Without going into much detail, the plot of Rent centers with two struggling artists in New York City, Roger the musician, Mark the filmmaker. They deal with lack of inspiration, late rent, betrayal of their former friend-turned landlord Benny, and the struggles of their friends: the ex-teacher Collins’ falling for drag queen Angel, who’s affected with AIDS; the performance artist Maureen’s protest and affair with anal-retentive Joanne; and Roger’s love with wild dancer Mimi. Despite trials and tribulations, they work through their problems together and learn to live one day at a time, no day but today (get used to that phrase).
I will once again use the song-by-song method, with each song getting a score from 1 to 5, as it proved way too difficult for me to review this like every other album. Much of the play has been captured on this 2-CD Original Broadway Cast Recording set, but I will omit most one-minute ‘musical interludes’ that are merely plot-movers. Here we go:
CD #1 (all takes place on Christmas Eve)
Rent (5/5)- The very first real song on Rent after a few of those interludes, and probably the best song to come from a musical since...ever. Basically, Mark and Roger refuse to pay the rent and vent in this energetic, angry rocker.
You Okay Honey? (2/5)- Angel meets a beaten-up Collins and offers him help. That’s all there is to this tune.
One Song Glory (4/5)- Roger’s tortured ode to writing one great song. All Music Guide sez it’s the strongest song taken out of context from the play, with which I disagree. But it still has good minimalistic guitar work.
Light My Candle (3/5)- Roger and Mimi meet, and flirt awkwardly. It kind of goes on for minutes, capturing the entire confused conversation. So it kind of loses me sometimes.
Today 4 U (2/5)- Angel’s drag-queen debut, which musically is no different from any Eurodance track (everybody dance nowwww!)
You’ll See (3/5)- Sort of a music filler where we find out why Benny is such a doodoo-head. Ya see, the Rent of which Mark and Roger speak, was brought upon by their ex-roommate Benny, who's trying to bribe them out of late rent by getting them to stop Maureen's performance.
Tango: Maureen (3/5)- Another music filler track, where Mark and Joanne discuss Maureen’s tendencies. They both have dated her, so they know.
Life Support (3/5)- Basically an interlude, but this is where the "no day but today" theme is introduced, in a life support group for people with AIDS, including Angel.
Out Tonight (2/5)- Even though it has the best guitar on the whole album, it’s mainly Mimi’s solo spotlight, which I don’t care too much about.
Another Day (5/5)- The best track outside of “Rent” so far, it really rocks out, even if I find myself singing “Summer Nights” (the worst piece of crap off Grease) when I hear the chorus progressions. Roger angrily rejects Mimi’s advances here, and really gets into it.
Will I? (4/5)- By now, everyone is in a crappy state of mind, as they sing this wonderful four-line round. I mean, vocal parts overlap like crazy here.
Santa Fe (4/5)- A slight touch o’calypso is added, as Collins dreams of opening up a restaurant in, as the title implies, Albuquerque. A nice shot of diversity.
I’ll Cover You (3/5)- Angel and Collins’ theme, basically. It is a really good love duet, if you get past the fact that one of them is a drag queen.
Christmas Bells (4/5)- A lot of subplots intertwine on this track, with an overriding theme of how Christmas ain’t all that cheery, not to the homeless. Has great bits of melody, but maybe a little bit too busy for a 5.
Over the Moon (3/5)- Maureen’s protest. You know, nothing really pisses off the Man (i.e. Benny) like metaphorical cows. Maureen knew what she was doing. Seriously, the performance needs to be seen to be appreciated, more so than anything else on here.
La Vie Boheme (5/5)- Yes SIR! I like a lot! The unofficial theme to Rent, where all the cast members truly freaks out the Establishment. Musically it’s maybe the best song on here, with a truly awesome piano riff (my biggest weakness) and elements of one of the best songs of the sixties, Sly & the Family Stone’s “Everyday People.” It also is reprised after the next track.
I Should Tell You (3/5)- A tuneless ballad where Roger finally gives in to Mimi.
CD #2 (takes place for the whole year after Christmas Eve)
Seasons of Love (4/5)- The entire cast does this gospel-inspired song, with one of the oddest hooks you’ll ever hear: ‘Five hundred/twenty-five-thousand/six hundred miiiinutes.’ The minutes in a non-leap year, FYI.
Happy New Year (2/5)- Ehhhh. This does nothing for me. Sounds way too much like that Third Eye Blind dork-fest “Semi-Charmed Life.” Reprised after a short interlude.
Take Me or Leave Me (2/5)- Maureen and Joanne’s theme. Too bad they diva it up too much for my taste/tastes/tasti.
Without You (3/5)- Is this the abysmal Harry Nilsson catastrophe? No, just a downer ballad about life without loved ones, who were either separated (Maureen from Joanne and Roger without Mimi) or sick (during the song in the play, there’s a sequence with Angel sick in a hospital bed)
Contact (2/5)- Another song about everyone’s rocky love life, sort of a tacky techno number. Notable for Angel dying, I think his ?Today 4 U? reprise is him heading into the afterlife. But I’m not sure.
I’ll Cover You (reprise) (4/5)- At Angel’s funeral, Collins gives an emotional rendering of their theme, giving it more depth than imagined before.
Halloween (3/5)- A short interlude with Mark only. I mention it because it has great dual acoustic guitar work.
Goodbye Love (3/5)- After Angel’s funeral, personal relationships come to a head and then things are patched again. I usually skip ahead to Mark and Roger’s tense conflict with the ?Halloween? melody. The title is justified by the final part, a weak Mimi’s official goodbye to Roger before he leaves N.Y. for Santa Fe.
What You Own (5/5)- Another really solid pop-rocker, one of my Top Five favorites off of here. Just Mark and Roger lamenting their career choices, and Roger ends up driving back to New York to write his elusive song glory.
Finale (4/5)- Hard to rate this, as a lot of reprises take place here. Basically, the cast is back together for another 12/24, and all is hunky-dory. Until they find a dying Mimi on the streets. Before Mimi has to go, Roger sings the song that took him all damn year to write, which is none other than:
Your Eyes (4/5)- AMG was wrong-o, THIS is the best out-of-context tune here. Roger’s acoustic ode to Mimi’s eyes; I smell prom theme here. If this was one verse and one instrumental, you’re talking #1 for 45 weeks on Billboard. At the end, Roger plunks Musetta’s Waltz and cries ?MiMIIIIIIII? as Mimi succumbs. You gotta have ice cold water running down your veins not to be touched by this.
Finale B (3/5)- SPOILERZ SPOILERZ SPOILERZ MIMI DOESN’T REALLY DIE. This inspires the cast to sing that ?there’s only us/no day but today’ theme from countless other songs on here. And they all live happily ever after. Amen, and medium rare, if you please.