Rivers Cuomo famously created a three-ring binder of songs by Nirvana, Green Day, and Oasis to unlock the secrets of great songwriting. He called it The Encyclopedia of Pop, but he probably should have included his own tunes from the Blue Album in his data set. Plenty of bands in bars around the world have covered Weezer. But these tracks prove Weezer is a pretty good cover band, too. Here’s evidence that Cuomo learned a lot by studying other songwriters.
Videos by American Songwriter
“Africa”
When you are a geek rock legend, you have the freedom to record uncool covers without alienating fans. Even if you have little patience for yacht rock, Weezer’s cover of Toto’s “Africa” is worth your time. Both versions of Toto’s 1982 hit are bangers thanks to the deep groove and sky-high chorus. Weezer’s rendition is as smooth as the clothes they wore on the Teal Album cover art. Seriously, this one rules.
“Everybody Wants To Rule The World”
It’s easy to ruin a great song. One of the biggest challenges in covering a classic is working against its timeless and perfect original. Tears For Fears not only wrote great songs, but they were master record producers, too. Weezer doesn’t attempt parody here. Rivers Cuomo transforms “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” into a modern power pop tune. Instead of the 80s synth-pop sheen of the original, Weezer placed more emphasis on live instrumentation instead of drum machines and synthesizers. Cuomo may be associated with slacker rock, but the guitar solo reveals his shredding roots.
“Mr. Blue Sky”
Covering “Mr. Blue Sky” is a heavy lift for most. But Weezer’s vocal layers and Cuomo’s ability to change the character in his singing style echo the post-Beatles wall of sound Jeff Lynne engineered in the 1970s. Electric Light Orchestra’s hit sounds less progressive here, with an indie rock take on Lynne’s Beatlesque multi-movement epic. Throughout the track, Cuomo aims for Brian Wilson’s layered harmonies. Here, he connects the dots between The Beach Boys, The Beatles, and ELO.
“Billie Jean”
“Billie Jean” offers listeners an example of what emo Thriller sounds like. The keys are more synth-pop than R&B, and Cuomo drops heavy guitars in the chorus as if Quincy Jones had hired Stephen Malkmus for the session. As his fame grew, the King of Pop was in a real predicament when a woman claimed he was the father of her child. Whether or not the story is true, Cuomo sings with the kind of despair Michael Jackson must have felt when he answered the woman’s letter with a dance-floor classic.
Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images
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