The Blue Album is Weezer's first eponymous release, and referred to in this way to disambiguate it from The Green Album, another eponymous release which came seven years later. The band consisted of Rivers Cuomo (Lead Vocals, Lead Guitar, Keyboards), Patrick Wilson (Percussion), Brian Bell (Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals), and Matt Sharp (Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals).
The first release by Weezer definitely sounds like a first release. It's rough around all the edges, it's immature, and most of the songs are little more than catchy. Which is, of course, why I love it. It shows a wonderfully reckless disregard for the polished kind of music I'm used to hearing, and while the music is basic it does exactly what it means to do, which is to entertain. The first song, "My Name Is Jonas", is one of the stronger tracks on the record, with a funky little acoustic intro, the theme of which makes it into the solo-like bridge, which is my favourite piece of guitar work on the album. I can't call it a solo, because there's one guitar laying down a constant droning rhythm while another guitar slowly builds on top.
Other positives on the album include the bass-heavy "Only In Dreams", one of few seven-minute songs I'm willing to listen all the way through, and "Say It Aint So", purely for the chorus. I always wonder why I'm listening to the song, and then the chorus hits me and I remember. The weaker songs on the album are tracks like "No One Else", and "Surf Wax America", which are like the Pringles of the album. They're kind of entertaining, but there's a complete lack of substance in them. "Buddy Holly" fits this bill too.
Personally, I get a kick out of this album. It's catchy, and I enjoy listening to it. It's not an amazing piece of brilliant work that will last for the ages, but I don't think it was ever meant to be. So if you listen to music to enjoy it, and not just to marvel at it, you should definitely be listening to this album.
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