2010年 02月 21日 日曜日 16:47

When most people think about an influential Weezer album, usually the Blue Album or Pinkerton come to mind. Not for me. “Maladroit” was the first Weezer album that I listened to in its’ entirety. Although I do agree that Pinkerton and The Blue Album are both highly influential albums in their own right, “Maladroit” is the album for me that I automatically think of when I think about Weezer.

“Maladroit” really marks a turning point in the career of Weezer, in my opinion. Shortly before Rivers Cuomo decided to dwell into the depth of teen pop, there was Maladroit. It’s Weezer’s final album that appeals to me. You just don’t hear songs like “Slob” on their new albums. It’s definitely the heaviest of Weezer albums made to date, and I believe that this type of sound suited them best.

“Maladroit” also marks a turning point in my interest in music. I was twelve when the album came out, and songs like “Dope Nose” and “Keep Fishin’” (which has one of the most memorable videos ever) were released as singles. Those songs piqued my interested, and made me want to check out the entire album. That was big for me, because I was a twelve year old who really only listened to stuff that was on the radio.

I was very happy with the entire album, and listened to it repeatedly for a while. One of the poppier songs on the album “Possibilities” quickly became a favourite. By listening to the entire album and enjoying it all, it proved to me that other songs on albums were worth checking out. Some stuff that doesn’t get released on the radio is actually pretty good. That’s a big step for someone that age, and it helped me become interested in listening to more music.

Weezer isn’t exactly a band I listen to every day. I respect what they have done for not only me, but music listeners everywhere who they have impacted. It’s not that I hate the newer Weezer material, but there is a distinct lack of substance. Songs like “Troublemaker” and “(If You're Wondering if I Want You To) I Want You To” are catchy and fun and have the Weezer flair to them, but they are empty pop songs.

It was a calculated decision to go in that direction, so I can’t fault them for that. It’s just not something I’m interested in. I talked about bands changing direction in the Coldplay article, and the same thing applies for Weezer. Just like how I’ll always have “Parachutes” to remember Coldplay by, I’ll always have my personal favourite “Maladroit” to remember Weezer by.