Pinkerton vs Blue Album?

[NeaR]

Hey everyone. This is a pretty straightforward question, and I ask this because a lot of people who go on this forums were in their teens when these albums came out, so I have to ask, which album do you like better and why? For me, it's Blue Album, because My Name Is Jonas.

 

[Oburi]

Pinkerton, hands down. I love the Blue Album as well (I've recently re-learned to play My Name Is Jonas on guitar and it's a lot of fun) but Pinkerton holds a special place in my heart since it was one of the first "emo" albums that really hit me. I was very young obviously, and like most people I didn't like it at first because it was too emotional and sounded less polished than their debut. But Pinkertons a grower and the more I listened the more I fell in love with it. When I was in High School I finally realized its greatness. So I must go with that. Also "Butterfly" is a great song to play acoustic as well.

It's a shame that Weezer peaked with Pinkerton though. Everything since has been mediocre to garbage.

 

[Walter]

I hold both in pretty high regard. Both bring back good memories for me, but they come from two different places. I see no need to pick one.

Too bad about the rest of their shitty career.

 

[Griffith]

Which is the one with Beverly Hills on it?

Because not that one.

Kidding aside, I'll go with the Blue Album. Always better to catch a good band before major fame fucks with them one way or another, when they're just doing their thing. It's always sweet when they can produce a few albums before that happens and we can retroactively discover a backlog of ready-made classics (e.g. Metallica). Guns N' Roses is a good tragic example of the opposite.

I see no need to pick one.

Because you're stuck on a desert island and can only have one. Duh!

 

[NeaR]

Pinkerton, hands down. I love the Blue Album as well (I've recently learned to play My Name Is Jonas on guitar and it's a lot of fun) but Pinkerton holds a special place in my heart since it was one of the first "emo" albums that really hit me. I was very young obviously, and like most people I didn't like it at first because it was too emotional and sounded less polished than their debut.

Yeah man, Tired of Sex is like one of the best openers I've ever heard.. I really like the rough, sloppy sounds that Pinkerton has though and like you said it grew on me.

Kidding aside, I'll go with the Blue Album.

May I ask why? I'm not old enough to have seen the music videos that were so famous with their songs Buddy Holly or the Sweater Song, so do you associate the songs a lot with their videos? But yeah I do like Blue Album better.

@ Walt and Griffith, what were your reactions to Pinkerton when it came out, being so different from Blue album. Did you guys dislike it or what?

 

[Walter]

@ Walt and Griffith, what were your reactions to Pinkerton when it came out, being so different from Blue album. Did you guys dislike it or what?

I don't think anyone knew what to make of it at the time. That's not to say that it was some inconceivable, high-concept album. It's actually sophomoric in the best way possible (and a sophomore record, perfect!).

I should preface this by saying that I really liked Blue. I was about 13 when it came out, and it was the first CD I bought. I nearly memorized the thing on long road trips. I was preconditioned to like almost anything they'd do after that. Everyone was expecting Blue Album II. Obviously we didn't get that. We got something weirder and wilder.

The first time I heard a clip of Pinkerton was in a brief advertisement on TV for its upcoming release. Yes, this was what life was like in the early days of the Internet. It was the last 10-sec bit of chorus from El Scorcho (this exact bit right here). I dug it, but it definitely caught me off guard. Try to imagine that little bit coming out of the blue. Sounded pretty wonky. I needed to hear more. So, I bought Pinkerton as soon as it was out. I didn't love it, but I probably listened to it over and over and over for weeks. Most kids my age were.

Nobody really loved it, from what I remember. But there was something to it that kept it in your head.

For that era of music, I think its central weakness was no one could latch onto a solid "single." The whole album kind of melts together in this big ejaculation of teenaged, sexual angst (as emulated by a guy in his late 20s; who would go on to continue to emulate these feelings well into his 30s. ). It has an atmosphere to it, even if it's one that feels a little sullen and pouty when I look back on it as an adult. But it's solid. Blue feels almost piecemeal, or a la carte by comparison. Achieving higher highs, but lacking cohesion.

Now that I've written all this nonsense out, I think I probably like Pinkerton a little more now, with Blue's impact mostly resonating from nostalgia. So there's my underdog vote.

Ultimately, I don't think my opinion is very unique. I grew to appreciate it more over time. I revisited it after the Green album came out like a wet fart and suddenly Pinkerton's greatness was crystalized by comparison. From there, its stature grew perhaps because it does still hold up to scrutiny unlike a ton of music from that era.

Holy crap, I ended up writing a lot about this...

 

[Griffith]

May I ask why? I'm not old enough to have seen the music videos that were so famous with their songs Buddy Holly or the Sweater Song, so do you associate the songs a lot with their videos? But yeah I do like Blue Album better.

Like I said, I think on that album, as is often the case in debuts, you're getting a band at its purest. Usually that means autobiographical material culled from years of experience and earnest development by its members (don't know if that's exactly the case with Weezer on Blue Album, but I get that spirit from the songs), rather than them reacting to the reaction to their music or trying to live up to or deviate from expectations. Basically, the shit they were doing based on a feeling when they didn't know any better. However it gets produced, if the band is talented that's going to be some good stuff because they aren't afraid of embarrassing themselves; they've got nothing to lose. Anyway, I don't really remember the videos, except for Buddy Holly (more because I'm a Happy Days fan ), but I associate Only In Dreams more with this video than their official one, which I don't even think I've seen.

@ Walt and Griffith, what were your reactions to Pinkerton when it came out, being so different from Blue album. Did you guys dislike it or what?

Nah, I didn't have much of a reaction because I was more of a casual fan. I heard it and their first album, but I wasn't actively listening to them like Wally, so I experienced the Blue Album and it's poppier singles far more, which also explains why it gets the nod from me.

 

[IncantatioN]

Listening to now, I'd never heard of them before reading the topic. Those vocals ...

 

[Gobolatula]

The Blue Album is legendary. Every single song on that record is at this point a pure wave of nostalgia and good feelings (Even "The World Has Turned"). The Blue Album was one of the first CDs I had that wasn't like... Hammer or The Lion King Soundtrack or whatever. I highly recommend getting your hands on the deluxe edition with the second CD (a compilation of b-sides, demos, and live tracks).

When Pinkerton came out, I didn't appreciate it right away. It was a lot more rough. Kind of like The Pixies' album Surfer Rosa (which is one of my favorite albums of all time). It wasn't until about 2002 that I gave it a second chance. It blew my mind! But as an album, The Blue Album is a lot more solid and in some ways more emotion-evoking. There are some songs on Pinkerton that I prefer to skip, whereas I could probably listen to The Blue album on repeat all the way through on any given day of the week.

Unfortunately, those are the only two Weezer albums I like. I really don't know what happened. I think they lost a lot of that sweet charming nerdy innocence that was prevalent in their early stuff..

 

[Oburi]

Now that I'm thinking about it, my buddy and I learned the Blue album in it's entirety and even played most of it live at open mic nights. My Name Is Jonas, Say It So, In The Garage, Buddy Holly, The Sweater SOng... These are a blast to play live and they are easy and people love them.

When Pinkerton came out, I didn't appreciate it right away. It was a lot more rough. Kind of like The Pixies' album Surfer Rosa (which is one of my favorite albums of all time). It wasn't until about 2002 that I gave it a second chance. It blew my mind!

Me too. That's pretty much my favorite type of music. Pixies are my favorite band and I hear that sound on Pinkerton.

For that era of music, I think its central weakness was no one could latch onto a solid "single." The whole album kind of melts together in this big ejaculation of teenaged, sexual angst (perfectly emulated by a guy in his late 20s; who would go on to continue to emulate these feelings well into his 30s. Gross.). It has an atmosphere to it, even if it's one that feels a little sullen and pouty when I look back on it as an adult. But it's solid. Blue feels almost piecemeal, or a la carte by comparison. Achieving higher highs, but lacking cohesion.

THIS! That's the perfect way of putting it and for that reason I prefer it over Blue.

Unfortunately, those are the only two Weezer albums I like. I really don't know what happened. I think they lost a lot of that sweet charming nerdy innocence that was prevalent in their early stuff..

rather than them reacting to the reaction to their music or trying to live up to or deviate from expectations.

That's exactly what happened. They completely lost it after Pinkerton.

 

[NeaR]

Listening to now, I'd never heard of them before reading the topic.

Awesome, tell us what you think about the two albums, which you preferred, and why!

Those vocals ...

On which album? Is that good or bad? Hahahaha.

 

[Ratty]

Unfortunately, those are the only two Weezer albums I like. I really don't know what happened. I think they lost a lot of that sweet charming nerdy innocence that was prevalent in their early stuff..

Well, they made a raw emotional album with Pinkerton and people hated it. Which, apparently, made Rivers Cuomo hate it. http://www.cracked.com/article_20231_5-iconic-songs-despised-by-people-who-created-them.html I can understand why, you put your emotions out there and thousands of people complain, that would put off most people. I think that's why after Pinkerton they were so scared of change that they just kept trying to imitate the same emotions and style of the Blue album right up through Make Believe, by which point it was really forced.

Then, finally, with the Red Album they pretty much just said "we're too old for that teen angst shit" right out of the gate with the lead single "Pork and Beans". Which proudly proclaimed "I'mma do the things that I wanna do, I ain't got a thing to prove to you. ...I'm fine and dandy with the me inside." Which is far from the youthful insecurity in songs like "In the Garage" or "El Scorcho" and all the songs they did in a similar vein after that. The only major problem with this older and wiser Weezer is a lot of people had already written them off, and even a lot of those who hadn't just don't like the new stuff

For any that did write Weezer off years ago and haven't looked in on them since- If you want some interesting old school Weezer stuff, I recommend checking out "Alone: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo" trilogy. Which include demos from the canceled Weezer rock opera/concept album "Songs from the Black Hole". Several (modified) songs from which showed up later on Pinkerton. More info here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songs_from_the_Black_Hole

Here's "Blast Off!" the first track from that album that never was. Actual song starts at 47 seconds, before that it's a different little intro track just called "Ohh" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qFRdW_Ye8Y&list=PLC062345245C5C4B3

 

[NeaR]

Don't suppose you guys have listened to the White Album? It's actually very very good.. I would say that it is easily their third best album (close to Pinkerton for me) and I seriously encourage you guys to listen to it if you haven't!

PS: Sorry for the thread necromancy