2 keepers
keeper avg .181
I can see how in some way their use of major progressions, happy melodies, and love laments helped define the power pop genre. For better or for worse, I can definitely hear the earnest adolescent angst of album's mopey opening single "The Concept" in much of the 90's alternative rock to come. I can hear the jangly, reverb-drenched "I Don't Know"**** in Oasis and other Britpop bands to come; its bend-y lead riff has a compelling tension that I we would later hear in great songs by Radiohead, The Verve, and Doves.
But other than that I just don't get what the big deal is (was). First, I don't think comparisons with with power pop's 70's originating bands are apt. I can hear shades of Cheap Trick on tracks such as "Metal Baby", "Sidewinder", and the single "What You Do to Me," but they lack the musical chops, memorable riffs, and incredible dynamics that have made the work of power pop bands like Big Star, Badfinger, and the aforementioned Cheap Trick so revered. The more up-tempo tracks like "Star Sign" and "Alcoholiday" have the noisy melodicism of Dinosaur Jr, who was perhaps another influence, and they then in turn may have influenced Guided By Voices. "Pet Rock" closely resembles Matthew Sweet's "Girlfriend," which was out around the same time, but suffers by comparison to Sweet's funky, energetic performance. Ironically the album's only other high point is the closing instrumental "Is This Music?"****, which sounds like nothing else on the album; it's like a Scottish homage to "Pictures Of You" (The Cure 1989).
But when considering the album's buzzy, melodic sonics alone, it's clear that Teenage Fanclub, and this album, did have a lasting impact and certainly had imitators. Besides all of the above-mentioned Britpop, I'll admit it's likely that there would be no Weezer without Teenage Fanclub's loud, earnest melodic pop formula. Weezer just did it better (at least initially). I am being serious when I say there isn't a note on the "Blue Album" that isn't transcendent; for me that's a high bar and Bandwagonesque isn't up there.
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