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One of my favourite albums of all time

“ On May 10, 1994, DGC Records released “Weezer”, the self-titled debut album by Weezer. The story has been told and re-told many times, but the crux of it was that no one thought it would do very well, even though all the band and the band’s small inner circle felt they’d made a really good album. The assumption was that people would say “who?” and laugh at the audacity of a new band putting out a debut album on a major label, with no fan base, no single out, nothing.

And… that’s exactly what happened! For a while anyway. 90 copies sold the first week (just who were the 45 people we *didn’t* know who had bought it knowing nothing about the contents?), and a steady trickle after that, as we drove around in our van playing such illustrious gigs as opening up for a screening of “Rollerball”, playing an actual battle of the bands (and not winning), and playing for less than 0 paying customers (it’s unclear how we got to “-2 sold”, but that’s what the promoter said…)

Finally, after a few months, 107 The End in Seattle started playing “Undone”. Before that only a handful of college stations were even dabbling with the record. Things escalated quickly after that. KROQ Los Angeles added Undone, Undone got a video which MTV played, opening for Lush, lines of kids at the shows, switching from van to bus to keep up with the schedule, opening for Live, Buddy Holly video… and so on – and on, and on!

What else is there to say but thank you for the decades of love and support from all the fans, colleagues, friends and family?
Well, there is something else to say, in fact!

The Blue Album was Weezer‘s first album of course, but it wasn’t their first *attempt* at making an album. Check out this recording of "My Name Is Jonas" from what became known as "The Kitchen Tape", recorded in the summer of 1992 at our home/rehearsal space in West LA. Most of the self produced Kitchen Tape songs have never been officially released, including this song. Happy 30th birthday to the Blue Album!”

My Name is Jonas kitchen tape

You cant whack the greatest hits tho..
https://youtu.be/dbu1RTS4Ans?feature=shared

Maybe it was mostly a backlash from the grunge era, but Weezer and PUSA somehow just felt really fresh back then.

Btw, when I got a new computer in 1997 or so, it came with some sort of Microsoft sample CD-ROM that included the "Buddy Holly" video in what then was incredibly super high-def quality.

interceptör wrote: ↑

Sat May 11, 2024 12:26 am

Maybe it was mostly a backlash from the grunge era, but Weezer and PUSA somehow just felt really fresh back then.

Btw, when I got a new computer in 1997 or so, it came with some sort of Microsoft sample CD-ROM that included the "Buddy Holly" video in what then was incredibly super high-def quality.

I remember this damn, what a throwback

i'm a bit weird on weezer nowadays because i find them to be an absolute russian roulette of quality. however, even i'd be lying if i said this album doesn't still hold up really well.

s_mcsleazy wrote: ↑

Sun May 12, 2024 1:47 am

i'm a bit weird on weezer nowadays because i find them to be an absolute russian roulette of quality. however, even i'd be lying if i said this album doesn't still hold up really well.

I'm seeing them next month with Smashing Pumpkins and it really is the most Russian Roulette gig I'll have gone to.

welshywelsh wrote: ↑

Sun May 12, 2024 4:52 am

s_mcsleazy wrote: ↑

Sun May 12, 2024 1:47 am

i'm a bit weird on weezer nowadays because i find them to be an absolute russian roulette of quality. however, even i'd be lying if i said this album doesn't still hold up really well.

I'm seeing them next month with Smashing Pumpkins and it really is the most Russian Roulette gig I'll have gone to.

yeah. if you wanted the ultimate russian roulette gig, throw pearl jam onto the bill

Thanks for posting. I enjoyed the link. Weezer songs always take me back.

s_mcsleazy wrote: ↑

Sun May 12, 2024 9:31 am

welshywelsh wrote: ↑

Sun May 12, 2024 4:52 am

s_mcsleazy wrote: ↑

Sun May 12, 2024 1:47 am

i'm a bit weird on weezer nowadays because i find them to be an absolute russian roulette of quality. however, even i'd be lying if i said this album doesn't still hold up really well.

I'm seeing them next month with Smashing Pumpkins and it really is the most Russian Roulette gig I'll have gone to.

yeah. if you wanted the ultimate russian roulette gig, throw pearl jam onto the bill

In Chicago, at least, the third act is Green Day. Seems to fit the...bill.

s_mcsleazy wrote: ↑

Sun May 12, 2024 1:47 am

i'm a bit weird on weezer nowadays because i find them to be an absolute russian roulette of quality.

It's not russian roulette IMO, EVERYTHING they do nowadays is shit. They were a perfect band for two albums + accompanying singles and B-sides, and then they turned into 100% dogshit.
This SNL skit isn't even funny because it's so accurate.

To be honest, I was more than surprised to hear they were still active. I don't think I've anything about them this side of 2YK.

This is still one of my favorite albums of all time, I can never grow tired of it. It's 100% killer and 0% filler from start to finish. I was hooked from the very first time I saw "Undone" on MTV.
I would definitely go see them play Blue in its entirety, they do seem to be a pretty tight live band, and from what I've seen they still play the old songs like they did back in the day. It's weird, even though they've consistently kept putting out pure garbage ever since Matt Sharp left, I still consider myself a Weezer fan. The sheer genius of the first two albums far outweighs all the crap, one "Surf Wax America" makes up for a thousand "Pork and Beans".

mynameisjonas wrote: ↑

Mon May 13, 2024 4:52 am

s_mcsleazy wrote: ↑

Sun May 12, 2024 1:47 am

i'm a bit weird on weezer nowadays because i find them to be an absolute russian roulette of quality.

It's not russian roulette IMO, EVERYTHING they do is shit. They were a perfect band for two albums + accompanying singles and B-sides, and then they turned into 100% dogshit.
This SNL skit isn't even funny because it's so accurate.

It's not everything if they were perfect for two albums

interceptör wrote: ↑

Sat May 11, 2024 12:26 am

Maybe it was mostly a backlash from the grunge era, but Weezer and PUSA somehow just felt really fresh back then.

It's interesting, grunge is viewed as synonymous with the nineties, but really a lot of it was hangover from the late eighties. I think bands like Weezer or the Presidents, or even bands like Green Day or the Lemonheads with their irreverence were far more reflective of the nineties cultural zeitgeist, if someone asked me what nineties guitar bands sounded like I'd probably point to them rather than most of the grunge bands.

Also, I know this record is a bit divisive, but I really, really like the Green Album. It does nothing revolutionary, it's formulaic (but almost conceptually so), it's really sugary and bubblegum, but it's a very very good guitar pop record and I think probably every track from it could've been a single.

welshywelsh wrote: ↑

Mon May 13, 2024 6:21 am

mynameisjonas wrote: ↑

Mon May 13, 2024 4:52 am

s_mcsleazy wrote: ↑

Sun May 12, 2024 1:47 am

i'm a bit weird on weezer nowadays because i find them to be an absolute russian roulette of quality.

It's not russian roulette IMO, EVERYTHING they do is shit. They were a perfect band for two albums + accompanying singles and B-sides, and then they turned into 100% dogshit.
This SNL skit isn't even funny because it's so accurate.

It's not everything if they were perfect for two albums

Everything they do, not everything they've done.

I will admit to one exception though, I am the greatest man that ever lived, which, with a slightly dirtier production style, would have fit right in on Songs From the Black Hole, the scrapped rock opera idea that instead became Pinkerton.