Weezer (Green Album)
Weezer, those geek rockers who topped mid-'90s charts with those oh-so-precious pop fables "Undone (The Sweater Song)" and "Buddy Holly," were almost undone by 1997's bombasticPinkerton. Their sophomore release turned its back on the band's clean-cutdebut, with a thrash approach more influenced bySabbathandKissthan theBeach Boys. On their third album (self-titled, like their first, but referred to as the "Green Album"), the band makes a concentrated effort to return to anthemic '60s punky pop, demonstrating that, for Weezer at least, it's rather easy being green. In fact, one could say they're almost as green asGreen Day, especially on "Knockdown Dragout." At their best, Weezer show such boundless energy and gleeful aplomb that you'd swear you were listening to a lostBadfingeralbum. Conversely, Rivers Cuomo's twisted genius makes its way onto the anxious and paranoid "Hash Pipe" and the jittery "Glorious Days," making the "Green Album" the most absorbing and rounded vision from these pop masters yet.--Jaan Uhelszki