much success at first, the band pressed forward and after just 16 months together, where signed in the post-Nirvana alternative band signing frenzy by Geffen. The band moved to New York to record at the famed Electric Lady studios under producer and former Cars producer Ric Ocasek. During the recording of the self titled debut Weezer, Jason left the band to take care of his girlfriend, who was pregnant with their first child. Jason was replaced by Brian Bell, who had moved from Tennessee where he learnt guitar by playing along to songs on Hee Haw on a ukulele his grandmother won at a bingo game. The debut album was released on May 10, 1994, and was a hit from the start. The quirky first single "Undone - the sweater song" with it's Spike Jonze produced video became a staple on MTV. The bands second single "Buddy Holly" really put the band at the fore front. Spike Jonze again produced the video and created an innovative video that spliced the group into old footage from the sitcom Happy Days, the single quickly became a hit, helping push the album a multi-platinum status. After touring the band took some time off with, Sharp and Wilson going on to form the New Wave revival band the Rentals, which had a hit later that year with "Friends of P." Bell resumed work with a former band of his, the space twins, while Cuomo became a recluse, disappearing to Harvard. Weezer reconvened to record their second album in the early winter of 1995 and the summer of 1996, but this time they were to produce the album themselves. On September 24th 1996, Weezer's much-awaited second LP, entitled Pinkerton, was released. It was the opposite of Weezer; the guitars are more gruff, the lyrics darker and deeper in meaning, and the band's talent and style had matured considerably. The album came out to strong reviews by critics. However the album seemed cursed at the beginning with the security company Pinkerton Service taking umbrage to the name and suing, with legal proceedings shortly after its release. Also in the four years since the release of Weezer the musical taste of the mainstream had changed and the album was all but ignored by fans, MTV and modern rock radio. The band seemed destined to break up after the commercial disappointment of Pinkerton, and the departure of Matt Sharp in 1998, however the album has steadily continue to sell at a moderate level and has now reached gold status and is treated like the holy grail of the emo scene. The band replaced sharp with bassist Mikey Welsh and started playing small shows again before going out on the Warped Tour in 2000, and were shocked by the positive response from both fans and other bands on the tour. The band decided to return to the studio and record their third album again with Ric Ocasek at the helm as producer. Right from the start you no the Weezer of old has returned. The album is again self titled and the cover art for the album closely resembling that of the band's eponymous debut, which is referred to as "The Blue Album" by most fans, a picture of the foursome against a solid backdrop, this time green, hence the title "The Green Album". The album opens with the sugary pop of the albums second single "Don't Let Go." With the first "Ohhh oh oh" over churning power chords you know it's definitely Weezer and sounds like something that would fit perfectly on Blue. The song is pretty straight forward with the guitar solo simply restating the vocal parts which seems to happen with a lot of the guitar solos on this disc, not that it's a bad thing. Its really catchy hook laden song that you've come to expect and love from this band. "Photograph" is introduced by some guitar feedback before Coumo's singing backed by hand claps and more "ohh ohhh" break in. Anyone worried about the band not being able to cope with the loss of Matt Sharps backing falsetto harmonies, their fears are for the most part put to rest after hearing these first two tracks. The first single from the disc "Hash Pipe" is a little bit darker, it's an apparent take on Los Angeles prostitution, ("I can't love my business if I can't get a drink/Down on Santa Monica where tricks are for kids"). The song has already started getting major airplay on radio, being the number one most added song last week to debut at #37 on the Modern rock chart and jumping up to #8 this week. It was also awarded "Airpower/Greatest Gainer/Best 1st Impressions" for the second week in a row. The quieter "Island in the Sun" finds Cuomo daydreaming about running away from everything with his significant other (We'll run away together/We'll spend some time forever/We'll never feel that anymore). "Crab" is one of the odder songs lyrically, but one of the harder edged musically. "Knockdown Drag Out" is a quick and revved up track about a couple in the midst of an argument, and trying to make up. "Smile" slows things up a little bit, it again finds Cuomo telling the story of a couple trying to rekindle something. "Simple Pages" opens with some serious guitar riffing before the line "gimme some love" and breaks in and is repeated over and over along, it's probably my least favorite track on the album, its by no means a bad song just the weakest on a pretty strong album. "Glorious Day" starts out with a nice slow guitar intro before moving into distorted power chords, as Cuomo sings of a future that he foresees ("glorious children on my mind/glorious wastings of my time/glorious friends we make up/all sane things in life"). The album closer "O' Girlfriend" opens with a similar guitar riff as the previous song, before Cuomo begins to tell of a relationship that has ended. With the said subject left in the sad state of popping pills to mellow out, while sitting alone thinking back to the good ol days and wanting it all back. One of the darker songs and along with "Hash Pipe" one of the only two tracks I could see on their previous album Pinkerton. Overall the album seems to be a nice mixture of the previous albums, along with a little new stuff sprinkled in just to give a hint of were the band will give us on the next album. The only thing bad I can say about this album, and it's a real stretch, is that it's a little to short. There are only ten tracks, like the previous two albums, and the entire album clocks in around the thirty minute mark, rumor has it that when the band decided to get back into the studio to record this album Rivers had over 100 songs written so why only 10? No matter when this album comes out on May 15 don't hesitate to snatch it up as quickly as possible, it stands head and shoulders above the Creeds and O-towns that are currently populating "pop" radio.