The Romantics Albums (10)
What The Critics Say
Eighteen years separated the release of the Romantics' Rhythm Romance -- the misfire follow-up to their multi-platinum breakthrough, In Heat -- and their 2003 "comeback" set, 61/49, and during that time the band lost their major-label deal, parted ways with drummer and vocalist Jimmy Marinos, went broke, discovered their managers had walked off with most of their money, struggled through a protracted legal battle to win back the rights to their publishing, and played a long string of low-rent gigs to keep body and soul together. But the worst part for the Romantics was that they managed to throw any cool or credibility they had out the window along the way; they were never the hippest band in the world, but by the time Rhythm Romance arrived with a thud, they'd gone from a fun and enthusiastic power pop band with a serious British Invasion jones to a pompous and faceless arena rock outfit, and their long absence from the recording studio only reinforced their perceived status as has-beens. So it's a pleasant surprise to report that 61/49 is a solid and enjoyable return to form, not quite up to the standards of their inspired 1980 debut, but certainly the best and most energetic work they've managed since. The presence of well-chosen Kinks and Pretty Things covers certainly points to the right direction, and while "Out of My Mind (Into My Head)," "Devil in Me," and "New Kinda Pain" aren't instant classics like "What I Like About You" or "When I Look in Your Eyes," they are great examples of what the Romantics do best -- solid and swaggering '60s-style pop with an extra portion of guitar firepower. While Blondie skinsman Clem Burke is now credited as the band's official drummer, Jimmy Marinos returns for this album, keeping time on half of 61/49's ten cuts and fitting this album's sound like a glove, while Burke and powerhouse Detroit Wheels percussionist Johnny "B" Badanjek each drive two tunes. "Paint the Sky" and "Still We Remain" are less-than-well advised attempts to go sensitive, and the title cut finds the Romantics trying to cop some moves from fellow red-suited Detroiters the White Stripes (and, in all fairness, doing a better job than you'd expect), but most of 61/49 is simple, hooky, and hard-swinging pop/rock that'll sound good at a party on a Saturday night -- which is to say it's the kind of album they've been needing to make for a long, long time. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
'From the Front Row Live'
Release Date 5/6/2003
Tracks 17
Label Silverline
See Album Tracklist and Review
'Live'
Release Date 5/4/2000
Tracks 10
Label EMI-Capitol Special Markets
See Album Tracklist and Review
'King Biscuit Flower Hour'
Release Date 8/27/1996
Tracks 17
Label King Biscuit
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Arguably the group's best album, and one of the best live albums ever released by anybody. This concert, recorded on Oct. 30, 1983 in San Antonio, at the peak of the group's popularity, captures them in a powerful, energetic performance, displaying their best garage punk attributes full force along with a surprisingly melodic sound that put them a few steps above bands like the Ramones. It's all here, including "Talking In Your Sleep" and climaxing with "What I Like About You," covering a big chunk of the band's history as well as some pre-history, like "Little Latin Lupe Lou." Along with Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians' Gotta Let This Hen Out, one of the great 1980's live albums, and only a step short of classics like Live Kinks and the Stones' Got Live If You Want It. Great sound, too, with some really cool crunchy guitars--a must-own collection. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide
'Rhythm Romance'
Release Date 10/25/1990
Tracks 10
Label Nemperor/Epic
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Power-pop was very much of the moment; bands who held on as late as 1985 had to lose the silly ties and modify their sound or face ridicule. The Romantics certainly followed the rules with Rhythm Romance. This time the band is pictured on the cover dressed in black leather and bigger hair. They've become full-fledged arena rockers complete with a big ultraslick production ... and an utterly forgettable batch of songs. ~ Chris Woodstra, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
After the creative and commercial misfire of their third album, Strictly Personal, Detroit's the Romantics took a step in the right direction with their next effort, 1983's In Heat. While the hard rock production of Strictly Personal was pure overkill, In Heat was the band's leanest effort to date, and though producer Pete Solly doesn't reprise the neo-Shel Talmy sound he brought to their debut, he puts the focus here on the group's strengths -- straightforward pop/rock tunes with a big beat, big hooks, sharp harmonies and plenty of energy. It also helped that Mike Skill returned to the band for this LP as bassist, bringing a knack for a good tune with him, and Coz Canler learned to rein in his guitar style, giving the performances on this disc a tighter and more compact sound that fits the material just right. The band nodded to their musical roots with a pair of pair of appropriate covers, "Open Up Your Door" (a big hit in Michigan in its original version from Richard & the Young Lions and "Shake a Tail Feather" (a rocked-up version of Andre Williams' R&B perennial), and while the album's two big hits, "Talking in Your Sleep" and "One in a Million," are a far cry from "What I Like About You," they're clever and memorably hooky, and after Strictly Personal they were a breath of fresh air. In Heat was the Romantics' most commercially successful album, and while it certainly isn't their best, it's an entertaining showcase of what these guys did well. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
'Strictly Personal'
Release Date 1/1/1981
Tracks 11
Label Nemperor/Epic
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
For their third album, the Romantics took the harder and more bombastic sound of their sophomore effort, National Breakout, and upped the ante by hiring producer Mike "Clay" Stone, who had experience conjuring up big guitar sounds for Queen, Journey and Black Oak Arkansas. Stone's resume wouldn't suggest he was the best man to put the Romantics's neo-British Invasion hard pop on tape, and a listen to 1981's Strictly Person only confirms how wrong he was for the job; the sound is all squealing guitars, drums with enough echo to suggest they were recorded in an airplane hangar, and stacked vocal excess, anticipating the standard issue hair metal production style by at least five years. (New guitarist Coz Canler appears to have been a willing co-conspirator, lacking the more concise style of Mike Skill and overplaying any time he was given the opportunity.) This might have been less of a problem if the songs had been better, but while there are a few tunes nearly on a par with the solid pop-rock of the band's instant-classic debut (such as "In The Nighttime" and "She's Hot"), most of the material is clearly second-tier stuff (the fact it was their third LP in just a little over two years surely didn't help), and the obnoxious overproduction just emphasized the fact this is hollow thunder with nothing at the core. Strictly Personal isn't the Romantics' worst album (than dubious honor goes to Rhythm Romance, but it comes close enough that only completists and obsessive fans need bother with it. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
At its best, the Romantics' self-titled debut album sounds like the greatest album Shel Talmy never produced. The Detroit band's British Invasion-style power pop may not have been an especially original creation, but it was good enough that no one with a taste for high-voltage hooks would ever dream of complaining, and as a meeting of mid-'60s style and late-'70s volume and passion, it's all but flawless. The original songs, written by guitarists Wally Palmar and Mike Skill and drummer Jimmy Marinos, are a glorious pastiche of period pop styles (think the Kinks and the Easybeats with a bit of the Hollies thrown in for melodic appeal) played with a hard-stomping energy and a genuine love for the vintage style that doesn't reek of nostalgia. The production by Peter Solley is simple but smart enough to put both the hooks at the energy up front where they belong, and the Romantics never had a set of tunes this strong again; "What I Like About You" richly deserved its status as a hit single, and "When I Look in Your Eyes," "Tell It to Carrie" and "Girl Next Door" would have followed it up the charts in a just world. the Romantics didn't exactly reinvent the wheel with this album, but they sure knew how to make it roll, and for sheer party enhancing energy, this album is hard to beat. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
'National Breakout'
Release Date 1/1/1980
Tracks 11
Label Nemperor/Epic
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Their sophomore effort follows much of the same formula of the debut. Unfortunately, none of the songs had the instantly endearing catchiness of "What I Like About You" and the album failed to live up to the optimistic title's promise. ~ Chris Woodstra, All Music Guide
