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Review Summary: The Red Album is no Blue album. Hell, it isn't a Green or Pinkerton. But that doesn't mean it's horrendous. For a band known for making quite possibly the world's most simply-constructed rock songs, they've had a tough career. Weezer began with Blue and got famous in a good millisecond or so, then came Pinkerton, which made everyone leave the Weezer bandwagon for its raw edginess, only to jump back on several years later with their return-to-form Green album. Since then, Weezer has yet to gain a cult hit quite like their first two albums, yet their squeeky-clean polished Make Believe became a megahit in 2005. Even then, critics and old fans were completely uninpressed. Pitchfork Media gave it a 0.4/10, and it seemed as though the band was getting too old for music as reviews ended up being mixed. Weezer's chance of another Blue-album like album was slim in a world of harsher, more pretentious critics and dime-a-dozen fast-talking emo bands commanding the charts.
I will say this now: The Red Album is no Blue album. Hell, it isn't a Green or Pinkerton. Rivers Cuomo knows perfectly well that old fans and the critics expect him to exactly reproduce Blue Album for the 2000's. And what does Rivers do? He makes the Red Album, which in a sense, is basically Rivers musically flipping off everyone who's criticized Weezer in the 21st century and just rewriting the standard rules of a Weezer album. The album opens with a classic Weezer in "Troublemaker", but the lyrics basically describe a rockstar that does things his own way and isn't quite the most normal guy on the planet. Then, on the incredibly weird "Greatest Man That Ever Lived", which can only be described as a "musical hairball" as it throws several genres into a disgusting lump of music, Rivers raps, croons, and sings in falsetto about how he is...well...the greatest man that ever lived. What?! Rivers Cuomo is supposed to sing about how much of a pathetic fool he is!! What is he doing!! The rest of the album throws a couple more change-ups, with different members singing songs and three songs on the album going over 5 and 6 minutes. In the end, Red Album is good. But I'm very divided on it. Part of me is split with the critics and old fans, hoping and waiting for Blue 2.0, but not getting the heartfelt lyrics or the quite-as-memorable songs on this album as in their first few records. But the other half knows Weezer has taken steps forward and backwards, as many bands do, and just can't go back to where they were back when they were in their 20's. Some songs fall flat on their faces, like "Thought I Knew" and "Automatic", but some sound vaguely like a meeting between old and new Weezer, like the aforementioned opening track, single "Pork and Beans", and the amazing closer "The Angel and the One", which is probably the most lyrically-heartfelt song on the record. But I still feel Weezer has more potential than this. I can cheer on the fact that Rivers wants to vent over his age and critics, but the key of it all is music, and the end product felt a tad empty in that department. Even lyrics on some of the songs lacked as well, notably on "Cold Dark World", with gems like ". I've come to accept the fact that Weezer won't be what they were back in the 90's, but with tracks like "Dreamin" and the closer, you can almost hear the band inching forward and almost grasping what could be their Blue 2.0. This album will leave you with a couple "if only..."'s, but it's definitely an improvement from their past two albums.
| other reviews of this album |
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Album Rating: 2.5
Best since Pinkerton, yet far from Pinkerton.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
I regret the extra 4$ I paid for the deluxe edition but the album itself is not bad at all. I love troublemaker, Pork And Beans, The Greatest Man That Ever Lived,
| | | Album Rating: 1.0
The Red Album is no Blue album. Hell, it isn't a Green or Pinkerton.
No need to repeat this.
That last gigantic paragraph could be split up into two paragraphs at least. Other than that, not a bad first review. I completely agree with you on The Greatest Man.... The song sounds like they were just trying to make the song into this epic Bohemian Rhapsody by just trying to throw as many genres in the mix as possible. However, how can you call Troublemaker a classic Weezer track? It is not classic in any way imaginable.
I can cheer on the fact that Rivers wants to vent over his age and critics, but the key of it all is music, and the end product felt a tad empty in that department. Even lyrics on some of the songs lacked as well
Then why did you rate is a 3.5? You constantly remind us that this is no Blue, Pinkerton, or even Green (which was an awful pop filler record), so where does the justification for the 3.5 come from? You say Pork & Beans, The Angel and the One, and Dreamin' are good tracks. That's 3/10, which would make this a 1.5/5. I guess my passionate hate for this album is just too much.
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hey i'm the guy from moviescenester that told you about here. really good review for a first one, though i'm sure you've written reviews before?
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oh and i agree with dub sean that u should split the last paragraph up
| | | Album Rating: 2.5
That's 3/10, which would make this a 1.5/5. I guess my passionate hate for this album is just too much.
logic like this drives me crazy, because this is an absolutely ridiculous way to rate an album. That's like saying "ah man Kid A is such a brilliant record from start to finish I'm just not as huge a fan fan of Treefingers, Morning Bell, Optimistic, and In Limbo as I am of the rest of the songs so 3/5." Does it occur to you that perhaps in the reviewer's mind that the album as a whole is solid with some real good tracks, hence the 3.5 rating?
| | | Album Rating: 1.0
Well I think he clearly stated in the review that the rest of the tracks were pretty terrible.
No I'm sorry, they 'fall flat on their face'This Message Edited On 06.04.08
| | | Album Rating: 2.5
Electric City, since you mentioned Kid A in your reasoning, and it wasn't against Kid A, I agree with you.
Kid A>>>>>>> Weezer
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However, how can you call Troublemaker a classic Weezer track? It is not classic in any way imaginable.
I'm pretty sure he didn't mean the song was classic, just that it is a classic Weezer as in an old-school/what-weezer-have-done-since-the-beggining song
| | | Album Rating: 1.0
But it's not....
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I'm pretty sure he didn't mean the song was classic, just that it is a classic Weezer as in an old-school/what-weezer-have-done-since-the-beggining song
that's how i read itThis Message Edited On 06.04.08
| | | Album Rating: 2.5
Well I think he clearly stated in the review that the rest of the tracks were pretty terrible. Where?
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yeah he says a couple songs fall "flat on their face." but he literally pointed that statement to TWO songsThis Message Edited On 06.04.08
| | | Album Rating: 1.0
Weezer has taken steps forward and backwards, as many bands do, and just can't go back to where they were back when they were in their 20's.
some sound vaguely like a meeting between old and new Weezer
^which can only sound terrible
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wow you are a negative nancy dude. do you read all reviews so pessimistically? "a meeting between old and new Weezer" does not mean the songs are bad
| | | Album Rating: 1.0
have you listened to any of the 'new' Weezer. I know that Weezer will never sound like Blue or Pinkerton again. They should call it quits. After Make Believe, they should have been denied by every record label. But no, Beverly Hills earns them the average teenage audience and will stick in your head like glue for weeks. So of course Weezer's gotta cash in again with the 'Red' album. It makes me really angry. Oh well, that's music for ya. There are plenty of other good Red albums out there...
| | | Album Rating: 2.5
Those quotes point out the reviewer thinks the record doesn't sound like Blue or Pinkerton. It sounds like in the reviewer's opinion, he actually doesn't mind this fact, hence his rating. I'm not saying the review doesn't have some tilt to it but you say he doesn't justify his rating when he justifies it fine. This Message Edited On 06.04.08
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yeah Make Believe was HORRIBLE... Beverly Hills is probably the worst, most annoying single i've ever heard by any band. that's saying a lot, but that's genuinely how much i hated it. King Crimson's 'Red' is the best "Red" album imo
| | | Album Rating: 1.0
From the review it sounds like a 2.5 rating at most. And I know it's not a big deal. And I know if you went through all my reviews you could pick out the same thing in mine. I just have no respect for Weezer anymore. And I can't see any argument against the fact that they are a waste of space.
| | | Album Rating: 2.5
well yeah.
I didn't think Beverly Hills was all that terrible (I'm the only one, probably). At least in comparison to the massive shit that was every other song off Make Believe.
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