Customer Reviews

L.P.

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Rembrandts' sophomore release, L.P., is maybe not a must-buy, but they're definetely a band worth listening to. Obviously the song that pushed them into the spotlight was "I'll be there for you," the theme from 'Friends.' But, that's not the only song that's impressive on this album. While the overall album doesn't vary much from one or two moods (lost love or complaining about relationships), the writing is sharp and very real. Danny Wilde and Phil Solem don't use a lot of deeply philosophical lyrics to get the strong feelings across. A few songs, such as "As Long as I am Breathing," "Comin' Home," and "The Other Side of Night" really stand out as examples of Wilde and Solems' writing ability. Sometimes, though, the words do tend to stretch to fit the rhythm of the song. (ie: from "My Own Way," "You say I don't have a leg to stand on/So it's a good thing I've got two/But if I had only one leg to stand on! ! /That's exactly what I'd do")

But, when you add it all together, the rhythyms, which vary from slow ballads to a sort of bluesy type groove, all come together to make an album that's definetely worth the time.

'LP' is the third album from The Rembrandts' and is undoubtedly their best known work, thanks to it's release at the height of Friends Mania in 1995. The album seems unfairly shunned by the casual lister as a collection of lacklustre companions to the pop hit 'I'll Be There For You' (the theme song from Friends) or scorned by Rembrandts fans for its association with the television show. In reality, however, it's simply a well written and beautifully performed guitar album with the TV single tacked on the end. Make no mistake; the end of 'LP' is the gorgeous 'The Other Side of Night'. The addition of 'I'll Be There For You' is simply there to pull the Friends crowd.

If you're looking for something a little subdued and introspective that swings between 'rockin good' and 'melancholic' effortlessly, then LP might be for you. The slower songs are the highlights, particularly 'End of the Beginning', 'Don't Hide Your Love', 'Drowning In Your Tears' and 'The Other Side of Night' but there's something for everyone with the faster, sometimes grungier tracks like 'This House is Not a Home', 'Lovin Me Insane' and the fantastic 'Easy to Forget'.

Ultimately the strength of LP is The 'Brandts ability to craft magnificent lyrics and weave them with great guitar and smooth harmonies. Compared to their other albums, LP has its roots more in commercial rock than traditional acoustic which may explain why a lot of the band's fans disliked it. It's still my personal favourite from the boys, the flow of the tracks is brilliant and overall the album has aged very well. LP is definitely one of my favourite albums and very worthy of anyone's time.

I bought this CD second hand for $1.00, and I had no idea who these people were, but I had nothing to lose so I bought it and: WOW, what a surprise! it's awsome! My favorite song (that is also conveniently available in RealAudio on this site) is "My Own Way". Just that trupplet at the beginning and that swinging slow tempo makes it a great song. But they're all great songs (April 29, Drowning in your tears, Call me, etc...) I strongly recommend this album!

The Rembrandts rule! You'd think they'd just be one hit wonders wouldn't you? Pulled from obscurity by 'Friends' when I'll be There For You was released but every song on the album is fantastic. The Friends theme tune is on it [that's mainly why I got into them] but there are equally as good songs on the CD including: April 29, There Goes Lucy, Easy to Forget etc. A great album for summer. Classic pop!

A welcome return from Danny & Phil. They're the Rembrandts to those of you who have yet to be converted to the Kings of Power Pop. It's been three years since their last masterpiece 'Untitled' and the boys just get better and better. I cannot put into words the absolute genius in evidence on LP. So just go and buy it.

Wow. You know how much you hate when you buy albums that have only one or two good songs on it? I hate that too, but when I picked this up out of my dad's CD collection, I ended up stealing it. It has great songs with awesome lyrics. I could listen to it over and over again :D I highly recommend this CD.

Living in England, music by the Rembrandts is very hard to get hold of - this was probably only released because of the success of 'Friends'. I admit to buying the single of 'I'll be there for you' and the snippets medley on this convinced me to buy their album. Did I ever make a good choice? I have no frame of reference in their music but this is amazing. One of my best albums, it includes many great songs, the best of which is *not* the Friends theme tune! Songs such as 'Drowning in your tears' display Wilde and Solem's writing skills to the full and the overall mood, while varying little, is awesome. I'll have to buy the other albums!

The Rembrandts, even after they struck gold with that unforgettable theme song, were to me the musical equivalent of instant noodles: Decent fare, acceptable, likable, but nothing amazing, and you certainly don't want to be limited to it. LP only reinforced this belief. There is one clear standout track...I'll Be There For You...and 14 virtually interchangable light rock tracks.

Maybe if they put some more energy into their singing or worked on more creative or unusual lyrics, they would've stood out more. In all likelihood, they didn't even want to, and were more than grateful for the brief period of fame they had.

In any case, this is the type of album you shoudln't play without a purpose. At a party, meeting, or similar gathering, this makes fine background music. If you're relaxing in the tub or on the beach, this is the perfect accompaniment.

This record, the best one from the group, is just awesome. That's all I have to say!!

Since the 1990's, The Rembrandts were declared a novelty act in the industry. Surprisingly, the group was declared as a one-hit wonder, but what does the hit lead to? It just leads all the way down into a spiral.

The 1995 album, LP, consists of upbeat and strong apply-made titles, including This House Is Not A Home, and sadly, their only one hit, I'll Be There For You, from the mega-hit NBC series, Friends. Sadly, there were edged into the wall, only from the popularity of Friends. Nevertheless, they could still make a good song anyday.

The bad part is that many people only bought this album because of the Friends theme. No wonder, they were unable to showw the true colrs, on the radio, or in the mainstream. Don't buy this album, if you only like the Friends theme.