By Greg Michaels

In the distant year of 1994, a developing young band was preparing to release its debut album and opening for Keanu Reeves’ band, Dogstar, on Hollywood Boulevard. Their music was a blend of alternative rock, pop and what would soon be known as “emo.” Weezer brought this blend to the stage with a dignified sense of awkwardness. Frontman Rivers Cuomo confused audiences with his nerdy appearance and spacey demeanor. Luckily, the band’s undeniable talent did not go unnoticed by certain record executives, and Weezer was soon signed to DGC Records, which later became Interscope Records. Weezer went on to sell millions of records, land a Grammy nomination and appease legions of adoring fans. So how did it all begin?

Weezer’s debut album is aesthetically unique because it’s self-titled, yet almost every Weezer fan refers to it as the “Blue Album.” This is due to the album’s ocean-blue cover art. While the color theme would continue for “Pinkerton” and the “Green Album”(also self-titled), it ceased in the year 2002 with “Maladroit.” Colors aside, Weezer’s “Blue Album” is clearly a modern classic. From the opening chords of “My Name is Jonas” to the fading bass line of “Only in Dreams,” listeners can’t shake the feeling of euphoria that seems to permeate their bones while listening to the “Blue Album.” The record works on so many levels that more recent rock bands must look at it and ask, “How the hell do we do that?” The songs are pop enough to be beaten to death on the radio, yet heavy and atmospheric enough to satisfy fans of more intelligent, hard-hitting rock-‘n’-roll.

At first listen, the 10 songs on the “Blue Album” will probably seem anything but life changing. However, as listeners hear them more and more, they get the feeling that something bigger is going on here. As the album opens, the sweet, chirping acoustic guitars of “My Name is Jones” quickly disintegrate into a driving, monster rock riff. Cuomo’s voice croons delicately and methodically over, under and through the sonic assault: “My name is Jonas / I’m carrying the wheel / Thanks for all you’ve shown us / But this is how we feel” -hardly metaphorical lyrics, yet if listeners pay attention they yearn to learn about Jonas’s story. As more and more of the story is heard, the music makes it more exciting-even if the listener has no clue who the hell Jonas is and why he’s reminiscing about his childhood, they want to find out more.

“No One Else” continues this trend, as Cuomo tells us about a significant other that apparently crossed the line because she can’t adhere to his strict guidelines. You see, Cuomo wants a girl that will laugh for no one else but him, and stay in the house if he’s away-and she just can’t handle that. Cuomo’s response? “And if you see her / Tell her it’s over now.” He’s hardly concerned with breaking her heart himself, so since she’s abandoned his rules he’ll just get someone else to do it. This track begins Weezer’s bizarre, occasional slip into 50s swing music, and it works on every platform of rock. The hooks are catchy, the guitars are an underlying driving force, and Cuomo’s voice delivers sweet, syrupy melodies.

As the record chugs along, “The World Has Turned and Left Me Here” makes a delightfully solemn, melancholy break-up anthem. The drum and guitar parts are simple enough to keep bouncing along to, and Cuomo’s ghostly metaphors are right on-point. “Buddy Holly,” which can be remembered as the band’s second single off the “Blue Album,” was indeed an obvious choice for rock radio. The 50s motif is back, blending high-pitched “woo-oohs” with pounding drums and energetic, distorted guitars. It seems as if the lyrics are imported from times past as well, sung with a certain sense of tradition; in the song, Cuomo and his female friend allegedly cannot escape ridicule and assault.

“Undone (The Sweater Song)” is immediately recognizable to anyone who’s turned on the radio in the past decade. Cuomo bears all here: “If you want to destroy my sweater / Hold this thread as I walk away / Watch me unravel, I’ll soon be naked / Lying on the floor, I’ve come undone.” A creeping clean guitar riff saunters all over the verses of the song, complementing the simple, low chords of the chorus. It may not be rare to find a rock lyricist who is willing to bear all in the wake of a song, but it is certainly uncommon to find one with the raw emotion and sensitivity of Cuomo. As he screams into the microphone and the song breaks down into a whirlwind of hammering bass drums and crunching guitars, listeners fully understand his plight, even if they interpret it as something more personal.

“Surf Wax America” and “In The Garage” are honest, open tracks that show the side of Weezer that just wants to have fun and rock out. “Surf Wax America” simply talks about the joys of surfing rather than driving over an unrelenting speedy riff, and “In the Garage” is Cuomo’s personal anthem. The garage is where he wrote all of his music growing up, as well as listened to his favorite groups such as Kiss. The music in “Garage” is simple and easy enough to listen to, yet brings out the inner child of the listener. It’s like taking out that old rock record that hasn’t been listened to in years and taking it for a spin, remembering the novelty of it all over again.

“Say It Ain’t So” is, without a doubt, the best track on the album and in many fans’ eyes one of the greatest songs of all time. One can feel the track dripping with sentiment as Cuomo nonchalantly describes his fear of alcohol. Fans don’t quite know if he’s talking about his own father (which is unlikely because there is no recorded evidence of alcoholism in his family), about someone else’s father, or alcohol in general: “Somebody’s Heine’ / Is crowdin’ my icebox / Somebody’s cold one / Is givin’ me chills / Guess I’ll just close my eyes.” The track is pure brilliance, its layered guitars and anthemic choruses add flair exactly where it’s necessary. The riff may seem simple at first, but the song is, in reality, carefully arranged and surprisingly detailed.

If “Holiday” doesn’t get stuck in listeners’ heads by the end of the song, they should probably check their pulse to see if they’re alive. Cuomo and Brian Bells’ dancing guitars intertwine with a melody and lyrics that make fans want to run away, as the song describes. It’s a feel-good song with a message of reckless abandon, and after listening to it a few times one will be yelling “heartbeat” emphatically along with Cuomo. “Only In Dreams,” the album’s closing track, is an epic love song about a female infatuation: “Only in dreams / We see what it means / Reach out our hands / Hold on to hers / But when we wake / It’s all been erased / And so it seems / Only in dreams.” The strolling bass line is clearly the most captivating riff on this track, remaining consistent throughout. Eventually, the tune results in a jam of sorts, with the band playing off each other, finally quieting down to an acoustic guitar and that same, happy-go-lucky bass line.

The “Blue Album” truly is unique and ahead of its time. It jump-started the “emo” movement, although most don’t classify Weezer as an “emo” band. It transcends genres and musical tastes. If there were any gripes with the record, it would have to be that the band was lacking in musical experimentation and variety. This was, however, their debut album, and an omission like that is highly excusable.

Weezer is currently in the studio putting the final touches on their sixth studio album. While no one knows any of the song titles or what the record will be called, it’s allegedly set to be released in early 2008. Cuomo is also releasing a collection called “Alone- The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo” featuring demos written and recorded by Cuomo from 1992 to 2007. As fans look forward to these future releases, they should always remember the debut album that started a movement and kick-started Weezer’s accomplished career.

Weezer’s eponymous debut, more commonly known as the “Blue Album” (amazon.com)