Her Mystery Not of High Heels & Eye Shadow

Jonathan Richman | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 9, 2001)
• Original Release Date: 2001
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Vapor Records
• ASIN: B00005Q66R
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #320,499 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Her Mystery Not Of High Heels And Eye Shadow

2. Springtime In New York

3. Me And Her Got A Good Thing Goin' Baby

4. Couples Must Fight

5. I Took A Chance On Her

6. Maybe A Walk Home From Natick High School

7. Give Paris One More Chance

8. My Love For Her Ain't Sad

9. Leaves On The Sidewalk After The Rain

10. Tonight

11. Yo Tengo Una Novia

12. El Joven Se Estremece

13. Con El Merengue

14. Vampiresa Mujer

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars welcome to the wonderful world of the mysterious Jonathan, October 16, 2001

By 

Jacques BALL (PARIS , France) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Her Mystery Not of High Heels & Eye Shadow (Audio CD)

The unusually long title of Jonathan's new opus , Her Mystery Not of High Heels and Eye Shadow, is already showing us that we won't find here what we had in "I, Jonathan", the short titled cd.
This is the record of a new life, Jonathan sounds happy again . Gone is the bitterness of Surrender. What already was blossoming in "I'm confused" through songs like "hello Cupid" and "Let her go into darkness" is now in full sight ..the sunset is reddening Jonathan's new landscape, and great songs are here catching our minds, "couples must fight" a long time live favorite is a winner as is "Springtime in NY". Jonathan has a tradition to revisit his old songs and this cd is not different in that way.. I always liked "give Paris one more chance", here it is again in a new format and it rules !! Four songs in Spanish conclude the cd , "Yo tengo una novia " is another highlight of the live shows which is pleasant to have on a regular recording and the cover of "Vampire girl" is just hilarious.. Sounds like it had been rewritten for Turquoise and me, to remind us of the 2000 show in Paris ....

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Right On (4.5 Stars), October 21, 2001

By 

[e-mail] (swarthmore pa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Her Mystery Not of High Heels & Eye Shadow (Audio CD)

After thirty years as a musical marginal, one of the countless offbeat characters criscrossing the country and playing to any available audience, Jonathan Richman has become part of the cultural landscape. There he was on PBS "History of Rock'n'Roll" series, being hailed as the Godfather of Punk. There he was on the front page of the New York Times arts section last weekend, as part of a story on jazz clubs staying open in the face of tragedy. There he was, crooning and anticking with longtime drummer/sidekick Tommy Larkins, in "There's Something About Mary," the sort of high-profile gig that has dogged him ever since, for better or worse. Heck, he even made it into Spike a few years ago, where his sing-a-long paean to late-night New England driving was reckoned the 53rd Best Thing of the Millennium.

Through it all, despite progressing from the tough-guy posturing of the indispensable debut "Modern Lovers" to the carefree exuberance of albums like 1993's "Having a Party," Jonathan has lost none of his charm. Part of it is a simplicity that makes even young squirts like me nostalgic for the 1950s, and makes the rich, chunky guitar of tunes like "Me and Her Got A Good Thing Goin' Baby" the musical equivalent of comfort food. Part of it is a childlike innocence that paradoxically makes the hard-earned sage advice of "Couples Must Fight" and "I Took A Chance on Her" that much more credible. Mostly it's just a sense of fun that's inescapable in live performance and shines through as strongly as ever on his unwieldily titled twentieth release.

Backed by nothing more than bouyant acoustic strumming, Larkins' spirited drumming, and the occasional piano or violin, Richman holds forth on love, friendship, and his favorite cities (the brilliant "Give Paris One More Chance,") occasionally in Spanish (the bouncy "Yo Tengo una Novia.") And when he sings, you've just got to smile. 9/10

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sad Simple Songs, November 9, 2002

By 

Michel Farmer (Peoria Illinois) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Her Mystery Not of High Heels & Eye Shadow (Audio CD)

I am admittedly biased in writing reviews of Jonathan Richman recordings since he is my absolute favorite artist in the history of rock and roll. I love him even when he is obviously failing, however I don't beleive that he is doing that on this release.

Of course I miss the childlike naivete and reckless abandon absurdity of some of Jonathan's early recordings but I do have to admit I think he is one of the few artists who has aged gracefully and managed to make quality records. (This is probably a result of his ability to be truthful and not phony. Can we say "Aerosmith" anybody?).

This is kind of a relaxing, subtle record and yes it could of been better but it is undoubtedly one of Jonathan's prettier and by default more human of his releases.

These really are simple, sad love songs for the timeless vaults.

The instrumentals could have been more fleshed out but I really think the pop songs are just like Jonathan has always been, innocent and completly devoid of pretension.