The Romeos Music

Wow. Real rock and roll, real art.
Reviewer: Terry Pinkard
CD Baby

Wow. I remember the Romeos of the 80's as great musicians and as the kings of swagger and attitude. Now they've reappeared, almost twenty years later, with the same sound, tighter than ever, better than ever, off and on leavening their sound with a country feel. What's great here, though, is the way their songwriter, Jerry Honigman, has taken that sound (which was always something great beyond description) and put it to entirely new uses: It's tight, bluesy, rock and roll about coming to terms with life, losing, acquiring, losing, and acquiring again a kind of faith (sometimes religious, sometimes not), songs about the pain not just of breaking up but of actually getting divorced, songs of doubt and affirmation. If art is supposed to tell us what it's like to be an individual human being with all the kind of messy detail that each of carries around in our lives, then the Romeos have achieved something almost impossible to carry off: Real rock and roll that's real art. At least in my experience, when older rockers get it into their heads to make art, they usually don't become artists, just artsy -- they become tedious instead of thoughtful. Not here: the Romeos blast out music both to dance to and to think about -- and, as if to remind us that it is, after all, only rock and roll, they also throw in a quintessential pop-another-bottle-top-keep-the-party-going rocker, "Go Go Go," to complement the driving beat of the wonderful and reflective title track, "Open Wide" (which itself should become the defining song of the new decade). In my opinion, the Romeos have here provided real insight set to a driving beat, rock and roll suitable for sixteen to sixty year olds. Quite an achievement -- I would have never thought it could have been done. Wow.

"Get ready for some serious rockin’... the disc is excellent! ...Unique touches throughout. As always, Honigman’s lyrics give fans something to think about while his distinctive music thoroughly entertains."

"...A solid collection of fun and heartfelt songs.... I heard a number of influences, including fellow Louisiana native Randy Newman, Steely Dan’s Donald Fagan,...even the sharp-tongued wit of Elvis Costello. ...And there is a definite country feel running through the album, but it’s more of an alt-country sound reminiscent of the Jayhawks or Sun Volt. ...It’s clear to see why they were popular then as they are now. ...The Romeos latest offering is definitely worth picking up."

"In the late 70's, during the height of the punk era, Cenla gave rise to the true bad boys of the local rock scene. Heading out to L.A. to record with Toto keyboardist David Paich at the helm as producer, The Romeos recorded Rock and Roll and Love and Death, an album that brought them national fame. Rekindling the flame nineteen years later, lead singer and songwriter Jerry Honigman has released When in Rome, a CD that shows off his mastery and maturity as a songwriter that has blossomed over the years since the first project. Honigman's versatility as a songwriter is displayed by his many musical influences that include gospel, country, and rock. Backed by a tight current Romeo squad, including original member Dan Diefenderfer on guitar, these songs hit the listener with a sound as bold as anything currently on the worldwide market."

Source: CENLA FOCUS: The Community Lifestyle/Business Profile Journal of Central Louisiana - January/February 2000

"The Romeos. Must be '60's music? Maybe Blues? Rock? Christian Contemporary? Alternative? To what?

It's not hard to describe the music that is featured on the newest CD When in Rome by The Romeos. All of the above describe the sound in one sense or another. And none of the above does. OK, maybe it is difficult to describe. Maybe it's a personal journey.

As Jerry Honigman, lead vocalist, guitarist and songwriter, says in the first cut off the album, 'the journey is its own reward'. The music is a journey. It will carry the carefree listener to a place familiar and yet new. It will take those that look for the paths diverging in the woods on a trip that will lead them up one road and down another.

The influences of blues and classic rock are there in the music as are the religious influences of the Bible Belt and a Louisiana heavily influenced by Catholicism. But there are also pearls for those that like alternative music. ...evocative...like juicy scene[s] in an avant guarde independent film.

This is not a CD for those that want to be fed music for the masses. It is music for the new millennium - evoking styles of the past with a flavor new and fresh and all its own. They don't follow the 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do', theory. And that's a good thing. The music will get you Home in One Piece."

Source: THE TOWN TALK, Alexandria-Pineville, LA. Monday, Dec.20, 1999
"NEW CD A REWARDING JOURNEY" by Cynthia Jordan, Asst. Features Editor

Reviews of "Open Wide"