On New Year’s Eve this year, I was watching Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin Eve (with Ryan Seacrest, natch)  and saw Weezer performing Toto’s ‘Africa.’ OMG, they covered this song? I exclaimed and everyone around me said duh – it’s a big radio hit now. I couldn’t wrap my head around it, and I guess it was also conflicting the fact that I also cannot wrap my head around how Rivers Cuomo looks much older now, though he still looks decidedly boyish. I wish I could say I loved their cover of the song – it is solid, for sure, but did they really add anything to the song, besides Cuomo’s excellent guitar riffs. But, I guess I do get why it worked, and I can see how millennials think they re so cool listening to the song.

But even more interesting is that Weezer has released a whole covers album, with a teal background album art, hence its called ‘The Teal Album.’  I have a fondness for this band, and during my CD days collected their stuff. This one is a solid album with great renditions of songs like ‘Happy Together’ and ‘Paranoid.’  But the great thing about it ? It sounds like a Weezer album, even as they cover songs I never thought they would ever do – like ‘Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This’ and ‘Take On Me’  I love the fact that the songs sound like Weezer performing these songs. I mean, a rockin cover of Michael Jackson’s ‘Billie Jean’? The kid is not my son!