You're right. Apart from their first few singles, I've never seen the point of Weezer.

And surely the most celebrated 5 star shit album is "Be Here Now", isn't it? I know it has its apologists, but it really is a big turd of a record.

You're not from Yorkshire are you? I recognise a fellow straight speaker
"I say what I like, and I like what a bloody well say".
Top post Bob

I never trust them, prefer to go with the opinion of writers on mags I like, that's the main reason I am pro a good reviews section in the Word.
I know those against reviews in the magazine argue there are plenty of reviews out there in webland but I would rather put my faith and money down on the opinions of quality journalists I have come to believe in.

Incredbily tuneful all the way through, without a duff track to be seen, and a pretty big improvement on their debut. It's not a stone cold classic though, I'll give you that, more of a 8/10 rather than a 10/10. Such a shame that its relative commercial failure caused Rivers Cuomo to musically regress back to safe chart-friendly rock (all of Weezer's subsequent albums).

Van Morrison's "Days like This" got a rave review in Q Magazine.

Like fool, I bought it.

It was toilet. Absolute pants.

And I hated that cover, too, with Van and his missus and those two bloody dogs.

being a Weezer fan, its got to the point where their bad albums easily outweigh their good ones.

I love the first two but find that everything else (slight exception being The Green Album which is passable) has been horrible.

When to give up?

Bought it the week it came out and still think it's a fantastic record. Worth sticking with, or maybe better, put it away for a little while and try it again. What I didn't initially realise is that it's a concept album for a doomed relationship; the protagonist goes from ennui to infatuation to let down and resignation. I think some of the sound of the record is brilliantly recorded, it's got a great sense of the quiet-loud dynamic and a great drum sound on tracks like El Scorcho. Plus The Good Life is a poptastic classic.

I stuck with Weezer for many years thereafter, I thought the wheels fell off the wagon and the scales from my eyes with the Make Believe album and although there have been some good tracks here and there I really think they're past me these days. Pity. But for period of time I loved them. They really look seem to do an awful lot for their fans (eg their website is full of fanstuff, the last time I looked it was a model of how to do these things)

due to their 5* review of "Be Here Now". I got the impression that the review had been written before it had been heard. The same goes for most of the music press regarding the second Artic Monkeys album.

Whilst not a 5* album, in the climate of it's release (as the good Captain Hep has speculated in this very tome) it's understandable that in the national media maelstrom some respected journalists and commentators got caught up in the machine. Remember those times, the name of the album was speculated on, the first single specualted on ad finitum and the ever decreasing circles of the Noel/Liam relationship. It was all over the mainstream press and national tv months and months before its release.

There's not much wrong with "Be Here Now" and its excesses that a less "embedded" producer could have curbed. Too much Colombian marching powder and not enough self editing. There's some really good songs on Be Here Now - not a 5* record but not a turkey either.

I bought Pinkerton after reading the rave reviews, first and last time I bought a Weezer album.
I ripped track 6 - The good life - before throwing out the album.

album of the year everywhere in 2009 just don't get it,no songs for a start just murk

including just now again on spotify but I guess it's just not for me

.. is two tracks- 'The Good Life' (Very 'Word' with it's 'I don't wanna be an old man anymore, it's been a year or two since I was out on the floor' lyric) and 'Pink Triangle'. Both fantastic tunes.

On the strength of a 5 star review from Andy Gill in the independent - a cove whose reviews I usually respect. It had superlative credentials - on Bella Union, he hales from Denton, TX and his mates are the guys from Midlake. It sounded a safe bet.

God it's dull.

vein of Britpop madness, Q gave Blur's Great Escape a hyperbolic five star review as I recall.
I am a big Blur fan as I have blogged on these very pages but when I heard The Great Escape it was, even then, a parody of the band and a three star album at best.

Don't believe the hype journos.

Nick Cave

I have tried..don't get it

Has been bummed from here to Hertfordshire by the "Dear Robins" of the broadsheets because it's about how bad war is, even though everyone who had to buy it knows it's utter shit. It makes life in the trenches seem more appealing than listening to it.

very much but I never read a review of it. Took a punt cos someone I liked liked it and now I like it too. I have four Weezer albums, all nice from time to time in a punky power-pop sort of way - nothing amazing, but Pinkerton is the best.

I really like Weezer's Blue Album but aside from that I only know singles. Any tips on which album I should go to next?

I'm disappointed in the new Elbow record. There's about 4 really good songs on it, but every time it starts to get going they cut the pace off dead. It just doesn't flow, and the slow songs with minimal percussion aren't where they are strongest. It's a quieter record than The Seldom Seen Kid, but the mood and order suggest that they've stuck too closely to the same formula (unusual opener...one rocky single a few in...big singalong near the end..). I did really like TSSK, but neither match up to their peak, which for me has to be Leaders Of The Free World.
Reviews all suggest otherwise.

don't bother with Red - starts well, slopes off alarmingly