Weezer signed with Geffen Records on June 25, 1993 and recorded their debut album with producer Ric Ocasek at Electric Lady Studios in New York City. The album was produced by former Cars frontman Ric Ocasek and recorded in Electric Lady Studios in New York City. During the recording, guitarist Jason Cropper left the band and was replaced by Brian Bell.
Weezer's self-titled debut album (which would later be dubbed The Blue Album, due to the blue background of the cover art, and commonly abbreviated as TBA), was released on May 10, 1994. The record label originally did not wish to release a single, to see what sales could be generated by word-of-mouth alone.
At the time of its release, the group's influences were discussed endlessly, the dynamics of the Pixies, the polished production reminiscent of Nevermind, the willful outsider vibe borrowed from indie rock, but few noted how the group, under the direction of singer/songwriter Rivers Cuomo, synthesized alt-rock with a strong '70s trash-rock predilection and an unwitting gift for power pop, resulting in something quite distinctive and this Album was a hit from the start.
As a result, their music was infused with a quirky sense of humor and an endearing awkwardness that made songs from their debut Weezer (aka the blue album) like "Undone (The Sweater Song)," "Buddy Holly," and "Say It Ain't So" into big modern rock hits during the mid-'90s. All the singles were helped immeasurably by clever videos, which may have made the songs into hits, but they also made many critics believe that the band was a one-hit wonder. On the top of that, "buddy holly" won several mtv awards that year, and weezer eventually went double-platinum.
The album's debut single, "Undone - The Sweater Song" received regular rotation on college radio. It was not until a video, directed by Spike Jonze propelled the song into MTV rotation that everyone began to talk about Weezer. Unintentionally, and perhaps unforeseeable, a debut single about a sweater prompted many to write the band off as a gimmick. Others penned the band (and perhaps rightfully so) as nerds. Some felt that singing about a sweater was an attempt to be ironic, others thought it was hilarious.
With Undone still receiving frequent radio play, the band decided it was time to release a new single. "Buddy Holly" was chosen as the next single and Spike Jones was asked to direct another video for the band. The Buddy Holly music video featured the band dressed up in '50s attire playing at a recreation of
Arnold's Drive In from the 1970s sitcom, Happy Days. The song's hooks, brilliant chorus, and pop culture references were heavily emphasized by the nostalgic value the video retained. Buddy Holly took off and so did Weezer. The Buddy Holly video went on to win an MTV Video Music award, a ceremony for which Rivers was not present. At a time when the band was blowing up, Rivers was drawing in. Devastated by the success of the Buddy Holly video, Rivers grew uncertain as to whether it was his songwriting that made the band famous or if it was Spike Jonze's video. Rivers quickly began to shun anything that could
be perceived, as a gimmick or as ironic. He removed his glasses, declined an interview with Rolling Stone Magazine and cut his hair. The band took notice of Rivers reclusive persona and began to slowly exhibit distaste for him both in private and in public interviews.
In 1995, Weezer released their third single, Say It Ain't So. The band performed at the site of their old garage at the Amherst House. The single enjoyed success and is considered by many Weezer fans to be an all-time favorite.
After several tours around the u.s. and the world, the band settled back in rivers went to school at harvard, matt and pat worked on a new band named The Rentals, and brian resumed work with a former band of his, The Space Twins.
Rivers Cuomo writer incredibly charming songs. The Blue Album is one of the most deceptively simple albums ever recorded. this is one of the most important debut albums of the last ten years. It ushered in an entire sub-genre of music, this is a record that will feel very familiar to dedicated fans and newcomers alike.
Weezer is one of those rare bands, the simple brilliance of the original Weezer album, The thing that makes Weezer great is their honesty, and they is a band built around the fact that they're not what you see everyday on MTV.
They sing about love-falling in and out of it, obsessing about it, reveling in it, is a simple, honest one, Practically. Alluring fusion of pop simplicity and riff-heavy rock. their distinctively chunky power-chords, geeky introverted lyrics and Beach Boys harmonies in 2005. Weezer sounds as stunning as ever.
Despite the obvious influences, however, they end up with a collection of songs that sound quite distinct. while the music might sound a bit familiar upon first listen, after a few times through, it becomes clear that Weezer is onto something brilliant,
Weezer became a huge success, and for good reason and paved the way for Weezer's long career.
Original Album Track Listing
Tittle Length
- My Name Is Jonas 3:24
- No One Else 3:04
- The World Has Turned and Left Me Here 4:19
- Buddy Holly 2:39
- Undone - The Sweater Song 5:05
- Surf Wax America 3:06
- Say It Ain't So 4:18
- In the Garage 3:55
- Holiday 3:24
- Only in Dreams 8:00
Blue Album Art Work
The album artwork by Todd Sullivan features Patrick Wilson, Rivers Cuomo, Matt Sharp, and Brian Bell standing left to right in front of a plain, blue background.The simple image would be used prominently in the advertising of the album. The cover received many comparisons to the Feelies' album Crazy Rhythms.
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| Blue Album Cover |
