Weezer’s self-titled album a.k.a. The Red Album

If your age bracket today is about 25 to 30, chances are you have listened to Weezer when you were in high school. My most favorite track would have  to be Pink Triangle, off their 2nd album – Pinkerton. Released in 1996, I would have to be in 2nd year high school then. NU107 was still being broadcast live in my province down south, they always play that track. and i went to an all-girl school, and i wore a Pink uniform. anyways, I am sure you have your favorite Weezer track too.

Weezer is like your next-door neighbor band.  They are simple but distinct. Rivers is a genius.. I noticed they didn’t change their style that much, from the self-titled Blue Album to the Green album. But they have been amazing to keep it catchy and unique most of the time, song-writing-wise, Rivers Cuomo gets better at every album they release. The best part of course was that it sold like pancakes. They were dubbed phenomenal in the 90’s.  They’re a success story. From being “nerds” to being a bunch of hotshots in Hollywood.

Last June 3rd, 2008 Weezer released their sixth studio album, self-titled, also called the red album This new album though has a twist; a change.  Rivers Cuomo’s bandmates contributed songs. Scott Scheiner, bassist co-wrote “Cold Dark World” and also shared vocal duty with Cuomo. Brian Bell also did the vocals in “Thought I knew” a song originally written for his side-band The Relationship. and “Automatic” is sung by Patrick Wilson. I don’t think it worked for the critics though because the band had received bad reviews because of these, especially Brian Bell’s “Thought I knew.” But then again, they’re a legend now, they can pretty much do whatever they please. Personally though, the track “Thought I knew” made me double check if I’m really listening to a Weezer’s album. It just don’t seem like the Weezer I knew. Not to worry though because the album has great surprises, the track The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (Variations in a Shaker), a track that doesn’t follow the verse-chorus-verse variation — is definitely awesome, it’s terrific! it becomes kind of theatrical as Rivers go “If you don’t like it, you can shove it / but you don’t like it / you love it / I’ll be up here in a rage / until they bring the curtain down the (stage)” If you like to trip on Weezer’s old style, you have to hear Dreamin’, the lyrics is  kind of Beatles-que and it’s a great wake-up music. ‘reminds me of The Beatle’s I’m Only Sleeping but the track on my mind is The Vine’s cover version.

Anyway, the carrier single Pork and Beans is also a treat. It sounds like an attack to Record Companies: “Timbaland knows the way to reach the top of the charts / maybe if I work with him I can perfect the art / Immu’ do the things I wanna’ do / I ain’t got a thing to  prove to you…” The video is very funny and quirky, It’s a YouTube parody.  The track was apparently chosen by Geffen to be the carrier single. It was recorded last, under a close watch of Geffen A&R Irishman Lee. Originally, the band chose Troublemaker as a carrier
single. an up-beat track wherein Rivers is somehow telling us to be ourselves and not give up: Rivers put it simply in a biographic way “Put me in a special school/ ‘Cos I am such a fool / And I don’t need a single book /To teach me how to read / Who needs stupid books? / They are for petty crooks / And I will learn / By studying / The lesson in my dreams / Turn off the TV / ‘Cos that’s what others see…” It’s a hilarious track, if you ask me.  Meanwhile, “Heart Songs” is a pop ballad. Rivers’ tribute to the musicians that influenced him from all those years. The Angel and The One starts off with a slow  tempo and it’ll catch up a little in the Chorus. It’s a song about inner peace and this could be a soundtrack to a movie about civil wars or something.

Aside from the tracks that are uniquely Weezer, what’s more interesting too is the album cover. It’s like their first album’s cover (popularly known as the blue album) only the background is Red. It’s like a statement saying: that’s what we were before, and this is how we are now, almost the same and there’s little bit of difference. If you ask me if you should buy the album? I say go get a copy! especially the deluxe version which has four additional tracks (Miss Sweeney, Pig, King and The Spider). A thing you might want to remember though: Don’t mind the bad reviews.