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| Value for Money | 8/10  |
|---|---|
| Overall rating | 9/10 |
| Weezer - Weezer (Deluxe Edition) [Remastered] |  | £11.59P&P - Check site |
| Weezer - Weezer (Deluxe Edition) [Remastered] |  | £14.48P&P - Check site |
Full review by
wtuo
expert review 
on 6th Dec 2005
User Rating : 9
Respect :
+2
The Blue Album was Weezer's debut album in 1993, and was released to high appraisals from critics, and it generally got a great reception. Their follow-up, Pinkerton, was voted Worst album of the Year from Rolling Stone. Now it's seen as a great album, and way ahead of it's time. They had a minor split and returned with another eponymous album, this one dubbed "The Green Album." This deluxe version of their debut album was released in 2004, before the band recently released their new album, Make Believe. Does "Weezer" still have it's charm after 12 years? Well yes it does. This Deluxe edition contains a CD full of b-sides, live and acoustic tracks, as well as songs which were previously unreleased from older sessions.
Track Listings:
DISC ONE:
1) My Name Is Jonas
A great start to the album, with a cool finger-picking intro, along with Rivers grungy distorted guitars. This song has a catchy hook to the chorus which can have you singing the song all day. A great start. 9/10
2) No One Else
Pretty generic rock track, with some interesting harmonies. Some nice drum patterns in the chorus, which breaks up the track. Harmonized solo really accompanies the vocals. 7/10
3) The World Has Turned And Left Me Here
Another average track, with a cool acoustic intro underlying the electric guitars. Not a lot to this song, except some interesting chords in the bridge. 6/10
4) Buddy Holly
A stroke of pure genius. Weighing in at a brisk 2:39, it hits every spot it needs to. This has the first "ooo" accompaniments which has since become a Weezer trademark. Great keyboard parts, and the solo is pure bliss. 10/10
5) Undone - The Sweater Song
This one kicks off slowly, first with drums, then with a slow guitar riff and a bass-line underneath. It has speech interlocked into the song. This song goes from calm to raging speedily and most of all, well. A well known song to Weezer fans, and a great one at that. 10/10
6) Surf Wax America
Starts with a clean guitar, and then goes into a fast paced song. A good song, but overshadowed by the previous two tracks. 8/10
7) Say It Ain't So
Calm, relaxed song follows the madness of "Surf Wax America." The guitar riff at the start is a beautiful lick, which reoccurs throughout the song. The guitar playing on this track is both loving and ferocious. 10/10
8) In The Garage
A new thing for Weezer kicks this song off with a mouth organ riff. The lyrics seem to be made to fit the song, and at times sound a little forced. Otherwise, a good album track. 8/10
9) Holiday
A fresh song in 3/4 time, which gives it a swing feeling, which is different from the rest of the album. This is a welcome change, and this song really fits in well with the rest of the material. 8/10
10) Only In Dreams
This song starts quietly with a bass riff, and gently goes back into the Weezer from the rest of the album. This track feels like a final track, clocking in at a staggering 8 minutes, in some places it feels a little too long, although the solo is great. A somewhat slightly disappointing end to a great album. 7/10
DISC TWO
1) Mykel And Carli
This was originally a B-side to the "Undone" single. It's a track which, if it was put on the album, it wouldn't make it sound out of place. Cool solo, but maybe it's just a little repetitive. 7/10
2) Susanne
Some good harmony ideas, and again another track which stays true to Weezer, with a bluesy bass-line over the chorus, and some Barbershop-style harmonies. 8/10
3) My Evaline
Acoustic Guitar and 4 voices joined for a barbershop-quartet song, originally arranged by Sigmund Speath, this track is 44 seconds long, and although it is an experiment, it does seem like a filler B-side, to fill up the single somewhat. Still an interesting listen though. 6/10
4) Jamie
A live studio recording, so no overdubs. A good song, with some interesting chord changes. 8/10
5) My Name Is Jonas (Live)
6) Surf Wax America (Live)
I'm going to put these together as they are both from the same concert, and were on the same single (Buddy Holly). The quality of these recordings aren't great, and are really just general live tracks. 7/10 each.
7) Jamie (Acoustic)
A great version of the previous track, Jamie. You can really hear the work on the harmonies. This was originally on the "Say It Ain't So" single. 9/10
8) No One Else (Acoustic)
Another great version of a track (in this case an album track), which is rendered well as an acoustic version, where you can really hear the harmonies. This was also included on the "Say It Ain't So" single. 9/10
9) Undone - The Sweater Song ('Kitchen Tape Demo')
A previously unreleased demo version of Undone, recorded in a house the band rented when preparing for the album, which was named "The Kitchen Tape Demos" because the drums were recorded in a kitchen. Recorded with acoustics, it is generally a demo of Undone, and has basically no changes. 9/10
10) Paperface ('Kitchen Tape' Demo)
This song is a fast and furious track, which has some great guitar chords, although it wouldn't fit with the material on the Blue Album, is still a great track as a standalone. 9/10
11) Only In Dreams ('Kitchen Tape' Demo)
A demo version of the album track, although this is a shorter version, which fades out at the end, missing the great solo. 7/10
12) Lullaby For Wayne (Demo)
Demo of a track which didn't make the album because it sounded too much like "Surf Wax America". This track features some very high vocals for Rivers to hit, which he does well in places, but maybe it's out of his range a bit. Moderately good song. 7/10
13) I Swear It's True (Demo)
This track was rejected because it was "too new" and was brought up when they recorded Pinkerton, although it wasn't used. Would go well on The Blue Album, as it has that sound to it. 7/10
14) Say It Ain't So (The Original Album Mix)
This is the version which was on the original 1.5 million copies of this album. The band decided to remix it when it was announced as a single, and asked for it to be on further copies of the album. It's biggest adjustment is that this version has palm muting in the chorus, and the new version didn't. Basically the same track which a few changes. 9/10
OVERALL:
I feel this album is a great album, and the second CD was a great idea, although I thought a couple of the tracks fell down a little, but this was due to the fact the band only had 4 recorded b-sides. This is a great addition to a collection if you've heard any of the early singles from them and liked them, or want to try Weezer for the first time, then this album will make a worthy companion.
wtuo's review and ratings | 1141 words | 1 comment added.
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