The Dickinson Caf Series - (Part 1: The Hot Shave)

So I am currently writing my senior thesis on the memory of James Wilson. Pretty disappointing stuff right there since I had always planned on writing it on the greatest and most magical place on campus (maybe Earth), that's right...the Caf! Anyone who disagrees with me is just plain wrong and kind of lame. My best memories and time spent at Dickinson College have been in the Caf. From one bites to Jello races to range discussions to awkward sex position napkin drawings to same siding, my bonds of friendship with Jive have grown through the Caf. The Jive Table has been a staple of my college career and the times spent there after practice, delaying trips to the lib, sobering up on a weekend morning or just simply procrastinating from doing anything were truly special.

Now while the Caf offers good and bad, there is no other place that is so important to your Dickinson College career. Over my 4 years I have sat and learned from some of the biggest caf legends Jive has ever seen. Starting back during Freshman year with Chappers and DJ. These guys were still on traditional and never turned down a great Weekend morning caf sit. Chappers even had to take a dump twice during one of these. Fast forward to today with The Fish, who still has the record for chicken tenders in one sitting. Tell me a time you were in the caf and this kid wasn't. Doesn't exist. The guy had 4 bowls of potato soup and 4 cokes and it wasn't even 11: AM yet! Coffee black, none of that weak shit.

I have always loved the caf and it is about time that it has been broken down. I want to explore the ins and outs, the good and bad and all the rest. The secrets, the cycles, the meals and everything in between. Because nothing pisses me off more than freshman coming back with plates that look like puke. So in this 10 part series, I will dissect everything that comes to mind about the best place on campus!

As Martin Luther King Jr famously said: "Nothing in the world is more dangerous than a sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity of your own Cafeteria!"

Part 1: The Hot Shave

Any veteran Caf student already knows that on average, lunch is better than dinner. A big reason for this are the Hot Shave sandwiches. No matter what that menu may bring and trust me, sometimes it can be bad, the hot shave will consistently deliver satisfaction. Whether you are getting two of them to make your meal or just one as a nice side dish to your plate of chicken nugs, the Hot Shave is a simple warm deli meat sandwich that gets the job done. Now lets remember, all hot shaves were not created equally. The Caf offers seven varieties of the sandwich, 4 regular weekly sandwich's and 3 special hot shaves that cycle every week. Lets break these down.

The Usual Suspects

Roast Beef: Statistically the most popular Hot Shave. One of the big reasons for this Hot Shave being so popular is the Au Jus that accompanies it. The Roast beef is the most tender of the Shave's and dipped in Au Jus gives you your own French Dip for lunch. Combine that with it's popular cheese compliment Pepper Jack, and you have one delicious sandwich for lunch. For those who want more, some put tiger sauce on their Roast beef, while others will either grill or microwave their sandwiches to either melt the cheese more and get the bread nice and toasty. While there are times bad batches of beef that are dry and fatty, A good Hot Shave Roast Beef sandwich is hard to beat.
Ranking: 9/10

Roast Turkey: The first of three turkey options and probably my favorite. While some complain that the Turkey is too dry, I often find the Roast Turkey surprisingly moist and flavorful. While this sandwich won't save you from a crappy lunch, it is a great compliment to a chicken dish. My favorite paring for this sandwich would be on Cycle 1 Monday lunch when the Buffalo Chicken Penne Stir Fry with Blue Cheese is on the grill. You could even eat this sandwich while you wait in line!
Ranking: 7/10

Smoked Turkey: The second of the turkey options and probably the worst. Honestly do you know what smoked turkey means in the Caf.....dry turkey. The smoked turkey doesn't actually add any smoky flavor, it is just a dry version of the roast turkey. While in the past I have elected for one of these, today I don't even bother. Who the fuck wants dry turkey! Not even melted cheese or cream of mushroom soup can save this one.
Ranking: 3/10

Baked Ham/Pork Tenderloin: Maybe the least popular sandwich because of the large Jewish population. Neeeeeeeever. Seriously though, while I like Ham, there are probably less than 10 percent of lunchers that get this menu item. And for some reason, baked ham is always on days with the worst menus. For example: Cycle 3 Wednesday -Baked Ham paired with 3 foot cheese steak grinder and baked macaroni and cheese. O yea and the grill: Marsala chicken salad with grapes. These are the days where you just say fuck it and get grab and go. The Ham is consistent and salty and goes well with a little melted Swiss. Not ideal but what is these days. Note: Pork Tenderloin sometimes subs but it is honestly just dry thick ham.
Ranking: 5/10 (Pork Tenderloin 4/10)

Specialty Shaves.

Corned Beef: One of the special shaves and one of my favorites. Again it is because I am actually Jewish. Seriously though, the corned beef is a fantastic hot shave. You can never get a bad batch of this meat. Always tender and flavorful with a hint of spice, the Corned beef can save a lunch with its perfection. A very consistent hot shave. Note: They serve it on shitty rye bread. The best way to eat beef is to hit up the deli for a potato bun and grill it. I like it I like it a lot. Ranking: 9/10

Pastrami: If you ask me, I can't tell the difference between the two meats. Both however are delicious. T Gags rates it number 1 on it with swiss on rye. Moonshine also prefers the Pastrami. Again, I like to avoid getting it on the rye bread. It honestly ruins the sandwich for me. Anytime they offer the Corned Beef or the Pastrami, i am getting two of these bad boys.
Ranking: 8/10

Pepper Turkey: The last of the Turkey's and probably the most polarizing hot shave. Of the three speciality hot shaves, this one can either be amazing or disappoint like no other. Just ask Nate Grefe aka Sir Bitch a Lot, "Pepper Turkey on a good day. With pepper jack cheese, it's tender and very flavorful and all the spices are great together. Other times it is dry and tastes like dog shit." I am not a huge fan of the Pepper Turkey but it can hold its own. Ranking: 5/10

Overall, the Hot Shave is the heart and soul of lunch. I get it 90 percent of the time I am there and am constantly satisfied with them. Before I reveal my favorite, lets take a look at what some other Hot Shave veterans have to say.

The Fish: "Roast Beef for the delicate interplay of flavor between beef and the spices of pepper jack; a meaty yet spicy combo."

Who? Dan Jones: "Roast Beef because it is served with tiger sauce and you can get it with double pepper jack. Probably top 5 caf dishes period!"

Voodoo: "Depends on the day but I'm a huge fan of ham but only with cheddar. It's delicious, doesn't need any condiments, and is always consistent.

Schachter: Roast Beef with pepper jack but only if its good. The new roast beef last year was pretty shit. I'd probably say roast turkey with provolone because of all the fixings you can do with it. Consistently good!

So as you can see, there is no consensus. But what is important is more than just the meat. The cheese, bread, sauce and other fixings are just as essential to a great Hot shave. For me, I am going with the Corned Beef with double American cheese grilled on a potato bun to a nice brown finish. Give me two of these and some waffle fries and I am good to go. So what is your favorite hot shave?

Check back next time for Part 2 of the Caf

His Name? Number 2

Imagine this situation: You are walking out of class heading to the caf and BOOM; you need to take a monster dump. While you have time to decide where to go, you need to make a decision quickly. So what do you do? Where is the best place to take a dump on campus? Sure some people may have private bathrooms in their homes but some people aren't fortunate enough to have that privilege and still live where they did as freshman. So for all you incoming freshman who never get the actual guidance and lowdown needed during a tour or orientation, here are some important notes and places to take a dump on campus.

Top 3

1. Library 1st Floor Bathroom -Ok we all knew this one.....or did we? While it may not smell great, the 1st floor library bathroom offers what others can't: full privacy. Located in the center of campus, this bathroom is a single toilet in a lockable room (which some people forget to use....come on people! I'm not trying to walk in on you). There is nothing better than taking care of business in private. No need to rush or worry about other people hearing you in action. Great for that lib study break and the guy in the temple hat who always sits next to it. I feel ya buddy.

2. Althouse Basement - What is the first thing you check out in a brand new or renovated building, yep....the bathrooms. While they do offer a private unisex bathroom in the basement, the men's bathroom in the basement is beautiful. In near pristine condition, the bathroom features two stalls that seem nearly untouched. Because of it's location, it is rare that you will be disturbed. The cleanliness and smell is unbeatable and the high tech hand warmer is something out of a sci-fi movie.

3. Stern Basement - Similar to the above entry with some slight changes. Very little traffic flows through the Stern basement so again, you are unlikely to be disturbed. The bathroom is slightly larger than Althouse and almost reminds me of a 4 star hotel lobby bathroom with its dim lights and beautiful floor tile pattern.

Some other notes:

-Avoid Denny Bathroom if you can. Not only is the smell awful, you are bound to walk into one of your professors in there. Trust me, nothing is more awkward than the conversations that happen there

-If you ever need to go in the HUB, always use the basement of the HUB. Always less crowded. Try to avoid taking a deuce during meals there. Always people coming in and out.

-Some would think Rector is nice but I disagree. First of all, every time the handwarmer goes off I get a heart attack for how loud the thing is. Secondly, the automatic flush always goes off even when you are still taking a shit. These things are supposed to save water? How is that possible when the toilet flushes 5 times during 1 shitting. Idiots!

-If you are ever in the Kline, never use the locker rooms. Always go to the bathroom behind the wall climbing area.

-And remember: dropping a deuce should be a relaxing and reliving experience. When you are going, you want to find a peaceful and clean spot to maximize the enjoyment. Nothing is worse than an un-enjoyable shit or having to rush etc. Catch your breath and think, find the right spot, take time out of that boring lecture or to avoid being called on and enjoy.

PS: keeping a magazine or Dickinsonian handy in your backpack never hurts. Having enjoyable reading material for a deuce is always nice.

Also get pumped for Justin Bieber: Never Say Never movie. Trailor is on IMDB. It's gonna be in 3D!

Mindless and Random

It happened last year. There is simply no way to contribute to this blog during school. Any real free time I have I usually waste. Writing requires time and patience, well good writing anyway. Over winter break and when I am jobless, maybe this blog will thrive again. Ok you got me, it never really was thriving but you could check this every week when ESPN, Facebook or Porn got repetitive and maybe find something that was somewhat interesting to read. Anyway just to shake off the rust: here are some of my mindless and random thoughts.

-I love when a great artist comes out with a new and good album. It allows me to not only listen to some new tracks but to simply put that artist in my Itunes search and enjoy their entire catalogue. Spoon's Transference, Arcade Fire's The Suburbs, Jack Johnson's To The Sea and now Kanye West's My Beautiful Twisted Dark Fantasy. The album is good, not pitchfork good but a great addition to his music library. Favorite song right now is "Gorgeous." Awesome beat with some great lyrics and of course a really catchy hook from Kid Cudi.

-Vassar weekend in September easily goes down as a top 3 weekend in my college career. A fantastic frisbee tournament in all aspects. Beautiful weather and fields, great Jive crew, some good competition as well as some fun teams that provided some hilarious and awesome frisbee. A great party that features some fantastic stories and of course we won the tournament in a fantastic come from behind victory against Vassar. This post will come out soon.

-The fall Jive season ended in Princeton where we won with relative ease. There were some good teams here but we were clearly better. CUFF would of been a better test but the weekend in Jersey was awesome and the weather for a mid-November tournament was unbelievable. Jive beat Princeton 13-6 in the final and I am now incredibly stoked for the Spring semester

-There was a second trip to Nationals that was occurred. I thought about blogging about this, I am had a Pre-Nationals thoughts blog written but I never typed it up. Southpaw ended with us reaching the quarterfinals and finishing in 7th place, something that is incredible for a first time open team. It was an awesome accomplishment that I unfortunately did not feel like I contributed too. Regionals and Nationals was spent mostly on the sideline for me watching our team making awesome plays and win some incredible games. While I am so happy for my teammates that carried us to where we got, I couldn't help but feel frustrated at times that I was watching most of this happen. Everyone who played over me did a fantastic job. Special props to Tim Gaulton and Greg Owens who played out of their minds as they anchored our D-line guarding some of the best players in the country. I just wish I got more of a chance to join them on the field to make plays.

As a D-player, it is incredibly hard to get a D at this level. Most of the time, you have done your job if your player doesn't touch the disc. Since I wasn't playing much, I couldn't get into a rhythm was unable to make any plays that would warrant me more playing time. I was the youngest player on the team and I missed my fair share of practices while I was at college. Most people in my situation would be happy just to be a part of this team and see the field once or twice. But after last year, I wanted more. I am extremely confident in my abilities and believed that if I had more playing time, I would of contributed. However, I squandered chances by falling into some bad habits and when it was time to play my best ultimate, I simply didn't. Not getting position and trying to simply jump over my guy, getting turned around a couple time on some deep hucks, not moving my feet fast enough on some marks, a couple fluke plays that didnt go my way and finally getting beat deep in the Doublewide game on my first time seeing the field sealed my fate.

To sum up, I am proud of Southpaw and I loved all the guys on the team. Our 7th place finish is a testament to our talent and work ethic. It was a fantastic season that I just wished I contributed more too. There is no doubt I became a better player over the course of the year and in the end, that is what matters the most.

- With that, have I mentioned that I am so pumped for our Jive team in the spring. While we absolutely need to stay healthy, the team is well constructed to succeed in ways never even thinkable for Dickinson say 5 years ago. Our senior class consists of a core of 4 players that are regional level club players. We will only go as far as those 4 take us. Tracky is one of the best all around players I have ever played with and would be a valuable addition to any college and most club D-lines in the country. Matt has evolved into our best deep option which I would never actually admit if it wasn't true. The kid was always athletically gifted and he has demonstrated that if you are dedicated to playing the sport and are already fast and athletic, you can be an absolute beast and dominate the game at certain levels. While I give Griffles a ton of crap for various aspects of his game, he is invaluable to our team and has proved that he is not only one of our best handlers but also one of our best cutters. If he can stay healthy and really put in the work this spring, he will be the one that will quietly win us games by isolating him against favorable match ups and coming up with some critical D's in various ways.

Again it is hard for me to not sound so positive. I truly believe that we are better than a lot of teams. Spring semester is our chance to prove it. The huge improvements that our Juniors and Sophomores have made must continue into the spring. Timber, Shaman and Moonshine, who I honestly thought during their freshman year that they would never contribute have come a long way. I cannot be more happy to be proven wrong as they have become some of our most steady players on our O-line. It is a testament to their commitment to the team. They never miss a chance to play and are good examples for some of the freshman just starting and feel overwhelmed at times. I still remember when Shaman wrote me a message after Cuff exactly one year ago, wondering if he should just give up after a frustrating tournament where he wasn't getting playing time. What a difference a year and some confidence will give you. But for Jive to win, these 3 must work as hard as anyone to get in better shape for the tougher match ups that will present themselves in the Spring. Hall and Bowman need to first and foremost get and stay healthy. Their role on the team will be crucial for Jive.

The sophomores show promise and continue to improve at a faster rate than I expected. Most of it is just playing more and becoming more comfortable on the field and understanding the flow of the game. Mittens has benefited the most and has shown the most improvement in the grade because he has played the most out of anyone. There are others that can reach their potential but must commit to it. And finally Jive has the deepest and most talented Freshman class ever. If these kids stay with it and commit, Jive will continue to thrive over the next couple of years even with the loss of one of the best classes next year. So much rambling but that's the mood I am in.

-The loss of Hakeen Nicks further puts the magnifying glass on Eli Manning as he must rise to the challenge and get the Giants to the playoffs. His test to prove his elite status and contract are simple: get to the playoffs anyway possible. The loss to the Eagles this Sunday was one of the more painful losses in recent memory.

-I should be working on my proposal for my senior Thesis so rather than continue this later, I'll just fucking post the damn thing. I jsut wasted three hours. This is why the lib needs to be open all night.

Someday, top 4 rap albums

My Ten Favorite Rap Albums (Part 1)

I never actually put this list together but I think it needed to be done. My rap knowledge comes from my brother who taught me everything I know and I thank him for that. I was instantly cooler at school for knowing some serious rap bangers before most kids. I still remember in 4th grade when my brother played me "1st of the Month" and I was hooked. I was soon addicted to Bone Thugs and then moved to the greatest rapper of all time 2pac. While some things caught on later than others, I consider my feel for good rap music better than most people I come across. So I give you my top 10 rap albums. The rule is one per artist to make things more interesting. And while all these albums may seem mainstream, they are classics that contain numerous bangers.

10. Outkast - Aquemini (1998)

Outkast was all over the radio with their 2000 release Stankonia but Aquemini still remains my personal favorite. It contains one of my earliest favorite songs "Slump" which is classic Outkast. The rest of the album is loaded with greatness. The true opening track "Return of the G" sets the tone with that hard bass line. "Rosa Parks" was the first single and maybe the most well known track from the album. The three tracks that really stick out is the slow groove jam "West Savannah," the final single "Da Art of Storytellin' Pt. 1" and the 7 minute classic horn blastin' "SpottieOttieDopalicious." This album is Outkast at their best. And as Big Boi says "You might call us country, but we's only southern."


9. Dr. Dre - The Chronic (1992)

I may be a little young to fully appreciate this album in its entirety but there are a couple tracks that are genre defining. Some call it the birth of gangsta rap and the west coast scene and no doubt it is one of the most influential rap albums of all time. I'll start with "Nuthin' But A "G" Thang" which is one of the greatest rap songs of all time. Everyone knows this classic banger and while you may have heard it a million times, its flawless. Snoop and Dre establish a lyrical prowess and sound that is unmatched. Plus the video is legendary. The following track "Deez Nuuuts" is one of my personal favorites and the opening to the song is hilarious. Daz is on point in his verse and maybe the best part of the song is the chorus from Nate Dogg, "I can't be faded, I'm a nigga from the mother fuckin streets." The other legendary banger is the opener "Fuck Wit Dre Day" which is the one of the best album openers and rap diss songs of all time.

8. Jay-Z - Reasonable Doubt (1996)

I may not be the biggest Jay-Z fan out there but there are so many great tracks on this album I can't ignore it. Hard to argue what Jay-Z has accomplished and his newest album The Blueprint 3 is awesome but doesn't quite compare to his debut album. The first single off the album "Dead Presidents" accurately highlights what he brings on every track. My favorite track off the album is probably "Feelin' It" which I can still remember my brother playing on repeat when he would take a shower in the morning before school. (Shit i was like 10 back then!) Incredible song. The album opener "Can't Knock the Hustle" featuring Mary J. Blige is classic 90s rap. My other favorites off the album are the DJ Premier produced "D'evils" and "Friend or Foe." The other bangers off the album are "Brooklyn's Finest with Biggie, "Can I Live" and "22 Two's"

7. Kanye West - Late Registration (2005)

The most recent album on my list and the one that was big during my generation. Just beat out The College Dropout for a place on the list. Late Registration is my favorite Kanye West album and it contains some of my favorite Kanye songs, more of the slower variety. The first three tracks off the album "Heard Em Say" featuring Adam Levine, "Touch the Sky" featuring Lupe and "Gold Digger" featuring Jamie Foxx are incredibly popular and lead off the album in powerful fashion. All three are great songs and I wouldn't even call them my favorites off the album. My favorite hands down is "Hey Mama" which is a touching tribute to Donda West. My other favorite is the grieving plea to doctors about his sick grandmother on "Roses." Both songs display Kanye's raw emotion in his raps and his ability to produce great tracks. He really is one of the best producers of all time. Another great track lost in the album is "Celebration" which is a light-hearted whimsy sounding banger. The album has a range that you don't find on a lot of rap albums out there. "Diamonds From Sierra Leone Remix" featuring Jay-Z is another highlight and another personal favorite. Other bangers include "Crack Music" featuring The Game and "Drive Slow" featuring Paul Wall and GLC. "Drive Slow" features the sample "Wildflowers" by Hank Crawford which was also featured on the 2pac track "Shorty Wanna Be a Thug" so of course it's a great song.

6. NaS - Illmatic (1994)

In many regards, this is the high water mark for the East Coast hip hop scene. Some call it the best rap album ever and you could make a viable defense which would be hard to deny. NaS was another rapper I didn't get into until I was older but he is one of the all time greats and his debut album is his best. Capturing the urban jungle that is Queensbridge, New York, NaS has a lyrical gift and a style that is unprecedented. Recently featured on Rainwater Classics, "N.Y. State of Mind" is one of the greatest rap songs of all time. I could put down any lyric here but everyone knows "I never sleep, cause sleep is the cousin of death." The track is produced by none other than DJ Premier and is a knockout blow to open the album. Illmatic is only ten tracks long but nothing is wasted. The heart of this album lies right in the middle. "The World is Yours" is a more upbeat sounding NaS and one of the best tracks you can bump to on a hot summer day crusin' through Gunswick. NaS is at his best over a light piano in the background. The scratching on the track is top notch and of course "I'm out for presidents to represent me." Next is "Halftime" which is just pure genius from Nasty NaS. He flat out kills it on that track. And then there is Memory Lane (Sittin' In Da Park.) Amazing poetry from one of the best in the game.

5. Mobb Deep - The Infamous (1995)

Lets stay in Queensbridge and pay homage to one of the greatest rap duos of all time. Prodigy and Havoc give us one of the greatest rap albums of all time and the answer to the question of what my favorite rap song of all time is. An almost impossible question but "Shook Ones Pt. II" is unparalleled, a hood anthem and their signature song. Those 8 notes where Prodigy says "Check it out now" is a rap staple.
The whole album follows a pattern, wrapped in a haunting, dark and sullen tone. It represents the rough, dangerous and often sinister lifestyle of urban NYC with crime and poverty sewn into the streets. The lyrics are resentful and sulky and the beats are chilling featuring spectral sounding melodies. The production and grittiness defined east coast hard core hip hop. Some of the he best examples of this on the album are the opener "The Start of Your Ending (41st Side)" and "Eye for a Eye (Your Beef is Mines.)" Tenacious and vivid narratives, both are classics featuring melodic and embittered lyrics. "I might crack a smile but aint a damn thing funny" Prodigy laments on "Eye for a Eye" defining the kind of world that surrounds him.
The Queensbridge scene is well represented on The Infamous as Nas blesses the previous mentioned track. Members of Wu-Tang, Raekwon and Ghostface Killah are featured on a couple tracks including "Right Back at You" which is another favorite off the album. Big Noyd acts as an honorary member of Mobb Deep as he is featured heavily in all of their work. Q-Tip from Tribe is also involved in more ways then one with this album. A true hip hop classic. Cant end this without mentioning the legendary banger "Survival of the Fittest."

Check Back for the Top 4

Top 5 Weezer Songs on the (Blue Album)

Love them or hate them, Weezer has been around for a long time and are still cranking out good music. With an 8th album coming out this September, one can lose track of what they have accomplished over 16 years. So to rewind the clock, we look back at their 1994 debut and arguably their best album, the Blue Album. We gathered four expert panelists to take the ten tracks off the album and rank their top 5. On such a loaded album, to try and pick five and rank them would prove challenging. But never fear, these four are the best of the best. Each one has listened to each song on this album over 100 hundred times so whatever they say is definitely 100 percent true.

Eddie Small (He writes a lot.)

5. Surf Wax America - I like this one for the same reasons I like “Holiday”: it’s fun and it’s catchy. Also, it’s about surfing, so it reminds me of The Beach Boys. We get a little dose of neurotic Weezer with the repeated lines “I never thought it would come to this/Now I can never go home,” but the carefree lines about surfing are too dominant for those to turn the song into a downer. For more reasons about why I like this one, simply reread the entry for “Holiday.”

4. Holiday - Basically, I just really enjoy listening to this song. If you want me to come up with a more detailed reason for choosing it, I think it shows that even when Weezer was at its dysfunctional anxious prime the band could still write a fun song about having fun. I know that is exactly what a lot of people don’t like about the band now, but there’s no denying this is a great song with a great hook. I would also argue that it’s impossible to hate on anything that rhymes “Kerouac” with “Bivouac.”

3. In The Garage - Even for a nerdy band’s nerdiest album, this song is refreshingly upfront and blatant in its nerdiness. Before the first chorus hits, we’ve already heard references to Dungeons and Dragons, X-Men and KISS, and the later lines about writing and loving stupid lyrics to stupid songs are a nice glimpse into the personal neuroses of Rivers. Overall, this is just a great jam about not being entirely comfortable with how uncool you are but taking solace in the fact that you’ll always have that one spot where it doesn’t matter.

2. Buddy Holly - I’ll go ahead and say that anyone who left this song off of their lists did so in a misguided attempt to seem cool by ignoring the most obvious choice. The thing is, it’s the most obvious choice for good reason. It manages to combines a playfully self-aware reference to Rivers looking like Buddy Holly with the endearingly nerdy sensibility of being too happy to have found a girl willing to be with you to care what anyone else thinks. Also, the video features a young Barry Zuckerkorn. Throw in the fact that it’s catchy as hell, and what more could you ask for?

1. Undone (The Sweater Song) - Not only do the mumbled interludes between the verses make this the most creative song on the album, but they also do a great job expressing what it feels like to be uncomfortable in a social setting, something I would assume Rivers and hardcore Weezer fans are extremely familiar with. It’s painfully evident one of the people in the conversation does not want to be where he is, and the other person just seems to be feigning enthusiasm through a drug induced haze. This culminates very nicely with the “I’ve come undone” line in the chorus. It’s a great example of how a song can be emo but be subtle and thus more realistic about it. Yes I’m unhappy, but I’m not going to screech about killing myself; I’m just going to mutter apathetically around other people until I get over it.


Jeff Feldman

5. In the Garage - The album's nerdiest sing-a-long, and the only possible song that could come on after "Say It Ain't So" and successfully prevent you from going back a track.

4. Buddy Holly - Not much that needs to be said about this one. It's a great tune, but it's the video that ensured it's immortality.

3. No One Else - This oft-forgotten gem, by far the most under-appreciated song on the album, is both incredibly catchy and the first introduction to Cuomo's pretty amusing relationship neurosis. I guess this is what Pinkerton haters wanted that album to sound like, and I can't really blame them. One of the best Weezer songs, period.

2. The World Has Turned and Left Me Here - The first song I really liked on this album. What really sets it apart is just how tremendously huge it is, with chugging guitars and a solid backbeat complementing the overblown mopiness. I can't ever hear those first drumbeats with staying for the whole song.

1. Say It Ain't So - This seems to be pretty much the consensus nowadays, and for good reason. It's certainly aged the best out of any song on the album. The feedback swells leading into the chorus make for some of the best single-second sounds in the history of rock, up there with David Byrne's first shout in "Born Under Punches" and the "ch-ch"s of Radiohead's "Creep".


George Mazzoli: The Blue Album is to me the essence of what the band strives to be. Their later albums may be more complex and sweeping, but it’s tough to beat the simple chords and lyrics that this young group of guys put out midway through the 90s. I could listen to this record all day and be happy, and in the end, that’s really what it comes down to.

5. Surf Wax America - This is a great feel-good track off the album. If I surfed at all, this would remind me of summer. The band does a good job of mixing upbeat, simple guitar with a great breakdown, keeping the track interesting throughout.

4. In The Garage - In The Garage is, in my opinion, one of the more underrated tracks on the Blue Album. Apart from the fact that it made me feel better about being such a loser growing up, the track keeps tight riffs, solos, and goddamn harmonica working together to make a great track.

3. Buddy Holly - Widely considered to one of Weezer’s best, Buddy Holly’s driving pace and self-depreciating lyrics make it a great example of the band’s early 90’s material. Raditude evolves from this song. After all, don’t we always wonder why these homies dissin’ my girl? Why do they gotta front? Questions for the ages.

2. Say It Ain’t So - Classic Weezer. It’s almost impossible not to like this song, and is always a great choice for some drunken sing-along at parties. I’ve covered this in a band, and was one of my favorites to both play and sing. Can’t beat the guitar solo near the end. Amazing.

1. The World Has Turned And Left Me Here - Another I feel is fairly underrated on the album. It’s become one of my favorites of their entire library. The track is little more complex than other tracks on the album, and not a bad indicator of what’s to come in two years on Pinkerton.


Jack Colicchio

5. Surf Wax America - Another awesome summer song. Really catchy and good lyrically like most every song on this album. Rivers is sooo right in this song talking about how once you get settled in to the summer/partying life style it is really hard to go back to living in the real world.

4. Only In Dreams - Maybe slightly too long for my taste (8 minutes), but a truly beautiful, powerful song. Probably my favorite chorus out of any song. Everyone knows the feeling that this song is conveying, that feeling of hopeless romanticism where you know no matter how hard you try you won’t be able to resist someone. And for whatever reason both parties might know it’s stupid, leaving the whole relationship to only be played out in dreams.

3. Holiday - Love it, great summer song, great song about escaping from day to day life and just taking in everything around you. Always makes me feel happy and free….what more can you ask of a song?

2. My Name Is Jonas - “Come sit next to me. Pour yourself some tea. Just like Grandma made, when we couldn’t find some sleep. Things were better then, once but never again.” Love the lyrics to this song, love the emotion, classic Weezer.

1. Undone (The Sweater Song) - Conversation intro sets the tone for a beautifully unraveling song. The song builds from a well kept, clean pop-song to a chaotic masterpiece. Only song I could ever play on guitar, and probably my favorite Weezer song of all time.