Rocktrospectiva: The Rembrandts' Catchy And Melodic Debut Now Forgotten Turns 35

Released on 4 September 1990 "The Rembrandts" was the debut studio album by the US pop rock band The Rembrandts, the album spawned four singles "Just The Way It Is, Baby", "Someone", "Burning Timber" & "Save Me". 

Although for most people, The Rembrandts are well-know cause the 95' hit single "I'll Be There For You" the main theme for the sitcom "Friends", nevertheless, the band formed by Danny Wilde and Phil Solem in 1989, is a derivate of the Great Buildings a band formed in 1981. 

After establishing themselves as the Rembrandts in 1989, Solem and Wilde recorded a self-titled album largely in Wilde's home studio released under the label Atco. From this album, the group had their first success during 1990 with "Just the Way It Is, Baby", which scored at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100, this propelled the self-titled album scored number 88 on the Billboard 200. The hit single peaked at No. 12 in Canadá and No. 26 in Australia and across Europe.

The style and sound on this album is mainly fine pop rock music, and offered more than the hit single, the power stylish ballad "Just The Way It Is, Baby", for instance, "Burning Timber" is a terrific song with folk and bluesy style and catchy melody, "New King" is also catchy and memorable, "Every Secret Thing" is soft with delicious arrangements as a reminiscence of The Beatles from the early 60s., the sumptuous "If Not For Misery" is a complex power pop full of a fantastic melody and rock rhythm section, "Everyday People" sound like heartland rock with som folk in the line of Springsteen and Tom Petty, the sensible and touchy "Save Me" with a melacholy sound it has quality verses and clever melodies, "Show Me Your Love" is quite folk but amusing to listen, the acoustic ballad "Goodnight" was well-crafted in the finest Beatles tradition, "Someone" was the most complete of these acoustic ballads on the record, with fine melodies and a beautiful guitar solo,  "Follow You Down" a fake bluesy rock ballad with certain pop hooks with a cutie guitar solo.

The album gained certain success for the duet and at least paved the way for the future smash hit single which unfortunately encapsuled forever the band, despite before that, The Rembrandts released a fantastic album with well-crafted songs that were eclipsed by the massive and overplayed success of the oficial song of "Friends". 

 

The Rembradts Track List:  

1. Just The Way It Is, Baby
2. Save Me
3. Someone
4. Show Me Your Love
5. New King
6. Every Secret Thing
7. If Not For Misery
8. Moonlight On Mt. Hood
9. Goodnight
10. Burning Timber
11. Confidential Information
12. Everyday People
13. Follow You Down