View source for Return of the Rentals

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox album
| name         = Return of the Rentals
| type         = studio
| artist       = [[The Rentals]]
| cover        = Return_of_the_Rentals.jpg
| alt          = 
| released     = October 31, 1995
| recorded     = 
| venue        = 
| studio       = Poop Alley Studios
| genre        = <!--Do not add unsourced genres -->
| length       = 36:55
| label        = {{hlist|[[Maverick Records|Maverick]]|[[Reprise Records|Reprise]]}}
| producer     = {{hlist|Tom Grimley|[[Matt Sharp]]}}
| prev_title   = 
| prev_year    = 
| next_title   = [[Seven More Minutes]]
| next_year    = 1999
| misc         = {{Singles
 | name        = Return of the Rentals
 | type        = studio
 | single1     = [[Friends of P.]]
 | single1date = November 21, 1995
 | single2     = Waiting
 | single2date = 1996
}}
}}

'''''Return of the Rentals''''' is the debut [[studio album]] by American [[alternative rock]] band [[The Rentals]], released on October 31, 1995, through [[Maverick Records]] and [[Reprise Records]].<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Zw4EAAAAMBAJ&dq=the+rentals+return+of+the+rentals+release+billboard&pg=PA25 |title=Billboard |date=1995-10-07 |publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc. |language=en}}</ref> The album features [[Matt Sharp]]—[[Weezer]]'s bassist at the time—on [[vocals]] and [[Bass (guitar)|bass]], as well as Weezer drummer [[Patrick Wilson (drummer)|Patrick Wilson]].<ref name="booklet">''Return of the Rentals'' booklet and [[liner notes]]</ref>

''Return of the Rentals'' was well received by critics and produced the successful single "Friends of P.", which peaked at number 7 on ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]''{{'}}s [[Alternative Songs|Modern Rock Tracks]] chart and received significant airplay on [[MTV]]'s ''[[120 Minutes]]''. Despite this, the album only managed to reach number 19 on the ''Billboard'' [[Top Heatseekers|Heatseeker Albums]] chart, and by 1999 the album had sold 96,000 copies in the United States, according to [[Nielsen SoundScan]].<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Pw0EAAAAMBAJ&dq=the+rentals+return+of+the+rentals+billboard&pg=PA21 |title=Billboard |date=1995-11-25 |publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc. |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8g0EAAAAMBAJ&dq=the+rentals+friends+of+p+billboard&pg=PA14 |title=Billboard |date=1999-03-06 |publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc. |language=en}}</ref>

In a 2019 [[Reddit AMA]], Matt Sharp revealed that the artwork and the [[master tapes]] of ''Return of the Rentals'' have either been lost or destroyed by the record label, meaning a reissue of the album is unlikely.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019 |title=Hi Reddit. This is Matt Sharp of The Rentals. Our upcoming new album Q36 touches on subjects from paranormal activity to space exploration, NASA ＆ alien beings. The latest single "Conspiracy" was inspired by the late Art Bell of 'Coast To Coast AM' fame. AMA : Music |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Music/comments/g7ddlq/comment/fogpg2s/?context=3 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221214215848/https://www.reddit.com/r/Music/comments/g7ddlq/comment/fogpg2s/?context=3 |archive-date=2022-12-14 |access-date=2022-12-14 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref>

==Background==
The "P" in the track "Friends of P." has had multiple theories presented as to its meaning. The actual "P" in the song refers to [[Paulina Porizkova]], the wife of The Cars guitarist [[Ric Ocasek]], who produced the first [[Weezer]] album, known as ''[[Weezer (1994 album)|The Blue Album]]''.<ref name="page 163">Luerssen D., John. ''Rivers' Edge: The Weezer Story''. ECW Press, 2004, {{ISBN|1-55022-619-3}} p. 163</ref> Porizkova made a claim that no one had ever written a song about her, and so Sharp took on the task. Ocasek noted that he found the subject matter of the song a bit odd. Fictitious theories suggest that "P" refers to the [[Psychic Friends Network]] or Patrick Wilson, who played drums for both The Rentals and Weezer.

"Please Let That Be You" was originally written by Sharp and [[Rivers Cuomo]] as a song called "Mrs. Young", a spiritual counterpart to Weezer's song "Jamie". On one demo, Rivers Cuomo helps Sharp, doing extra instrumentation and backup vocals. At one point, Weezer considered recording both "Jamie" with "Mrs. Young" (later written as "Please Let That Be You" without Rivers Cuomo but instead with Rachel Haden) as its B-side for a single, but this never happened.

==Reception==
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1Score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="allmusic">{{cite web|last=D'Angelo|first=Peter J.|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/return-of-the-rentals-mw0000645814|title=Return of the Rentals – The Rentals|publisher=[[AllMusic]]|accessdate=March 5, 2016}}</ref>
| rev2 = ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''
| rev2Score = B<ref name="ew">{{cite magazine|last=Browne|first=David|authorlink=David Browne (journalist)|url=http://ew.com/article/1995/11/03/pacerreturn-rentals/|title=The Amps: Pacer / The Rentals: Return of the Rentals|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|date=November 3, 1995|accessdate=June 18, 2018|page=64}}</ref>
| rev3 = ''[[NME]]''
| rev3Score = 7/10<ref name="nme">{{cite magazine|title=The Rentals: Return of the Rentals|magazine=[[NME]]|date=January 20, 1996|page=42}}</ref>
| rev4 = ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]''
| rev4Score = 8.0/10<ref name="pitchfork">{{cite web|last=Schreiber|first=Ryan|url=http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/21322-return-of|title=The Rentals: Return of...|work=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]|accessdate=November 11, 2007|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071219003725/http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/21322-return-of|archivedate=December 19, 2007}}</ref>
| rev5 = ''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]''
| rev5Score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref name="q">{{cite magazine|title=The Rentals: Return of the Rentals|magazine=[[Q (magazine)|Q]]|issue=102|date=March 1995|page=103}}</ref>
}}''Return of the Rentals'' received generally favorable reviews from critics.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tower.com/details/details.cfm?wapi=106411357|title=Return of the Rentals|accessdate=2007-11-11|publisher=[[Tower Records (music retailer)|Tower Records]]}}</ref> ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' claimed, "Its winsome love songs make for good, clean, disposable fun."<ref name="ew"/> ''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]'' compared the Rentals' work to the early work of [[the Cars]]: "The Rentals root themselves in the sound of late-’70s US [[new wave music|new wave]]; the result is in many senses reminiscent of The Cars' earlier material."<ref name="q"/> ''[[NME]]'' wrote that "despite its pretensions to [be] meaningless electro-pop, it can't help but have depth".<ref name="nme"/> ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]''{{'}}s Ryan Schreiber enjoyed the band's attempt to bring back [[Moog synthesizer]]s.<ref name="pitchfork"/>

In a retrospective review, Peter D'Angelo of [[AllMusic]] praised the album, saying, "''Return of the Rentals'' is a real benchmark of carefree pop from the '90s, and shouldn't be forgotten anytime soon."<ref name="allmusic"/>

==Legacy==
"Waiting" appeared in the 1997 horror anthology film ''[[Campfire Tales (1997 film)|Campfire Tales]]''. The song plays in a character's bedroom during the film's third segment, titled "People Can Lick Too".<ref>{{cite web |title=Campfire Tales (1997) Soundtracks |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115813/soundtrack?ref_=ttfc_ql_trv_7 |website=IMDb |publisher=Amazon |accessdate=8 December 2019}}</ref>

In 2006, the [[Yeah Yeah Yeahs]] covered "The Love I'm Searching For" on [[AOL]]'s ''The Interface'' podcast.<ref>{{cite web|last=Maher|first=Dave|url=http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/page/news/38630-yeah-yeah-yeahs-cover-the-rentals-on-podcast|title=Yeah Yeah Yeahs Cover the Rentals on Podcast|work=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]|accessdate=November 11, 2007|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080109024007/http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/page/news/38630-yeah-yeah-yeahs-cover-the-rentals-on-podcast|archivedate=January 9, 2008}}</ref> In 2008, [[Ash (band)|Ash]] covered "Please Let That Be You" for the album ''Friends of P. -- Tribute to The Rentals''. "Friends of P." was covered by [[Tokyo Police Club]] on their album ''Elephant Shell Remixes'' and sampled by [[Girl Talk (musician)|Girl Talk]] on his 2006 album ''[[Night Ripper]]''.

[[Tera Melos]] guitarist Nick Reinhart uploaded a cover of the track "These Days" to [[SoundCloud]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://soundcloud.com/user5438604/these-days-the-rentals |title=These Days (The Rentals) by nick reinhart &#124; Free Listening on SoundCloud |website=Soundcloud.com |date= |accessdate=2016-03-05}}</ref>

==Track listing==
{{Track listing
| all_writing = [[Matt Sharp]] except "My Summer Girl" by Cherielynn Westrich and Matt Sharp
| title1 = The Love I'm Searching For
| length1 = 3:36
| title2 = Waiting
| length2 = 3:13
| title3 = [[Friends of P.]]
| length3 = 3:32
| title4 = Move On
| length4 = 4:21
| title5 = Please Let That Be You
| length5 = 3:34
| title6 = My Summer Girl
| length6 = 3:13
| title7 = Brilliant Boy
| length7 = 4:16
| title8 = Naive
| length8 = 2:20
| title9 = These Days
| length9 = 3:00
| title10 = Sweetness and Tenderness
| length10 = 4:22
}}

==Personnel==
'''The Rentals'''
*[[Matt Sharp]] – vocals, bass, [[Moog synthesizer|Moog]]
*[[Cherielynn Westrich]] – Moog, vocals
*[[Patrick Wilson (drummer)|Patrick Wilson]] – drums
*[[Petra Haden]] – violin, vocals
*Rod Cervera – guitar
*Tom Grimley – Moog

'''Additional personnel'''
*Jim Richards – additional keyboards on "Please Let That Be You"
*[[Rachel Haden]] – vocals on "Move On"

'''Production'''
*Matt Sharp – production, mixing
*Tom Grimley – production, recording, mixing
* [[Stephen Marcussen]] – [[Audio mastering|mastering]]
*

'''Artwork'''
* [[Guy Oseary]] – album artwork

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{MusicBrainz release|mbid=29db868e-db44-4bb9-87e1-c857a06dad09|name=Return of the Rentals}}

{{The Rentals}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Return Of The Rentals}}
[[Category:1995 debut albums]]
[[Category:The Rentals albums]]
[[Category:Maverick Records albums]]