Geffen Vinyl & CDs

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


Did Steely Dan go Bisto on us and save the best for last? Maybe, just maybe. While Pretzel Logic didn't mark the end of all things The Dan, it was the final album to feature the full lineup - Walter Becker, Donald Fagen, Denny Dias, Jim Hodder, and Jeff 'Skunk' Baxter (prior to the latter joining The Doobie Brothers). It was also the last to be released while the group were actively touring, and as such can be seen as something of a swan song. Perhaps Magnus Opus is a more appropriate turn of phrase. Critically acclaimed at the time, the record sees the jazz rockers opt to tone down the instrumentals that had cost them radio play with preceding LP, Countdown to Ecstasy, and instead focus on shorter, more direct and certainly catchier tunes. That's not to mean throwaway, mind, with praise lauded on the release at the time, when it was reissued in the late 1980s and remastered a decade or so later. Back again, it still has the same impact.

Review: Weezer's Blue Album is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a special edition vinyl release, newly remastered from the original analog tapes and pressed on blue and clear vinyl. Widely considered one of the most iconic debut albums of all time, the 1994 release pushed alternative rock in a new direction with its blend of humor, introspection, and anthemic hooks. Rivers Cuomo's songwriting crafted a unique voice, with geeky, ironic narratives juxtaposed against a backdrop of roaring guitars and power-pop melodies. At a time when the alt-rock world was dominated by angst-filled acts like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Green Day, Weezer stood out with their self-deprecating lyrics and complex emotional themes. Songs like 'No One Else' and 'The World Has Turned and Left Me Here' explored fragile masculinity with both humor and vulnerability. Meanwhile, tracks like 'In the Garage' and 'Surf Wax America' embraced geek culture and fantasies, cementing Cuomo's place as an unconventional frontman. The record also introduced the band's signature soundia hybrid of power-pop, punk, and 70s rock influences. Hit tracks like 'Buddy Holly', with its irresistible chorus, and 'Say It Ain't So', an emotionally raw reflection on family trauma, showced Cuomo's talent for writing anthems that were both personal and relatable. The climactic 'Only in Dreams' closed the album with a sprawling, eight-minute masterpiece, further solidifying Weezer's lasting impact on 90s rock. While initially dismissed by some critics, The Blue Album gained recognition for its mix of heartfelt songwriting and ironic detachment, earning a double-platinum status and becoming a blueprint for later generations of indie and alternative acts.