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Make Believe Image
Metascore
52

Mixed or average reviews - based on 25 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
6.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 325 Ratings

  • Summary: Rick Rubin produced album number five for the Rivers Cuomo-led band.
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 25
  2. Negative: 8 out of 25
  1. Rolling Stone
    80
    A breakthrough for Weezer... Cuomo's songs are his most plaintive and brilliant since Pinkerton. [19 May 2005, p.74]
  2. Q Magazine
    80
    Hints that Cuomo may be approaching some sort of personal epiphany about his place in the world. [Jun 2005, p.116]
  3. Filter
    64
    The thread that made Weezer everyone's favorite nerd-rock quartet--the soul and core behind the dramatic guitar crescendos--has unraveled completely, leaving us with a record full of, well, a lot of dramatic guitar crescendos. [#16, p.87]
  4. Mojo
    60
    Another patchily edifying addition to the Cuomo enigma. [Jul 2005, p.106]
  5. Many of these songs are thin schematics for “perfect” pop songs. They’re impressive in their commitment to formula--deploying catchy, whiny hooks, taut structure, loud-soft interplay, and well-timed guitar peals. Yet for all their nakedness, they offer little in the way of revelation.
  6. Make Believe seems so simple compared to [Weezer's] other albums.
  7. Sometimes an album is just awful. Make Believe is one of those albums.

See all 25 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Negative: 69 out of 205
  1. BriJ.
    Feb 23, 2008
    10
    This album is not Pinkerton or the Blue album. It is better. It shows that they have evolved and every song is very catch. To me, the weakest This album is not Pinkerton or the Blue album. It is better. It shows that they have evolved and every song is very catch. To me, the weakest songs are the 2 that got the air play; Beverly Hills and We are all on drugs. Those 2 were ok, but the rest of the album was awesome. Take it for what it is. It's happy upbeat power pop. There's nothing with that when in this day things are so depressing. This is one of my most listened to cd's still? My concern would be whether they will be able to top this cd on their next one, if there is a next one. Expand
  2. JoshS
    May 12, 2005
    10
    I look at the other review and wonder if we're listening to the same cd. Ever since green they haven't had the same feeling, but I look at the other review and wonder if we're listening to the same cd. Ever since green they haven't had the same feeling, but MAKE BELIVE really brings them back up. You can tell it is more like their first two albums than green and maladroit. Green for a solo repeats the chrous over and over, while BELIVE has awesome solos, like in the begining of perfect situation. They have brought back the acoustic and mellower songs in Damage in Your Heart, Freaked out, Hold Me, and Haunt you Everyday. And in Freaked out they use a harmonica similar to In the garage on blue. Weezer has made a great cd, not perfect but really great, and people should stop complaining about vomiting. Pitchfork is probably 1 out of th 15 reviews that actually flamed the album, so dont let one review change your opinion. Expand
  3. PetterA
    May 16, 2005
    9
    whats the fuss. It´s a great album if you dont search like a dog to find problems. Just go with the flow man!!!
  4. MatE
    Sep 27, 2006
    7
    this is an avarage weezer album. but compared to other records, its still a very good album with very good songs (Perfect Situation, Freak Me this is an avarage weezer album. but compared to other records, its still a very good album with very good songs (Perfect Situation, Freak Me Out, Haunt You Everyday). Expand
  5. kylea
    May 9, 2005
    5
    Worst Weezer yet, but they're still Weezer - there's definitely some good.
  6. bretttc
    Jun 1, 2005
    2
    Awful. Terrible. Bad. Useless. Futile. CRAP. Etc..
  7. Rowdy
    May 9, 2005
    0
    They've come a long way..........and the road they've traveled has been a steep downhill one.

See all 205 User Reviews