Board 8 > Rank the Tracks (Week 2): Weezer - The Blue Album (plus Demon Days results)

(+) Yeah! (+)

The rules:

1. Listen to the album in full
2. Rank every track on the album
3. When you vote, you can also nominate a single album. Anyone can second as many albums as they like (to ensure we are choosing albums people want to cover)
4. For the results, there will be a curve at the top of each list; two additional points between #1 and #2, and one additional point for the next two ranks. This way, the songs that really stick out to someone get an edge that is not immediately negated by someone else putting it lower. In the case of Demon Days, someone's 15th track will get 1 point, 14th 2 points, 4th 12 points, 3rd 14 points, 2nd 16 points, and 1st 19 points
5. If you want to include comments for individual songs, I will compile them in the results
6. The results will be posted at the beginning of the next topic
7. The deadline to vote is Sunday, March 21 at 8:00 AM EST

Weezer (The Blue Album) track listing:

1. My Name is Jonas
2. No One Else
3. The World Has Turned and Left me Here
4. Buddy Holly
5. Undone - The Sweater Song
6. Surf Wax America
7. Say It Ain't So
8. In the Garage
9. Holiday
10. Only in Dreams

Nominations for the next album:
3 supporters:
Nirvana - Nevermind (CasanovaZelos, Johnbobb, GameStonk)
Pink Floyd - The Wall (Johnbobb, Underleveled, firefdr)

2 supporters:
Hamilton (TomNook, Underleveled)
U2 - Achtung Baby (Jesse_Custer, CasanovaZelos)
Ben Folds Five - Ben Folds Five (jcgamer107, Jesse_Custer)
Taylor Swift - Speak Now (Snake5555555555, Raetsel_Lapin)
The Beatles - Abbey Road (Seanchan, CasanovaZelos)
The Avalanches - Since I Left You (SpikeSetsFire, CasanovaZelos)

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Gorillaz - Demon Days results

Before I dive into the individual track, let's look at some general data. First, here's a list of participants sorted by how much they deviated from the final results (a lower number means closer to the overall list):
CasanovaZelos: 24
XIII_rocks: 24
Jesse_Custer: 28
GenesisSaga: 28
Johnbobb: 34
TomNook: 34
Snake5555555555: 36
Seanchan: 36
SpikeSetsFire: 48
jcgamer107: 54
Luis_Sera89: 54
Mega Mana: 56
ZaziGuado: 58
Raetsel_Lapin: 60

Now, some general album comments:

CasanovaZelos: Demon Days is my #7 album of 2005 and #269 of all time. Gorillaz perfectly blend together a ton of genres, from dance to electronic to hip hop to alt. rock. I think it runs a little longer than it needs and the first half is notably stronger outside of DARE. But, it's hard to deny the catchiness of the best tracks, and the weaker tracks still add to the genre roulette that makes this album so special.

GameStonk: The most 2000s album for me probably.

jcgamer107: Just one of the greatest albums ever, hugely ambitious in how many collaborators there are, but it really comes together. The first half is much stronger than the 2nd in my opinion but that's pretty common anyway.

Johnbobb: I don't know where exactly it would rank but Demon Days is easily in my top 10 albums

Snake5555555555: I definitely agree with Zelos in that the second half is a lot weaker than the first...lastly, I like the idea of bringing in more symphonic and classical elements at the tail end of the album, but I think the tracks there get bogged down in its over-indulgence, they just feel sort of boring to me. Overall, the vibes this album brings, with its oppressive darkness and apocalyptic pessimism suits the era it was from perfectly, and still continues to be relevant in much the same way now. I admit I don't personally love it as a whole, but the stand-out tracks I rank at the top have a solid spot in my rotation.

GenesisSaga: My second favorite album!

ZaziGuado: I wouldn't say I hated anything on this album, but I think it requires active listening to appreciate. That's something I don't do too very often and I'm not going to listen to Demon Days enough for it to build up over time gradually. Those tracks that did get more spins than the others all finished higher on the list, which I think speaks to the growth potential. There are a few standouts and I think a lot of songs would reposition themselves on a second listen. It feels 5/10 on my random top of my head scale, but the top three songs prop it up to 6/10.

Seanchan: Overall...I don't think I liked this album a whole lot. The style just didn't click with me.

TomNook: Such a great album of course. The Top 6 are all fantastic, and would certainly make a Top 1,000 song list if I were to ever do that. The tail end of the list is pretty easy, as it's mostly the shorter songs, or the 'noise' songs.

XIII_rocks: Christ this is difficult. Every time I think of ranking one low I remember it gets better later on. Like I dislike the intro to some but then I remembered they tend to build up really well. Hmm.

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CasanovaZelos posted...

Taylor Swift - Speak Now (Snake5555555555, Raetsel_Lapin)
The Beatles - Abbey Road (Seanchan, CasanovaZelos)

I'll second these.

If we rank Abbey Road, how would we rank the medleys? Because they're both definitely stronger as units than as individual tracks.

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Demon Days track ranking

I'm gonna post these all at once since I don't think this sort of poll necessitates a slow reveal (I'm guessing the top spots will be predictable for most albums and it's the overall positions of the 'minor' tracks that are more interesting here)

15. Intro (Track #1)
Score: 28 (Average Rank: 14.00/15)
Biggest Fan(s): Raetsel_Lapin (#10)
Biggest Detractor(s): jcgamer107, Johnbobb, ZaziGuado, Luis_Sera 89, Mega Mana, Seanchan, TomNook, XIII_rocks (#15)

jcgamer107: it's a great intro, but is kind of auto-last place because of how short it is imo

ZaziGuado: Never been a big fan of intro tracks. This one doesn't really change that opinion.

14. White Light (Track #11)
Score: 56 (Average Rank: 12.00/15)
Biggest Fan(s): Luis_Sera89 (#6)
Biggest Detractor(s): CasanovaZelos, Jesse_Custer, Snake5555555555, GenesisSaga (#15)

jcgamer107: seems like Damon is venting about the party/touring lifestyle - maybe this has a little more of a Blur sound to it. another nice bridge.

ZaziGuado: I guess. It does some interesting things. Doesn't feel like it should be mid-table, but that's where I guess it's ending up.

13. Demon Days (Track #15)
Score: 82 (Average Rank: 10.14/15)
Biggest Fan(s): ZaziGuado (#4)
Biggest Detractor(s): Johnbobb, Seanchan, XIII_Rocks (#14)

jcgamer107: Nice note to end the album, good message

Johnbobb: Demon Days and DGLIH are great when combined with FCOOTMH, but stand out less solo

ZaziGuado: I liked it. A chorus of people singing a chorus is usually a good thing for me. The laid back beat with the oohs works well too. A good closer I'd say.

12. November Has Come (Track #9)
Score: 91 (Average Rank: 9.50/15)
Biggest Fan(s): Mega Mana (#5)
Biggest Detractor(s): SpikeSetsFire (#15)

jcgamer107: respect to MF Doom

ZaziGuado: It's fine, but that's all I really have to say about it. From what I caught of the rap lyrics, they seemed to be good.

11. Don't Get Lost in Heaven (Track #14)
Score: 93 (Average Rank: 9.43/15)
Biggest Fan(s): ZaziGuado (#3)
Biggest Detractor(s): jcgamer107, TomNook (#14)

jcgamer107: really nice backing vocals, and sort of an existentially spooky title

ZaziGuado: Probably the song I would listen to most on the "shuffle all" from this album that wasn't the top two singles. It's very enjoyable. I like the bouncing piano and the chorus. It's very whimsical and memorable. A bit earwormy.

10. Last Living Souls (Track #2)
Score: 105 (Average Rank: 8.57/15)
Biggest Fan(s): SpikeSetsFire (#3)
Biggest Detractor(s): GenesisSaga, Mega Mana, TomNook (#13)

jcgamer107: I bought this album summer '06, and I don't really know how to describe how I felt the first time I got to 1:38. It was a great reminder that you don't have to conform to any one style.

ZaziGuado: I really enjoy acoustic breakdowns in songs, and LLS has a fairly decent one. That's the only really notable thing about this song to me, though.

9. All Alone (Track #10)
Score: 110 (Average Rank: 8.29/15)
Biggest Fan(s): Raetsel_Lapin, Mega Mana (#3)
Biggest Detractor(s): Luis_Sera89, SpikeSetsFire (#13)

jcgamer107: sick drums and rapping, with a surprisingly beautiful bridge

ZaziGuado: Another song I remember popping up on "shuffle all" that I would occasionally let play through. The "all alone" chants were catchy and the main reason why. The beat behind it was good too. The breakdown with the guest artist was appreciated as well.

8. Fire Coming Out of the Monkey's Head (Track #13)
Score: 112 (Average Rank: 8.50/15)
Biggest Fan(s): Johnbobb (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): jcgamer107, Luis_Sera89, Seanchan (#12)

jcgamer107: A little too on-the-nose with it's message maybe, but it's cool they got Dennis Hopper

ZaziGuado: Okay. I dunno. Spoken word is really hit or miss with me and I suppose this hits, but nothing was too memorable for me. This feels like a song that would creep higher upon repeated listens.

7. O Green World (Track #4)
Score: 113 (Average Rank: 8.29/15)
Biggest Fan(s): Luis_Sera89 (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): Raetsel_Lapin (#15)

jcgamer107: I thought this sounded like badass showdown music as a teen lol, maybe because the "ahh"s are reminiscent of an Ennio Morricone score. the distorted guitar is filthy.

ZaziGuado: Eh, it's okay. Doesn't really stick with me.

6. Kids with Guns (Track #3)
Score: 115 (Average Rank: 7.86/15)
Biggest Fan(s): Johnbobb (#3)
Biggest Detractor(s): Jesse_Custer (#13)

jcgamer107: love how huge the drums are at the end

ZaziGuado: I actually remember this one popping up when I had an mp3 player and would just shuffle my entire my library. I would let it play rather than skip over it, so that's a good start! The bass beat is probably what got me to stick with it. The "push it" not quite sample but invocation is catchy.

5. Every Planet We Reach is Dead (Track #8)
Score: 146 (Average Rank: 5.86/15)
Biggest Fan(s): jcgamer107, Luis_Sera89 (#2)
Biggest Detractor(s): ZaziGuado (#11)

jcgamer107: I love just the wall of piano sound towards the end, the first iteration capped off by an epic synth lick

Snake5555555555: I really dug Every Planet on this re-listen, it has such a nice blues-y classic rock feel and the piano is beautiful in its chaotic composition.

ZaziGuado: Sure. I like the beat, but it kinda loses me as stuff keeps getting poured on top of it, which now that I think about might be the main reason why I've never been able to get too heavily into Gorillaz. The piano torwards the end is enjoyable.

4. Dirty Harry (Track #5)
Score: 148 (Average Rank: 6.14/15)
Biggest Fan(s): Snake5555555555, XIII_Rocks (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): ZaziGuado (#13)

jcgamer107: nice use of children's choir

Snake5555555555: The funky beats of Dirty Harry are amazing and Bootie's verse is killer, plus the choir just adds to an ethereal atmosphere that permeates the whole track, giving an unnatural feeling pairing perfectly with the anti-war lyrics.

ZaziGuado: There's a lot going on here, but I suppose I'm okay with it. The chorus of children probably sticks out most to me.

3. El Maana (Track #7)
Score: 164 (Average Rank: 4.93/15)
Biggest Fan(s): jcgamer107 (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): Mega Mana, SpikeSetsFire (#9)

jcgamer107: so chill and so melancholy

Snake5555555555: I friggin' adore trip hop (mainly because of Silent Hill) so Feel Good and Manana always spoke to me instantly.

ZaziGuado: Hey this was pretty good. Not sure what to pull out of it to remark on, but I enjoyed it for the most part.

2. DARE (Track #12)
Score: 189 (Average Rank: 4.21/15)
Biggest Fan(s): CasanovaZelos, Mega Mana, SpikeSetsFire (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): Raetsel_Lapin (#13)

jcgamer107: very groovy & good ending fake-out

ZaziGuado: Another single, so another one that's more familiar. It's also another single that I enjoy! I find the chorus catchy as hell and really enjoy the funky beat. I love the opposed lyrical stylings. Hell yeah.

1. Feel Good Inc. (Track #6)
Score: 226 (Average Rank: 2.29/15)
Biggest Fan(s): Jesse_Custer, GenesisSaga, ZaziGuado, Raetsel_Lapin, Seanchan, TomNook (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): jcgamer107 (#8)

jcgamer107: good but I've heard it a million times

Snake5555555555: I friggin' adore trip hop (mainly because of Silent Hill) so Feel Good and Manana always spoke to me instantly.

ZaziGuado: One of the most instantly recognizable singles of the '00s. The bass line is slick. That windmill chorus with the backing acoustic guitar is smooth as hell. The rap verses are quite catchy. It being Gorillaz' most popular single means I've heard it more (probably--On Melancholy Hill is easily my favorite song in the discography and is on many playlists) than any other song in the discography, but for good reason. It slays.

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Underleveled posted...

I'll second these.

If we rank Abbey Road, how would we rank the medleys? Because they're both definitely stronger as units than as individual tracks.

I plan to split the medley section like this:
You Never Give Me Your Money
Sun King
Mean Mr. Mustard / Polythene Pam / She Came In Through the Bathroom Window
Golden Slumbers / Carry That Weight / The End

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As far as interesting details of the results go, as shown in the average rank data, All Alone and O Green World would have both been tied ahead of Fire Coming Out of the Monkey's Head if not for the points being weighted near the top of each list. #6-#10 were all really close, so being in someone's top 3 can give a noticeable boost.

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CasanovaZelos posted...

I plan to split the medley section like this:
You Never Give Me Your Money
Sun King
Mean Mr. Mustard / Polythene Pam / She Came In Through the Bathroom Window
Golden Slumbers / Carry That Weight / The End

Okay, this is exactly what I was hoping for. I know YNGMYM is technically part of the medley but IMO it's got enough in it to stand on its own as a separate track.

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1. Say It Ain't So
2. My Name is Jonas
3. Buddy Holly
4. Undone (The Sweater Song)
5. Only in Dreams
6. In the Garage
7. The World Has Turned and Left Me Here
8. Surf Wax America
9. No One Else
10. Holiday

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I update my top 1500 albums and top 3000 songs each March, which is where I'm pulling these numbers from. Of course, I'm not locking myself into the song rank; my hope is I will occasionally find a track I have overlooked.

My #317 album of all time and #8 of 1994 (which is probably my favorite year for albums - 14 in my top 500 when few years even reach 10). With the Blue Album, Weezer carved a subtly distinct niche within the alternative rock scene. Less angsty than grunge, more guitar-driven than Britpop, and featuring a playful lyricism typically found in the less complex pop-punk scene. Weezer risked falling into the generic, but instead helped define 'alternative rock' as a unified (and radio-friendly) sound. Simply a collection of fun, positive songs in an era when rock really needed some cheering up.

My track rank:
1. Say It Ain't So (#417 all-time)
2. Buddy Holly (#923)
3. Undone - The Sweater Song (#1631)
4. Only in Dreams
5. The World Has Turned and Left me Here
6. My Name is Jonas
7. Holiday
8. In the Garage
9. Surf Wax America
10. No One Else

I will nominate Fiona Apple's Fetch the Bolt Cutters. The most acclaimed album of last year and one that instantly cracked my personal top 20, and also at the point in its life where I don't think anyone agrees on the best track - which means actually surprising results! Not that I think results being predictable is a problem; the main fun for me is revisiting an album as a group and seeing what other people think. This is essentially an album club to me.

Nominations for the next album:
3 supporters:
Nirvana - Nevermind (CasanovaZelos, Johnbobb, GameStonk)
Pink Floyd - The Wall (Johnbobb, Underleveled, firefdr)
Taylor Swift - Speak Now (Snake5555555555, Raetsel_Lapin, Underleveled)
The Beatles - Abbey Road (Seanchan, CasanovaZelos, Underleveled)

2 supporters:
Hamilton (TomNook, Underleveled)
U2 - Achtung Baby (Jesse_Custer, CasanovaZelos)
Ben Folds Five - Ben Folds Five (jcgamer107, Jesse_Custer)
The Avalanches - Since I Left You (SpikeSetsFire, CasanovaZelos)

1 supporter:
Fiona Apple - Fetch the Bolt Cutters (CasanovaZelos)

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1. Undone - The Sweater Song
2. Say It Ain't So
3. Surf Wax America
4. In the Garage
5. My Name is Jonas
6. No One Else
7. The World Has Turned and Left me Here
8. Only in Dreams
9. Buddy Holly
10. Holiday

I pretty much have no complaints about this album; every track is superb craftsmanship in 90s songwriting, an album consistently capturing the tone of the mid-90s while simultaneously capturing the teenage angst that exists in every generation, most exemplified in the track Buddy Holly which prominently references 50s through 70s culture. Weezer belies a gloomy, depressive edge with upbeat guitar riffs with that retro "uncool" wit, becoming timeless in the process. That is not an easy feat. Getting down to individual tracks, I mainly love Weezer's heavier moments here. Undone could nearly fit as a lighter cut on a metal album, but its spoken word interludes and introverted perspective firmly place it as ironically anti-boisterous, as the song's protagonist metaphorically comes undone through intense social anxiety. Say It Ain't So is a classic, more of a slow jam that lulls you in with relaxing instrumentals that make you focus on the story being told. Even though I've heard it a million times at this point, its explosive ending still gets me hyped every time. Surf Wax and In the Garage are two of the most punk moments on the album; Surf Wax feels like a Beach Boys track if they drank a 12-pack of Surge during recording. In the Garage is a quintessential nerd anthem. The next tracks aren't permanent fixtures for me or anything but nevertheless shine with their musicianship, I especially enjoy the solo in No One Else. Buddy Holly is a fun track but I think I've heard it too many times at this point and it's a little shallow even if I enjoy its references. Holiday comes the closest to being somewhat of a bore, but it's inoffensive at worst.

A highly regarded album for good reason and I very much enjoy spinning it from time to time! It's the kind of album you can get absorbed in if you truly listen closely.

Nominate:
Rancid - ...And Out Come the Wolves

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CasanovaZelos posted...

Fiona Apple - Fetch the Bolt Cutters (CasanovaZelos)

Second

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So I didn't say as much as I really feel like I should have about Demon Days. It's in my top 5 albums of all-time, and I don't know that that'll ever change. I recall hearing Feel Good Inc. for the first time back in middle school I believe, and it just kind of blew my mind. Everything from Albarn's vocals to De La Soul's bars to the ambient melody that really gives you a clear picture of the surroundings. I ordered the album to be delivered, and spent the next week in school just waiting in heavy anticipation, thinking about it constantly. I probably listened through the album every day for a month.

Gorillaz slowly worked their way up in my music tastes, and by this point I probably consider them my favorite band. I had the privelege of seeing them in Philly about 2 years ago, and goddamn what a show it was. Vince Staples and Kilo Kish were touring with them, and filled in spots of some of their bigger songs where their original guests couldn't be there. Staples did De La Soul's parts in Feel Good Inc., while Kish did 19-2000. They closed the show with Don't Get Lost in Heaven/Demon Days, and while they aren't my favorite invidual tracks, performed together live they were one of the best moments of the show.

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I feel like Im missing something about Kids With Guns. I dont dislike it (White Light is probably the only song I actually dislike), but its always seemed like one of the least interesting tracks on the album to me. Usually, when a Gorillaz song doesnt click with me initially, I wind up liking it even more because their music really demands multiple listens, but that one song just never clicked with me.

^5 to Casanova for being tied as the most basic bitch
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check out the Jamie T remix! I've probably listened to it as much as the original at this point

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HK6npnPrNnE&ab_channel=SanchoWuthman

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1. No one else
2. Only in dreams
3. Say it Ain't So
4. My Name is Jonas
5. Surf Wax America
6. Undone (the sweater song)
7. Holiday
8. The World Has Turned
9. In the Garage
10. Buddy Holly

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Not really a fan of this band, but I gave it my best effort.

1. Buddy Holly
2. Say It Aint So
3. The World Has Turned and Left Me Here
4. Only in Dreams
5. Undone - The Sweater Song
6. In the Garage
7. My Name is Jonas
8. Surf Wax America
9. Holiday
10. No One Else

Nominate: Radiohead - OK Computer

My big outliers for Demon Days were Last Living Souls and White Light (in the positive) and Kids With Guns (in the negative). Which makes a bit of sense as, for whatever reason, I've had snatches of Last Living Souls floating around my head the last day or two.

I did a first listen to the Blue Album and...yeah, it's pretty good! It's only 10 tracks and I've heard 4 of the songs many, many times, so that's not really a surprise, I suppose.

I found myself thinking about Blink-182 while listening to this. Obviously Blink is much more puerile in their lyrics and yet I couldn't help but feel there is a thru line between the two bands.

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No One Else
The World Has Turned And Left Me Here
Buddy Holly
In The Garage
Say It Ain't So
Undone - The Sweater Song
Holiday
Only In Dreams
My Name Is Jonas
Surf Wax America

Support: The Beatles - Abbey Road
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at some point I had a revelation that this is my favorite album. I dont listen to full albums often, so thats not a totally huge honor, but still. Even when I do, its usually only a couple times and then I add my favorite songs to my main music library. With the Blue Album every song made the cut.

Its also sort of a weird case for me where Im less biased towards the singles on this album because I wasnt necessarily aware of which ones were singles when I first heard it. The first Weezer CD I owned was Maladroit because they used to play the Keep Fishin music video at the bowling alley a lot. That song and Island in the Sun were probably my intros to the band. I never got the physical CDs for the earlier albums, so I probably didnt even know any Blue Album songs other than maybe Buddy Holly until at least a couple years later when I got my first iPod.

until very recently I would have said Only in Dreams was my #1, but Say it Aint So has stealthily climbed up my list over the past few years.

(total sidenote: although Blue is my favorite Weezer album, my favorite Weezer song is El Scorcho)

1. Say it Aint So
2. Only in Dreams
3. The World has Turned and Left Me Here
4. Holiday
5. Undone
6. Buddy Holly
7. My Name is Jonas
8. Surf Wax America
9. In the Garage
10. No One Else

can I cheat and nominate a Strokes album and then someone else can just second it by making a choice for me between Is This It and Room on Fire? I dont know which to pick.

oh also Ill endorse Nevermind and Achtung Baby
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I'll throw my support behind OK Computer and Is This It

Nominations for the next album:
4 supporters:
The Beatles - Abbey Road (Seanchan, CasanovaZelos, Underleveled, Raestel_Lapin)
Nirvana - Nevermind (CasanovaZelos, Johnbobb, GameStonk, MoogleKupo141)

3 supporters:
Pink Floyd - The Wall (Johnbobb, Underleveled, firefdr)
Taylor Swift - Speak Now (Snake5555555555, Raetsel_Lapin, Underleveled)
U2 - Achtung Baby (Jesse_Custer, CasanovaZelos, MoogleKupo141)

2 supporters:
Hamilton (TomNook, Underleveled)
Ben Folds Five - Ben Folds Five (jcgamer107, Jesse_Custer)
The Avalanches - Since I Left You (SpikeSetsFire, CasanovaZelos)
Fiona Apple - Fetch the Bolt Cutters (CasanovaZelos, Johnbobb)
Radiohead - OK Computer (Jesse_Custer, CasanovaZelos)
The Strokes - Is This It (MoogleKupo141, CasanovaZelos)

1 supporter:
Rancid - ...And Out Come the Wolves (Snake5555555555)

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bump

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Undone - The Sweater Song - I think I read Rivers got inspiration for Undone from a college professor saying you can unravel an entire sweater by pulling on a single thread of string. This track has always been a bit nonsensical to me, but I absolutely love it. It's such a perfectly singable song in both the verses and chorus and that "whoa-oh-oh" as well as "LYING ON THE FLOOR" gives me life. I wish the ending piano pounding wasn't there, but I obviously don't knock it too much for it.

Say It Ain't So - Gosh I always go back and forth on my favorite song from this album. It could sometimes be up to any of these top four. Say It Ain't So is consistently top three, though. That bombastic chorus and the sick solo are aces.

Only In Dreams - Love that bass line that forms the backbone of this entire track. The verses and chorus are strong, but it's the end the propels this song to "best in discography" category. The final three minutes are so perfectly and memorably executed.

Buddy Holly - This might be the best solo in the entire Weezer discography. That ending lick makes me want to run through a wall.

My Name Is Jonas - I think I read once that Rivers Cuomo considered the first track on their first album to be a handshake to the listener. Maybe that's not true, but what is true is that Weezer probably couldn't have selected a better track to open with. The jangly acoustic intro is unique and that harmonica at the end deserves special mention as well. Everything inbetween is pop rock gold.

Surf Wax America - The chorus is far and away the star here. Love it when they scale it back and slowly layer themselves back into it. Never seen Weezer live, but I'm sure this song is a rip-roaring good time.

The World Has Turned And Left Me Here - A guitar intro reminiscent of My Name Is Jonas backed by driving crunchy guitars that persist throughout the entire track. The bridge a great lead-in to the title chorus. I enjoy Rivers' vocal work on the track and the solo is pretty great. The ending octave change is the cherry on top.

In The Garage - In The Garage seems to be a song I consistently rate lower than many when Blue Album gets discussed. Maybe it's because I don't have the nostalgia towards the things he's referencing. The verses and chorus are both solid but neither hold up compared to the most of the rest of the album for me. It's still a really good song on an album with no bad songs, though. Great solo, good use of harmonica, and I really enjoy the vocal variance at the end.

Holiday - It's a good song, but doesn't ascend much beyond that. On a bad day I might put it below No One Else. The ending "let's go away"s are fantastic, as is when everything but the bass drops and Patricks takes over vocals for a bit.

No One Else - For me, this is easily the weakest track on the album. That's not to say it's bad. Not in the least. The vocal variances at the end are really good. For me though, easily the weakest lyrics on the album.

1. Undone - The Sweater Song
2. Say It Ain't So
3. Only in Dreams
4. Buddy Holly
5. My Name Is Jonas
6. Surf Wax America
7. The World Has Turned And Left Me Here
8. In The Garage
9. Holiday
10. No One Else

Overall: The Blue Album is and alwasy will be the most complete Weezer album front-to-back. Sometimes I find myself enjoying individual songs on Pinkerton or even The White Album more than those on The Blue Album, but nothing can compare to how consistent The Blue Album is from the opening jangle of the acoustic guitar to the last pluck of the bass to close the album. It took me until the mid 2000s to dive into the Weezer catalog. Being swept up by Weezer-mania in the mid 90s must've been a ton of fun.

Nominate: Kanye West - My Beautiful, Dark, Twisted Fantasy
Second: Ben Folds Five - Ben Folds Five

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1. My Name is Jonas - Is this in the top spot because of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock? Maybe! But also it's the best and it's not close.
2. Buddy Holly - ooooooh allajada Buddy Hollly oh oh and a Mary Tyler Moore I don't care whaddasabuddaadda I DON'T CARE BOUT DAT
3. Undone - The Sweater Song - yeah every Weezer song sounds the same but this sounds like a better version of those
4. Only In Dreams - I was about to write it off as a bland Weezer-type Weezer song until that back half saved it
5. In the Garage - only this high because it makes me laugh that he pronounces it as "graj"
6. Say It Ain't SoooooOOooOooooo - this song would be good if I didn't groan every time I heard it
7. Holiday - Boring song except for the "Heartbreak" part
8. Surf Wax America - better than the Beach Boys, for what it's worth. Fuck the Beach Boys
9. The World Has Turned and Left Me Here - This is the song before Buddy Holly and after whatever song is before it
10. No One Else - I literally forgot this song existed seconds after I finished listening to it

Overall, Weezer is fine. It's an okay album, with a handful of decent singles and My Name Is Jonas. Nothing bad, but nothing that blew my mind.

Nominate: Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)


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I will back MBDTF and Wu-Tang

Nominations for the next album:
4 supporters:
The Beatles - Abbey Road (Seanchan, CasanovaZelos, Underleveled, Raestel_Lapin)
Nirvana - Nevermind (CasanovaZelos, Johnbobb, GameStonk, MoogleKupo141)

3 supporters:
Pink Floyd - The Wall (Johnbobb, Underleveled, firefdr)
Taylor Swift - Speak Now (Snake5555555555, Raetsel_Lapin, Underleveled)
U2 - Achtung Baby (Jesse_Custer, CasanovaZelos, MoogleKupo141)
Ben Folds Five - Ben Folds Five (jcgamer107, Jesse_Custer, ZaziGuado)

2 supporters:
Hamilton (TomNook, Underleveled)
The Avalanches - Since I Left You (SpikeSetsFire, CasanovaZelos)
Fiona Apple - Fetch the Bolt Cutters (CasanovaZelos, Johnbobb)
Radiohead - OK Computer (Jesse_Custer, CasanovaZelos)
The Strokes - Is This It (MoogleKupo141, CasanovaZelos)
Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (ZaziGuado, CasanovaZelos)
Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (Johnbobb, CasanovaZelos)

1 supporter:
Rancid - ...And Out Come the Wolves (Snake5555555555)

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Support Nirvana

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bump

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1. In the Garage
2. Undone - The Sweater Song
3. Holiday
4. Buddy Holly
5. Say It Ain't So
6. The World Has Turned and Left me Here
7. My Name is Jonas
8. Only in Dreams
9. Surf Wax America
10. No One Else

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Nominate Nirvana - Nevermind

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Nominations for the next album:
6 supporters:
Nirvana - Nevermind (CasanovaZelos, Johnbobb, GameStonk, MoogleKupo141, Snake5555555555, MarkS222222222222222)

4 supporters:
The Beatles - Abbey Road (Seanchan, CasanovaZelos, Underleveled, Raestel_Lapin)

3 supporters:
Pink Floyd - The Wall (Johnbobb, Underleveled, firefdr)
Taylor Swift - Speak Now (Snake5555555555, Raetsel_Lapin, Underleveled)
U2 - Achtung Baby (Jesse_Custer, CasanovaZelos, MoogleKupo141)
Ben Folds Five - Ben Folds Five (jcgamer107, Jesse_Custer, ZaziGuado)

2 supporters:
Hamilton (TomNook, Underleveled)
The Avalanches - Since I Left You (SpikeSetsFire, CasanovaZelos)
Fiona Apple - Fetch the Bolt Cutters (CasanovaZelos, Johnbobb)
Radiohead - OK Computer (Jesse_Custer, CasanovaZelos)
The Strokes - Is This It (MoogleKupo141, CasanovaZelos)
Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (ZaziGuado, CasanovaZelos)
Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (Johnbobb, CasanovaZelos)

1 supporter:
Rancid - ...And Out Come the Wolves (Snake5555555555)

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bump

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What a great album. This album hit it big while I was in high school and everyone knows that the music you listen to in high school and shortly afterward forms the foundations of your lifelong musical tastes. This was one of the first CDs I ever purchased and it influenced my musical tastes. I listened to it extensively and I can still sing along with almost every track. 20+ years later almost every song on this album still holds up. This might be one of the most consistently great albums of all time.

1. Surf Wax America - Everything about this song is great. It reminds me of heading out to the ocean and having a good time. It just feels good.

2. My Name is Jonas - It was already a great song and then it showed up in Guitar Hero III and it somehow became even better. (Side note - I played in a Guitar Hero tournament and got a perfect score on this song to push me to 5th place out of over 500 entrants...)

3. In the Garage - A great song about having your safe space to be a nerd. Everyone on this board should appreciate this song.

4. Buddy Holly - A Classic video for a great song.

5. Say it Aint So - I got kind of burned out on this song until it showed up in Rock Band. Then I loved it all over again. (Also The first song I got a perfect on in Rock Band on Expert Drums!)

6. Only in Dreams - A very sweet song, but it was mine and my ex's "song". So, while the song is objectively great, the memories attached to it aren't so much.

7. No One Else - Another catchy song that is still enjoyable but not as great as most of the album.

8. Holiday - Standard Weezer song. Good but not great.

9. The World has Turned and Left Me Here - The only song on this album I couldn't start singing from memory or remember the music/lyrics to. The most forgettable and generic song on the album.

10. Undone - I never really cared for the Sweater Song. It was too slow for me, but not sweet like Only In Dreams. It doesn't help that it got massively overplayed on the radio and is still overplayed on commercial alternative radio. Pass.

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Nominate -

Weird Al Yankovic - Straight Outta Lynwood

And I will support Rancid.

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bump

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Say It Ain't So
Buddy Holly
Undone - The Sweater Song
The World Has Turned and Left Me Here
In the Garage
Surf Wax America
No One Else
Only in Dreams
My Name is Jonas
Holiday

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Nominations for the next album:
6 supporters:
Nirvana - Nevermind (CasanovaZelos, Johnbobb, GameStonk, MoogleKupo141, Snake5555555555, MarkS222222222222222)

4 supporters:
The Beatles - Abbey Road (Seanchan, CasanovaZelos, Underleveled, Raestel_Lapin)

3 supporters:
Pink Floyd - The Wall (Johnbobb, Underleveled, firefdr)
Taylor Swift - Speak Now (Snake5555555555, Raetsel_Lapin, Underleveled)
U2 - Achtung Baby (Jesse_Custer, CasanovaZelos, MoogleKupo141)
Ben Folds Five - Ben Folds Five (jcgamer107, Jesse_Custer, ZaziGuado)

2 supporters:
Hamilton (TomNook, Underleveled)
The Avalanches - Since I Left You (SpikeSetsFire, CasanovaZelos)
Fiona Apple - Fetch the Bolt Cutters (CasanovaZelos, Johnbobb)
Radiohead - OK Computer (Jesse_Custer, CasanovaZelos)
The Strokes - Is This It (MoogleKupo141, CasanovaZelos)
Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (ZaziGuado, CasanovaZelos)
Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (Johnbobb, CasanovaZelos)
Rancid - ...And Out Come the Wolves (Snake5555555555, cyko)

1 supporter:
Weird Al Yankovic - Straight Outta Lynwood (cyko)

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CasanovaZelos posted...

Hamilton (TomNook, Underleveled)

CasanovaZelos posted...

Weird Al Yankovic - Straight Outta Lynwood (cyko)

second these

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bump

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Nom ok computer and my beautiful dark twisted fantasy

6 supporters:
Nirvana - Nevermind (CasanovaZelos, Johnbobb, GameStonk, MoogleKupo141, Snake5555555555, MarkS222222222222222)

4 supporters:
The Beatles - Abbey Road (Seanchan, CasanovaZelos, Underleveled, Raestel_Lapin)

3 supporters:
Pink Floyd - The Wall (Johnbobb, Underleveled, firefdr)
Taylor Swift - Speak Now (Snake5555555555, Raetsel_Lapin, Underleveled)
U2 - Achtung Baby (Jesse_Custer, CasanovaZelos, MoogleKupo141)
Ben Folds Five - Ben Folds Five (jcgamer107, Jesse_Custer, ZaziGuado)
Hamilton (TomNook, Underleveled, Johnbobb)
Radiohead - OK Computer (Jesse_Custer, CasanovaZelos, GameStonk)
Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (ZaziGuado, CasanovaZelos, GameStonk)

2 supporters:
The Avalanches - Since I Left You (SpikeSetsFire, CasanovaZelos)
Fiona Apple - Fetch the Bolt Cutters (CasanovaZelos, Johnbobb)
The Strokes - Is This It (MoogleKupo141, CasanovaZelos)
Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (Johnbobb, CasanovaZelos)
Rancid - ...And Out Come the Wolves (Snake5555555555, cyko)
Weird Al Yankovic - Straight Outta Lynwood (cyko, Johnbobb)

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Final day

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1. Say It Ain't So
2. Buddy Holly
3. My Name is Jonas
4. Undone - The Sweater Song
5. Surf Wax America
6. Only in Dreams
7. Holiday
8. The World Has Turned and Left me Here
9. No One Else
10. In the Garage

I've listened to this album fully 2 more times in the last few days and I've got to say it's legitimately great and one that I will definitely come back to, even after this week is over. There's not a truly bad song on the album. In the Garage may be at the bottom of my list but it's still an okay song and one I wouldn't even bother skipping over on replay since the rest of the album is so strong.

Nominate: Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix


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Seanchan posted...

Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

Second this. Also second "The Avalanches - Since I Left You"

Don't think I've heard of either band (artist?) before, but I am interested in people I've never heard of eventually showing up in this series.
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Raetsel_Lapin posted...

Second this. Also second "The Avalanches - Since I Left You"

Don't think I've heard of either band (artist?) before, but I am interested in people I've never heard of eventually showing up in this series.

I'm surprised you've not heard of Phoenix; I feel like 1901 was a big deal but maybe that was just in my area (or maybe you know it and don't realize)? Since I Left You is especially interesting, an album consisting entirely of sampling. I believe it has something like 3,000 samples. Due to changes in copyright laws, they weren't really able to make a proper follow-up; the band took 15 years to release a second album, and that was with a heavily changed style.

I will also second Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

6 supporters:
Nirvana - Nevermind (CasanovaZelos, Johnbobb, GameStonk, MoogleKupo141, Snake5555555555, MarkS222222222222222)

4 supporters:
The Beatles - Abbey Road (Seanchan, CasanovaZelos, Underleveled, Raestel_Lapin)

3 supporters:
Pink Floyd - The Wall (Johnbobb, Underleveled, firefdr)
Taylor Swift - Speak Now (Snake5555555555, Raetsel_Lapin, Underleveled)
U2 - Achtung Baby (Jesse_Custer, CasanovaZelos, MoogleKupo141)
Ben Folds Five - Ben Folds Five (jcgamer107, Jesse_Custer, ZaziGuado)
Hamilton (TomNook, Underleveled, Johnbobb)
Radiohead - OK Computer (Jesse_Custer, CasanovaZelos, GameStonk)
Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (ZaziGuado, CasanovaZelos, GameStonk)
The Avalanches - Since I Left You (SpikeSetsFire, CasanovaZelos, Raetsal_Lapin)
Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (Seanchan, Raetsel_Lapin, CasanovaZelos)

2 supporters:
Fiona Apple - Fetch the Bolt Cutters (CasanovaZelos, Johnbobb)
The Strokes - Is This It (MoogleKupo141, CasanovaZelos)
Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (Johnbobb, CasanovaZelos)
Rancid - ...And Out Come the Wolves (Snake5555555555, cyko)
Weird Al Yankovic - Straight Outta Lynwood (cyko, Johnbobb)

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put me down for Phoenix too
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I think this is gonna be a bit different

Only in Dreams
The World Has Turned and Left Me Here
In the Garage
Surf Wax America
My Name is Jonas
Say it Aint So
Undone
No One Else
Holiday
Buddy Holly

I feel like half the album is really overplayed and the other half is low key good


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Started a wiki page to keep track of the results, but I'm not exactly experienced with the site. Is there a way to have a single link break? I hate the way this looks.
https://board8.fandom.com/wiki/Rank_the_Tracks

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bump

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CasanovaZelos posted...

I'm surprised you've not heard of Phoenix; I feel like 1901 was a big deal but maybe that was just in my area (or maybe you know it and don't realize)?

It's possible I've heard them and just never knew who they were--this came up with Third Eye Blind, where I did know some of their songs without knowing who did them. Definitely don't recognize the name at least.
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Final bump

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