Record Label: Geffen Records
Genre: Rock
Band Link: link
Buy on Amazon.com link

Weezer seems to have a very hard time giving titles to their albums. They also seem to have a secret fetish for printing color systems since they have a red, green and blue album. Rumor has it that their next album quadrilogy with follow the CMYK system. Lars Ulrich is licking his lips in anticipation of the release of the K album. Now on to the muzak.

The Red Album kicks things of with a Green Album-era song that is probably already a radio hit. So far, I’m digging Red. Track two, aptly titled “The Greatest Man That Ever Lives” harkens back to the “Pinkerton” days with a “Make Believe” touch. The song is almost six minutes long and includes everything from a dainty piano opening, some quasi-white boy rapping, crunchy Weezer guitar riffs, a chorus sing-a-long and even some of that punk flare that Weezer long since gave up on. I’m reminded of “Across The Sea” in many ways. “Pork and Beans”, the Red Albums’ first single is soft and heavy all at the same time. Closing out the first quarter of the Red Album is “Heart Songs”, a change of pace from the first three songs. This song is a personal introspective song where Rivers Cuomo name-drops bands and songs that influenced his musical career ranging from Michael Jackson and Will Smith to Quiet Riot and Slayer and ending with a certain little band that likes naked babies. This song is probably my personal favorite on this album.

Throughout the rest of the Red Album, the songs are pretty much hit and miss. “Everybody Get Dangerous” sounds like a dance/rock nightclub hit, “Dreamin'” is a classic sounding Weezer track and on “Thought I Knew” Rivers takes a break from vocal duties for a rare occasion. Those fine folks in the UK get a bonus track of Weezer’s take on The Bands “The Weight”.

I think that, by now, most Weezer fans should be over the fact that Weezer will never duplicate the sound and feel of their first two albums. “The Blue Album” and “Pinkerton” are the kind of creative masterpieces that can only be made once in a lifetime. Since Weezer reunited in 2000, they’ve released four albums. On those four albums there were good songs and there were bands songs. There weren’t many great songs. The Red Album actually contains songs that you could (note that I said could) be great. Only time will tell us that. If you’re still a Weezer fan even though the 90’s are long since gone, then this is the album that you deserve.

Bottom Line: Even though some songs are weak, The Red Album doesn’t fail to bring the rock.
Notable Tracks: Troublemaker, Pork and Beans, Heart Songs, The Greatest Man That Ever Lived
Overall Rating: