Anniversary Albums
6 illinoisentertainer . com november 2024
WEEZER Weezer ( aka The Blue Album ) 30th Ann . Super Deluxe
( Geffen / UMe )
Any credible list of influential ’ 90s alternative rock albums will begin with Nirvana ’ s indisputable Nevermind . Other slots are reserved for favorites such as Smashing Pumpkins , Pearl Jam , Sleater-Kinney , Radiohead , Green Day , etc . If there ’ s a Mt . Rushmore for the Alternative Nation , Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo ’ s likeness deserves to be etched upon it . The band ’ s self-titled debut , known as The Blue Album , is the one that cements his position , and the album ’ s 30th anniversary is celebrated with this lavish Super Deluxe box set that reveals its origin story . “ If you want to destroy my sweater , pull this thread as I walk away ,” sings Cuomo atop grinding power chords during their debut single and anthem to insecurity , “ Undone – The Sweater Song .” The box ’ s wraparound design is an image of a sweater front in sky-blue yarn , with a physical strand of black yarn dangling from Weezer ’ s flying W logo for you to tug . Lift the garage door inside the box to reveal Weezer ’ s rehearsal space and the slacker haven described in “ In My Garage .” You ’ ll find a pinback button featuring drummer Patrick Wilson ’ s “ Bokkus ” cartoon character and a 12-sided die for your next all-night session of Dungeons & Dragons . The main album has remained reliably in print and available on vinyl for many years , including a 2016 Abbey Road remaster . There are still ample reasons that a fan would covet this set , including a fresh remastering job from original source tapes . Staples , including the innocent yet defiant “ Buddy Holly ” ( a favorite of producer and Cars bandleader Ric Ocasek during studio sessions that Cuomo was reluctant to include ) and the troubled portrait of life with an alcoholic parent “ Say It Ain ’ t So ” benefit from additional body and bite . You can crank “ My Name is Jonas ” and sing along to the cathartic chorus of “ the workers are going home ” every Friday at 5 PM while air-drumming along to the emboldened thunder of Wilson ’ s percussion . The Blue Album ’ s fusion of pop melody , youthful angst , bone-crunching drums , lumbering bass , and chugging guitars rings unabashedly with the influence of predecessors , including the Pixies , the Cars , Sonic Youth , and Kiss . Wilson ’ s mosh-pit cadence drives the frenetic “ Surf Wax America ,” given breathing room by bassist Matt Sharp ’ s falsetto harmonies in the song ’ s dramatic breakdown . Three additional LPs and a 7 ” record tell the band ' s story before Brian Bell ’ s arrival , and Cuomo ’ s guitar is still sparred from that of founding member Jason Cropper . The Kitchen Tape Demos helped the band get showcase gigs around Hollywood in 1992 . Five of the eight songs made it to the final album , including sinewy prototype versions of “ Say It Ain ’ t So ” and “ Undone – The Sweater Song .” Songs left behind include the catchy “ Thief , You ’ ve Taken All That Was Me ,” which seems to borrow equally from Rick Springfield and Blue Öyster Cult . The “ My Name is Jonas ” demo is stripped to its acoustic roots but is delivered with feral energy . “ Let ’ s Sew Our Pants Together ” balances the Violent Femmes ’ acoustic punk and Soundgarden ’ s throaty grunge . With its foundation of acoustic guitar and a prominent wah-wah guitar solo , the demo version of “ The World Has Turned and Left Me Here " lands in early Pearl Jam territory . An LP of 13 live recordings captured by faithful friend and eventual archivist Karl Koch charts the band ’ s evolution as performers and its rise through Sunset Strip clubs , including the Coconut Teaszer and Club Lingerie . Six of the main album ’ s ten songs appear alongside a cheeky , metal-infused jam built around the riff to The Doobie Brothers ’ “ China Grove .” “ Rock music , everybody . That ’ s rock music ,” says a
Continued on page 8