Album Review: Weezer - "The Red Album" (8.4/10)

By von Richthofen

Weezer's third stop on the primary-color-as-album-title wheel could be their last . Not last album per se, but depending on who you ask, red, blue, and green are the only primary colors and Weezer has exploited them to maximum effect.

It could not come at a better moment. Despite nonstop rumors of their demise, Weezer bounces back from the 1-2 punch embarrassments that were "Maladroit" and "Make Believe" . Both of those efforts were bloated stabs at recapturing the charm and pine tree freshness of "The Blue Album". And neither had any of the geek nostalgia that makes "Pinkerton " the greatest "critical failure" album of all time.

My bet is that Rivers Cuomo was able to exorcise some serious song writing demons by releasing "Alone - The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo" last year. It silenced those uber-fans that were waiting for Weezer to record proper studio versions of cuts from the epic "Songs From The Black Hole" , a legendary concept album that never saw the light of day. What we do get is one heck of a ride.

Sure, the lead track "Troublemaker" blatantly "lifts" a near-identical guitar line from a classic Weezer song (Pinkerton's "The Good Life"). It isn't the last time that Rivers and Co. borrow from previous gems. It gets lodged in that spot in your brain reserved for pure joy. And if after listening to Track 1 you think that Rivers has crossed the line between silly-fun and just plain ridiculous lyrics, buckle up.

"The Greatest Man That Ever Lived " features pianos, falsettos, Beach Boys harmonies, metal flashes so flashy that you can smell the sweat and leather, and more time signature changes than there are songs on this album. It could be the making of one smelly pile of dog crap in less skilled hands. But if you can accept visions of unraveled sweaters as a legitimate song fodder, nothing on "The Red Album" will shock and awe you.

The boys are having fun, and for the first time in Weezer history, Rivers shares lead vocal duties with each of his other three band members. Letting go of the mic seems to be a natural way for Cuomo to communicate his comfort making music on his own terms. "Heart Songs" serves as a loving tribute not only to Cuomo's personal favorites but to the love of music in general. And when the Brian Bell's guitar line wanders into the familiar refrain of "The World Has Turned And Left Me Here", it doesn't sound contrived. Surely many listeners would include Weezer in their own personal "heart songs".

The missteps are much less noticeable this time. Pushed to background are the slick production tactics of Rick Rubin (who co-produced about half of the record with Weezer), replaced with a much more organic and focused sound. The Cars-esque New Wave dial has been turned down a notch, but Rick Ocasek clearly left his mark. Some may consider the wide ranging stylistic nods to be a failure. Not so for this reviewer who lost interest in the last two albums because they were too much of the same.

Here's to hoping the Weezer considers yellow a primary color. Now, about that mustache.......