Bands I Love: Weezer

I just got the new Weezer album, and through some sort of coincidence (because I didn't know their new album was coming out yet) I began listening to their discography this week. Once I had the new album, Raditude, I decided to go the whole nine-yards and just listen to all of their albums (except their Christmas album, honestly I don't care that much) and I got to hear the different sounds the group experimented with.
What I have noticed, that throughout their works I normally only like the singles. The weakest albums were Pinkerton, with only the single, "El Scorcho" and another song I enjoyed, "Why Bother?" and Maladroit with only the song "Dope Nose" (which brought me back to my grade-school days). The strongest efforts, which also have a couple of good songs which were not singles, are their first and most recent album (not including Raditude, as I haven't heard it), both named Weezer oddly enough.

For those who don't know, the band has released three self-titled albums, and like The Beatles' and Metallica's self-titled, they have been nicknamed via their coloring. There is The Blue Album, The Green Album, and The Red Album. I actually kind of like this style, looking through their discography, each self-titled release seems to book-end an era or their music, sort of like chapters of their career. My favorite two albums are from this collection, The Blue Album (their first one), and The Red Album (their latest).
The Blue Album was their first release, and I enjoy six of the ten tracks - more then any other album - and this is the highlight of their more pop-alternative sound. With later releases they dabble with this style but seem to throw in more and more darker music with each subsequent album. Their other great release, The Red Album, is almost alternative progressive, with longer songs with different movements. I really like the semi-eclectic sounds of the first few songs (especially with "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived," there has to be around four different parts to that song), and this album was much more rock oriented, rather then pop.

I like Weezer overall, but for the most part, just for the singles, their few standout songs on a couple of releases are enjoyable, and the band is really easy to listen to, something anyone can really enjoy. Writing this, I am finishing up The Red Album, and will move into new territory, with Raditude, and with that I will (hopefully) give a review of the new sound.

Discography

• Weezer (The Blue Album) - (1994)
  
• Pinkerton - (1996)
  
• Weezer (The Green Album) - (2001)
  
• Maladroit - (2002)
  
• Make Believe - (2005)
  
• Christmas With Weezer - (2008)
  
• Weezer (The Red Album) - (2008)
  
• Raditude - (2009)