I am not a Weezer fan. I had heard Beverly Hills, Island in the Sun, and Buddy Holly before I listened to this album and I was unimpressed with their style, but then from the first chords of the "Perfect Situation" guitar solo I knew that this band was capable of things. The music is definitely softer than their previous work and they were able to nail that soft sound. This album is one that doesn't get lost in my ipod, I just keep listening to it.

I'll make this review short and sweet. I am a HUGE fan of the Weeze and I appreciate all of there work from the blue album to even maladroit but this album is un tolerable. As far as I'm concerned this album never was made. Maybe its because I was expecting another Maladroit which was by far there best work they put out in awhile. As one critic best said it "its one of those bad albums a band puts out" "and this is one of them". I'm sorry but as catchy as Beverly Hills is I hate that song maybe if they left it out the album I'd love it but I can't stand it. Just stick with there first four albums for now and completely skip this one you'll be glad you did. I am really hoping there new red album will be a step in the right direction for the Weeze and not another disappointment like this album was.

Things seem to start off well, Beverly Hills and Perfect Situation are great songs, then after that, things start heading downhill. The songs quickly get boring, and the lyrics get even more juvenile. I loved their first 2 CDs, but they've been on a steady decline ever since. I'm afraid that I'm losing interest in the band, and that's a shame, because they could have been a contender.

Weezer is now "old school", but I for one am happy that they retained their nineties sound & style. There's a little more hip-hop floating around in there, but not enough to turn me off (and I can't stand hip-hop). Brings back the good ol' days. Makes me feel like I'm not a mom with two kids running around. By the way... they like this CD too.

This is my least favorite album from them. The only songs I care to listen to are "Beverly Hills", "This is Such a Pity", "Hold Me", "Perfect Situation" and "We Are All On Drugs" (or in other words, all of the radio singles). Everything else is just not worth listening too, IMO. I own every album and most of their CD singles and I love the first 4 albums (Maladroit is quite good, after a few listens), with my favorites being Blue and Pinkerton. Green is very pop, but still rocking.

Lets hope their new album in 2008 will be better than this one. I was honestly expecting more out of them, especially with Rick Rubin producing...maybe they should have had Ric Ocasek produce it instead.

I purchased this album on the strength of Weezer's earlier albums and for that i was greatly disappointed. "Beverly Hills" is a catchy tune but pales in comparison to tunes like "Buddy Holly," "My name is Jonas," and the "Good life" from earlier works. It is closer akin to "Island in the Sun" than any of those and this can be said for the whole album. Weezer's ability to write great catchy hooks with some catchy lyrics that are very radio friendly has been the band's banner for some years. So whats the problem with "make believe"? Well for starters its pretty empty. Its short like all of Weezers albums seem to be, (With the exception of Maladroit) but the other albums seem to be filled to the brim even though they run only 30 or so minutes long. The earlier albums are like a can of soda that is shaken up and waiting to spew forth as soon as a person opens it. In other words this album is missing the energy, heart, and determination of earlier works. Heck it's not a bad album but its just not as good as those either. However, that being said i'm not one to compare everything to a band's greatest works and as a stand alone album "make believe" is a good listen and any fan of poppy guitar rock should pick it up. However, the songs are standard bubble-gum issue and easily forgotten.

It's not horrible. Just like Chek cola isn't horrible. It's just not Coke. For a band that's had such depth and creativity (see Blue Album and Pinkerton) this is a comparatively weak effort. Most of the tracks (Peace, Pardon Me, Perfect Situation, Hold Me, etc) seem sincere and open, which is a step in the right direction, but they're overworked, dull, and a bit whiny. They just aren't catchy or interesting. Other tracks (Drugs, Beverly Hills) just seem like halfhearted, blatant attempts at hit singles. I think 'The Other Way' is the only really good song on here. I think they tried, for the most part, but Weezer seems kind of lost. Spend your dough on Pinkerton and the 2 disc version of The Blue Album, not on this.

I have been listening to this album for the last few weeks so I could really get a feel for it. It's not bad and there are a few great songs. But as I am listening to my blue album, it reminds me how different the albums are. Every single song stands out incredibly on the Blue Album, whereas in Make Believe, they all kind of mush together. I'm a little disappointed, but hopefully they will come out with something better in the future....one can hope

There are three Weezer albums that I feel are truly excellent. Nope, Pinkerton is not one of them.

If you like the singles and you're tired of the emo kids telling you to listen to Pinkerton some more, then this is the album for you.

When listening to this CD for the first time i felt like it had been written just for me. Every song sang felt like something i would say. I could look at each song and connect it to an event in my life. I do want to be in Beverly Hills, In the perfect situation i have let love down the drain, i really do just want someone to hold me, i do need to find some peace, we are all on drugs, i do have damage in my heart that i need to let go, i would like to be pardoned, i do love my best friend, i do just look the other way, lots of people do freak me out, and i am going to haunt you everyday. I could listen to this CD for hours and it really helped me through some hard times where i could know that i'm not alone. I would recomend it to anyone, some of it is a little slow and sad, but it has it's upbeat moments too. So don't just turn the other way, buy this CD... lol... and no, i'm not trying to sell this...

There are a few people bashing this Album. At first, I really didn't get into this cd. After awhile it got hooked on me. I love every song on this album. I'm def. looking forward to future Weezer Albums.

This album is easily inferior to Weezer's previous classics, the 'Blue' album and "Pinkerton". However, I get the feeling that people pretty much stopped expecting greatness out of Weezer after "Maladroit", anyway...

That being said, this album is nowhere near as good as their earlier output, but in fairness is also much less unlistenable than the 'Green' album. Don't expect any of these songs to grab you, but don't expect to be completely disgusted, either. If you're not too picky when it comes to harmless, bubble-gum power-pop, you're bound to like some aspects of this album. "Perfect Situation" and "The Damage In Your Heart" are both perfectly decent songs. It's just that two of the singles from this album, "Beverly Hills" and "We Are All on Drugs", are hands down the two worst songs that Weezer have ever recorded. The other songs? They didn't seem to leave much of an impression on me one way or another. This album is for die-hard Weezer fans only...or at least the die-hard Weezer fans not already turned off by the steadily decreasing quality of their musical output, anyway.

It's disappointing to see this band lower their standards to this harmless, forgettable batch of songs. We know the greatness that Weezer is capable of, but we've seen only faint glimmers of it since they came back in 2001. It makes one wonder if they should have even come back in the first place. Sure, they've had a run of success to rival their mid 90's hey-day, but nobody is going to remember this album in 10 years. I can gurantee you, however, that people out there are still going to be talking about the Blue album and "Pinkerton" at that point in time. They're found success, but at the expense of their previous musical legacy.

There have been rumors that this is in fact their last album. It's probably for the best.

Ok, there are some people I can tell from previous reviews who just don't click with this album. Let me tell you, this is the album that got me hooked on Weezer. I toatally LOVE this album. It might be that I haven't been a Weezer fan all my life and this was my "test CD", but this album doesn't seem to get old. In fact, to me, it became more catchy the more I listen to this. I can now say I have memorized all of the songs and love singing to them all the time. I bought the other Weezer CDs after this one and I can't say I enjoy them more. If you are expecting the old Weezer, you won't get it........ they have definatly gotten better.

I'll give this 3 1/2 stars.

Musically, Weezer re-scraped all of the ingrediants used a decade ago in "Blue Album" and proved they still had the ability to some quality rock candy. W/ songs like "perfect sit," "Other way," and "Damage in your heart," Weezer are up to their usual good stuff. Then there are a few experimentations-"this is such a pity," which could be from a cure session, and bevely hills-listen to the guitar part, then listen to the likes on def leopard's "pour some sugar on me," and you'll notice a stunning similarity.

The album is downgraded, however, by something that cannot go unnoticed-the lyrics! Listen to this, "you're my best friend, and I love you, yes I love you, yes I doooooooooooooooooooooooo." Can you say 1910 fruit gum company? I didn't know that weezer was funny. And gawd, just listen to the lyrics of "hold me-" Fuel wrote better lyrics to a song than that on their tour bus on the way to a show (hemmorage). I sounds like they recorded the music, realized an hour before that they forgot lyrics, and then jotted something down. This is a good album but the lyrics are crap, especially put up against something like "the redhead said to shred the cello and I'm jello baby (el scorcho)."

So, overall, great music, lousy lyrics. I guess after four solid efforts this was bound to happen. They're not Oasis

There are maybe 2 and a half good songs on this album.I mean, it's not horrible, and it's listenable, but their earlier studio albums were much better. I think Weezer kinda died a little with this CD. This is not rock anymore... it's pop-rock. There are a couple songs with interesting lyrics and rythem, but most of it is just the same over and over again, with no realy meaning. It's an okay buy if you love weezer, but still...

PEACE and LOVE

First let me preface this review by saying that I am a huge fan of Weezer's first four studio albums. In fact, Pinkerton is one of my favorite albums of all time and the Blue Album was the very first CD I ever purchased. With that being said, please let me express my anguish and sorrow over Weezer's horrific fifth album, Maladroit. While I realize I am reviewing this album about a year and a half too late, I just hope I can protect even the most casual music fan from making one of the worst purchases of his/her life.

I can still remember buying this album the day it came out in May of 2005. The sun was shining, I was just beginning my summer break after a stressful Spring semester, and I was stoked for new Weezer. Even though I had already heard the God-awful "Beverly Hills" on the radio, I remained positive as I recalled I was not particularly fond of "Hash Pipe" when it was first released, but the Green Album was still very solid. So, I bought the CD at my local Best Buy and immediately placed it into my car's stereo.

I immediately skipped the first track, "Beverly Hills," and listened to "Perfect Situation." This song was a little different than I had expected, but I thought it wasn't too bad -just not up to Weezer's previous excellence. Then, much to my dismay, beginning with the third track, "This is Such a Pity," things went down hill FAST. Every subsequent song, save for "The Damage in Your Heart," was terrible. The music, the lyrics...everything...GUT WRENCHING AWFUL. While I will be the first to admit that Weezer never really penned the best lyrics, at least they were off-beat and somewhat humorous. The lyrics present on Make Believe are the most pedestrian, trite, and overall weak lyrics I think I have ever had the displeasure of enduring. For an example of this, look no further than the steaming pile of dung that is "Freak Me Out." I can honestly say I would rather be torn out of bed at 4 A.M. every morning and round house kicked in the groin by Chuck Norris than listen to this song one more time - it's that bad.

When creating this album (a word I use very loosely), it seems as though Rivers Cuomo was just trying to sound like a parody of the former Weezer. While Weezer always was radio friendly, they always managed to have a slight edge and originality (i.e. "Undone," "Say it Ain't So," "The Good Life") to their music that made you say "that must be Weezer." But with this loose collection of songs, many tracks are just horrible renditions of genres that Rivers used to have a tight clasp on. Case in point, listen, or save your ears and just believe me, to "My Best Friend." Cliche lyrics and the most uninspired guitars ever written by Cuomo make this track one of the worst pop-punk tunes ever written. Also, "We Are All on Drugs," a song that might be funny if it didn't seem to ring so true, sounds like a sloppily written nu-metal tune created for all the keggers at your college's frat house.

Some readers may think that I am writing this after a few listens and then hastily bashing it. But that is certainly not the case. I have listened to this album with hopes that I am "just not getting it" many times to see if I like it yet. But, here it is a year later and my disdain for this album has only intensified. So please, please, for the love of everything good in this world, avoid this album like the plague. I give it 2 stars because there are only 2 songs which I believe can be listened too without all out laughter or anger. Wrapping up, it is my earnest prayer that I can somehow forget that I ever listened to this CD.

Let the negative feedback begin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you haven't read or heard the classic parable "The Emperor's New Clothes," look it up and learn about it. It is an integral cliché to apply to situations exactly like the warm critical reception of Weezer's latest album "Make Believe." Rolling Stone, an almost entirely solid source of valid and reliable opinion, gave the album 4 out of 5 stars, registering the album as "excellent", a step below a bona fide classic. In fact, the only ones that I know of who got it right were Pitchfork, an otherwise despairingly, endlessly pretentious group of snot-nosed indiest-of-the-indie worshippers who only praise the most bloated, self-conscious computer blips they consider good music. They gave it less than 1 out of 10, I think. Or a little bit over 1. The point is: they got it right for once.

Fans all over seem to share the anti-Pitchfork mindset, and have sided with Rolling Stone's obsequious, lazy acceptance of Weezer's newly developed art form. Some say it's their best. What I do know is that critics and fans are playing emperor's new clothes. Why they are, I really can't say for sure. I did, when I first got the album, because I wanted so badly to not be disappointed by my favorite band's new effort; to perhaps counter the philosophy that Weezer were slowly spiraling down the sinkhole since their second album. I shrouded myself in denial, and for the first month or so, told myself I enjoyed the album with only a small beacon of cognizance meekly questioning why I was accepting this dreck that is "Make Believe."

Every vapid songwriting platitude is stretched to its breaking point on this album. Cuomo yearns to be a "hero" but wistfully admits he is, gasp, a "zero!" He wants to be "rollin' like a celebrity/living in Beverley Hills," but not really, because he's being sarcastic! Wow! Not since "Candide" have I seen such unabashed ironical wit. Every time Rivers lays down a lyric, you hope, pray, burst blood vessels begging the gods of art to not allow the couplet you're about to witness end with the most obvious rhyming counterpart you've ever heard. Then you forget to think there must be no gods of art, because you're too busy cringing at "sometimes I let you go/sometimes I hurt you so."

And don't get me started on the musical merits or the supposed soul drain that this album is supposed to be. To the first one, the album is so musically nondescript that it borders on offensive. There are no more slow-churning buildups and soul crushing crescendos a la "Only in Dreams," or dynamic bursts of aggression like in "Why Bother?" It is more processed and blah than a blink-182 B-side. And as for Rivers' heart-to-heart with his listeners and his loved ones through the lyrics... if you truly listened you would see it's more contrived than a twist ending in a "Saw" movie. He's just trying to emulate the success of Pinkerton, which was truly introspective. This is shallower than Oasis, and mounds less catchy.

Perhaps, now with Weezer's merciful disbandment, fans together can be freed from the shackles limiting our views and turning us into unquestioning zombies--that is, now that we have nothing to expect from Weezer, we don't need to keep forcing ourselves to make believe they haven't lost it (get it?), and hadn't lost it long ago. The Emperor's not wearing clothes, fellas. Open your eyes.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this CD! Always puts me in a good mood. Catchy tunes and fun message. My 1st Weezer CD, but I'll probably go back and buy some of their earlier stuff. Highly recommend.

I admit I was a bit sceptic like many. I didn't expect this cd to be as good as their previous efforts. But it's a very good and recgonizable weezer record. It has better songs then the long Maladroit and more emotional lyrics like their classic first two albums. If maladroit had 10 songs it would be almost as good as this one but it's still my least favortite weezer record. If u like their music buy Make believe and their other 4 records too. I don't know any musical act that has such a consistent back catalogue. They have made 5 very melodic and strong records in a row so expect their next one to be quality too. Like weezer, I suggest every band to make short albums (maybe 10, 11 songs of the strongest songs) so they will stop releasing crappy records.


Pinkerton 5 stars
Blue album 5 stars
Green album 4 stars
Make believe 4 stars
Maladroit 3,5 stars

Look I know I am a kid but please do not downgrade me because I own at least 250 cds (all the classics plus some newer stuff). Weezer's first two albums were amazing, esp. Blue. Green was a little interesting but it started to sound recycled. And Maladroit, my least favorite Weezer CD, got on the tedious side.

I absolutely applaud Weezer for putting out a record like this. No it's not as punky as they were during Blue or Pinkerton (and Beverly Hills does get very annoying) but come on. To the reviewer who said that Cuomo thinks he has a license to tell people how to live their lives on "We Are All On Drugs", I suppose you would like a song that glorifies drugs and helps bury the upcoming generation?

Anyway, "Beverly Hills" is ok, the verse and rhythym are superbly unimpressive. "Perfect Situation" is a great song and should have been the first single instead. "This Is Such A Pity" really sticks in my head and is a great slower pop song. "Hold Me" is one of the best songs on here, with a great guitar riff during the chorus. "Peace" gets a little boring, like "Freak Me Out" and "My Best Friend" but still aren't skipable.

"We Are All On Drugs" is a great song. Alt/punk with an anethem of a chorus is Weezer's trademark and they prove it on this song. Seriously, the title is a bit strange, but you will love it. Trust me. "Pardon Me" is interesting, the lyrics are ok.

BUY THIS CD!!! You will not regret it.

I got this cd because I heard the song ''Beverly Hills'' and man is that a cool song.So I bought the record. This is a very good cd for people who like to make compilations of their favorite rock. I don't think people who like punky stuff would find this cd very interesting, but people who like bands like Van Halen and Nirvana will almost certainly love this cd .I also think that this will appeal to Weezer fans and I also like the fact that it is vary distinct and different from the rest of the Weezer cds. This is definitely a good buy!

This is an awesome album! I bought this CD last summer along with a few other albums; it was the only really good cd I bought then. Naturally, because of that, I listened to it alot. I still listen to it all the time.

This disc is longer, more complete, and more pleasing than the other Weezer CDs. It is also better than most of the new rock out now, even including the new Nine Inch Nails CD "With Teeth". The songs "The Damage In Your Heart" and "Best Friend" are outstanding. These songs have surprising changes in them along with interesting, down-to-earth lyrics. I also love the spirited, deadbeat song "We Are All On Drugs".

I read a professional review of this disc that called it the most important album of their career. They sure made it count!

This CD is a great add to all of Weezer's works. It has a few slighty slower, creepier songs ( Freak Me Out, Haunt You Everyday) which you may need to give a second chance if you don't like them the first time.

This CD also has catchy rock songs that are Weezer's specialty. Perfect Situation, This Is Such A Pity (Personal Favorite), The Other Way ( Another fav. ), and, of course, Beverly Hills

Overall- There are a few songs on this CD which may cause some people to turn away but there a also a lot of great listens that will capture even a non-Weezer fan. I found this album very worthwhile and I think you will too.

Another great accomplishment from a great band that turns the alternative/rock/emo world upside down with its insanely catchy singles and powerful yet pleasurable melodies. Probably the most nostalgic album thus far in their illustrious career, not only is Make Believe a great Weezer album, but possibly the greatest since the near-perfect Blue Album itself. Track after track, the album just keeps getting more memorable: `Beverly Hills' and it's spectacular music video--second only to the great `Buddy Holly' itself for best Weezer music video--is the best Weezer single since `Hash Pipe,'and both the Pinkerton-esque `Perfect Situation' and the Green Album-esque `This Is Such a Pity' are painful but honest tales of lost loves and broken homes (respectively). The likes of `Hold Me, Peace, and `The Damage In Your Heart' all share some of Rivers Cuomo's deepest secrets with nostalgia and a certain relaxed enthusiasm that makes you close your eyes and think about all those loved ones who'd you like to hug and say `take me with you cuz I love you' to. `Pardon Me' is the deepest song on the album, an overlooked eye-opener of a rock ballad that asks forgiveness from another of Cuomo's destroyed relationships. Alongside the jaunty `My Best Friend,' these two late arriving numbers round out an already loaded Weezer classic. Again, Make Believe contrasts to earlier Weezer albums with an album body comprised of intellectual ballads and thematic, serious slow-jams, where Blue, Pinkerton, Green, and especially Maladroit (ironic as it is the closest to Make Believe chronologically) focus on hard-rocking, poppy-emo super anthems. Containing some of the best lyrics of Rivers Cuomo's career, Make Believe is a Weezer masterpiece that will be discovered in the future and eventually considered one of their best. Comes in second place to Ten Thousand Fists for best album of '05, but does, however, earn the #2 spot on my favorite Weezer albums list (under the big Blue, of course).

Weezer has always been one of those "like them, but don't love them" bands for me. Their debut was fun, but I found the music didn't live up to the lyrics. I never really followed them with enthusiasm until I heard a few cuts from this one. MAKE BELIEVE. is a great record. Starting with the tongue in cheek (but tempered with the narrator's sad self-loathing) "Beverly Hills," This one never lets up. Rubin's production has tightened things up and musically the band benefits from his insights. There's so much to like here, every song touches on themes that are personal, yet universal. I don't even find myself having favorites; edgy material like "We are all on Drugs" sits comfortably with softer material like "My Best Friend" to make what seems to me to be the perfect Weezer recording. Some bands do get better with age.

Loved this cd from start to finish. Never get tired of listening to it.

People need to face the fact that since Pinkerton, Weezer's albums have gotten steadily worse. I was excited to buy the new Weezer album when this came out, but was thoroughly disappointed. Counting Maladroit that makes two disappointments in a row. I don't know if I'll be buying Weezer's next album.

Alot of comparisons have been made between Rivers Cuomo and Brian Wilson. Both have long lost albums that are cited by fans as God-like (Weezer's "Songs From The Black Hole" and The Beach Boys' "Smile"), both are notorious for their reclusiveness, and both have written some of the greatest pop melodies of all time. But one correlation that has yet to be adressed is their similar downfalls.

After "Pet Sounds" fell as a commercial failure the Beach Boys never fully recovered. Although albums like "Wild Honey" are critically praised today, they don't hold up to the sound (and pop greatness) of the early Beach Boys. Similarly, the world lost another pop genius when Rivers let the same critics who praised the Offspring get to him with their negative reviews of "Pinkerton".

We should seriously learn from history folks. Brian Wilson, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Rivers Cuomo, Lou Reed; these guys were all musical genius' at one point in their life. They still have the ability to write good music, but not the amazing music that they will be remembered for. Nothing lasts forever.

Now this leads to "Make Believe". Nobody likes to judge a book by its cover but I sure noticed that the album art was not only another rip-off of their already overdone "Blue Album" concept, but it was one of the ugliest album covers I have ever seen. To be truthful I have noticed a correlation between an album's content and it's artwork (Magical Mystery Tour being the ONLY exception!). The album's songs lack the cohesiveness that even Maladroit was capable of achieving. This isn't to say that the music itself it horrible. There are songs on this album that I hold in high regards as Weezer tracks.

I first heard "Hold Me" a little less than a year before this album was released. I had two different versions: a short one-minute electric clip and a longer acoustic version. The lyrics and music reminded me of the raw honesty and brilliance that Rivers is capable of producing. "The Damage in Your Heart" is very Pinkerton-esque although the lyrics are much more positive than anything you would find on Pinkerton. Other standout tracks are "Perfect Situation", "The Other Way", and "Haunt You Every Day."

Now comes the negative reviews. "Beverly Hills" is unarguably the worst song Weezer has ever released. What makes it so tragic is that it showcases Rivers' love of rap rock and the lyrics sound like they were written by a sophomore in high school who sits alone at lunch. "Pardon Me" had potential but the chorus just doesn't work, sorry. All the other songs are mediocre. The critic who called this a mix between the "Blue Album" and "Pinkerton" is, to me, an idiot.

Don't take this review the wrong way. I wouldn't have spent 20 minutes in the early hours of the morning writing a review of a band I cared little about. I love Weezer, in fact some people think I am obsessed. I know most self-proclaimed Weezer lovers dismiss anything done after Pinkerton, but I like the Green Album and Maladroit (the latter took a year or two to grow on me, but now I am infatuated with it). This isn't a bad album, but in the context of everything Weezer has done it is my least favorite.

I only hope that Rivers wont make the same mistake Brian Wilson did. Wilson waited thirty years until he finally released "SMiLE". Unfortunately Geffen records will not allow Weezer to release SFTBH and for that I hate Geffen records, even though David Geffen took a chance on John Lennon's last record.

ive been a weezer fan for quite sometime now,following their very album release closely.having said dat i must say this is their best album .with songs like perfect situation and were all on drugs wat more could a hardcore fan ask for.beverly hills is ok ,but i think the other r far better.so u must pick a copy of this album.i did and dun regret it,if u see any negative reviews about the band ignore ,they are all just the band haters who cant stand people listening to some good music.
i wish i could rate this item 7 stars but newayz i think ive spoken my mind
peace out to all the weezer fans

Man i really wish people would pay as much attention to rap lyrics as they do weezer's. Cus these days rap keeps getting lamer and lamer. where the only musical talent in the whole song is the beats they throw over them to make u not care wth the words are saying. And i agree that matt sharp was a huge part of this band his bass parts are truly missed. but no matter how uninspired the lyrics most the songs on here are pretty good its kind of like the new stars wars triliogy where yeah a lot of the songs arent as good as their old stuff but theres a few revenge of the siths on here.

Weezer is a great band.They come out with a lot of really good songs.My favorite song is "Beverly Hills".I think you would be doing your self a favor,by listening to this group.So buy their cd.You will really enjoy this.

first off, this is going to be a bad review with not much real critical analysis. I listened to about half the CD which I got as a gift before I got bored and anoyed and shut it off. I actually liked their older CD's in all their 3 chord glory. I listened to them when I was younger and still like them to an extent. They were sort of simple but unique, 50's ish or something. Very non-intellectual, just fun, light, not very serious but a sort of unique sound. This disk seemed more commercial which almost always is a bad sign. I'm sure their making some money now but I think ulitmately this sort of commercial success quickly deflates like a woopy cushion because the fad evaporates and the core of "true believers" has left because they aren't progressing as musicians. Like I said though, I only listened to half the CD. I gave it 3 stars because of that and because "it could be worse".

Say this much for Weezer - they have extremely loyal fans. Their first album (s/t - Blue Album) was good power pop that came at the just the right time, and their follow-up Pinkerton was far more ambitious both musically and lyrically. Of course it didn't sell all that well initially, but eventually came to be regarded as Weezer's masterwork, and one of the best albums of the '90s. Supposedly the album's initial failure left frontman Rivers Cuomo to go into self-imposed exile, going on to attend Harvard University and taking a sabbatical from songwriting. Let's just say that if the above statement is indeed true, the hiatus from songwriting is highly evident in the uninspired songs on Weezer's recent albums.

After a five year hiatus Weezer returned with a slightly different lineup (Mikey Welsh replacing bassist Matt Sharp) with the second s/t - Green Album, which played like an inferior version of their first s/t. Then came Maladroit, which displayed a surprising arena rock influence combined with the standard power-pop - not a great album, but at the very least it was interesting. The inferiority of both of these albums indicate to me that the genius of Weezer was actually not Rivers Cuomo, but Matt Sharp, whose albums with the Rentals were stronger than either of these albums. But wait a minute - there's also Weezer's latest album, Make Believe. Were they able to recapture the glory of their previous work?

Unfortunately, the answer is a resounding no. This is easily the worst album they have put out to date, and makes you wonder what the band was doing in the three years between the release of this album and Maladroit. Don't believe what you have heard from the press and from Weezer's extremely loyal fans that would stick with them even if they decided to release a sequel to Metal Machine Music - this is uninspired, unimaginative pop/rock that is completely undeserving of the praise and adulation that it has received.

There are lots of very cheesy, soft ballads to be found on this album. There are songs like "Hold Me", "Peace" and "Pardon Me" that are as trite and cliched as the titles would suggest. How about the abominable "Beverly Hills", with its irritating hand-clap rhythm, a boring talk-sing verse giving way to an embarrassingly dopey chorus, and ridiculous lyrics about how wonderful Beverly Hills is - hey Rivers, your mentally-challenged pop/rock has made you incredibly rich, so why don't you move there? Have I mentioned the rather prominent use of the talkbox on this song? It dates back to Peter Frampton, and Bon Jovi used it on a few of their big hits years ago (like "Livin' On A Prayer"), but Weezer is attempting to bring it back, and unfortunately may have succeeded if the immense popularity of this song is any indication. We've also got the preachy anti-drug song "We Are All On Drugs" - apparently Cuomo is such a big rock star he sees fit to lecture people on how to live. Perhaps if we took more influence from Cuomo we would all be robbing and stealing, as he did from the "Diarrhea" song you always used to hear children sing on the playground - the verse is so similar that he ought to give credit to whoever wrote that song. Listen to the third track, "This Is Such A Pity" - hey Weezer, the Cars called, and they said they want their music back. I mean, it's one thing to be influenced by a band, but it's another to completely appropriate another band's sound completely. And how about yet another inexplicably huge single, "Perfect Situation"? This is the definition of uninspired. It's like Cuomo said to the rest of the band "Hey dudes, these are like some gnarly guitar riffs, I'll improvise some lyrics and we'll put it on the album, it'll be like so cool, dudes!". Let's not kid ourselves - Cuomo can write better lyrics in his sleep than what you'll find in this song, and we haven't even mentioned the pitiful chorus yet - "Whoa-oh, whoa-oh, whooooooaaaaaaaa oh-oh-oh-ooooooohhhhh"! Brilliant, isn't it? Apparently Weezer thought so, and felt the need to repeat it incessantly, so much that if you aren't paying close attention, you won't notice the other lyrics in the song and you'll only hear the "whoas". The song itself is Cuomo's usual "I'm a geek and no one understands me" shtick, only dumbed down more than ever. If you needed proof that he's merely phoning it in to sell albums, here you go.

In summary: I was never a huge fan of Weezer, but they always had their moments, and there's no denying that Pinkerton is a great album. This unfortunately is the nadir of Weezer's recorded output, and one of the worst albums of the past year - a bold statement considering how much awful tripe has been released lately, but nevertheless appropriate. If you are looking for quality power pop, I would suggest picking up anything by the Seattle band Super Deluxe, in particular Via Satellite if you can find it. As for this album - this is nothing but mindless junk food pop for the masses, and it's just a matter of time before you see stacks of Make Believe at the bargain bin of your local record store, so wait until then to pick it up if you must. Weezer doesn't deserve the credit they've received for such a lackluster effort.

...someone said "I can't stand listening to Pinkerton or any of Weezer's albums anymore; Make Believe killed all Weezer for me :("

So, yeah, Weezer has pretty much lost all "edge" and made a very annoying pop album. If you are new to listening to Weezer, DO NOT BUY THIS ALBUM, get the Blue Album, Green Album, or Maladroit instead.

it seems to me every album after pinkerton gets worse and worse.
they used to be such a great band but now they totally suck