Weezer's New Single is Worse than Nickelback's New Single
This is "Memories," Weezer's recently released first single from their upcoming album Hurley. (YES: THAT HURLEY, who graces the cover.) The album has been the subject of some buzz lately, because many fans quietly hoped that Weezer's switch to Epitaph would improve the band's sound, maybe make it a bit more grounded than their last release, Raditude. Well… the song is better than the first single off Raditude, "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To."
But, and this is a bold claim, Weezer's new song is worse than Nickelback's new single. You may think this is a pretty unfair comparison, Nickelback being the Chernobyl of pop music and all, but if you listen closely they're incredibly similar songs. Here's the Nickelback song in question, "This Afternoon".
Lyrics:
Weezer: "Memories" has pretty Weezer 3.0 lyrics, lots of reference and shallow emotion. The first noticeable standout is "playing hacky sack when Audioslave was still Rage." And of course, who can excuse the sheer kiddie-pool-depth of the chorus, "Memories make me want to go back there, back there. I want to be there again." Well, that's some Radiohead-level shit right there.
Nickelback: "This Afternoon" offers a similar level of lyrical mastery with lines like "Looking like another Bob Marley day / hitting from the bong like a diesel train" and "Down on the corner in a seedy bar jukebox cranking out the CCR." Oh, and every single line in the song ends with the phrase "this afternoon."
WINNER: Nickelback, because if you listen to the lyrics the ratio of cultural touchstones to actual human emotion is lower than Weezer's.
Musical Arrangement:
Weezer: Similar Weezer fare, punchy verses, a catchy repetitive chorus, a quiet, sparkly bridge. The only real problem is that the chorus is also almost identical to the lead line in The Stroke's "12:51," so that's kind of a problem, sort of.
Nickelback: White people reggae mixed with country music.
WINNER: Weezer, because nearly anything in the entire world is better than a country song about smoking weed.
Relevance:
Weezer: See, this is a problem, because it's tough to imagine the typical Weezer fan in 2010. Maybe it's a very easy-going Gen X'er. A man in the IT field who wears sandals often and remembers how good Pinkerton was. Maybe he listens to the radio with their kids driving to little league and feel comforted by a familiar voice when Weezer's on the radio. And we do mean "he." But again, it's a bit mysterious.
Nickelback: Most of the the southwest and midwest of America… and anywhere cars or sporting goods are sold. Also sports bars.
WINNER: Nickelback, because the first rule of pop music is that you're writing for demographics and Nickelback knows their demographic shockingly well.
The new Nickelback song makes me dry heave every time I hear it. I immediately want to facepunch not Nickelback themselves (I guess I've given up on that beautiful, beautiful dream) but anyone responsible for amplifying it to a public level.
And yet: I have no choice at this very moment to agree with the assessment. it is true. It is so painfully true.
Not that I didn't write Weezer off already years ago. But 1994 me still exists somewhere in my psyche. He's there, wearing MacroBlades and drinking from his Fido Dido water bottle crying into his Swanson TV Dinner.
is anyone else hearing notes of "Simply having a wonderful christmas time" by Paul McCartney in "Memories"? or is it just all this Dayquil and disappointment that I'm swallowing?
i must point out that not only do i agree with das motorbike but i was on google and typed in"chritmas song that sounds like memories by weezer" and this was the first or second link which made me laugh i also wanna point out that nickleback's song sounds like garbage and id like to ask is it just me or does the lead singers voice not match his face/body(?)?
I don't have speakers at the moment so I can't comment on the two songs above… but am I the only person that doesn't mind (If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To? I mean, I wouldn't run out telling everyone it changed my life, but it isn't a bad song. Weezer has done much worse (and much better, as no one will ever let them forget).
No, I think it's quite good actually. Like a peppier "Town Called Malice"!!
Not a bad song – agreed. Peppier 'Town Called Malice' – well, if my commenter number was a little lower, I'd fight you. As it is, I'll writhe in shame and confusion.
Damn, I clicked the link thinking "THAT HURLEY" was Elizabeth. No idea who that fat geezer is.
I work around kids, and I've noticed that within the past two weeks approximately 80% of pre-teen boys began wearing t-shirts that say "HURLEY" on them. How is this related?
It is the surfing apparel division of Nike.
HATE WEEZER SOOO MUCH.
FLAMES ON THE SIDE OF MY FACE.
A+, strongly agree.
heaving breaths.
I know which one I'm going to have to hear every night for the next six months, and it's not "Memories." "This Afternoon" = "All Summer Long 2010/"
Look. I'm the guy who loves Pinkerton. Hates anything past the green album. Loathes Beverly hills and the fact that there new album is called Hurley. I normally won't defend Weezer but in this case I feel like it's important to speak up.
Sure this song is on the corny side. But Rivers has always had a a bit of a cheeseball touch when it comes to lyrics. He's either embarassingly honest (i.e "so I better keep wackin') or just downright goofy (i.e "I'm dumb she's a les-be-un".
My point is that this song is better then any single of radittude. It's also better than anythign off Make Believe. I'm sure "Hurley" will drop and there will be on or two okay songs and a bunch of shit on the rest, but please, don't EVER try and tell me that Nickelback wrote a superior song. They didn't.
Dear The Awl Tech Department,
Sometimes your website automatically refreshes while videos are playing. I used to find this troublesome, but today's jarring page reload was a mercy that spared me from hearing the end of a truly awful song.
Kisses,
josh
This is simply unfair.
Farts trump Nickelback. The sound of babies dying beats out that redneck nonsense. No matter how painful that Weezer song is to absorb (and it is), the other is way worse.
And now I know what fucking Nickelback looks like.
Weezer is like Nabakov, man. 2 good books and the rest is garbage. This is horrible.
Weezer has never compared themselves to Radiohead so it is unfair to include them in the same paragraph. If you want to hear Radiohead level stuff you should listen to….drum roll please…Radiohead! Weezer has always been and always will be a band that has catchy pop songs, smart ass lyrics with an occasional burst of raw emotion. I almost feel like defending Nickleback here as well. That's how much this little tantrum upset me…But Nickleback has proven they are un-defendable.