Weezer (The Green Album)

The Green Album was Weezer’s 2001 comeback album and end to their five year hiatus following a negative early response to sophomore album Pinkerton. It was the band’s first and only album with bassist Mikey Welsh, who replaced Matt Sharp. Welsh later had a nervous breakdown and was replaced by current Weezer bassist Scott Shriner.

With punchy, powerful songs such as “Hash Pipe” and “Crab,” along with catchier tunes such as “Island In The Sun” and “Photograph,” Green was a successful album. It became Weezer’s fastest selling album yet, made possible by an expanding internet fanbase unbeknownst to Weezer along with the extended hiatus from Pinkerton. Debuting at number 4 on the U.S. Billboard 200, the album reached Platinum in September of 2001.

Stylistically, the album was intentionally less personal than Pinkerton, with Rivers Cuomo specifically writing songs about stories he had heard and not his own experiences. The album also has a cleaner, slicker production and more crisp guitars and vocals. Many of the songs are rooted in the Power Pop genre, with powerful guitars, catchy melodies, and medium tempos, usually written in major keys.