Customer Reviews

Modern Lovers

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There is a scene near the end of the movie "Manhattan" in which Woody Allen's friend angrily says to him, "You think you're God!", to which Woody replies, "I gotta model myself after someone!"

This is the same line of defense I would offer to any singer who is accused of sounding too much like Lou Reed. Jonathan Richman is perhaps chief among those who have met with this accusation. Whether or not Richman really does sound that much like him is debatable, but he clearly and unapologetically invokes the powers of the leader of his favorite band. (Richman explained in an interview that he used to draw and paint all day as a young man, but that was before he discovered The Velvet Underground.)

The Modern Lovers' debut seems an unlikely candidate for such an influential record. It has certainly received its share of nearly hyperbolic praise. Andy "Music Geek on 'Beat the Geeks'" Zax says that "Roadrunner" is his all-time favorite song, and the good folks at Pitchforkmedia.com say that without this song, "we're pretty sure Western culture would have ended in 1977". And the fact that The Sex Pistols (and Joan Jett, and others) did a cover of it hardly helps to refute the idea that this completely unthreatening track is a quintessential proto-punk single. Moreover, I have seen the track "Pablo Picasso" performed live by three different artists: David Bowie, Richman himself, and John Cale, who produced the early Modern Lovers sessions.

But there is more to Jonathan Richman's influence than his music. His image has had an equally widespread impact. He was surely not the first geeky, awkward outsider to become a rock star, but he was surely among the first to flaunt it (with all due respect to Buddy Holly). In addition to Richman's obvious influence on punk, his whimsy, winsomeness, silliness, and geekiness is apparent in Talking Heads (of whom Modern Lover Jerry Harrison was later a member), They Might Be Giants, Weezer, Fountains of Wayne, The Magnetic Fields/Stephin Merritt, and the Swedish songmeister Jens Lekman.

The best place to start in reviewing this record is with the setting of many of the songs. Plenty of major cities in the world - L.A., New York, London - have had their stories chronicled in popular music. With The Modern Lovers, Boston (my adopted hometown) gets a bit of its due. Granted, the lure of Beantown may not be as romantic as the City of Angels or the Big Apple, but it certainly has its charms for a young Jonathan Richman-type suburbanite. From the Stop-N-Shop and "[Route] 128 in the moonlight", to the Museum of Fine Arts, the Fenway, and BU, Richman knows the town he loves the way Lou Reed knows NYC, or Ray Davies knows London. (Of course, the Naked City - Richman's adopted hometown - is mentioned a few times on the record, too.)

The songwriting and musicianship on this record are deliberately amateurish. Notice how he spells "Girl Friend" incorrectly in the song of the same name in order to make a pretty obvious rhyme. Sometimes it is to a fault, and the quality is a bit compromised (eg, "Old World"), while other times the results are inspired, such as in "Modern World". "I love the USA/I love the modern world/Put down the cigarette/And drop outta BU" is one of my favorite lyrics on the album. (The variations on this refrain include that last line being "act like a true girl" and "drop outta high school".) I know that doesn't sound like much, but to hear Richman sing it in his mock-tough guy voice makes all the difference.

And while he could be accused (if not convicted) of posturing, Richman convincingly shows his many sides on this record. He is a giddy and optimistic young man on "Roadrunner" and "Government Center", but sad, lonely, and mature on "Hospital" ("there is pain inside/you can see it in my eyes"), "Someone I Care About" ("I don't want a girl just to fool around with"), and "Girl Friend" ("I walk through the Fenway/I have my heart in my hands"). He is also a geeky Lou Reed on "Pablo Picasso", which struts along at a cocksure midtempo pace, "She Cracked" ("she'd eat garbage, eat s**t, get stoned"), and "Modern World". (And like Fountains of Wayne after him, he makes his disdain for hippies obvious on "I'm Straight".) The music includes pre-New Wave, Steve Nieve-ish keyboards, sloppy Velvets-y guitar, and the welding of the two. Whether these songs are dated from 1972 - when they were first recorded - or 1976 - when they were first released, they manage to land smack dab (chronologically and stylistically) in the middle of proto-punk and New Wave.

If there were a Hall of Fame for cult rockers, Richman would surely be among its first inductees. His artistic and commercial success are inversely related, and he is best known to a mass audience as that guy in "There's Something About Mary" (or for the old school rock fans who haven't seen that movie, he is best known as the guy who is always described as the guy who is best known as that guy from "There's Something About Mary"). Keyboardist Jerry Harrison, on the other hand, is in the actual Rock 'N Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Talking Heads, and David Robinson, later the drummer for The Cars, may well end up there himself. (These two have been given a bit of poetic justice as members of more successful and well-known bands, but I am not sure what became of bassist Ernie Brooks.)

Although The Modern Lovers will never get the attention or credit they truly deserve, the fact that so many other artists are indebted to them is a start. It vicariously gives them a mass audience that they could never have on their own. Like The Sex Pistols and Television - both of whom could qualify as kindred spirits of the band - The Modern Lovers made a huge impact on the basis of a single album. But sometimes that is all it takes to change the world of popular music: sometimes someone needs to do something for the first time, just to show that it can be done. By this standard, the importance of The Modern Lovers first record should not be underestimated. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

I'm a man of many words, yet this album leaves me speechless. I discovered it over 11 years ago, when I learned that Road Runner as performed by the Sex Pistols and Pablo Picasso as performed by the Burning Sensations were written by the same person. I wasn't prepared for the emotional honesty from The Modern Lovers, it was unlike anything I had ever heard before. Jonathan Richman sang about the things he loved: old buildings, art, neon signs, girls, and of course, driving down the highway with the radio on. It changed my life, hearing that record. I no longer saw rebellion as a reaction to norms, but as positive steps toward an independent future. To sum up this album by it's intellectual and spiritual impact sell it short. This album is a raw, ragged album, that sounds way ahead of it's time. "I'm Straight" is so upfront and naked, it makes Morrisey and his ilk seem like guarded, cranky souls. There aren't many albums that can have as much an impact as this one. If you don't own it, you're missing out on one of the true unheralded classics of rock and roll. Listen; and fly into the mystery.

If you're not a rock and roll music junkie then you probably don't know The Modern Lovers. Here is your six degrees of seperation for some of the members:

Jonathan Richman - His biggest exposure is from playing the musical interludes and finally getting shot at the end of the 90's hit comedy film Something About Mary. He also played at Gram Parson's wake/Phil Kauffman's legal defense fund.

David Robinson - later went on to become the drummer for the Cars.

Jerry Harrison - went on to become a member of the Talking Heads.

A good portion of the album was produced by ex-Velvet Underground member John Cale. The first track Roadrunner is obviously influenced by VU's song Sister Ray. If you are into the Velvet Underground, and you can't get enough, then definitely pick up The Modern Lovers. In the linear notes, a person is quoted that "Jonathan Richman looked like Dustin Hoffman, but moved like Mike Jagger". I think this statement is a good description of the Modern Lover's music as well. Jonathan Richman's songs could've been written by Hoffman's character in The Graduate. Someone struggling with the restrictions and expectations of "The Old World" and the emerging restrictions and expectations of "The Modern World". Singing against casual sex, drug use, fast cars and acceptance in a sometimes guitar-distortion, sometimes pop music manner, Jonathan Richman is one of the forefathers of the indie rock muscian.

The Modern Lovers is a historically important album in the evolution of rock n' roll.

There are two albums (CDs) that I will regularly play for friends that they've never heard - Modern Lovers and Marquee Moon - both screaming out of the speakers with verve and passion and innocence and aching. That Jonathan Richman lost his muse after writing the various tracks that make up this compilation, issued for the first time four years after most of the songs were recorded, does not diminish their magic. The original 1976 Home of the Hits LP featured nine of these songs, replicated when Beserkley reissued the album a year later. Rhino's wonderful CD reissue has those 9 plus 3 more from the same time period, mostly 1972. Drummer David Robinson went on to big money with the Cars and keyboard player Jerry Harrison went on to big suits in Talking Heads, but the undisputed leader and star on these tracks is singer / guitarist / writer Jonathan Richman, he with the Velvet Underground obsession, having seen the VU at nearly all of their New England performances in the late 60s (true believers should track down his cover of Foggy Notion and his tribute Velvet Underground, both fine songs). Roadrunner leads off this set and is among the greatest windows-down driving songs (Radar Love, Break On Through, Gimme Shelter, and Celebrity Skin come to mind immediately as I write this). It was later covered by the Sex Pistols (on The Great Rock N Roll Swindle) and is here followed by the near-Doors vibe of Astral Plane. That I'm Straight (an anti-drug song) and Dignified and Old (a song of parental respect, among other things) are two of the best things here only underscore the unique nature of this magical mistake of an album. Images of hospital beds, the Museum of Fine Art in Boston, StopNShops, Route 147, Hippie Johnny, stamps on ledgers, and other innocent arcana festoon the songs. When Jonathan comes to your town go see him, pay your respects, and dance (and buy this CD).

Never has rock'n'roll been so tender - so human. This is a simple album: it is about the joys, the pains, and the trials of a young man who wants to find a place for himself in the modern world with one special girl. And yet, for some reason, "The Modern Lovers" is really very different from anything that came before it.

Jonathan Richman assumed that we would want to hear about every detail of his personal life and he was dead right. Richman had no interest in changing the world, he just wanted "Someone to Care About" or nothing at all. Somehow he turns "I'm in love with Massachusetts" into a touching, almost profound statement. The reason this decidedly non-confrontational, non-angry lp became so influential in the punk community is that it brings rock'n'roll back to the kids with simple, direct, intelligent and earnest but humorous and almost reckless lyrics. And, perhaps even more importantly, "The Modern Lovers" made rock'n'roll FUN in a way not too dissimilar from "The Ramones" or even "The Sex Pistols."

This is a very special album. There are only three albums that are essential in understanding what makes rock'n'roll great: one is "Pink Flag" by Wire, the second is "London Calling." "The Modern Lovers" is the third.

I think the main reason I love this album so much is that Jonathan Richman is so much like me. Adolescent anthems. You know. Listening to the radio ("Road Runner"), being in love with girls that you can't have ("I'm Straight"), pretending to be hip when in reality you really love your parents ("Old World"), get really really lovesick ("She Cracked", "Astral Plane", and "Girlfriend"). Hey! I'm a teenager and I do that stuff too! And plus, his band really rocks! Listen to those chords get bashed out during the end of "Pablo Picasso" or the two chord proto-punker "Roadrunner", which is probably the best song on here. Sure there's like one or two clunkers (like "Hospital": "I can't stand what you do/I'm in love with your eyes"? And I never was too fond of "Modern World".) but that's okay because the good stuff is so good that it doesn't matter.

Wait. Did I just say "Roadrunner" was the best song on here? I did? Sorry. I forgot about "I'm Straight" (later covered by the Sex Pistols! ), one of the greatest songs ever written. The whole thing is just a stream-of-consciousness rant about Jonathan calling up the girl that he loves and trying desperately to talk to her, but she doesn't answer and all these thoughts go to his head and he still can't figure out why his number one girl will go out with the town drug addict Hippie Johnny but not him. He keeps fumbling his lines and repeating the same thing over and over again because he doesn't know what to say. Great romantic stuff!

When you think of a "bizarre" album, you'd probably be quick to point out those first few Butthole Surfers albums, or maybe something from Elephant 6. However, if you really think about it, "Modern Lovers" is in many ways one of the weirdest records ever released.

That may seem an odd statement, because this album, by today's standards, is pretty straightforward and familiar, even poppy. But given that it arrived in an era where guys in bellbottom cords were doing bong hits in their custom vans to 35-minute bass solos, it must have been absolutely baffling upon its release. Musically and philosophically, this album ran contra to everything the '60s and '70s were about. With its sparse sound and aggressive beat, "Modern Lovers" condemned drugs and excess while it celebrated work, tradition and the mundane trappings of suburban life -- "I still love parents, and I still love the old world."

Brilliant? It's hard to say; it's never been clear to me whether Richman's writing was brilliant irony or the honest laments of a simple guy who just didn't understand the world around him anymore. Was Richman Bob Dylan or Forrest Gump?

But while you can argue WHY the album is great, you can't deny its sound and influence. I question the proto-punk tag, but it's pretty obvious that Richman more-or-less created the genre that would be known as New Wave, and colored the sound of dozens of bands during the 80s and 90s. In any context, it's just a great album. With the exception of the somewhat-disturbing "Hospital" (Richman's creepy savior attitude toward women makes me wonder if he doesn't have a few chained in his basement to "protect" them), the whole album rocks.

Whether you appreciate this album for its influence or just dig it for its driving, high-energy sound, it's almost certain to be something you'll enjoy.

This is a classic that, for some reason, is largely unknown.

In 1971, this group cut an un-pretentious album that echoed punk, new wave, alternative, and emo well before anybody, before there was even a name or category for that type of music.

This is raw (real raw) rock and roll, earnest song writing and humble vocals. This had to be be dramatically different from anything else when it was recorded back in 1971.

What makes this album great is the energy of the songs and the sincere topics of the songs. Jonathan Richman's lyrics are about the common teenage nerd/geek/dweeb desiring to simply being a member of the in-crowd, fantasizing about getting the un-obtainable girl, or wanting for things to be the way they used to be (or should be). The songs are very optimistic.

What a strange yet enticing batch of songs;

"Pablo Picasso" states that the famous artist was not only cool and got the girls but also, unlike you and I, he was not an %@& hole.

"I'm straight" is about trying to get a girl who is dating "Hippy Johnny", who is a stoner. Why date him, he's always stoned, when she can date the narrator of the song? Because...he's straight.

Let's have a rockin party at the "Government Center" where the secretaries are always getting better.

"Girlfriend is a ballad where Jonathan Richman simply wants to have, not a good time, a one night stand or wild chicks, no...he just wants a basic girlfriend.

The highlight of the cd is "Roadrunner" a two chord rave up celebrating the joys of driving real fast, with the top down, WITH THE RADIO ON.

This album has it all...fuzzed out guitars, beefy Hammond organs, crashing drums, lots of handclaps, and call and responses (it is no coincidence that it has a common denominator with the sound of the Velvet Underground ...it's produced by John Cale.)

Although this is 34 years old, this music is indistinguishable from any raw, punky, alternative sound that you would hear today.

If your a fan of punk and want to see an obvious influence, this is it. If you love raw, roots music, this also is for you. If you like songwriting about the underdog doing the right thing, wanting to treat girls properly, then this is for you.

This strange band somehow, someway, without really even trying, recorded an album that was decades ahead of its time.

This cd should be much more prominent in the history of rock and roll.

Jonathon Richman has been in my music collection since I was a messed up 18 year old back in 88. I still listen to him for his great passion of music, his exploratory spirit and his raw, playing in your living room with a bunch of friends sound. I see his shows every time he comes to Porkloin, OR. He, into his 50's has explored country, spanish, as well as the heroin velvet underground sound that he played in the 70's. This particular album is the younger of his days with an angry youthful sound. He plays with future members of the Cars and Talking Heads. The sounds here is pre-punk with a goofy youthful innocent edge ("I'm straight") that defines his sound. He is an artist best appreciated live.

I only bought this album a week ago and it's already nudged its way in to my Top Ten Favorite Albums of All Time list. Easily one of the hippest, squarest and smartest rock albums of the 70s. I could go on forever about these songs--"Government Center," "Hospital," "I'm Straight," but I won't. Just buy it.