TMS Spotlight: My Favorite Summer Album

(Peter Gowland)

While the other three seasons throughout the year don’t have a whole, designated music genre like winter and the December holidays do; sometimes a record just has the ‘vibes’ of a certain season, most commonly summer. Generally, I would say pop is the genre with the most ‘summery’ sound, with groups like Jan & Dean, the Beach Boys, the Monkees and Spice Girls on regular rotation at the beach or public pool. I made plenty of summer playlists throughout my teens and early 20s with all these acts and then some. But to me, the ultimate record to play during summer break, vacation, the middle of the year is one that might surprise some: ‘the blue album’ by Weezer. Released to instant success in May 1994 and considered one of the LPs that transitioned popular music away from grunge following Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain’s death; Weezer’s official debut was technically self-titled, but would quickly be referred to as ‘the blue album’ because of the main color of the cover and sleeves. What’s funny is I did not become a big fan of the band, particularly their early songs, until my mid-20s, when I was also going through a big obsession with the White Stripes. Two ‘W’ groups that were around for much of my childhood, yet did not catch my attention until I was a grown up for whatever reason. In the Weezer fandom, longtime fans are famously split between preferring ‘the blue album,’ considered a masterpiece of pop-rock production; or their second release, ‘Pinkerton’ (1996), which had a completely different, proto-emo sound. Personally, I have to give it to team ‘blue.’

I can’t remember which time of the year I started really getting into Weezer, but I do know on subsequent listens, I would make a habit of revisiting ‘blue’ during the sunny, warm months. Though seasonal appropriateness can be found on tracks like ‘Holiday,’ ‘Surf Wax America’ and ‘In the Garage,’ the album doesn’t exactly have a direct theme about partying, traveling and/or spending time at the beach/pool [although the big single from ‘the green album’ (2001), ‘Island in the Sun,’ would definitely qualify]. But the pure production provided by Ric Ocasek of the Cars, Rivers Cuomo’s catchy hooks and guitar riffs, and the childlike innocence of Rivers’ lyrics make the LP feel like a great listening choice in between school sessions or for out-of-town trips. From the poppy album opener of ‘My Name is Jonas,’ the ‘nice guy’ anthem of ‘No One Else,’ and the self-aware ‘The World Has Turned and Left Me Here,’ to the timeless breakout singles ‘Undone (The Sweater Song)’ and ‘Buddy Holly,’ and melancholia of ‘Say It Ain’t So’ and ‘Only in Dreams;’ Weezer represent every angsty, awkward teenager in 10 tracks, and what better time to represent that period than summer vacation. It does not surprise me at all ‘blue’ received instant reception back in 1994, when traditional bands could be pop, rock, transgressive and commercial all at once. If anyone was keeping power pop alive in the mid-‘90s it had to be Weezer, and then comparisons to the Cars and Beach Boys made sense. Following the mixed reactions to ‘Pinkerton’ and losing Matt Sharp as bassist, Weezer continued chugging along as an active band [for better or worse depending on who you ask], but one thing is for sure. As long as teenagers seek out popular music with universally relatable songs, Weezer and ‘the blue album’ will always be remembered, and listened to by me from May to August every year.

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