Gemstones

USで絶大な人気を誇るシンガーソングライター Adam Greenの傑作ソロ・アルバム『Gemstones』がリリースから20年の時を経て再発決定!!!!!

アメリカ全土で絶大な人気を誇るシンガーソングライター、Adam Green。
2005年のソロ・アルバム『Gemstones』で奏でられるロックンロールのリズムはNYの地下鉄と共鳴し、メロディーは街角の風のように颯爽と流れる。NYを訪れたことがなくても、人だかりの中で孤独を感じたことのある人には、強く胸に響く作品に仕上がっている。
彼の歌は故郷を想起させるだけでなく、街の生活における戸惑いと繋がり、恋愛と孤独、社会と分離といった複雑な感情を見事に捉えている。
タイトル曲「Gemstones」で幕を開ける本作は、「Emily」の魅力的なロックンロールや「Losing On A Tuesday」のほろ苦いテイストの曲など、幻想的なイメージと遊び心のある言葉選びの奥に、温かく胸を打つ感情表現が隠れている。自由奔放で陶酔感のある作品でありながら、温かく安心感を与えるアルバムでもある本作『Gemstones』は、リリース当時ドイツで大ヒットし、「21世紀版の小粋なオペラ」 と称された。オリジナル・リリースから20周年を迎える今回の再発盤で、改めてこの作品を味わう時が来た。

Musically, Adam Green is a strict classicist, a pop craftsman par excellence. He seems to be a very keen and very gifted student of pop music's vast and intricate rule book. Thus his music is not especially original in any way, though often sophisticated, tuneful, and clever. On Gemstones, the third and best of his solo albums, Green seems to have perfected his art. Some of the tracks here rank among the finest pop songs that are made these days. These tunes all have something in common: almost every one of them lasts for about two minutes, stripping away every possibly unnecessary part. They are also all pretty much arranged the same way: just acoustic guitar, bass, electric piano, and some tastefully arranged strings here and there. Green and his excellent backing band makes the most of that simple lineup on every track. Then, of course, there are the lyrics. Green sings the darndest things. Who else could write a great stomping cabaret-pop number with all clean and fun lyrics except for that one crucial line (and song title!) "Choke on a Cock"? This penchant of his for extremely obscene and downright childish lyrics can surely turn people off, but it seems to be an integral part of his artist persona. You do remember the Moldy Peaches, don't you? The contrast between his lyrical style and his voice sure is puzzling at times. How can this deep, warm, resonant, and utterly believable voice sing such poppycock? All that aside, just listen to the songs and be charmed. There's the wonderfully melancholic ballads such as "Losing on a Tuesday" and "Before My Bedtime," where he sounds like a dead ringer for Scott Walker. There's the catchy and fun, almost '50s-styled rock & roll such as single "Emily," while "Carolina" is another slice of wonderful cabaret pop, and on "Over the Sunrise" he suddenly goes all Jim Morrison on you. In other words, there's something for everyone here. In fact, all 15 tracks have strong musical qualities. An unusually strong, well-produced album of classic songwriting. ~ Anders Kaasen