Weezer (The Blue Album): Difference between revisions
This will need a re-write, but I think most of this info should be on the page.
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(This will need a re-write, but I think most of this info should be on the page.) |
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| Cover = Weezer-blue-album.jpg | | Cover = Weezer-blue-album.jpg | ||
| Released = [[May 10]], [[1994]]<br/> [[March 23]], [[2004]] (Deluxe Edition) | | Released = [[May 10]], [[1994]]<br/> [[March 23]], [[2004]] (Deluxe Edition) | ||
| Recorded = | | Recorded = [[August 16]]–[[September 24]](?), [[November 1]] [[1993]]. Electric Lady Studios, New York City, NY | ||
Electric Lady Studios | |||
New York City, NY | |||
| Genre = Alternative rock, pop punk, power pop | | Genre = Alternative rock, pop punk, power pop | ||
| Length = 41:17 | | Length = 41:17 | ||
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==Recording process== | ==Recording process== | ||
The band briefly considered self-producing, but were pressured by Geffen to choose a producer. They sent tapes to three potential candidates: [[Ric Ocasek]] (Bad Brains, Iggy Pop, Suicide), {{Wiki2|Lenny_Kaye|Lenny Kaye}} (Patti Smith, Soul Asylum), and the duo of {{Wiki2|Sean_Slade|Sean Slade}} and {{Wiki2|Paul_Q._Kolderie|Paul Q. Kolderie}} ([[Radiohead]], Uncle Tupelo, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones).<ref>"[[The Story of Making the Blue Album]]." Koch, Karl. [[October 30]], [[2003]]. Text reads: "I only remember that we were sending a tape to the Cars's Ric Ocasek, based on Rivers and the band's recent love affair with The Cars' Greatest Hits album. The band were reluctant to say the least, but the die was cast. Tapes were also sent out to Sean Slade/Paul Kolderie and Lenny Kay, to round out the possibilities."</ref> They ultimately decided on Ocasek. Cuomo explained his choice: "I'd always admired The Cars and Ric Ocasek's songwriting and production skills."<ref>Stoute, Lenny. "Out of the garage, into the charts" ''The Toronto Star''. 28 November 1994 [[The Toronto Star article - November 28, 1994|Article archived on Weezerpedia]]</ref> | The band briefly considered self-producing, but were pressured by Geffen to choose a producer. They sent tapes to three potential candidates: [[Ric Ocasek]] (Bad Brains, Iggy Pop, Suicide), {{Wiki2|Lenny_Kaye|Lenny Kaye}} (Patti Smith, Soul Asylum), and the duo of {{Wiki2|Sean_Slade|Sean Slade}} and {{Wiki2|Paul_Q._Kolderie|Paul Q. Kolderie}} ([[Radiohead]], Uncle Tupelo, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones).<ref>"[[The Story of Making the Blue Album]]." Koch, Karl. [[October 30]], [[2003]]. Text reads: "I only remember that we were sending a tape to the Cars's Ric Ocasek, based on Rivers and the band's recent love affair with The Cars' Greatest Hits album. The band were reluctant to say the least, but the die was cast. Tapes were also sent out to Sean Slade/Paul Kolderie and Lenny Kay, to round out the possibilities."</ref> They ultimately decided on Ocasek. Cuomo explained his choice: "I'd always admired The Cars and Ric Ocasek's songwriting and production skills."<ref>Stoute, Lenny. "Out of the garage, into the charts" ''The Toronto Star''. 28 November 1994 [[The Toronto Star article - November 28, 1994|Article archived on Weezerpedia]]</ref> | ||
The band was flown to New York on [[August 8]], and after roughly a week of pre-production, recording began in studio A of Electric Lady on [[August 16]] with tracks laid down for "Undone - The Sweater Song". Overdubs began on [[August 23]], during which, Ocasek convinced the band to change their guitar pickup from the neck pick-up to the bridge pick-up, resulting in a brighter sound.<ref name=karlloredump>[[Weezerpedia Discord Q&A with Karl Koch - August 2022]]</ref> | |||
Founding guitarist [[Jason Cropper]] left the band during the recording process on [[September 12]]. Current guitarist [[Brian Bell]] was called the next day, the day after, Bell recorded an audition tape, with hasty, made-up guitar parts and backing vocals to send to the band. Bell was invited to join Weezer on [[September 15]]. After a few days of Brian practicing, it was decided that while Bell would re-record all of Cropper's vocals, Cuomo would re-record all of Cropper's guitar parts.<ref name=karlloredump></ref> According to Ocasek, all ten tracks were laid down by Cuomo in one day, each in one take. Band archivist [[Karl Koch]] has corroborated this story,<ref>[[Weezerpedia Discord Q&A with Karl Koch - July 2022]]</ref> and since claimed the specific date of this event as [[September 24]].<ref name=karlloredump></ref> | |||
Cropper's writing credit on "[[My Name Is Jonas]]" is earned by his coming up with the intro to the song. Most of the album was written by Rivers Cuomo. Exceptions are "My Name Is Jonas", which was co-written with Jason Cropper and Patrick Wilson and "[[The World Has Turned and Left Me Here]]" and "[[Surf Wax America]]", which both were composed and written by Cuomo and Wilson. ''Weezer'' touches upon various life experiences of Cuomo, including subjects such as his brother's car accident, heartbreak, jealousy, alcohol and former girlfriends. | |||
The single "Undone - The Sweater Song" was described by Cuomo as "the feeling you get when the train stops and the little guy comes knockin' on your door. It was supposed to be a sad song, but everyone thinks it's hilarious."<ref>[[Weezer (The Blue Album) press kit]]</ref> The video marks one of the early directorial efforts of Spike Jonze, whose pitch was simply "A blue stage, a steadicam, a pack of wild dogs." The video became an instant hit on MTV. | The single "Undone - The Sweater Song" was described by Cuomo as "the feeling you get when the train stops and the little guy comes knockin' on your door. It was supposed to be a sad song, but everyone thinks it's hilarious."<ref>[[Weezer (The Blue Album) press kit]]</ref> The video marks one of the early directorial efforts of Spike Jonze, whose pitch was simply "A blue stage, a steadicam, a pack of wild dogs." The video became an instant hit on MTV. | ||
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==Artwork== | ==Artwork== | ||
The album artwork, designed by | The album artwork, designed by Koch based on Rivers' ideas and photographed by 60's glamour photographer Peter Gowland, features Patrick Wilson, Rivers Cuomo, Matt Sharp, and Brian Bell standing left to right in front of a plain, blue background. | ||
During an interview for the ''[[iTunes Originals]]'' compilation Cuomo said, "I remember having a very strong vision for the first album, The Blue Album, what that cover was gonna look like. I never anticipated people would call it The Blue Album, or even Weezer. I just thought of it as an untitled album. It was like the year later that we noticed that everyone was calling it The Blue Album." In [[2020]], Cuomo gave some [[Riverpedia_archive_-_09/27/2020|additional insight]] on the choice of blue: "When I was 7, my family built a house. My parents said I could paint my room any color I wanted. I painted it my favorite color, a specific shade of blue. When I was thinking about a cover for the first Weezer album, I wanted it to be that same shade of blue. This mode of nostalgia for the lost innocence of childhood was the same source of my "look" in the Blue album era--the glasses frames, bowl cut, dickies, blue t-shirt, and windbreaker from my childhood photos." | During an interview for the ''[[iTunes Originals]]'' compilation Cuomo said, "I remember having a very strong vision for the first album, The Blue Album, what that cover was gonna look like. I never anticipated people would call it The Blue Album, or even Weezer. I just thought of it as an untitled album. It was like the year later that we noticed that everyone was calling it The Blue Album." In [[2020]], Cuomo gave some [[Riverpedia_archive_-_09/27/2020|additional insight]] on the choice of blue: "When I was 7, my family built a house. My parents said I could paint my room any color I wanted. I painted it my favorite color, a specific shade of blue. When I was thinking about a cover for the first Weezer album, I wanted it to be that same shade of blue. This mode of nostalgia for the lost innocence of childhood was the same source of my "look" in the Blue album era--the glasses frames, bowl cut, dickies, blue t-shirt, and windbreaker from my childhood photos." | ||