#299 - Weezer - "The Blue Album" (1994)

MUSIC HISTORY COMPILED BY ADAM BERNARD:

BACKGROUND – WEEZER

Weezer formed in Los Angeles in 1992. Frontman Rivers Cuomo moved there from Connecticut in 1989 with a different band, but they disbanded. He met future drummer Patrick Wilson and moved in with him and formed a band. After multiple lineups didn't work out, eventually roomate Matt Sharp joined as a bassist along with guitarist Jason Cropper. Cuomo gave the band one year to find a record deal before he would accept a scholarship to UC-Berkeley instead. Just over a year later they had their deal, leading us to today's album. 

Weezer would go on to release 14 more albums, with their most recent release coming last year. They had varying success with albums like Pinkerton (1996), The Green Album (2001), Make Believe (2005) and the Red Album (2008)

The name Weezer comes from a nickname Rivers' dad gave him. 

They have 6 self-titled albms that go by colors: Today's Blue Album, the Green Album, the Red Album, the White Album (2016), and the Teal and Black Albums in 2019.

ALBUM BACKGROUND – “THE BLUE ALBUM”

Right before the band signed with Geffen, they had released a demo tape that got them signed called "The Kitchen Tape", which had 8 songs - 5 of those tracks would be on their first album (My Name is Jonas, Undone, Say It Ain't So, Only in Dreams, The World Has Turned)

Most of the album was recorded at Electric Ladyland Studios in August and Stepember 1993 in New York, and it was produced by Ric Ocasek of the Cars, who the band hand selected. The band fired Jason Cropper during recording due to chemistry issues (he wasn't handling the news of his girlfriend's pregnancy well and would sometimes go on the roof of the studios just to scream), and replaced him with Brian Bell. 

This reached number sixteen on the US Billboard 200, was certified gold in 7 months, and was certified triple platinum in 1995. It remains Weezer's best-selling album, having sold at least 3.3 million copies in the U.S. and over 15 million copies worldwide