The Modern Lovers - C or U.F.C??

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The self titled album makes me cry.

― turner, Tuesday, 11 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

in a classic or dud sense does it make you cry?

― brains, Tuesday, 11 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

yeah that's the best album ever. lots of other jonathan richman records are pretty good too.

― duane, Tuesday, 11 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Total classic. Songwriting like the Smiths with a little more Rock'n' roll swagger thrown in, as if Morrisey and Lou Reed had co-written them. The whole thing sound like the Velvets too. You can just see Elvis Costello sitting in his bedroom playing this LP over and running over to his guitar...

― turner, Tuesday, 11 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Classic.

― Dr. C, Tuesday, 11 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Okay, let's break up this little love-in [clubs Dr.C on the knees]. Tried it, couldn't stand his miserable "Why don't girls like me? Is it because I don't smoke? Is it because I don't have long hair" whining, except 'Pablo Picasso' (but the version in Repo Man is much better). Music is bobbins too: proto indie-wank. So another trip to the Record Exchange.

Didn't we do this one btw? I vaguely remember putting the boot in before. :)

― Omar, Tuesday, 11 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I like the ultra rare album after the Modern Lovers that has "Abominable Snowman In The Market" and the song about bees and flowers. It's the best JR around, but apparantly someone finds it too silly. It's really way sillier than any other albums he did combined.

― Nude Spock, Tuesday, 11 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Here it is. "Hey there little insect" is a great song. Is this with the modern lovers? I thought it wasn't.

― Nude Spock, Tuesday, 11 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

OH yeah, it is. It's called "Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers". Duh. So how come I never see it around anywhere?

― Nude Spock, Tuesday, 11 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

It's long outta print.

― Nude Spock, Tuesday, 11 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Ow! (Rubs knee). Yeah, his whining CAN get a drag, but the music is, for me, a fine garagey blend of VU/kraut?/and nascent power-pop. I like it!

Bonus points for use of "Bobbins" though. Good word.

― Dr. C, Tuesday, 11 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The only ML song I ever dug is "Egyptian Reggae". Bought the first album and was thoroughly disappointed. It sounds very amateurish and dated. Richman's voice is not great neither. What Omar said "proto indie-wank". Maybe also proto punk-wank. I feel ML is one of the dead ends after the big VU junction from 1970. Highly overrated in my book.

― alex in mainhattan, Tuesday, 11 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Classic - am esp. fond of 'Government Center' on the 'Bezerkley Chartbusters' (I think that's what its called) comp. The 'hit' version of 'Roadrunner' isn't a patch on the original Cale produced version, and I find 'I'm Straight' a bit dull (maybe 'cos I don't entirely agree w/the sentiment ahem) but otherwise it's almost pure gold until 'Back In Your Life', which is pretty patchy, the wonderful title track notwithstanding. Not so familiar with his albs in recent years, but 'Give Paris One More Chance' (from, I think, his first 'comeback' alb) is one of his greatest songs ever.

Saw J. Richman for the first time supporting Orange Juice at the Hammersmith Palais sometime in the eighties. Jonathan was SO charismatic, so funny and talented, we didn't bother to stay for OJ (D'oh!) Still the most impressive showman I have ever seen; once tried to interview him for a fanzine and he was v.v. hostile and paranoid - an object lesson in never meeting yr idols!

― Andrew L, Tuesday, 11 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Classic classic classic! "Hospital", "Pablo Picasso", everything! I like "Rockin' and Romance" too, though I wouldn't put it on the same 'astral plane'. Maybe a parallel one. Hey, what if "Astral Plane" is about dosing somebody with Rohypnol?

― dave q, Tuesday, 11 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I just recently picked up "The Original Modern Lovers" LP on BOMP! records - it's the demos for the first album with a few songs that didn't appear on that, allegedly all from 1973 and produced by Kim Fowley (Though JR himself debunks that in the liner notes). If you're a fan of the first Modern Lovers LP, I'd really recommend it - especially for folks who aren't as into the later stuff. Even though there's some duplication of songs, the versions are pretty different and it's got a much different attitude, really stripped down and tough.

― fritz, Tuesday, 11 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I'm often a little bemused by Jonathan Richman, but the first Modern Lovers LP is great. I love Old World and I'm Straight - maybe because a big part of me does agree with the sentiment, and it's one rarely expressed in pop music. Especially for the time, I thinks they're genius, contrarian lyrics.

― Nick, Tuesday, 11 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

ist album is a classic. plus it's hilarious. "I'm Straight" is one of the funniest songs ever, whilst still being a good rock song. "Roadrunner," "Astral Plane," "Pablo Picasso," "She Cracked," "Old World," "Modern World" are all fine tracks as well. Someone thought this was awhiny album, maybe a little but not on the really good tracks. Whoever said it was proto-indie wank or something is just failing to appreciate a pretty unique album. Recorded in 71, the VU influence is obvious but other than that it pretty outside of what was going on in rock at the time. That said, I don't think any of Richman's later stuff has been nearly as good

― g, Tuesday, 11 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Nothing I've ever heard by this geezer has been impressive. Some might say I haven't heard enough. Or that I haven't listened in the right way.

― the pinefox, Tuesday, 11 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Have you listened to the self-titled album? Nick and graysonlane are right about the humor. Plus think of Mrs. Welthorpe under the stairs. Then it might come together.

'Dignified and Old' should be added to the list.

I'm surprised that Dr. C likes them.

― youn, Tuesday, 11 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

>>> Plus think of Mrs. Welthorpe under the stairs. Then it might come together.

Why? Perhaps Edna knows. Edna?

― the pinefox, Tuesday, 11 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"Fly Into The Mystery" from the Rock'n'Roll With The Modern Lovers LP is majestic!

― Baxter Wingnut, Tuesday, 11 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I think maybe there is a bit too much concentration on the lyrical content here? I still distinctly remember the first time I heard J.R's voice thinking 'what is UP with this guy?' You may have become too used to it to notice but his voice on those records is this bizarre nasal drawl that sounds as if he is COMPLETELY FUCKED UP! And of course the music is this ultra-simplistic, barely there backdrop to his singing, a lot of the time, sometimes fading away completely when he sings unaccompanied - And then it's so strange that the lyrics are about being straight - it's a great dissonance! I hate that naive stuff (Little Aeroplane?) Have you heard that live 'Wake Up Sleepyheads' song where the Felice guy says that he 'hates the words but he's willing to play guitar because he likes the chord changes'?

― Luke, Thursday, 13 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Why are you surprised, youn?

― Dr. C, Friday, 14 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

two years pass...

Oh my! I just bought Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers 42 track compilation "The Beserkely Years" after only having previously heard a couple of tracks. Within an afternoon I went from being someone with a passing interest to a full-on fan!
The Modern Lovers are the kind of band who get name-dropped an awful lot, but not that many people know a whole lot about them. I am so glad I do now.
I'm not normally a big fan of minimal rock'n'rolly stuff like this - I started a thread last week about how I couldn't get into the Velvet Underground. But this is a bit different - there's a lot of humour and wryness to Richman's work that I think probably influenced everyone from Pavement to Paul Barman. People who complain about his sappyness and his whining seem to be missing the point - this isn't Death Cab For Cutie introspection, songs like "I'm Straight" are absolutely hilarious. The way he pronounces "Hippie Johnny" and the way he's so pathetically fuckwitted about the situation - it's like he's taking the piss out of himself and in a way is foretelling the Emo future and laughing at it.
I love the multiple false endings on Ice Cream Man, his live performances being particularly endearing. The fact he played in hospital wards andd old people's homes and sang songs suited to those environments is probably one of the coolest things a rock star could do.
More people need to name-drop the Modern Lovers. Does anyone know if JR's new solo album is any good?

― dog latin (dog latin), Monday, 2 August 2004 07:51 (twenty-one years ago)

three months pass...

You never told the Doc why she was surprised. I am not surprised, by the Doc.

I expect I have not changed my mind about the band, not having heard them in years. Last I heard them, they seemed unmelodic and overrated. Yet, see comments above, etc, as per.

Anyway, the best ever thing connected with the band that I have heard is LLOYD COLE'S version of 'MODERN WORLD', which Youn gave me (thanks, Youn), and which I heard again today. It's really good, and almost makes me think that the geezer, Richman, might have had one or two OK ideas for making pop music. But maybe it needed Lloyd to bring them out.

― the bellefox, Tuesday, 16 November 2004 16:07 (twenty-one years ago)

'You' = 'Youn'

― the bellefox, Tuesday, 16 November 2004 16:07 (twenty-one years ago)

'LLOYD COLE'S' = 'LLOYD COLE's'

― the bellefox, Tuesday, 16 November 2004 16:08 (twenty-one years ago)

First Modern Lovers album:
Classic.

Significant variant:
On the live "Precise Modern Lovers Order" the lyric to "I'm Straight" refers to "Hippie Ernie" - Ernie Brooks!

It Happened One Night. Before the Jonathan Richman show:
JR's opening act is a juggler- it's all entertainment, people! JR is standing around, my friend Steve tries to chat with him. Jojo, as is his wont, quickly becomes bored/annoyed/paranoid, points to the stage and says:

"I think we should pay attention to the juggler."

― Ken L (Ken L), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 16:37 (twenty-one years ago)

C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-CLASSIC. I love pretty much everything Jonathan Richman has ever done. Too much to put into words. I am not rational about it and I don't care.

― Madchen (Madchen), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 16:43 (twenty-one years ago)

That's the best story ever.

― Marcel Post (Marcel Post), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 16:45 (twenty-one years ago)

an obvious classic and "she cracked" alone still means a lot for me.

― Marco Damiani (Marco D.), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 16:46 (twenty-one years ago)

she cracked is one track of which i'm not very fond. the lyrics bug me more than they should. i hear it and think, "ok. have fun sitting around at home with your health food and your self-righteousness."

but mainly, ufc. at this point i like the live stuff i better than the studio album: precise modern lovers order, some bits off live at the longbranch, the bootleg cassette i got years ago at a wfmu record fair with an amazing 10+ minute version of a plea for tenderness.

― lauren (laurenp), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 17:00 (twenty-one years ago)

does anyone know where the song "i'm dropping my friends one by one" is from and if a studio version was ever released?

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 17:10 (twenty-one years ago)

that's such a late 70s/early 80s jonathan title.

― lauren (laurenp), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 17:32 (twenty-one years ago)

lauren otm re: "she cracked"

God, I love on "Hospital" when he cracks himself up for a second. It's probably my favorite single second on any record.

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 17:33 (twenty-one years ago)

I love it when he talks about the "dating bar." A friend used to put on a faux-British accent and say "I merely thought that Jonathan Richman was hungry, and a dating bar was a sort of candy bar, with dates in it."

― Ken L (Ken L), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 17:38 (twenty-one years ago)

Eventually, I will hear them again, somehow, perhaps by finding my old tape, and I will report back.

― the bellefox, Tuesday, 16 November 2004 17:38 (twenty-one years ago)

richman hates drugs and nightclubs. point in his favo(u)r, right?

― lauren (laurenp), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 17:45 (twenty-one years ago)

Lauren, have you heard "Monologue About Bermuda" from Having A Party With Jonathan Richman? Where he totally makes fun of "She Cracked." He sings a couple of lines and then says, "Nothing snotty about that!"

― Huk-L, Tuesday, 16 November 2004 17:50 (twenty-one years ago)

yes, i have. having a party was one of the first jonathan solo records i heard. that song warmed my heart.

― lauren (laurenp), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 17:54 (twenty-one years ago)

Yes, those are two points in his favor. But will they be enough? He's already chasing the game and the other lads will be looking to pick him off on the break.

― the bellefox, Tuesday, 16 November 2004 18:02 (twenty-one years ago)

Am I the only one who's ever thought that Jojo looks a lot like Serge Gainsbourg? Perhaps the two get separated in a transporter beam mixup, rendering one excessively innocent, the other overly debauched? Maybe we can borrow Momus's time machine, travel back in time and put the two back together so instead of two wayward geniuses we get one crappy musician.

― Ken L (Ken L), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 18:09 (twenty-one years ago)

We're gonna rock-a rock-a rock-a non stop tonight, uh huh, at the government center!

― lawrence kansas (lawrence kansas), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 18:11 (twenty-one years ago)

We seem to be at a loss for crappy musicians at this juncture, so I say we do it!

― Huk-L, Tuesday, 16 November 2004 18:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Now, you guys, you all know that your friend Jonathan likes to eat food a lot. And I like to do other things, I like to run around, jump, but affection is the most
important thing to me. I'd trade everything else in a minute...

― Huk-L, Tuesday, 16 November 2004 18:13 (twenty-one years ago)

People all over the world are good, People all over the world ain't bad,
?There's just one thing that they wish they had ?
and thats...

― Ken L (Ken L), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 18:15 (twenty-one years ago)

I sit all alone in the desert
And no girl understands me
But I can see through this bleakness and grey and sadness
And well I won't die now
Someday I'll be dignified and old
I say, you, don't die now
Someday we'll be dignified and old together

― Huk-L, Tuesday, 16 November 2004 18:17 (twenty-one years ago)

With his early stuff, he's like the Willie Nelson of self-pity!

― Huk-L, Tuesday, 16 November 2004 18:18 (twenty-one years ago)

I'd always assumed that the point of She Cracked is that he's trying too hard to convince himself of something - hence the 'yeah, staying at home and eating healthfood is great' lyric which doesn't quite convince somehow.

I have nothing on which to base this (highly subjective) argument.

And classic, though it took a few listens for me to realise why.

― hobart paving (hobart paving), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 18:20 (twenty-one years ago)

I love the acapella drop on "Lydia" - what a song! I can't really fault the ML's yet they go against everything I hate about music - stripped down, jangly rock'n'roll riffs with whiney lyrics. That said it's gorgeous lovely stuff so yeh - UFCLASSIC!

― dog latin (dog latin), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 18:24 (twenty-one years ago)

Skipping 89 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

Should have said "a favorite" not "my favorite."

― The Ballad of Mel Cooley (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 15 March 2021 00:16 (four years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dokKKJ_8r6A

― bulb after bulb, Monday, 15 March 2021 01:05 (four years ago)

Yeah, think we watched that on another thread. Good stuff.

― The Ballad of Mel Cooley (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 15 March 2021 01:08 (four years ago)

I hadn’t seen that before. So good.

― Three Rings for the Elven Bishop (Dan Peterson), Monday, 15 March 2021 02:06 (four years ago)

Radcliffe was on twitter and I saw one tweet from him with a vague reference to cancer. RIP

― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 16 March 2021 02:29 (four years ago)

Here's that whole TopPop show from whence came that version of "Abdul and Cleopatra."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rm4bd7gYCRI

― The Ballad of Mel Cooley (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 16 March 2021 02:56 (four years ago)

Think I probably bought the four albums (assuming I am counting right) with Leroy etc before I finally got to the Holy Grail of that first album and while I enjoyed those records I was probably a little dismissive of them. In retrospect I started to appreciate Leroy and Asa and D. Sharpe as a classic lineup. I mean I liked to go and see Jonathan with the Rockin' Robins and such but I couldn't really tell you who was in those bands unless it was a Paley brother or Curly temporarily returned to the fold. I guess Tommy and Jonathan is a classic lineup too.

― The Ballad of Mel Cooley (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 16 March 2021 03:12 (four years ago)

There's just something about Jonathan and Leroy doing their version of Lou and Sterl, if that's not too much of a stretch.

― The Ballad of Mel Cooley (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 16 March 2021 03:14 (four years ago)

That video ended and a solo Jonathan video came on and I was reminded of the overlap between him and Andy Kaufman, if I had ever thought about it before.

― The Ballad of Mel Cooley (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 16 March 2021 03:22 (four years ago)

one year passes...

So the Joshua Clover book about "Roadrunner" seems to live up to the hype. There is also this essay by Laura Barton as well as a follow-up.

― Mardi Gras Mambo Sun (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 18 March 2022 19:21 (three years ago)

Here is Xgau's review.

― Mardi Gras Mambo Sun (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 18 March 2022 19:27 (three years ago)

Jonathan Richman is now spending half his time selling pizza ovens says Christgau.

????

― curmudgeon, Saturday, 19 March 2022 04:53 (three years ago)

Googled and see that was his dayjob for a bit

― curmudgeon, Saturday, 19 March 2022 04:59 (three years ago)

Same here.

This video has probably been posted before but:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u96COiazRS8

― Mardi Gras Mambo Sun (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 19 March 2022 12:03 (three years ago)

He finally made it to "Top of the pops" with that one, but no hit (I went out and bought it the next day, where were you?)

― Mark G, Saturday, 19 March 2022 12:08 (three years ago)

There is another, different looking video also on TOTP. Who knew? What gives?

― Mardi Gras Mambo Sun (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 19 March 2022 13:34 (three years ago)

Or maybe just a slightly different camera angle.

― Mardi Gras Mambo Sun (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 19 March 2022 13:36 (three years ago)

Oh no, a different show, TopPop.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cFUxcHM8nA

― Mardi Gras Mambo Sun (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 19 March 2022 14:12 (three years ago)

As mentioned upthread (by me!) and on other threads.

― Mardi Gras Mambo Sun (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 19 March 2022 14:14 (three years ago)

two weeks pass...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBxsqwrZClM

― Came Here to Roll the Microscope (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 5 April 2022 22:07 (three years ago)

Wacky

― curmudgeon, Thursday, 7 April 2022 04:11 (three years ago)

I've never seen him play sax!

― Three Rings for the Elven Bishop (Dan Peterson), Thursday, 7 April 2022 15:56 (three years ago)

Yeah, hadn't been aware of that phase of his career.

― Came Here to Roll the Microscope (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 7 April 2022 16:03 (three years ago)

four months pass...

Yall know Omnivore's got a line of ML reissues out soon, right? Meanwhile:

(download incl., though might have to try the link more than once)
https://aquariumdrunkard.com/2012/11/16/the-modern-lovers-stonehenge-club-ipswich-ma-19701971/

― dow, Saturday, 3 September 2022 19:05 (three years ago)

six months pass...

Tell them, Modern Lovers.

― Wile E. Galore (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 6 March 2023 19:52 (two years ago)

Dum-a-dum-day now!

― Three Rings for the Elven Bishop (Dan Peterson), Monday, 6 March 2023 20:23 (two years ago)

It just occurred to me that the line dividing some of JR's performances above and Andy Kaufman's Mighty Mouse routine is a pretty thin line.

― Three Rings for the Elven Bishop (Dan Peterson), Monday, 6 March 2023 20:25 (two years ago)

True.

― Wile E. Galore (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 6 March 2023 20:41 (two years ago)

Recently read somewhere that the singing voice of Mighty Mouse was done by Roy Halee Sr., father of the recording engineer.

― Wile E. Galore (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 6 March 2023 20:46 (two years ago)

seven months pass...

A plea for tenderness might not be the best song ever recorded, but it’s pretty close and definitely takes the cake for the best modern lovers track.

― H.P, Friday, 13 October 2023 04:16 (two years ago)

Except for the fact that J richman doesn’t want to hear the girl talk about her cat????? Like wtf that’s the most tender thing anyone could talk about. Besides that, the song bangs

― H.P, Friday, 13 October 2023 04:17 (two years ago)

Old world a close second

― H.P, Friday, 13 October 2023 04:17 (two years ago)

I still love my parents too

― H.P, Friday, 13 October 2023 04:18 (two years ago)

Thanx for mentioning "Plea"... I hadn't heard it in a long time, was nice to revisit the song (via two different live versions). For whatever reason, I really only ever listen to their "main" studio album.

― Chavez video on MTV, July 1995 (morrisp), Monday, 16 October 2023 18:16 (two years ago)

my kind of romantic