Weezer Red Album

I’LL EAT MY CANDY WITH THE PORK AND BEANS

The one thing you can be rest assured with every new Weezer release is half the fan base is going to whine and complain and the other half is going to take the album just for what it is: rocking, quirky, and often hilarious pop-rock awesomeness. The Red Album is definitely a different direction for the band, especially with the lead vocals being sung by all members at least once on the album, but this should come as no surprise. Pat and Brian both have side projects and their songs on here definitely have their own unique twist.TRA gives us Weezer fanatics another peering into the mind of the rock genius Rivers Cuomo, and has a nice meshing of many of the previous albums' styles. Songs like "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived" and "The Angel and the One" have a great Pinkerton vibe, while "Pork and Beans" sounds like it is straight off of Maladroit. "Dreamin" and "Heart Songs" remind me of Make Believe, "Troublemaker" has a bit of a Blue Album feel. All the songs are fun and unique in their own way, and you will not find yourself wincing at the lyrics as you may have with some of the more formulaic rock-pop that the Weez has released in the past.All in all, this is definitely a different album (some say experimental) but if you love Weezer, it is a must have. Very strongly convinced that this album rests comfortably at 3rd place behind Blue and Pinkerton. It'll grow on you, just like Make Believe. =w=

Some say it takes time to appreciate a good album. Well, this surely counts for Weezer's Red Album.I bought it as soon as it was available, listened to it a few times and sais: "All right, but I've heard better", and let it aside. A few months later I put in my cd-player and then..WOW. What a sound."Troublemaker" is a good introduction. "The greatest man that ever lived" is just plain wonderful, with different styles mixed in one song and so making Weezer's own Bohemian Rhapsody.In the cynical "Pork and beans" Cuomo gets his way by 'doing his own things'. And "Heart song", beautiful "Heart songs", excellent."Dreaming" is a very nice song, altough it sounds weird to hear Cuomo (over 30) sing about that he doesn't like to do what teacher or father tells him to do. "Thought I knew" is a lesser track, but the album closes with the astonishing "The angel and the one".Weezer has continued the anti-establishment themes which they enrolled on "Make believe". But apart from that, they are experimenting with different styles and tunes. They did this once before on "Pinkerton" and got blasted away. Not this time, I hope they will continue this musical path.

For the better part of a decade, Weezer has employed a nearly scientific power-pop formula. Cuomo began this exploration on "Weezer[green]," and, in my opinion, was hugely successful on that release. The albums that followed had varying degrees of success. However, that album's predecessor, "Pinkerton," hinted at a more ambitious and experimental approach that was abandoned after Matt Sharp's departure. "Weezer[red]" signals a return to this eclectic aspect of the band, although one tempered by a more mature and experienced Weezer than "Pinkerton" had to offer. As a result, there is a lot that I like about "Weezer[red]."This maturity is most obviously represented in the lyrics. In their early days, Weezer's lyrical content centered on reconciling the issues that youth bestows on the young adult. As the group has aged, this viewpoint has become less and less believable, culminating in the surprisingly uneven lyrics of "Make Believe." "Weezer[red]" reexamines their earlier approach, but with the perspective of nearing forty rather than thirty. Rather than lamenting the trials of youth, it seems that Cuomo is looking at the potentiality of fatherhood and aging with a healthy sense of nostalgia and self-reflection. Looking back fondly at his own life, he seems to be constantly questioning how he can preserve his youthful identity without "selling out."However, it is unfair to only focus on Cuomo's contribution on "Weezer[red]." Much has been made in the media of his loosening of the compositional reins. Although the results are periodically uneven, the album's overall feeling of enthusiasm is palpable. I was intrigued by this collaborative approach: it came at a time when I was lamenting the "good old days," in which members of bands like the Beatles and Queen shared songwriting and performance responsibilities as a matter of course. While it might be bold to singularly compare "Weezer[red]" to these classics, seeing songwriting credits and singing drummers certainly harkens back to the more adventurous days of collaborative songwriting, as opposed to the "songwriting machines" that we so commonly see today.There are several examples of the band intentionally straying from Cuomo's pop formula, particularly on "I am the Greatest Man That Ever Lived" and "Dreamin'." These songs, as well as others, challenge the Weezer formula in the same way that the lyrics redefine the image of the band. In light of these challenges, the band also delivers some very personal songs. In particular, "Heart Songs" is really moving. In an attempt to write a tune about all of the tunes that created his musical identity, Cuomo has inadvertently done a "roll call" on many of the bands that I related to as I grew up. It brings a tear to my voyeuristic eye as he realizes his own voice in the narrative.As far as "singles" go, (whatever that means today), "Pork and Beans" is a prime example of the Weezer-pop formula. As such, it belongs to a tradition of songs that reaches back to "Buddy Holly" from "Weezer[blue]." The video is a wonderful homage to Weezer's cleverest visual work, and well worth checking out (especially if you are a YouTube junkie like me). Do it now. Seriously.The Lowdown: Unlike its sometimes unlistenable predecessor "Make Believe," "Weezer[red]" is an entertaining album that becomes more enjoyable as it becomes more familiar. However, the piece of the puzzle that is missing on "Weezer[red]" is Matt Sharp. If he were still in the mix, "Weezer[red]" would be earth-shattering. Even so, it's the best thing that the band has done in a long time. Also: buy this deluxe version. The four songs only reinforce the "Pinkerton" comparisons.

I really enjoy this record, plus I like the time it came out and the video for Pork and Beans that won a grammy, I think this record has a lot to offer, one of my favorite songs here: "Dreaming' and" "Heart Song ". "Thought I Knew" and "Cold Dark World" too! This album is a bit more experimental but still has strong weezer vibes.