This one's a
bit personal. 1994 was hands down Weezer vs. Nine Inch Nails. And I was ill-equipped
to make the decision; tossing and turning. The Downward Spiral was the
culmination of everything alt., the child to Pink Floyd and Unknown Pleasures
and Bowie and Tool and Ministry. It was an LP that I'd wished for, waited for,
but there is no doubt that in '94 I listened to the Blue Album ten times more.
It was that old syndrome of needing time – like Burgess Meredith in that
episode of The Twilight Zone ("There's time now.") – The Downward Spiral wasn't
an LP for the car or for getting dressed to go out or for washing the dishes.
NIN needed time, devotion, focus. The Blue Album took a hit on a bong and three
minutes.
Decision made: Weezer is the most impactful LP of 1994, and probably the 90s. Twenty-two years ago, on May 10, 1994, a bunch of sweater-donning dweebs got together and released their self-titled debut album. Weezer — affectionately dubbed The Blue Album for its cover—introduced the world to power chord pop punk and teen earnestness, effectively making uncool look really 'effin' cool. Spike Jonze' "Buddy Holly" video was in direct contrast to Nirvana's "In Bloom," which effectively portrayed how ridiculous Nirvana would be for an audience of teens in the Eisenhower era. Weezer, conversely, look like a Wisconsin teen quartet that plays sock hops and Bar Mitvahs and fit right in in a sweater and loafers at Arnold's. That said, that geeky cool plays off as modern as Monica Lewinsky's blue dress on "Undone; The Sweater Song," a hipster anthem written before most hipsters were born. I know I show my age when I tout "Bennie and the Jets" or "Ventura Highway," but here, not in the 70s and not The Beatles and not "How Soon is Now" and not even "Love Will Tear Us Apart" — this is the best single ever. At least while you're listening to it, you know, until you're not high any longer.
Decision made: Weezer is the most impactful LP of 1994, and probably the 90s. Twenty-two years ago, on May 10, 1994, a bunch of sweater-donning dweebs got together and released their self-titled debut album. Weezer — affectionately dubbed The Blue Album for its cover—introduced the world to power chord pop punk and teen earnestness, effectively making uncool look really 'effin' cool. Spike Jonze' "Buddy Holly" video was in direct contrast to Nirvana's "In Bloom," which effectively portrayed how ridiculous Nirvana would be for an audience of teens in the Eisenhower era. Weezer, conversely, look like a Wisconsin teen quartet that plays sock hops and Bar Mitvahs and fit right in in a sweater and loafers at Arnold's. That said, that geeky cool plays off as modern as Monica Lewinsky's blue dress on "Undone; The Sweater Song," a hipster anthem written before most hipsters were born. I know I show my age when I tout "Bennie and the Jets" or "Ventura Highway," but here, not in the 70s and not The Beatles and not "How Soon is Now" and not even "Love Will Tear Us Apart" — this is the best single ever. At least while you're listening to it, you know, until you're not high any longer.
