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Weezer rawks!!! Finally, after 5 years of waiting, hoping and praying, the gods of cool-by-way-of dorky have returned! The new album, also known as the "green album" is a return to their simplistic sing-a-long style of their first self-titled album.Their second album, Pinkerton was deemed a commercial failure, though it remained a favorite to devoted fans. This was largely due to the experimental nature of the album, and the introspective nature of Rivers Cuomo's highly personal lyrics.
Pinkerton's failure bothered Rivers to the extent that he disappeared after tourring and hid out at Harvard. In 1998, bassist Matt Sharp left to work full time with his other project, The Rentals (which have dropped off the face of the planet.) All seemed lost for awhile. Finally, Rivers left his rut, the band (rounded out by guitarist Brian Bell and drummer Pat Wilson) hired Juliana Hatfield bassist Mikey Welsh. Rivers began writing like has never written before, and finally, after a half-decade of waiting, we see Weezer album #3!
This is tried-and-true stripped down rock n' roll to the core. Nothing complicated, no tempo changes, no arcane lyrics about lesbians or Japanese girlfriends... this is a VERY SIMPLE 10 song (not even 30-minute) blast of rock! High level of sing-a-long! Don't Let Go, Glorious Days, Knock-Down Drag-Out, and Simple Pages are pure anthemic rock tunes from guys who obviously grew up listening to KISS and Quiet Riot. Photograph harkens back to the good ol' days of '60s skiffle-esque cheesy pop rock. Hand claps, back-up vocals complete with woo-hoos, cheesy lyrics, and a catch riff. It is pure "Love Me Do" era Beatles and Paul Revere and the Raiders. Cheesy pop-rock tunes that you can picture hundreds of teenage girls screaming to. A gem on this album, which will no-doubt become a classic, Island In The Sun, is a mellow groover with an addictive riff and the "hip hip." And then there's there is "Hash Pipe" an anthem of individuality, which has such a sick riff, catchy chorus, high-pitch Rivers' vocals, and just plain rocks the house. This song makes you want to jump around the room, especially when the solo kicks in.
This album is so great! The problem... its too goddamn short!!! It sucks for Weezer fans waiting 5 years to hear a 29 minute album. What makes it worse is that it is SOOO good too, that its shortness is really disappointing. Also, some fans may dislike the poppier, less sincere attitude that Rivers chose to convey on this record. While this is true, and those who look to relate to the sadness of Pinkerton won't find it here. However, this is quite possibly an album that can save rock. While Nine Inch Nails, Smashing Pumpkins, and the like were to be saviors of rock, they failed due to their respective musics' complexity and intricacy (which in NO WAY is bad.) But what Weezer does right for rock is to return back to the basics. Strip it down, and show the world, once again, how to R-O-C-K ! ! ! ! ! !
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