Weezer (Green Album)

Description

Weezer’ssecondself-titled album (2001) and third overall, collectively known as theGreen Album, nearly never came to pass. The band had all but broken apart, with leader Rivers Cuomo choosing to go back to college and the other members dismayed at the initial reception to 1996’sPinkerton. Persuaded at the turn of the century to return to the concert stage, the foursome launched one of the most enduring comeback stories in history, and in the process, penned 75 songs, the choicest of which grace 2001’s concise, tightly playedGreen Album.

That nearly everything onGreen Album from the cover to the producer (The Cars’Ric Ocasek) to sonics reflects those ofWeezer’sblockbuster 1994 debut isn’t merely coincidence. The quartet, not yet realizing thatPinkertonhad already become a cult classic (and, soon after, would be hailed as one of the most prized albums of its generation), intentionally pursued a back-to-basics approach that echoed its roots. Unadorned simplicity, skyscraper-sized hooks, and short-but-sweet arrangements are the hallmarks here, each a signpost on how rock albums can work their way into a listener’s head and provide limitless satisfaction.

Akin to its sibling efforts,Green Albumwouldn’t be the same devoid of Cuomo’s lyrics, which exude charming personality and boyish awkwardness. Absent the heart-on-a-sleeve obviousness of the fare ofPinkerton, the material here echoes with a related emotional universality whereby romantic yearning, fear of rejection, and getaway fantasies spark with the winking promise of enthusiasm and attainment. There’s a reason every passage remains so accessible; playfulness and wryness abound. Power-pop efforts don’t come more perfect.

1. Don’t Let Go
2. Photograph
3. Hash Pipe
4. Island in the Sun
5. Crab
6. Knock-Down Drag-Out
7. Smile
8. Simple Pages
9. Glorious Day
10. O Girlfriend