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Weezer (Blue Album)

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Template:Album infobox 2 Weezer, commonly referred to as "The Blue Album," is the debut album by the band Weezer, released May 10, 1994. Weezer is also the name of their 2001 "comeback" album, better known as The Green Album. The most popular songs on The Blue Album are "Buddy Holly" and "Undone (The Sweater Song)", and to a lesser extent "Say It Ain't So", all of which were released as singles. The album was produced by former Cars frontman, Ric Ocasek and much of that earlier band's influence can be heard on the record.

"Undone (The Sweater Song)" was released as the first single. Spike Jonze directed the music video produced for the track. It featured Weezer performing on a sound stage and documented various recording studio antics, with a pack of dogs eventually swarming the set.

Jonze also directed the band's second video for "Buddy Holly." The video featured Weezer spliced with episodes of the television sitcom Happy Days and arguably pushed the band to mainstream success.

Directed by Sophie Muller, "Say It Ain't So" reached arguably less success as a video. It featured bandmates playing hacky sack and performing the track.

The art on the album jacket is similar to the art on the Feelies' first album Crazy Rhythms, which can be counted as one of the work's major stylistic predecessors.

As of October 2005, the album had sold 3,004,160 copies in the U.S., where it peaked in February 1995 at #16. It is currently certified 3 times platinum, making it Weezer's all-time best seller.

This album was also re-released and repackaged in 2004 as a "Deluxe Edition" which included a second disc of B-sides and other rarities that the band had yet to release on an officially released album. The re-issue sold 69,778 copies.

Track listing

All songs by Rivers Cuomo, except where noted.

  1. "My name is Jonas" (Rivers Cuomo/Patrick Wilson/Jason Cropper) - 3:24
  2. "No one else" - 3:04
  3. "The World has turned and left me here" (Rivers Cuomo/Patrick Wilson) - 4:19
  4. "Buddy Holly" - 2:39
  5. "Undone - the Sweater song" - 5:05
  6. "Surf Wax America" (Rivers Cuomo/Patrick Wilson) - 3:06
  7. "Say it ain't so" - 4:18
  8. "In the garage" - 3:55
  9. "Holiday" - 3:24
  10. "Only in dreams" - 7:59

Trivia

  • Founding guitarist Jason Cropper left the band during the production of this record and was replaced by current guitarist Brian Bell. This has led to some speculation about how much contribution Bell makes to the music that's heard on the record. While you can clearly hear Bell's vocals (especially on "No One Else," "In the Garage" and "Undone") according to John D. Luerssen's book Rivers' Edge: The Weezer Story front man Rivers Cuomo re-recorded all of Cropper's guitar parts. According to album producer Ric Ocasek, Rivers laid down all ten tracks in one day in one take.
  • According to Cuomo, the tracks "No One Else" and "The World Has Turned and Left Me Here" are written about one situation. According to Cuomo "No One Else" describes "the jealous-obsessive asshole in me freaking out on my girlfriend" and "The World Has Turned..." describes "the same asshole wondering why she's gone."
  • Two tracks on the album deal with Cuomo's family. Cuomo states "My Name is Jonas" "explains how 'the plan' is reaming us all. Especially my brother." The song refers to an automobile accident his brother Leaves suffered in 1992 while studying at Oberlin College. "Say It Ain't So" is about River's obsessing that his father figures were alchoholics.
  • Cuomo has compared their breakout hit "Undone (The Sweater Song)" to "the feeling you get when the train stops and the little guy comes knockin' on your door," citing that, "It's supposed to be a sad song, but everyone think it's hilarious."
  • "Holiday" and "In the Garage" were written in Rivers' jubliance after being signed to Geffen Records.
  • "Buddy Holly" describes a platonic relationship that Rivers had in high school with a young-looking Asian girl (thus, "your tongue is twisted/your eyes are slit"). The duo were frequently made fun of, yet the song describes how he "doesn't care what they say about us anyway."
  • The voices talking in the intro and middle of "Undone" are bassist Matt Sharp (he does the "Hey, brah! How we doin', man?" part), the band's ultimate right hand man Karl Koch (doing all the "yeah"s and "alright"s) and the late Mykel Allan, who started the official Weezer fanclub and ran the "Weezine" in the mid-90s.
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