Gemstones
by Adam Green
User Score
7.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 24 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 24
  3. Negative: 4 out of 24

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  1. alistarr
    May 1, 2006
    7
    is it me or does Q magazine consistently hate albums that the reviewers i have some respect for actually like rather a lot? having just bought "jacket full of danger" i've come to re-evaluate green's entire career. there's a trajectory there. aside from all that though, this is a cool little album. unpretentious and fun and about 50% wonderful, 50% inoffensively pleasant. is it me or does Q magazine consistently hate albums that the reviewers i have some respect for actually like rather a lot? having just bought "jacket full of danger" i've come to re-evaluate green's entire career. there's a trajectory there. aside from all that though, this is a cool little album. unpretentious and fun and about 50% wonderful, 50% inoffensively pleasant. it's a shame some of the better songs don't go on a bit longer though - "she's a very funny girl but i love that crazy bitch, alright!" is the kind of "take it to the bridge" line that deserves a whole section of rocking out, not about 3 seconds of rock and then a sudden stop. and that's just the first song. i like it.… Collapse
  2. gazm
    Jun 4, 2005
    8
    read stylus magazines review for all that i have to say
  3. timburton
    May 26, 2005
    9
    great as hell, fine in words
  4. sciri
    May 3, 2005
    5
    "the best songwriter of our century!" huh tamara? whenever you here that about anything be it a book, a film or an album. you can guarantee its a piece of over rated trash! I think I'll try and judge the best songwriter of the century some time around 2099 rather than 2005.
  5. jasonW
    Apr 20, 2005
    3
    When a large number of people decry a piece of work as "unlistenable" or "rubbish", there will invariably be a circle of contrarians and hipsters who will claim the opposite. But once the irony and hype wears out, the work will be put on the shelf to collect dust. Why do people put so much energy into albums like this? So they can be a talking point at cool -people- parties. Jandek, When a large number of people decry a piece of work as "unlistenable" or "rubbish", there will invariably be a circle of contrarians and hipsters who will claim the opposite. But once the irony and hype wears out, the work will be put on the shelf to collect dust. Why do people put so much energy into albums like this? So they can be a talking point at cool -people- parties. Jandek, Banhart, etc. It's the culture surrounding the work rather than the work itself. There is a joy and merit to this idea of community, understandably, and anyone who writes semi-anonymous reviews for the internet belongs to such a community by default. But it's no excuse for crap music. Sorry.… Expand
  6. xcv
    Apr 10, 2005
    0
    Worst album I've ever heard
  7. Malthe
    Mar 23, 2005
    10
    mmmhh.... Adam green.
  8. dimitrip
    Mar 21, 2005
    9
    adam green is consistently ill judged
  9. IQMagazine
    Mar 4, 2005
    7
    Q Mazine: the quotient without the intelligence.
  10. tamarabla
    Feb 23, 2005
    10
    its just so sensational! the best songwriter of our century!
  11. maggie
    Feb 22, 2005
    10
    simply amazing. beautiful intelligent lyrics under outstanding humour. you either get it or you dont. he's a very brilliant person with a bold sense of humour.
  12. ChrisK
    Feb 21, 2005
    9
    Not as great as Friends of Mine but better than Garfield. People probably just don't get it.
  13. giulia
    Feb 21, 2005
    9
    oh well, the moldy peaches were just beautiful and "friends of mine" is better, but this is nice too...
  14. [Anonymous]
    Feb 21, 2005
    10
    absolutely the best album of 2005
  15. Mario
    Feb 21, 2005
    8
    well ... not as good as Friends of mine.. but funny.

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
49

Mixed or average reviews - based on 18 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 18
  3. Negative: 5 out of 18
  1. Spin
    25
    His tunes and/or jokes plop out like forced turds. [Mar 2005, p.92]
  2. Dot Music
    50
    It is one thing to not take yourself to seriously but it is quite another to go to the other extreme. For all his knowing winks, Green walks the fine line between decadency and distaste.
    Read full review
  3. New Musical Express (NME)
    50
    'Gemstones' sees Adam go much deeper into cabaret territory. [22 Jan 2005, p.51]
See all critic reviews »