So today I was planning on writing about British swagger rock (think Fratelli's and Arctic Monkeys), but then I remembered that I have poor impulse control when it comes to writing, so instead let's talk about Weezer's Blue Album! I'm kind of assuming/hoping that everyone who reads this post is already fairly familiar with the Blue Album, but I love this album, and I've loved it longer than any other album I can think of, and I spent last week hanging out with my brother Evan and singing the Sweater Song over and over, so it's been stuck in my head of late. I hope everyone reading this will be happy to just sit back and remember what is hands down one of the best albums of the 90's.
Since this album isn't exactly new or unheard of, I won't really talk much about what songs you should check out, because you should check out all of them. It's got ten songs, and each and every one of them is great. Personally, I feel like Holiday isn't quite as great as the other songs, but even then, being the weakest song on the album only knocks it down to the level of "pretty great". It's just a rock solid album.
That being said, I do have some personal favorites, which I will of course talk about, because whenever I say "I won't really talk much about what songs you should check out" that's how you know I'm lying. First up, Undone- The Sweater Song. Guys, this song. THIS FREAKING SONG. I challenge you to find anyone who listened to the radio in the mid 90's, anyone at all, who cannot identify that riff as soon as the first three chords drop. I still have all the party conversations at the beginning of the song memorized, let alone the actual lyrics. This is the song that everyone can and should mumble incoherently along with whenever it comes on, because it's the best song.
This next song I actually didn't care about all that much until I started re-listening to the Blue album a few years ago, after semi-forgetting about it for a few years before that. According to Rivers Cuomo, No One Else is a song about "the jealous-obsessive asshole in me freaking out on my girlfriend", which didn't really make an impact on me when I was 10, and listening to the album on repeat. However, since then, it's become one of my favorite tracks. For one thing, it's super catchy and has great instruments (of course), but also the message kind of lingers with me more than I'd like to admit; I mean, I don't even have any ladies in my life right now. BUT, when it comes down to it, No One Else is about how easy it is to be a colossal dick, and then look around and wonder where everyone went. Literally about that, since it's followed by The World Has Turned, which is "the same asshole wondering why she's gone". It's a good song to keep in mind when you're having an argument and losing.
Lastly, In the Garage. This song is special to me, and it kind of needs some context for my love of this song to make sense. Around the time that I turned ten or eleven, my brother Evan moved out of the house. He was seventeen, so it wasn't exactly unexpected, but it was partially precipitated because he was having almost constant arguments with our step mom. Basically, he would either be at school, listening to Metallica and Weezer in our shared room, or getting into shouting matches with her. It wasn't exactly pleasant, and honestly I think that moving out when he did worked out best for everyone involved. However, while that was happening, In the Garage became a way to escape for him, and given how uncomfortable I was with being in the middle of things, I was pretty happy to latch onto any form of escapism available, so In the Garage ended up becoming one of my go-to songs when I needed to hide from life. It's been almost ten years since that was going on, and for the most part everyone involved gets along nicely now, but In the Garage is still one of my brightest memories from the time. It's nice to have a place you can belong to.
So anyway, the Blue Album. It's really good, everyone should listen to it, here's a link to a full playlist if you don't own it. I really don't know what else to say. I love this album, guys. I wanted to remind you all how good it is.
And also, here's a bonus song! I don't listen to a ton of Janis, but I do love Piece of my Heart, and I was thinking about her a bit when I wrote my post of folk music a couple weeks ago. She definitely was more psychedelic than folk, but she was also awesome, and Piece of my Heart is ALSO awesome, so let's go listen to it some more. Music is great!
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