Reviewed by Ian Phillips.
By Weezer, Atlantic Records 2019.
I’ve always enjoyed Weezer’s clever and sophisticated pop and their simple but effective self-titled and colour-coded album covers.
Weezer formed in 1992 in California and the following year released their debut self-titled album, known as The Blue Album, on Geffen Records.
It gained immediate success and three singles from the disc jumped into the charts with the album achieving triple platinum accreditation.
Their second album, Pinkerton, didn’t have the same instant success. It was darker and not as approachable.
However, in time it has become Weezer’s highest rated album.
Weezer’s career has taken many twists and turns over the 27 years of their existence as the band drifted between the carefully crafted pop of albums like The Green Album to more moody and darker themed offerings such as the hard edged experimental pop of Maladroit which received mixed reviews and sluggish sales but once again is now being appreciated for its difference.
One project that fans have been eagerly awaiting is The Black Album which has been commenced and abandoned on numerous occasions.
It is due for release on 1 March and the lead singles, Can’t Knock The Hustle, and Zombie Bastards have presented a tantalizing glimpse of a darker, harder, sound.
While we wait, Weezer has released, Weezer (The Teal Album), which is once again another departure in direction.
It’s an album composed entirely of covers including songs from Toto, Tears For Fears, The Eurythmics, A-Ah, The Turtles, Black Sabbath, ELO, TLC, Michael Jackson and Ben E King.
Weezer’s versions of Toto’s Africa and Tears For Fears’ Everybody Wants To Rule The World are equally as good as the originals.
Indeed these songs are sometimes better than the originals.
In most cases the covers are reverentially perfect.
Weezer’s version of Toto’s Africa reached number one on the Billboard singles chart when released in 2018 prompting Toto to release a cover of Weezer’s single Hash Pipe from their 2001 Green Album.
The unexpected success of Africa led to Weezer releasing this album of covers as a stop gap prior to the release of The Black Album.
However, the album is so good that the band have agreed to go on tour to support it. I’d love to catch one of the concerts.
