Search - Weezer :: Weezer: Rarities Edition (Spec)

Dusty Gems and Raw Nuggets

James J. Fox | Highland Mills, NY United States | 01/05/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"In 2004 Weezer had released a 10 year anniversary (deluxe) edition of their self titled debut album (aka The Blue Album) which contained two discs. Disc one being the album and disc two being a collection of rarities, demos and live tracks titled "Dusty Gems and Raw Nuggets". This compilation is simply the second disc of the deluxe released in single disc format.



Track Listing:

1. Mykel and Carli

2. Susanne

3. My Evaline

4. Jamie

5. My Name Is Jonas (live)

6. Surf Wax America (live)

7. Jamie (acoustic live)

8. No One Else (acoustic live)

9. Undone- The Sweater Song (demo)

10. Paperface (early demo)

11. Only In Dreams (demo)

12. Lullaby For Wayne (early demo)

13. I Swear It's True (early demo)

14. Say It Ain't So (original album mix)



I can not comment on the products extras such as liner notes/photos etc. because I do not own it, nor do I plan on owning it seeing I spent my $30 on the two-disc set back in 2004. But I can comment on the songs and provide a track listing seeing Amazon has not listed it as of yet. The songs are a collection of demos and b-sides mostly with the occasional live track. Many of the songs have been floating around the internet for years being the b-sides to many of the bands released singles and are in their own right Weezer staples (such as "Susanne", "Jamie" and "Mykel and "Carli"); if you are a somewhat active Weezer fan you have probably heard these songs and know how good they are. There is also a fantastic acoustic version of "Jamie" which many believe surpasses the original electric recording as well as a very poignant acoustic rendition of the bands beloved Blue Album song "No One Else".



For fans of the bands harmonies "My Evaline" is a short barber shop love song that was recorded to help the band find their signature Beach Boys-esque sound found in their early music. The previously unreleased demos of "Lullaby For Wayne", "I Swear It's True" and "Paperface" are all pretty decent tracks, with "Paperface" being the strongest and clearly a more rough and jagged type of sound for the band. Another demo of this song was released on frontman Rivers Cuomo's Alone II collection of demos in 2008, and is very different. Many believe the badn version found on this album to be superior.



As for demo versions of songs from the actual Blue Album, the selection was satisfying. It's very interesting to hear the early workings of an epic like "Only In Dreams" and the radio popular, and quirky "Undone-The Sweater Song".



THE ONLY COMPLAINT I have, as a diehard Weezer fan about this collection is the live tracks and the addition of the album version of "Say It Ain't So". The live tracks are, in their own right fantastic and full of energy and youth that really captures the band in their early days and are also two of the best songs on the actual Blue Album, though in the days of file sharing many fans are aware of gems from the early era that are not present on this collection. Early recordings such as "Thief, You've Taken All That Was Me" and "Lets Sew Our Pants Together" are two fantastic five star Weezer tracks that are from the same sessions as "Paperface" and contain the same naked rawness, quirkiness and even deepness that is only touched upon in "Paperface". The inclusion of these two tracks would have completed all the early demos from that period of the band and made the collection come full circle. So in retrospect I, and I'm sure many fans would have left off the two live tracks and added cleaned up versions of these two songs. If you are into filing sharing and downloading I highly recommend seeking them out and adding them to the end of your copy of this album. In addition the original album version of "Say It Ain't So" is the most ridiculous inclusion. It sounds exactly the same as the current album version only the guitars in the chorus have a different sound, which in my opinion is unrecognizable to someone who isn't into mixing tracks or just plainly isnt listening with an intent ear. I would have preferred a demo version of a song like "Surf Wax America" which unlike the album version contains no Beach Boy breakdown at the end, drastically changing the beloved structure of the climax. Even demos of "The World Has Turned And Left Me Here" or "Say It Ain't So" would have been better. These songs are all available to be listened to on YouTube or downloaded through file sharing on fansites and are recommended if you have enjoyed the majority of this album."