Rumpled Romeo [Import]

Dean Friedman | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 13, 1996)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Chiswick
• ASIN: B000001BFP
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #440,324 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. First Date

2. McDonald's Girl

3. Are You Ready Yet

4. Hey Larry

5. Love Is Real

6. Buy My Baby A Car

7. Special Effects

8. I Depend On You

9. Marginal Middle Class

10. I Will Never Leave You

11. The Lakelands

12. Nookie In The Mail

13. Follow Your Heart

14. I Didn't Mean To Make You Cry

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An amazing Talent" --The Sun

"Songsmith extraordinaire! A great performer!" --Music Week

"Immaculate writing and magnetic personality" --Cumberland News

Product Description

This was Dean's third album featuring McDonalds Girl, made famous in the UK for being banned by the BBC for breaching their codes on advertising! For this CD, Ace have added 4 bonus tracks by this very popular artist. Singer songwriter Friedman has written some classic songs and is a regular- featured artist on 'solid gold' radio stations everywhere.

See all Editorial Reviews

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars VERY mellow soft rock that's witty and engaging, January 17, 2005

By 

Dave "missing person" (United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Rumpled Romeo (Audio CD)

Dean Friedman demonstrates his smooth, distinctive tenor vocals on here (think Christopher Cross); plus, with his mixture of humorous and tender lyrics and almost relentless focus on romantic relationships, Dean brings to mind Rupert Holmes as well. It figures then that, much like Holmes, Friedman has been given the dreaded "one hit wonder" tag (for his lone top 30 hit "Ariel" in 1977). However, Dean's 1982 album "Rumpled Romeo" is damn good, proving conclusively that he had excellent songwriting ability. Throughout the album, the sound is VERY mellow and the production is quite stark (without sounding thin)--both of these elements are key to the album's appeal. Friedman does go ballistic with sound effects on a few of the tracks here, something that doesn't always work, but a majority of the album is supremely tasteful, and if you're a lover of great '70s soft rock, you should get a lot out of this--absolute gems include the yearning pop-rock confection "McDonald's Girl"; the super mellow, contemplative, beautifully melodic and atmospheric "Are You Ready Yet"; the splendidly tuneful "Hey Larry" which has a soaring chorus with an ultra-crafty vocal arrangement & superb harmonies; and the casually optimistic and laidback "Buy My Baby A Car". There's also the ever-so-slightly sappy, but still wonderfully tuneful and tender ballad "I Depend On You". "First Date" does drag considerably and is rather dull with its cut-and-paste lyrics, and "Love Is Real" is brought down by its sappiness, but both are still pleasantly tuneful and have a soothing quality. He also mixes things up with a couple tracks--the jazzy "Marginal Middle Class" is a highly amusing tune about wanting to be as 'middle-of-the-road' as possible; and the jokey "Special Effects" does go overboard with its sound effects, but it's still fun and amusing, and wisely kept at under 3 minutes. The one real loser of a track is the one that closes the main album portion--"I Will Never Leave You" is about a guy who declines an opportunity to go off in a UFO to a place where life is said to be superior, and it's a dull, overlong ballad loaded up with annoying, gimmicky sound effects. It seems that there are at least a few different CD versions of "Rumpled Romeo" around and I'm not quite sure how they perhaps may differ--a safe bet is getting the version on the Chiswick label which has 4 bonus tracks including the catchy "I Didn't Mean To Make You Cry" which has witty wordplay and is highly amusing and fun. If you're a fan of both Rupert Holmes AND Christopher Cross (like I am), you'll be in for a treat with "Rumpled Romeo".

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Give me some Nookie in the Mail, November 10, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (new jersey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rumpled Romeo (Audio CD)

If you are a fan of Deans, then Rumpled Romeo is for you. "I'd like an order of fries, a quarterpounder with cheese, i love the light in your eyes, will you go out with me please!" McDonald's Girl is just one of many great songs. FIRST DATE and LOVE IS REAL are incredible. Previously unreleased NOOKIE IN THE MAIL and LAKELANDS are must listen to songs. Songs 7-10 are kind of weak, but the rest of the CD is top notch! I can even deal with BUY MY BABY A CAR. If you don't own this, what are you waiting for? Email me if you are a DEANHEAD!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars VERY mellow soft rock that's witty and engaging, January 18, 2005

By 

Dave "missing person" (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rumpled Romeo (Audio CD)

Dean Friedman demonstrates his smooth, distinctive tenor vocals on here (think Christopher Cross); plus, Dean, with his mixture of humorous and tender lyrics and almost relentless focus on romantic relationships, he brings to mind Rupert Holmes as well. It figures then that, much like Holmes, Friedman has been given the dreaded "one hit wonder" tag (for his lone top 30 hit "Ariel" in 1977). However, Dean's 1982 album "Rumpled Romeo" is damn good, proving conclusively that he had excellent songwriting ability. Throughout the album, the sound is VERY mellow and the production is quite stark (without sounding thin)--both of these elements are key to the album's appeal. Friedman did go ballistic with sound effects on a few tracks, something that doesn't always work, but a majority of the album is supremely tasteful, and if you're a lover of great '70s soft rock, you should get a lot out of this--absolute gems include the yearning pop-rock confection "McDonald's Girl"; the super mellow, contemplative, beautifully melodic and atmospheric "Are You Ready Yet"; the splendidly tuneful "Hey Larry" which has a soaring chorus with an ultra-crafty vocal arrangement & superb harmonies; and the casually optimistic and laidback "Buy My Baby A Car". There's also the ever-so-slightly sappy, but still wonderfully tuneful and tender ballad "I Depend On You". "First Date" does drag considerably and is rather dull with its cut-and-paste lyrics, and "Love Is Real" is brought down by its sappiness, but both are still pleasantly tuneful and have a soothing quality. He also mixes things up with a couple tracks--the jazzy "Marginal Middle Class" is a highly amusing tune about wanting to be as 'middle-of-the-road' as possible; and the jokey "Special Effects" does go overboard with its sound effects, but it's still fun and amusing, and wisely kept at under 3 minutes. The one real loser of a track is the one that closes the main album portion--"I Will Never Leave You" is about a guy who declines an opportunity to go off in a UFO to a place where life is said to be superior, and it's a dull, overlong ballad loaded up with annoying, gimmicky sound effects. It seems that there are at least a few different CD versions of "Rumpled Romeo" around and I'm not quite sure how they perhaps may differ--a safe bet is getting the version on the Chiswick label which has 4 bonus tracks including the catchy "I Didn't Mean To Make You Cry" which has witty wordplay and is highly amusing and fun. If you're a fan of both Rupert Holmes AND Christopher Cross (like I am), you'll be in for a treat with "Rumpled Romeo".