Is "Jonathan Goes Country" Country?

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That's Jonathan Richman, of course.

― Mary (Mary), Thursday, 5 September 2002 16:34 (twenty-three years ago)

I dunno, but it's purty.

― felicity (felicity), Thursday, 5 September 2002 18:36 (twenty-three years ago)

Well, it seems more like Shania Twain country than folk country. It's kind of surprising considering Jonathan Richman's personal integrity that musically he produces the pop version of country. But I guess it would be just as strange, given his belief in friendly communication, if he produced something culturally jarring.

― maryann, Thursday, 5 September 2002 19:53 (twenty-three years ago)

Maryann--how dare you mention JR and that person in the same sentence?! Well, technically, you didn't, but still!

Btw, re our earlier discussions of a certain French writer, I read the Observer piece and I wish I hadn't! "He has an open marriage with his wife and sleeps with an average of 25 women a year" = more information than I needed.

Still, I do sort of think (*hope*) that this is all a put on, in the same interview he seemed too somnolent to form a sentence, let alone indulge any sexual *fantasies?*. Then again, the article pictured he and his wife at a *nude beach* again dismantling the happy line I had drawn up between his truth and his fiction.

It was much easier for me to endorse my *writer as separate from the writings* theory when I actually had some *respect* for the writer.

― Mary (Mary), Thursday, 5 September 2002 20:07 (twenty-three years ago)

shania twain > jonathan richman

(and i like him!)

― jess (dubplatestyle), Thursday, 5 September 2002 21:09 (twenty-three years ago)

shania twain record sales > jonathan richman record sales

(and i buy his records!)

― gygax!, Thursday, 5 September 2002 21:19 (twenty-three years ago)

you still don't "get it" do you?

― jess (dubplatestyle), Thursday, 5 September 2002 21:21 (twenty-three years ago)

i guess i need to buy more of his records...

― gygax!, Thursday, 5 September 2002 21:23 (twenty-three years ago)

anyway, i'm actually going to do the right thing for once, and apologize to mary for getting the thread sidetracked already.

(i do stand by my statement though.)

― jess (dubplatestyle), Thursday, 5 September 2002 21:27 (twenty-three years ago)

He's a yankee, hence no.

― James Blount, Friday, 6 September 2002 04:18 (twenty-three years ago)

Hey Jess, Mary sidetracking a Jonathan Richman thread to gossip about Michel Houellebecq's extremist sex life means she probably won't mind! Phew, Mary, I'm glad you find it a bit hard to reconcile the 'too much information' Houellebecq stuff, like I do. Mind you, I guess everyone's perverse, it's just that most people don't express it so openly. And it's not like he's a wife-beater or ... something ... I don't really know where that's going.

I really LOVE the Jonathan Goes Country album, by the way. Once when I had a university exam I snipped off part of the CD liner notes and put it in a locket for good luck.

― maryann, Friday, 6 September 2002 06:45 (twenty-three years ago)

Is "Jonathan Goes Country" more or less country than Bobby Womack's "BW goes C'n'W" or Millie Jackson's "Just a Lil' Bit Country"? Or "Vera Lynn In Nashville"?

― Tim (Tim), Friday, 6 September 2002 06:58 (twenty-three years ago)

Country, like punk or jazz or any other style thats been around for ages, is a pretty broad church so the Jojo album is indeed a form of country. Saying it isn;lt would be like saying saying John Zorn's Masada stuff isn't jazz 'cos it doesn't sound like Duke Ellington. I agree that it makes sense that Jojo would make a country album that sounds like the stuff that gets played on the radio - and its a surprisingly enjoyable album, up there with the best of his 80's/90's ones I'd say. In fact I've even wished he'd do another one rather than more spanish albums.

― tigerclawskank, Friday, 6 September 2002 07:30 (twenty-three years ago)

"She did add that there are two schools of thought about Houellebecq. One, that he is naive, uncompromising and "damages himself by his honesty", ie he means it. Two, that he is very bright, fascinated by some things, bored by others, and enjoys playing with his audience, ie he doesn't. But still the problem proliferates." That's from
http://books.guardian.co.uk/departments/generalfiction/story/0,6000,783583,00.html

― maryann, Friday, 6 September 2002 07:44 (twenty-three years ago)

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