Rumpled Romeo

Dean Friedman | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 15, 2006)
• Original Release Date: May 1, 1981
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Real Life Records
• ASIN: B000ELJ2OK
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,022,103 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An amazing Talent" --The Sun

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

"Immaculate writing and magnetic personality" --Cumberland News

Product Description

Dean's 3rd album, 'Rumpled Romeo' contains the classic hit 'McDonald's Girl', officially banned by the BBC, covered by the Barenaked Ladies and #1 in Norway. Rumpled Romeo is a romantic album filled with heartfelt teenage love songs. Contains some of Dean's loveliest compositions. In addition to McDonald's Girl, songs like Are You Ready Yet?, Hey Larry, First Date, Love is Real, I Will Never Leave evoke the passion and angst of those tender years. A rare delight.

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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, 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 very funny and terrifyingly on-target dissertation 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 unbelievably catchy gem "I Didn't Mean To Make You Cry", which has a totally wonderful 'early '80s' vibe to it, and very crafty lyrics again--I laughed out loud on my first listen to this tune. 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!

5.0 out of 5 stars THE CURATES EGG, October 15, 2001

By 

Tom Wilson (Glasgow) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rumpled Romeo (Audio CD)

This is a most beautiful album but thank heavens for programmable play as one or two of the tracks are absolutely dreadful-notably Special Effects and Buy My Baby A Car. Still, there is the wonderfully optimistic Hey Larry for everyone who can still remember falling in love for the first time, First Date which evokes more of the same feelings and the exquisite Lakelands which is matchless. And you even get the delightfully fey McDonalds Girl thrown in too. Don't miss him if you ever have the opportunity to see him live. His shows are every bit as intimate and as warm as his music.