The Beserkley Years: The Best Of Jonathan Richman And The Modern Lovers

Modern Lovers, Jonathan Richman | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Rhino / Wea
• ASIN: B000003491
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #46,596 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Roadrunner

2. Astral Plane

3. Pablo Picasso

4. Government Center

5. New England

6. Here Come the Martian Martians

7. Important in Your Life

8. Abominable Snowman in the Market

9. Lonely Financial Zone

10. Ice Cream Man

11. Afternoon

12. Dodge Veg-O-Matic

13. I'm a Little Dinosaur [Live]

14. The Morning of Our Lives [Live]

15. Back in Your Life

16. Abdul and Cleopatra

17. My Love Is a Flower (Just Beginning to Bloom)

18. Affection

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Forgotten master of anything goes, April 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Beserkley Years: The Best Of Jonathan Richman And The Modern Lovers (Audio CD)

Richman had a quietly profound influence on rock music, not just because his band spawned members of Talking Heads and the Cars, or because his early work was produced by John Cale of Velvet Underground. Clearly he couldn't sing, but he made the most of his creative talents with the sort of do-it-yourself irreverence that punk would later seize on. Yes, his work can be humorous, and downright catchy. In the late seventies, when hip music had become loud, Richman went the other way and made very quiet songs, still postmodernly silly like so much modern music, Barenaked Ladies or They Might Be Giants, in tone. In sum, Richman was one of these sort of underground heroes just for sheer originality, and that originality would influence other, more commercial bands in various ways for years to come.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cuts through to the nitty-gritty, August 9, 2005

By 

Twice-lived (Lyons, CO United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Beserkley Years: The Best Of Jonathan Richman And The Modern Lovers (Audio CD)

Years ago, I had this up on the stereo when my wife walked in the door. "What the hell is that?" she asked.

"Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers," I replied, and before "Morning of Our Lives" was over, she was choking back tears.

That's the kind of record this is. It walks the thin line between stubborn steadfast optimistic love and stalking

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Surrender to Jonathan!, July 6, 2000

By 

Thomas Fisher (Portland, ME United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Beserkley Years: The Best Of Jonathan Richman And The Modern Lovers (Audio CD)

My first exposure to Jonathan was hearing the catchy track "New England". I immediately wanted to listen to more Jonathan, and bought this album. By not taking himself too seriously Jonathan manages to make some profound statements. It is full of honesty, compassion, and straightforward fun that make Jonathan one of the most amusing and yet touching artists in the world. As another of his albums suggests, don't analyze Jonathan, Surrender to Jonathan! And oh yeah, see him live.