Weezer's career divides neatly into two parts: their beloved golden era (1994's eponymous Blue Album and 1996's Pinkerton) and their more divisive, inconsistent recent work (2001's Green Album and beyond).
The trouble is that their questionable albums now far outweigh the classics, and it's becoming increasingly tedious to wade through a large discography in search of the gems among the throwaways. To help you separate the wheat from the chaff, here are our 10 favourite post-millennial Weezer songs.
This represents the best of a hotly debated bunch, although together they amount to a pretty solid 10-song playlist. In order to give you an overview of what the band have been up to, we've included at least one song from each of Weezer's six proper post-2000 LPs (but we're not including the rebooted outtakes collection Death to False Metal in that tally).
Top 10 Post-Millennial Weezer Songs:
10. "Modern Dukes"
The rawness of many Weezer's demos are a big part of their appeal. If the punk chaos of "Modern Dukes" were cleaned up for an official studio release, would it still be this much fun? The Summer Songs of 2000 demo is an excellent mosh-pit starter that sounds absolutely explosive, while the subsequent 2002 demo doesn't pack quite the same punch (but it's still damn catchy). If Weezer had chosen to go in this direction with their albums, the past decade might have been very different (for better or for worse).
9. "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To"
When Raditude was released in 2009, Cuomo was almost 40 and was the father of a two-year-old. Despite this, the single "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To" is a first-person account of teenage romance strewn with Titanic screenings and Best Buy hangouts. Singing about first love is a lot more interesting that stories of diaper changing, and this is a compellingly vivid fantasy.
8. "This Is Such a Pity"
Much of Make Believe found Cuomo ostensibly wearing his heart on his sleeve, but songs like "Peace" and "The Damage in Your Heart" lacked the emotional rawness and autobiographical minutia that made Pinkerton so perversely additive. That said, "This Is Such a Pity" is an enjoyable new wave throwback that adds a splash of keyboards to the Weezer's familiar Cars-style pop chug. Its status as an accurate '80s pastiche is cemented by the gleefully corny call-and-response guitar solo.
7. "Slave"
Much of 2002's Maladroit has all the subtly of a battering ram, as brawny rock riffage mingles with arena-worthy guitar solos. "Slave," however, takes a more delicate approach. Yes, the guitars are ferociously distorted and the drums are thundering, but the vocal melody floats plaintively amidst the fuzz, and the chorus is steeped in resignation, as Cuomo sighs, "Who put on your heart? / 'Cause I can't change, no."
6. "Pig"
Cuomo's best songs have managed to mix sincerity with silliness, and he balances the two perfectly on "Pig," which tells the life story of the titular farm animal who grows up and falls in love before being sent to the slaughter house. The acoustic home demo that leaked onto the web captured the poignant tale perfectly, and even though the studio cut — which appears as a Red Album bonus track — is a tad overblown (and contains an over-literal whiplash backing vocal), it's still one of Cuomo's finest songwriting efforts of the past decade. Ironically, this heart-wrenching tale of a pig being eaten came from the same sessions as a song unrepentantly titled "Pork and Beans."
5. "Ruling Me"
When Cuomo is on form, there are few songwriters who can match his talent for catchy choruses. Case in point: "Ruling Me," a standout cut from 2010's Hurley that has an absolute monster of a refrain. The verses don't make much of an impression, and the lyrics are serviceably forgettable (okay, the line "my ocular nerve went pop, zoom" is pretty awesome), but the sunburst chorus is magic.
4. "Don't Let Go"
If you're looking for a Weezer album to blast while cruising around with the windows rolled down, 2001's Green Album is it. Opening cut "Don't Let Go" signalled the band's return after a five-year, and it succinctly captures both the strengths and the weaknesses of the band's post-millennial output. It's plastic and a bit clinical, with strong hooks that will get stuck in your head but not in your heart. It's a perfect summer pop song.
3. "Keep Fishin'"
Weezer's knack for cheerful pop took a back seat on much of Maladroit, but it comes to the fore on "Keep Fishin'." Although the lyrics concern apathy and heartbreak, the melody is pure sunshine, and the way the bouncing choruses slide into the surging bridges is an intriguing twist. Around this time, Weezer were known as much for their goofy videos as their songs, and this single's Muppets-starring clip is one of their most charming.
2. "Hang On"
The baroque flourishes of the intro give way quivering vocals, making this one of the most touching tunes in Weezer's later catalogue. The backing calls of "Hang on! Hang on! Hang on!" are the high point of Hurley, which holds up as the band's strongest overall effort since at least Maladroit, and possibly even Green. (Another standout track from Hurley, the Ryan Adams collaboration "Run Away," contains similarly arresting backing vocals during the chorus.) Bizarrely, this song features actor Michael Cera on mandolin and harmonies.
1. "Island in the Sun"
Of all of Weezer's songs from 2001 and beyond, "Island in the Sun" is the only bonafide classic. Cuomo shyly sings a quiet "hip hip" hook over a hummable set of chord inversions, and this sets an absorbingly low key mood for this soundtrack to relaxation in a tropical paradise. The emotional rawness of the band's past work is gone, and at least in this song's case, that's a good thing. The minor chords that lead the progression mean that it's not exactly happy, but Cuomo sounds at peace as he dismisses his troubles and promises, "We'll never feel bad anymore." He had stopped spilling his guts on tape and here he sounds practically weightless.
The trouble is that their questionable albums now far outweigh the classics, and it's becoming increasingly tedious to wade through a large discography in search of the gems among the throwaways. To help you separate the wheat from the chaff, here are our 10 favourite post-millennial Weezer songs.
This represents the best of a hotly debated bunch, although together they amount to a pretty solid 10-song playlist. In order to give you an overview of what the band have been up to, we've included at least one song from each of Weezer's six proper post-2000 LPs (but we're not including the rebooted outtakes collection Death to False Metal in that tally).
Top 10 Post-Millennial Weezer Songs:
10. "Modern Dukes"
The rawness of many Weezer's demos are a big part of their appeal. If the punk chaos of "Modern Dukes" were cleaned up for an official studio release, would it still be this much fun? The Summer Songs of 2000 demo is an excellent mosh-pit starter that sounds absolutely explosive, while the subsequent 2002 demo doesn't pack quite the same punch (but it's still damn catchy). If Weezer had chosen to go in this direction with their albums, the past decade might have been very different (for better or for worse).
9. "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To"
When Raditude was released in 2009, Cuomo was almost 40 and was the father of a two-year-old. Despite this, the single "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To" is a first-person account of teenage romance strewn with Titanic screenings and Best Buy hangouts. Singing about first love is a lot more interesting that stories of diaper changing, and this is a compellingly vivid fantasy.
8. "This Is Such a Pity"
Much of Make Believe found Cuomo ostensibly wearing his heart on his sleeve, but songs like "Peace" and "The Damage in Your Heart" lacked the emotional rawness and autobiographical minutia that made Pinkerton so perversely additive. That said, "This Is Such a Pity" is an enjoyable new wave throwback that adds a splash of keyboards to the Weezer's familiar Cars-style pop chug. Its status as an accurate '80s pastiche is cemented by the gleefully corny call-and-response guitar solo.
7. "Slave"
Much of 2002's Maladroit has all the subtly of a battering ram, as brawny rock riffage mingles with arena-worthy guitar solos. "Slave," however, takes a more delicate approach. Yes, the guitars are ferociously distorted and the drums are thundering, but the vocal melody floats plaintively amidst the fuzz, and the chorus is steeped in resignation, as Cuomo sighs, "Who put on your heart? / 'Cause I can't change, no."
6. "Pig"
Cuomo's best songs have managed to mix sincerity with silliness, and he balances the two perfectly on "Pig," which tells the life story of the titular farm animal who grows up and falls in love before being sent to the slaughter house. The acoustic home demo that leaked onto the web captured the poignant tale perfectly, and even though the studio cut — which appears as a Red Album bonus track — is a tad overblown (and contains an over-literal whiplash backing vocal), it's still one of Cuomo's finest songwriting efforts of the past decade. Ironically, this heart-wrenching tale of a pig being eaten came from the same sessions as a song unrepentantly titled "Pork and Beans."
5. "Ruling Me"
When Cuomo is on form, there are few songwriters who can match his talent for catchy choruses. Case in point: "Ruling Me," a standout cut from 2010's Hurley that has an absolute monster of a refrain. The verses don't make much of an impression, and the lyrics are serviceably forgettable (okay, the line "my ocular nerve went pop, zoom" is pretty awesome), but the sunburst chorus is magic.
4. "Don't Let Go"
If you're looking for a Weezer album to blast while cruising around with the windows rolled down, 2001's Green Album is it. Opening cut "Don't Let Go" signalled the band's return after a five-year, and it succinctly captures both the strengths and the weaknesses of the band's post-millennial output. It's plastic and a bit clinical, with strong hooks that will get stuck in your head but not in your heart. It's a perfect summer pop song.
3. "Keep Fishin'"
Weezer's knack for cheerful pop took a back seat on much of Maladroit, but it comes to the fore on "Keep Fishin'." Although the lyrics concern apathy and heartbreak, the melody is pure sunshine, and the way the bouncing choruses slide into the surging bridges is an intriguing twist. Around this time, Weezer were known as much for their goofy videos as their songs, and this single's Muppets-starring clip is one of their most charming.
2. "Hang On"
The baroque flourishes of the intro give way quivering vocals, making this one of the most touching tunes in Weezer's later catalogue. The backing calls of "Hang on! Hang on! Hang on!" are the high point of Hurley, which holds up as the band's strongest overall effort since at least Maladroit, and possibly even Green. (Another standout track from Hurley, the Ryan Adams collaboration "Run Away," contains similarly arresting backing vocals during the chorus.) Bizarrely, this song features actor Michael Cera on mandolin and harmonies.
1. "Island in the Sun"
Of all of Weezer's songs from 2001 and beyond, "Island in the Sun" is the only bonafide classic. Cuomo shyly sings a quiet "hip hip" hook over a hummable set of chord inversions, and this sets an absorbingly low key mood for this soundtrack to relaxation in a tropical paradise. The emotional rawness of the band's past work is gone, and at least in this song's case, that's a good thing. The minor chords that lead the progression mean that it's not exactly happy, but Cuomo sounds at peace as he dismisses his troubles and promises, "We'll never feel bad anymore." He had stopped spilling his guts on tape and here he sounds practically weightless.
