Gary Celebrity - Diary of a Monster (CD)

All Music Guide

The first solo album by former Celebrity Skin singer Gary Celebrity who was known as Gary Jacoby back in the day basically picks up exactly where 1991's Good Clean Fun left off. Celebrity, along with guitarist and coproducer Pat Ruthensmear, kick off with a sostraightitmustbeagoof cover of the Kinks' "Celluloid Heroes" and then march directly into a reprisal of Celebrity Skin's poppyglammypunky roar. Like Redd Kross with a bit less of a '70s fixation and a ruder sense of humor "Fairies To London," anyone? but a similar knack for throwing out the occasional unexpected pure pop gem ("Gods" would, no kidding, not sound out of place on a mid'70s Sparks album), Celebrity and Ruthensmear create a more consistently enjoyable record than anything the occasionally brilliant but uneven Celebrity Skin managed. Pity that it was never followed up.

- Stewart Mason, All Music Guide