The Blue Album at 30
There are probably very few, if any, albums that have impacted and influenced my life more than the debut album from California rockers Weezer. Released on May 10, 1994, the self-titled debut album from this quintet of nerds from Southern California was not expected to do much of anything. In their anniversary post about the album, the band admitted as much in the oft-told reflection of the record’s release. “…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.”
The DGC Records release produced by The Cars’ Ric Ocasic was released at a very interesting time in the history of popular music, particularly rock music. The 80’s “hair metal”/hard rock era that long held a stranglehold on MTV, radio, and pop culture was pretty much out of gas as we were well past two years since the release of Nirvana’s Nevermind. “Alternative”music, such as it was, had taken over as the dominant rock genre, and bands like Weezer were getting signed left and right.
The release of Weezer’s debut album coincided with the heyday of the compact disc format. College students, high school students, and music collectors were flocking to this versatile digital format. Used CD shops were as common as new record stores, and albums released during this time had a high chance of selling hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of copies. This favorable market condition undoubtedly contributed to the eventual commercial success of Weezer’s debut album.
But in that first week, the record sold 90 copies.
Eventually, of course, college and alt radio stations started playing undone the sweater song, and of course, the famous video for Buddy Holly directed by a Spike Jonze went into heavy rotation on MTV changing the trajectory of the album and the course of history.
I vaguely remember a time between first hearing Undone, purchasing the album on CD, and listening to it constantly. I seemingly became a mega fan overnight with the blue album becoming some thing of my go to record. I saw the band on that tour, which only solidified my love for them.
It’s no secret that 1994 is my favorite year for music maybe my favorite year ever. So many important records came out during that year records that I still listen to today and then informed my musical taste since then. Previously, I had been into hard rock with Guns N’ Roses being my favorite band that all changed with never mind, and I still liked some hard rock and pop and even some 90s country alternative music became my default. 80s hard rock was defined by its hedonism and it’s over the top sexuality. It was escapism music while I enjoyed some of it I never identified with it. I didn’t do hard drugs. I didn’t have sex with supermodels I didn’t ride around in limos on the Sunset strip. I like that Tommy Lee and Axl Rose did that, but it wasn’t me. And even though I was angsty and angry, I wasn’t Kurt Cobain either. What I was was a geek who liked music who had posters on my wall who played video games finally I found music that I did closely identify with rivers Brian, Matt and Pat looked like me. They look like people. I knew they talked like people I hung around with, they sang about things that made sense to me.
The blue album is full of big riffs, fun lyrics, catchy melodies everything that I really love about music. Undone was literally a night out, hanging out at parties talking to people having mundane conversations. Buddy Holly was a while trip with crazy lyrics and insane video, crushing guitars, soaring harmonies, and the crazy guitar interlude in the middle.
Gen Xers like myself raised on albums. We were trained to listen to albums as a singular piece of art from front to back CD or convenient. That was the way you typically listen to them. Singles were important, but not as much as they would be later after the digital revolution with Napster and eventually iTunes , and then TikTok. And that’s how I consumed this record and its entirety from front to back many many times. My name is Jonas with it. Open guitar and building chorus was the perfect opener. It drew you in and made you want to listen to the rest. No one else follows the opener with a blistering guitar sound. it was my favorite song in the album for a long time. It’s a song of longing and pining for love some thing that every nerdy high school kid could relate to. The world has turned and left me with that signature drum opening, crunchy guitar was slower and moodier than much of the album reflecting some of that angst that would come to defying our generation. And signature Weezer style this is followed up with Buddy Holly. The ultimate have fun party song.
Say it Ain’t So, in the back half of the album became a signature song for the band. Its slow meandering intro leading to a Creep like chorus was reminiscence of the soft, loud, soft loud structure that defined nirvana’s music.
Surf wax America and Holliday are fun melodic songs more in line with Buddy Holly and while not hits are just as good and memorable as the bigger songs from the record. in the garage and only in dreams are slower, heavier, more plotting songs like undone or the world has turned that help strike an interesting balance to a perfect record.
Even 30 years later, this record sounds exciting and vibrant. Well, in many ways it’s a record of its time. It does have one of those indefinable qualities that makes it timeless to me. This is a 10 out of 10 I can listen to it anytime in any mood and it will put a smile on my face , this has been with me and this band have been with me for the better part of my life my son my friends are fans and I found a community in Weezer fan club. Hapy 30th anniversary Blue album!
