Reviews (page 3 of 8)
Occasionally (Roadrunner; I Wanna Sleep In Your Arms) Jonathan Richman sucks at making music in a way that is actually a lot of genuine fun and almost endearing. But most of the rest of the time he just sucks at making music like any man who sucks at making music. It grates after a while :/ My Certified Woman take here is that it's kind of obvious why the character depicted in many of the lyrics is apparently having so much trouble finding a girlfriend
Didn’t know this group before this album came up. I hear Velvet Underground. Interesting sound. Recognized the voice so looked them up and learned it’s Jonathan Richman. Never knew he had a group. Worth the listen. Better side of good, but not great.
Not for me. 1/5
Guys hear The Velvet Underground's Self titled album once and make it their entire identity. I can recognise how influential it is on genres like punk, but it was actually the softer, mid tempo songs I enjoyed more like Pablo Picasso, Hospital and Girlfriend. I think I'll give it a 4.
7/10
New to me, this has a mixed punk and indie underground vibe. It’s certainly not over-produced, which is cool. Jury’s out still, but I think I like it.
Good, chill songs, but no standing oit here
Some interesting sounds, but a little atonal overall.
It's fascinating to hear a new musical stock character - the Hyperverbal Overeducated Beta Male Rocker - being birthed in real time. That alone makes this collection worth hearing - everyone from Morrissey to Gordon Gano to Stephen Malkmus to Craig Finn was taking notes. And yet nobody can do this *quite* like Jonathan Richman does it - with just the right mix of sonic novelty and Fifties boppiness and Velvets-y over-it-ness. Some of these tracks could be shorter but that's a minor quibble. Also: crazy that most of this was recorded in 1972 given how late-Seventies punky it sounds in a lot of places.
Pop punk psychedelic? It’s a fun album. Didn’t love it or hate it. Big Doors sound.
This is barely scraping a 3, really liked the instrumentation but the vocalist had a really annoying voice paired with poor lyrics.
This is exactly the kind of thing I was hoping to get from this project! I had never heard of this band but I can absolutely see them entering heavy rotation for me. This album is not perfect, there’s a couple songs that were weird, but overall it’s a keeper for me.
After the first 10 minutes of this album, I'm always thinking "5". Such a cool sound that's way ahead of its time with awesome psych rock and punk elements. By the end, I'm usually a little worn out by the consistency of the sound, and drop it to a 4
What a hell of a reward for getting back into it! I love this album. Looking it up, it's cool that John Cale has a hand in this. I can see it. Listening notes: -Roadrunner is a subdued entry imo. Why does he have the AM radio on tho? FM is much better... -Wish I could put my finger on what makes Richman such a compelling vocalist. His slurred nonchalance doesn't seem that unique, but he nails it -I adore the use of Organ on this album (had to look it up to figure out what it was). -Hospital. Ooh man. Probably qualifies for my 100 favorite songs all-time Review: Incredible no skips album. Such a key point for the development of alt music, and crazy to believe this is happening in only 1976.
This is one of those albums that has to be on the list because it's historically important as a thing that presages the emergence of genres (in this case punk/grunge) and not because it is good. Because let me tell you, this album is not good. It's a painful slog to get through and I was glad it was over when I finished it.
There's something really subtley hypnotic about jonathan richman's vocals/lyrics and just the too cool to care playing of this band. Definitely grew on me with more time.
If it weren't for the keys sounding like a Doors record, this album could be released today
I don't know how I missed some of these bands. I guess US Rock radio stations never played this stuff, and I just missed this era, having been born in late 60s and growing up in UK. Kinda reminds me of The White Stripes and The Doors.
Love JR but not this album.
I think the 70s are the decade that I've explored the least. Born in the late 70s, 80s music was my youth soundtrack, hair metal and new wave, along with all the great pop. Got into hip hop in the early 90s and dived deeply. Then came Nirvana and I explored alt rock, then current indie/college rock, leading me to dive deeper into the 80s again. But all along that I became obsessed with early rock and roll and went nuts for everything 60s. But I avoided the 70s due to disco and prog, two things I wasn't interested in. All of this is a long way to say that all of my surprises have been from this decade. Add The Modern Lovers to Nick Lowe and Leonard Cohen. 4/5 Edit: started this review about halfway through. Now that I finished, it's a 5. Sometimes critics know what they're talking about
Pretty cool stuff. A tiny bit Doors. I had heard Astral Plane before, and Pablo Picasso, of course. I was a bit surprised to learn Jonathan Richman was part of this band. If I were listening to this in a different mood, I might find it annoying. So why not now? Maybe because the better songs make me more forgiving of the less good ones, or because the songs are actually all pretty good, despite (or because of) the very lo-fi, amateur recording, which gives it a bit of charm. All in all, full of little connections and surprises for me.
Interesting. Very up and down as a listening experience for me. Love roadrunner but struggled with a couple of tracks. I often hate that to-cool-to-sing indie style and I'm guessing this record did a lot to popularise it, but I don't hate it here
I didn't vibe with this album at all.. It feels like an average 70's rock album 2/5
All-timer
Ein Werk das man weniger wegen seiner Perfektion hört, sondern wegen seiner Haltung. Jonathan Richman und seine Band liefern hier einen Sound, der heute als Proto-Punk gilt – kantig, direkt, fast schon dokumentarisch in seiner Unmittelbarkeit. Die Songs wurden größtenteils Jahre vor der Veröffentlichung aufgenommen, was man ihnen anhört: Sie wirken wie Momentaufnahmen einer Band, die noch nicht weiß, dass sie später Kultstatus haben wird.
Interesting but not relevatory. I recognized a couple of tunes.
Wasn't my favorite, but I didn't mind it.
Yeah this dude’s voice sucks, but I think it’s more because he doesn’t just go hard with it. His voice made me think of Tim Armstrong of Rancid, but Tim knows how to take that unique voice and use it appropriately in the music. The music here just doesn’t suit his voice most of the time, and I eventually gave up.
I was not previously familiar with the artist or album. After the first song, I thought it sounded a lot like Velvet Underground. Sure enough after reading the wikipedia, John Cale was involved. His influence is palpable. The album is fine, my favorite track is Roadrunner, but overall this doesn't do a whole lot for me. I would listen again, but may not seek it out specifically.
This was nice
I’m in love with Massachusetts
One of the most pleasant surprises so far. Enjoyed every damn song.
Someone DEFINITELY loved The Velvet Underground but gave it a monotone flavour of The Stooges. I can see why No Dogs In Space podcast was going to do an series on these guys... I prefer Television.
I don't like the singers voice
Whilst not actively repulsive, so not worthy of 1 star, it is incredibly amateurish, sounding like a pub band nervously playing their first gig. 'Girlfriend' is a particular lowlight. 1.5
Roadrunner is an OK song, but most of this is laughably amateurish.
This was pretty good. Reminds me of garage rock/early (mild) punk. 3.3/5.
Naozaj taký predchodca punku. Veď toto hrali punkový následníci... Bavilo ma to.
Hip, cool and groovy. Some good head-nodding psych rock on this one. Gritty guitars, vocals are drone and simple, but the whole sound is really cool and keeps my attention. These guys would have been really fun to see live, I bet.
Just not very interesting. Dull voice dull songs
I’ve tried a few times with this fella and it’s never grabbed me. I find his songs repetitive
Not for me, though it's not really bad. Just bores me.
I'd like to take a moment to thank the God of the universe for watching over me, and for his unending and unfailing love. What I experienced today was a genuine miracle - an act of the divine God to protect me from harm. Specifically, I was given a moment of divine inspiration. Something made me stop and check, and I realised before pressing play on this album that the version on Spotify has 8 additional tracks that aren't on the original record. Had I not realised, I might have had to sit through an extra 25 minutes of this garbage. To quote Monty Python and the Holy Grail: A blessing! A blessing from the Lord! God be praised!
okay, another one that i'll begrudgingly listen to as a way to remind myself that it's perfect
6/10
A core building block of what we take for granted now as the “indie rock” sound. Progressive, catchy, and fun as hell.
Muy guapos. Gran influencia prévia a grupos punk. Buen descubrimiento
'I'm in love with rock and roll'. Me too, Jonathan, me too It is not a work of genius, but it is the work of someone honest and guileless, and sometimes that is worth treasuring. I found it a bit of a mixed bag, in truth, but there are a couple of great garagey songs that I really enjoyed (She Cracked, Roadrunner)
Why does a band that has and plays some decent music have a singer with vocals like that?
its running as fast as i can
nothing special
Roadrunner is like 3 min too long and his voice and penchant for repeating lyrics for old, but overall a solid album.
guy gets obsessed with the Velvet Underground's Sister Ray, makes an album. four stars. for some unneeded detail: I've never heard a Jonathan Richman album in full before now, and the thing that strikes me is that it channels VU in sound but not mood. Velvets had a bunch of wild stuff, & a bunch of sweet nonjudgmental songs about somebody that hates the body they live in, doesn't feel at home in this world, etc. Modern Lovers channels the pop music obsession with adolescent male experiences. very 'me/I', kinda preening, cynical, self-deprecating. vocally more in common with Violent Femmes than Velvet Underground. that's the gap between 4/5 and 10/5.
Slightly inflating the score here because I like a pleasant surprise. Probably everyone says this in the reviews, but it sure doesn’t sound like a 70s album. Maybe this is to 90s alt-rock as Twin Peaks is to 2000s TV drama. Or something. I don’t know. I’m watching Twin Peaks.
This album was weird and pretty boring. Not enough for me to dock it points, but it definitely was not a good rock album.
Interestingly enough, this is the 4th album I've gotten recently involving John Cale. I'm not the biggest fan of the whole Velvet Underground Extended Universe but this was a bit better than The Velvet Underground & Nico and Nico (as weird as it sounds to write it that way, I couldn't think of a better way to do it). Favorite Track: Roadrunner
what I learned - he wants a girlfriend - he is NOT stoned
Quite simple on the face of it but also pretty extraordinary. In my head, this is 80s, post-punk music; incredible that it is in fact proto-punk from ten years earlier. I also hadn't realised there was a John Cale connection. That figures, I suppose. Something about it just seems really pure of heart. Someday we'll be dignified and old, indeed.
I despise punk but hospital was a good track
Better band name than songs.
This sounds like the lead singer spent years worshipping the Velvet Underground, joined with his high school friends to start a band, and then struggled in the studio to capture their live magic. Eventually they'll probably split up for solo careers or play with bands like Talking Heads or The Cars. Oh wait...
Verdens største Velvet Underground-stan lager band. Resultatet kan beskrives som the Neurotic Underground, og det er godt. Vanligvis kjører jeg original LP tracklist. Dette er ett av få unntak, for jeg klarer ikke å leve uten I'm Straight. (Har endt opp med '86-utgaven som har bonussporene flettet inn i sequenzen på en naturlig måte.) Om skiva også hadde hatt I Wanna Sleep, så hadde The Modern Lovers vært komplett.
Det virker som Jonathan Richman har sunget om "the old world" hele karrieren sin. Tekstene har et nostalgisk, tidvis naivistisk preg, og musikken nikker hele tiden bakover. De nikker en del framover også, så det er en slags metaforisk headbanging. De har uten tvil lært/stjålet mye av Velvet Underground, men jeg hører også mye The Doors ("Astral Plane" og "Hospital"!) og Stooges ("She Cracked" og "Someone I Care About") inni der. Men steal like an artist, det ville ikke vært noe tvil om jeg hadde hørt Richman/Modern Lovers i bakgrunnen på jukeboxen på ei kneipe uti verden. Plata er definitivt en klassiker innen punk/new wave og helt på høyde med Talking Heads og Television, som kanskje er de mest naturlige å sammenligne med blant de samtidige. Men Modern Lovers var først!
I had to listen to it twice through to find its magnificent, Jonathan Richman sounds like a character. VU>modern Lovers > sex pistols influence …Loved it listened to a few other JR with ML albums
I haven’t gotten into Richman, really. “He can’t sing, his songs meander, they’re kind dumb.” The secret to unlocking Richman is, of course, that you have to listen stoned! Because it all makes sense then. He sounds stoned, singing high lyrics to baked music. The vibes fit perfectly - you just to meet his energy. I’m being serious. Some music just has be listened to twisted .
Album #1,052 I did not know anything about this band going in. I listened to the original 9 track version of the album. First impression is that of an amateurish attempt at doing The Doors type music. While the music is more rock & roll, the attitude is a little punk. There isn't much regard to how the vocals sound, which is the main turn-off for me. The song Pablo Picasso is clever and probably the highlight, but overall it falls a bit short of wanting to hear the album again.
I already hated Velvet Underground. This is 10 years later, sounds the same and I don't see what additionally they bring to the table.
speak singing
I'm getting hints of The Doors, a bit of The Velvet Underground and just a jumble of incoherence and a bit bland. 3 stars
un puntillo mas porque se burlan de picasso
Totally underwhelmed by this mediocre rock album. It wasn’t insultingly bad, like it didn’t belong on the list it just did nothing for me and after like 8 hours I had forgotten almost everything this album has to offer. The only real memory I have from the album is it peaked with the song “She cracked”. I wanted to like this cause I actually liked the half assed vocal delivery. It almost sounds like if a heavily intoxicated British version of Ben Stein was the lead singer of a mediocre rock band. Honestly I’m not trying to be so harsh, like there’s a cool part of Hospital that I liked, I mean I didn’t actually like the full song but it had a creative cool moment for a minute there where the singer sorta picks up his speed to match the best of the song but don’t worry it only lasts for 5 secs and then your stuck with the rest. Mid album at best.
Muy largo me aburrió
uu roduchelig und keine wirklichen hits
If The Velvet Underground and The Doors had a lovechild who grew up to be an angsty teenager
When I first heard Jonathan Richman I got so into him I totally burned myself out. Fun and enjoyable early punk stuff.
Wasn't bad but just didn't stand out
insane that this came out in the 70s. Ahead of its time.
OK, so the lyrics are easily the best part of the whole experience here. Musically, it’s pretty straightforward and doesn't take many risks. It’s like a proto-punk garage band that’s more interested in art than anger. Spins: 1 Playlist Additions - Roadrunner - Pablo Picasso - Hospital
Bring back old memories
Fav: Someone I Care About Least Fav: Girlfriend
its okay, probably wouldnt listen again though
4.6
There’s just something about Jonathan Richman that I find infinitely endearing. I love everything that this man releases and this one’s a doozy. 10/10 Favorite Tracks- “Pablo Picasso” “I’m Straight” “Astral Plane”
This shit fresh What a vibe and sound, and still mixes it up. Probably a 5
Midpoint between The Doors and The Cure
klasyczny tytul od nieklasycznej bandy, ktora byla i nie byla, bo nawet ten krazek to nie jest pelnoprawny album tylko zlepek demosow wydanych pozniej jako plyta, nagrania pochodza z 71-73, natomiast plyta zostala wydana w 76 gdy sie reaktywowali muzycznie, chyba w prawie calkowicie przebudowanym skladzie, gdzie zostal tylko pan od tekstow i wokalu pan richman, ale ja kojarze jedynie to nagranie, jak pewnie wiekszosc ludzi kojarzy ich tylko z tego materialu, bo jest to cos wartego przesluchania, nie czesto zdarza sie taka mocna i rowna kolekcja doomersko gloomerskiego materialu, ktory jest jednoczesnie tak romantyczny jak romantyczne moze byc spojrzenie na uczucia i zwiazki wzrokiem doomersko gloomerskim, pomimo tego, ze ten krazek jest najczesciej okreslany jako art rock, to jak dla mnie czuc w nim cos z punkowosci nawet pomimo jego smutnosci, bo jest to dominujace uczucie ktore bije z wiekszosci trakow, wiekszosci, bo nie wszystkie sa tak wyczilowane jak hospital czy astral plane, ale zdarzaja sie tez bardziej klasycznie rokowo zagrane kawalki, mam na mysli zwlaszcza otwierajacy roadrunner czy im stright i government center, gdzie przewodzi gitara, natomiast najbardziej klimatyczne utwory sa budowane wokol klawiszy ktore chyba najbardziej mi zostaja w glowie, sa tutaj uzywane zarowno orgrany jak i pianino, co daje ciekawe efekty, reszta setupu raczej klasyczne rokowanie, elektryk plus akustyk, bas i drumsy, wiec typowa 4 osobowa banda o brzmieniu typowym, ktory jednak jest podany tak ciekawie i zgrabnie napisanymi teksami pana richmana, ze jak dla mnie jest klasykiem smutnej muzyki romantycznej typu przegrywowego, nawet nie pamietam skad w ogole znam ten album, ale pewnie jakies plejki byly inspiracja, bo widze ze juz w 2018 ich znalem, wiec idealnie pasuje do tajmlajna, chyba nic nie dodam, bo juz 4 traki mam z tego 10 lub 12 krazka na plejce, ale sa to wspomniane juz astral plane, hospital, pablo picasso i dignified and old, ktory dodalem w tamtym roku, gdy zlapalem niespodziewanie uczucia romantyczne i akurat tematycznie ladnie pasowal mi ten song
🤔 I am guessing this singers parent never told him “No, you cannot do that,”
I wouldn't have guessed this is a 70's album. Nice production, it has a modern classic feel to it. Stand out tracks: Someone I Care About, Modern World. Good album. 3/5
The Good: Something modern! The Bad: Seems these lovers are bored… The Ugly: Wondering if we will ever have something labeled “modern” today that will be considered so in the future… Yes, we are being philosophical here… also, we will now stop being philosophical… I have heard the song roadrunner, and probably a couple of other ones, yet I am too lazy to dig into the wikipedia page to find out if/when/where this might have been the case. All in all, one can hear the influence this album might have had on other bands. Most grateful is this person that not too many singers took a cue from the Jonathan’s voice… Also, it took almost 5 years for this album to be released… is that because it was too modern at the time of recording, or was it because the damn music in that era was too good for this album to soil the this and that? 3*
It was OK but im never going to revisit
There is so much music that is just exactly like this, and there's nothing in any if it lyrically or musically worth experiencing.
4/5 + These highly emotional alcoholics sound pretty cool + I cannot believe that this was released in the 70s, truly ahead of its time - sometimes the slurred vocals can get annoying - if only some Songs could be a little shorter it would have been truly great, but often there are just not enough ideas to justify the runtime Fav: She Cracked, Roadrunner, Modern World
Stupid rock. What a boring and poor sounding voice.
Had some good moments 3/5
Goated
Favourite tracks on this album: Astral pane, old world, Pablo Picasso, Someone I care about, Modern World.
Didn't know what sounds like a smalltown bar karaoke performance is one of the 1001 albums I have to listen to. Is it just to appreciate that other music is better? Did not finish.
I enjoyed the tracks Roadrunner, Old World, She Cracked, Modern World, Dignified and Old. A lot of the other songs didn’t make an impression. This is a little bit of a kiss for me, but it’s close to a lot of things I like. Has a velvet underground influence for sure.
Favorite Track: Roadrunner
I guess this was innovative for their time, but I just don't this whiney-talking type of "singing" that is off-beat too many times for my liking.
It's alright, I think, but I understand why I had not heard this before. Pablo Picasso and Hospital stood out, but the rest were mostly kind of same same. In contrast to many other non-5/5 reviews, I don't actually mind the lyrics/singing style.
beliebig
'Roadrunner' is a fantastic opener, and the influences from this album shine through in so many later artists, and that New York art rock feel is surely spawned here. Jonathan Richman says "alright" far too much though, it feels like every track, like a torrettes affliction! Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ✅️ ★★★☆ (6/10) Total reviewed : 211 Already owned : 47 Purchased : 10 To buy list : 4 Nope : 150
This will be the 501st album out of the 1001 (actually 1089, but who's counting) on the list that I have listened to in the past year and a half, and I have to wonder if they weren't saving it for the day when they planned to hit me up for a donation, because it plain and simple rocks. It is the exact kind of LP I hoped to find when I began this project. A little too hip (and with no Top 40 singles) to have gotten airplay on the stations I got growing up in Iowa when it came out in my pre-high school days, it had apparently begun to be overlooked by the time I got to college and might have appreciated its high energy proto-punk enthusiasm mixed with 50s/60s pop sounds. This is literally one of only two albums I would consider truly great "discoveries" for me so far. I'll be listening to it a lot more in the years to come!
Good
Proto punk enjoyment
This album placed me in the inter-tidal music zone, ebbing and flowing between early 70s soft rock and mid/late 70s punk, thus between 2 and 4 stars. I finished on the latter.
A real melange
The missing link that helped me understand musical evolution from the Velvets to punk. Really enjoyed the raw production and personal lyrics. Might be a grower. A cautious 3*
This had some weird lyrics like "loving the old world" and Pablo Picasso being a ladies man.
Absolutely loved it, such a vibe
Excellent! The lyrics are framed with the most alluring vocals while the music itself keeps you on your feet
I might have given it a 3, but when you can’t spell in your songs you lose one star.
It seemed redundant. I know how to spell girlfriend so why did you try to
This was kinda bleh. Dude's voice was bleh, the music was bleh, the lyrics were bleh. I really don't have anything positive too say about this
really did not care for vocals at all. lyrics were just blah
No standouts, but inoffensive
Toujours les mêmes albums, et celui-ci ne me convainc pas vraiment
A real hiddeb gem this. Other than Road Runner did not know much about this album. Music is raw and similiar to mid 60s garage/early Love - which is no bad thing. Lyrics very witty.
Täs oli kivat Doors vibat. Like
Kelpo perusrokkia. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ei mitään ihmeellistä. ⭐⭐⭐
Every song seemingly consisted of three contiguous notes, which only emphasized the absurd lyrics.
Album started off okay, however the vocals at times sound like they were being sung by Butthead, and “Girlfriend” was steaming pile of shit
I mostly prefer singing in songs with vocals. This started out alright, but became tedious as a full playthrough. Probably better in small doses.
I was only familiar with the first three tracks but I must have been in the mood for this because the rest of it hit just as hard. All of these mundane observations, semi-detached vocals, and WAY ahead of its time indie rock sensibilities came together so cohesively as to make this collection of demos sound instead like a greatest hits. I can hear the influence of these songs retroactively in some of my favorite records, by the likes of Violent Femmes, Pixies, and even Parquet Courts. I don’t really want to follow where Jonathan Richman leads after this, but I’m glad others followed in this record’s spiritual footsteps.
Never heard of it before, but it was cool. Early proto-punk? Nice. I really like discovering ones like this on here.
This is the best velvet underground record. All kidding aside, The Modern Lovers is what The Velvet Underground hoped to achieve and came close but not nearly as close as Jonathon Richman did with this record. I met Jonathan in 1979 and specifically asked him about this record. He instantly said he was just trying to copy Lou Reed. This should be no surprise with John Cale having produced much of the record. I listened and returned to this record many times over the last 50 years. I have also seen Jonathan live many times over this same period at different points in his career and in mine. As a musician, Jonathan is a genius. Perhaps a bit crazy, but certainly a genius. This record, was truly a bridge to punk rock. Many will listen to this record and point to Roadrunner as the definitive track, but in my opinion it’s tracks like Pablo Picasso and Hospital that are the touchstones to the genre. It is easy to see the pathway from the Modern Lovers to Television and The Ramones. Astral Plane, Girl Friend balance the three chords and child like melodies with Jonathan channeling Lou Reed at various points. Live, these songs presented differently than on the record, were direct and took on new meaning. Because of the chaos surrounding these recordings, these songs were performed live in the context of the simpler more folk rock style on the Jonathan Richman and The Modern Lovers record that came out a few months earlier than these recordings. Government Center, I’m Straight were played along side Ice Cream Man, New England and Important in Your Life. As records go, the Modern Lovers has held up so well because it really is a seminal record in rock music. All of what was called college rock or alternative rock of the 80s owes a debt to this record. Sure, the Velvet Underground gets and deserves credit but it was Jonathan who introduced that sound to people all over the East Coast from 1972-76 before heading to California to do the same. Anyone who saw Jonathan was likely mesmerized by his personality and performance and he played these songs. While his performance and muse took him in a radically unexpected direction in his solo career, these songs represent a critical point in American music and have undoubtedly influenced a number of musicians over the years. Like the Big Star records, The Modern Lovers record unlocked the possibilities for many bands that followed. The single Roadrunner was a key introduction to the band I’m sure for many. But for me it was the deeper cuts that I keep going back to. I’ve played she’s Cracked, Hospital, Astro Plane, Girl Friend, Government Center (from the 1986 reissue that added 3 songs) and the demos from the Original Modern Lovers which were the 1973 Kim Fowley sessions released in 1980) thousands of times over the years. It may have started as a Lou Reed inspired record but Jonathan turned it into music distinctly his own. 10/10
I thought it was pretty good! You can really hear the DNA of albums like this in a lot of more modern indie rock and punk albums.
Had its moments, will probably not revisit it though.
"now we say bye-bye old world, gotta help the new world" once again unsure if i found the right version, i think i just listened to some compilation of theirs i think this guy wants a girlfriend... can't tell if i like or not
Sounds like what I imagine would have constituted college music in the 70s. Starts off rocking with unbridled energy with Roadrunner, dreams fruitlessly of success with girls, and devolves into slurring desperation from doing too many shots on stage with I'm Straight (like his boozing makes him better boyfriend material than Hippie Johnny's pot). The lyrics are youthful and naive, but the talent is lacking.
Garage rock/lo fi sound. Channeled a bit of the 70s punk sound too. Nothing particularly stood out on this record but an otherwise decent listen.
John Cage-produced bedroom rawk...Essential!
This is very mid. Cool rock swagger. Doesn’t offer much else.
Não foi muito bom
Roadrunner, Pablo Picasso-classic. The rest of the record drags a bit for me but it’s still a banger.
Roadrunner, roadrunner... Still like this album, but it doesn't hit like it used to
This is a great album. Haters have no style or patience.
Not for me, it was fine? Pretty low and slow and the singing felt uninspired.
Great lyrics
Ziemlich lahmer Punkrock
It's ok. Not my fav. Probably wouldn't listen to it again. Kinda like early rock.
Meh more early punk.
I had listened to "I'm Straight" from the 1986 reissue a number of times because it was on a “best songs of the 70’s” playlist or something. I didn't like it at first but then it grew on me and I thought it was okay. Listening to this album for the first time this morning, I didn't like it at first but after playing it a few times it has grown on me and I think it is okay. The band makes no secret of their love for the Velvet Underground both in their sound and the fact that John Cale produced one of the sessions that resulted in this album. In fact, if it weren't for the VU having sounded like the future years before this, I would be absolutely blown away that this was recorded in '71 and '72. Even with its obvious influence, it still sounds years ahead of its time. I liked the melding of straight ahead rock n' roll with the honest I'm-a-kind-of-slow-emotionally-stunted-teenager-with-a-lot-of-issues lyrics. This is a good album and worth hearing. I am really glad to have been exposed to it.
Nope no never
There's a picture of the Modern Lovers featuring four of them looking all punk: long, unkempt hair, clad in leather and denim and brooding. And then there's Jonathan, standing off to the side in a white cardigan and khakis, smiling sweetly and looking entirely out of place. That's pretty much the energy he brings to this album too. He sings about what the punks sing about, whether it be romantic frustration or the generation gap or the government. But he's not angry about any of it; he kind of romanticizes his loneliness, he still loves the old world, he wants to go play music at the government center to cheer up the bureaucrats. Some of these are the cheeriest songs about feeling alone that you'll ever hear!
Amazing then, amazing now.
Some pretty good tunes on this. Definitely worth a listen
chill, specific vibe and vocals, a lil bit boring, but interesting at some points
Really just a worse version of Dire Straits that isn't even catchy.
Punk music is very hit or miss and this one is mostly a miss. I found it to be boring and repetitive. I don't think it's bad, but the vocals weren't my favorite either. Basically, wouldn't really listen again.
This is ok - Doors-styled sort of psychedelia. Not exactly mind blowing, though.
I liked the singer's voice, but I could not stand some of the lyrics. I had never heard of this group before today and I'm glad I had a chance to check out something new, but overall I was not a fan and I won't be continuing with more of their discography.
Dull dull dull
It's one of those pub bands that when they first start playing you say to your mates, "they're a bit naff" and they then fade to background noise. That was until they went to the slower songs, like Hospital or Girlfriend, then they immediately grabbed your attention with Richman's atrocious vocals - which were atrocious before, but made more evident with the lack of instruments around them. I physically winced when he tried hitting those higher notes.
Bleachers remind me of them a bit
This has been arguably the worst December of my life, as well as a rough year, so closing out the year on mediocrity doesn't bother me at all. Favorite Track: "Roadrunner".
Fantastic, will revisit
8 / 10
Actually, I'm pretty sure plenty of people considered Pablo Picasso an asshole.
Possibly the most important band to never release an album during their existence, and this set of demos is our proof. Jazz academics like to categorize Thelonius Monk as 'post bob' even though he was a contemporary of and inspiration to the people who invented bebop. The same dynamic exists here - this is sort of post punk music created prior to the invention of punk. A lot of first generation punks took inspiration from this. The Sex Pistols covered "Roadrunner" (which at some point we should stipulate is one of the all-time great road songs). BTW, if you EVER EVER EVER get a chance to see Jonathan Richman perform, YOU MUST ATTEND. I saw him just a few months ago and it was one of the very, very, very best performances I have witnessed so far, and I am old and have seen a lot. Ecstatic is the word that comes to mind. When we locked eyes at one point I spontaneously burst into tears, like I imagine I might if the Dalai Lama laid hands on me. A great performer! An American treasure. Truly.
Although I like it that Jonathan Richman is at least represented in this collection, this also seems like an odd selection from his discography, given its weird life as a cobbled-together album from old recordings and three different demo sessions with two different labels by a band that no longer existed in the album's configuration (or style) by the time it was released. But it's also hard to fault any album that has the magnificent track "Pablo Picasso", a song that is indelibly fused in my brain with the equally magnificent movie "Repo Man" (despite that Burning Sensations actually performed the song in the movie's soundtrack, in a fairly faithful rendition). I also particularly enjoyed "She cracked", "Girlfriend" and "Modern world", the antidote to "Old World", and I'm impressed how consistent the album sounds given its patchwork genesis ("Hospital" is the only one that sounds a bit out of place, likely because it was recorded even earlier than the demo sessions). And bonus points for keeping things short and sweet overall (at least in the original album version), especially because Richman's voice and style can wear out its welcome relatively quickly.
Distinctive sound thanks to Jonathan Richman, a sound I occasionally crave and almost always enjoy. He risks being clever at the expense of being interesting but small price to pay for his niche status. To me, he's like the Grateful Dead in that when you want to listen to their music, there's nothing else really like it.
I think Pablo Picasso WAS called an asshole.
Not particularly a fan of this one, the music feels simple and kind of boring and the vocalist sounds like he’s singing with a mouth full of marshmallows.
Not bad, but I did lose interest from Hospital to the end of the album. No issues with this one, but it's not a immediate add to my list of want to replay albums.
You just know that many UK Punk bands must have heard this and took its energy.
There were bits of this i liked, and other bits I wasn't that keen on. Richman doesn't have an outstanding voice. A low three.
Just a fun, unpretentious record.
I really liked Hospital.
Dit album, dit vat voor mij eigenlijk voor een groot deel samen wat ik matig vind aan deze lijst. Het is dramatisch gezongen, de zanger klinkt alsof hij echt werkelijk alles liever zou doen dan dit en daarnaast is het instrumentaal prima. Het is rock, niet veel meer dan dat eigenlijk. Het is geen slecht album hoor, zeker niet. Maar het is zo agressief 'ok' dat ik me er kapot aan irriteer. Een album als hiervoor is dan tenminste gewoon echt vreemd, dit is gewoon niet heel erg bijzonder en denk dat als het nu uit zou komen dat er niemand naar zou luisteren.
Wow. This feels like a compilation of rejected Doors songs with a tone-deaf Frank Zappa impersonator filling in on vocals for a passed-out Jim Morrison. The music is simple and repetitive, the vocals are somehow both atonal and off-key, the tempo is wildly inconsistent within any given song, and the whole thing has a very "we're too cool to care if this sounds like shit" vibe. There are clear echoes of the Velvet Underground (which makes sense because John Cale produced most of these tracks), and you can definitely also hear early traces of the Cars and the Talking Heads (both of which bands members of the Modern Lovers went on to found/join later). Modern Lovers doesn't have anywhere near the polish of those bands, but I sense that they didn't really want that, so...well done? It's apparently a very important and influential proto-punk album. It's not for me, though.
I was like why it sounds like Stooges, Pistols, and Velvet all at once and Ive read it was a major influence to those bands. I wonder why I wasn’t introduced to them before. Nice album, need more listens but overall it’s really good.
They sound like the clash, but horny
Not for me but can't say it is the worst either
A perfect album
Good one
A much older, much cooler guy gave this album to me one time when he was moving. I wish I was as cool, because I remember telling him I didn't like it. He said "You will someday." Well Jerry, you were right. It fucking rocks. Love it so much.
This was alright but the singer's voice can be a bit annoying after an hour
This album has some fun stuff-I think there are other versions of these songs that I prefer, but overall it’s a fun romp. Properly 3.5 stars.
Cool.
Good music. Vocals grated on me a bit.
I liked this - listening to this just coming back from Boston I liked all the MA references throughout the album. An enjoyable listen, although not one that super grabbed me.
This album has hints of psychedelic / punk / blues. It has reminds me at various times of The Doors, G Love, Cake, Jon Spencer. Some of the tracks have silly lyrics, like "Pablo Picasso was never called an asshole". It's a light hearted listen.
"I don't think I know anything by Modern Lovers" ...then proceed to recognize 3 out of the first 4 songs on this album. Though I think I'd only heard the cover of Pablo Picasso off the Repo Man soundtrack before this. Overall, I enjoyed this, and glad to be exposed to it
Gives kind of rockabilly punk vibes, and the vocalist (the sound of his voice, style of his singing AND his lyrics) kept making me think of Beck...and Car Seat Headrest, who's always reminded me of Beck. It made me think of rockabilly more than punk, which it's apparently a super early example of. Ultimately not sure I actually enjoyed it (Hospital was esp bad) but between being such an originator plus apparently an earlier incarnation of Beck, I'll round up for today.
Ik lees dat dit in 1971 al is opgenomen, en pas vijf jaar later is uitgebracht. Ik vraag me af waarom, want de heren hebben zo ontzettend goed hun best gedaan op tekst en compositie, hebben hard geoefend op perfect spel met virtuoze vingervlugheid, hebben avond aan avond tot laat zitten pielen om geniale arrangementen voort te brengen en het kraakhelder op te nemen en superieur te produceren. (...lachpauze...) Niet dus. Een stel halvezolen ragt lusteloos wat bagger op de plaat. Hoogstens kun je zeggen dat ze begin jaren zeventig hun tijd vooruit waren met dit soort zeikpunk. Gelukkig is het ook alweer heel erg lang uit de tijd.
We krijgen punk, lees ik. Nou, wel een heel laf kleurloos schijfje voor punk. Daar doet een orgeltje weinig aan. Misschien komt dat label 'punk' vooral vanuit de matige zang en moet ik het meer scharen onder post-punk. Maar zelfs dan, er zijn zoveel concurrenten in deze lijst die meer indruk achter laten. Eigenlijk is dit nog te min voor een vergeetbare 3...
De openingstrack doet me gelijk denken aan Velvet Underground en volgens de wiki was dat ook precies de bedoeling. Daarna lijkt het juist meer op the Clash: punk met wat hillbilly. Er komt nog een fijn Hammond-orgeltje om de hoek kijken, waarmee het ook wat van the Doors weg heeft. Ondanks dat de zanger vrij typisch wat verveeld overkomt, zit het geheel af en toe prima in elkaar. Het nadeel voor bands die later in onze 1001-reis langskomen, is dat we inmiddels al veel verschillende stijlen en bands hebben gehoord. En dat het daardoor soms als een slap aftreksel overkomt. Daar heb ik in ieder geval de laatste weken wel wat last van. Ook bij dit album moet ik opmerken, dat we dit al vaker hebben gehoord en dan in een betere uitvoering of met betere, minder vergeetbare songs. En dan gaat het simpelweg niet snel meer boven een vergeetbare 3 uitkomen.
I saw a song off this in the "Classic Punk Essentials" playlist on Apple Music, and I kinda had the same problem with this that I do with a lot of other punk albums. I thought musically this was a pretty cool album, but I just don't really like his voice. I wish there was more actual singing, instead of just kinda talking. It was better than some other punk albums though, he is singing a little bit. I just think punk isn't really for me. Favorites: Pablo Picasso, Hospital, Modern World
Just ok. Wished for more on this one.
There are many albums I've heard from the mid-to-late 70s in genres like disco, hip hop, prog rock, etc. that haven't aged well and come off as goofy or meant to be tongue in cheek, but aren't. This album actually seems to be intentionally goofy! At least I think so.
Not every influential band needs to be on this list. This is long, boring, and uninteresting. It's like punk bands listened to this and said "What if we made the same thing, but good?" Anyways, important album, but also just terrible.
Big fan of early punk. Fun, fast, and free. They didn't hold back.
ok
Is there something I’m missing with this? I understand shit like this is not supposed to be polished to sound raw, but there’s a point where you just end up sounding like shit. Like the lead singer just hurts my ears and the songs just sound stupid. It just sounds like someone recorded some band playing in a bar and put the raw recording on vinyl. Then every music publication calls it shit like “iconic” and puts it on a thousand arbitrary lists… like this one. And I sit here wondering if my musical taste is just shit or if I’m just too uncultured to understand what the appeal is. Funnily enough, everyone says this is similar to The Velvet Underground. I thought that one album was overrated (you know the one), so I guess it’s no surprise I think this one is, too. Favorite track: Roadrunner Other hits: She Cracked, Someone I Care About
Roadrunner is a five on its' own.
Meh.
I would be disappointed if I bought this album in 1976 on a whim
This is nothing special. The music is alright, but the vocals are pretty garbage.
I did not hate this but it did not impress me
Just alright
First album of this project. Never heard of the band! After the first song, I like the vibe so far. The song feels a little too long, but great energy. Idk, I'm not really digging the vocals anymore, 4th song in. A lot of songs sound the same. Overall still like the energy throughout the whole album. After listening the whole album, I think that Hospital and Roadrunner are my favourite songs. Sometimes Richman sounds drunk lol. So overall I feel like the album is a bit repetitive, with weird vocals, but great energy.
2/5
Meh...
very cool but normal, typical 70s music
I think this one is a 4 star to me. Really solid album
I usually like simpler song structures, but here the melodies and songs often feel a bit naive. The lyrics are pretty good, but the singer tries a little too much to sound really cool, you know? Fav: I‘m straight
for an album it was fun but it was truly boring
Aika mielenkiintoista soundia, kun tosi paljon tulee mieleen genrejä ja bändejä tästä. Ehkä päällimmäisenä kuullostaa asteen rauhallisemmalta punkilta, mutta myös The Doorsilta, joltain new wavelta ja mitä vielä. Kappaleiden rakenne ja laulutyyli on kanssa erilaista tälle ajalle. Vois sanoa jopa että aika kokeellista. Parhaat: Hospital, She Cracked
Felt super repetitive and not super enjoyable to me.
Not really my style, appreciate for the time being
Couldn't get into this one.
Ruim! Achei um disco entediante. A banda é competente, mas não surpreendem de maneira alguma, tocam o básico de uma forma básica. Tudo bem previsível. O grande destaque do álbum está nos vocais. São bêbados, surrados, baixo astral e energia. Parece que o vocalista não quer cantar. E claro, muitas pessoas vão apontar para isso como uma escolha estilística, mas pra mim, só me causa tédio e monotonia. Indiferença total. Bléh. 2/5
Ratings: 5: I will happily play this album anytime 4: I may occasionally play this album of my own free will 3: I will happily listen to this if someone plays it in the background 2: I will tolerate this if it is playing in the background 1: I will leave the room if someone plays this in the background I wanted to like this more....I like Jonathan Richman's quirkiness. Still good, just didn't vibe with it as much as some of his later stuff. This one was new to me.
I can see why unhappy mid-70s rock critics thought this was the t-i-t-z. I do feel like I should have known before today that Jerry Harrison was in this band. I'm less concerned that I didn't know the Cars drummer was also in this band.
This is one of those records that you need to be a fan of mid-late-70's alt and punk music to truly appreciate. It mixes what The Doors did with what the CBGB scene (was doing with... well what happened later. It's incredible that this preceded the punk explosion and sounds like what came after at the same time. I can hear every 70's/early 80's new wave/post-punk band and the 70's punk/CBGB bands at the same time. An amazing record that needs to be heard and is more than justified to be on this list.
Maso
It's like someone listened to the doors and tried to mimic it but had less songwriting capabilities. It's not bad but that's what kept going through my head. I want to listen again. Some songs I enjoyed but man Old World got tiring.
lead singer sounds like zach from gilmore girls
No weak point on the album but no “strong” point either. Had fun with it 3.5
This one is revered as a classic but it's kinda middle of the road for me
Sounds extremely amateur, surprised they got signed nevermind got included in this.
As good a one and done as the album era ever produced
"Well, the girls would turn the color of avocado when he drove the street in his El Dorado" The Modern Lovers is great for a lot of reasons. Recorded in 1971 and 1972 by a 19/20 year old Jonathan Richman, released in 1976 by a 25 year old Jonathan Richman - the album is shifty, a document of Richman's transition from adolescencent fanboy to real musician. His next albums would keep the sonic fundamentals but almost entirely change their subject matter. It's undeniable that The Modern Lovers is pretty fucking nasty towards and about women. Richman is slighted and wounded and venomous on like half of the songs - like Hospital - but given that he was a teenager when he wrote the songs & that he moved away from being so nasty to writing songs about how much fun it was to go on roller coasters, I think we can cut him some slack. The sound of The Modern Lovers is also really shocking given when it was recorded versus when it was released. There just...was not much else like The Modern Lovers in 1972. Pure Velvets-influenced rock & roll. Grimy fundamentals, two or three chords, nothing else. It's the exact inverse of what was big at the time - prog and glam rock. Now, this wasn't released until 1976 when this sort of sound was starting to gain some traction but someone had to come to the party early! I'd wager that the continuing appeal of this album relative to some of its 1976 punkish contemporaries, really what makes it stick out from the Ramones or the Dictators is that Richman made the decision to slow down how the band was playing the songs. Everything runs at a slack tempo which better fits Richman's voice. There are still notions of that faster rock-n-roll style on the album, like She Cracked, but Richman's most comfortable moving at the speed of Pablo Picasso. These slower tracks let his acerbic, funny lyrics lope toward the listener at a pace that allows the joke to breathe and opens space for Richman to improvise. Worth looking into the making of the album too. Very impressive, considering that Richman went from following Lou Reed around show-to-show like a puppy to working with John Cale, Kim Fowley & Gram Parsons within like four years. You never know where life's gonna take you! Favorite Tracks: Roadrunner, Astral Plane, Old World, Pablo Picasso, Hospital, Modern World, (+ Government Center)
This might have the worst vocals I've ever heard in my life, my ears are bleeding and I couldn't finish the album, it was so difficult to listen to
It was fun to listen to this progenitor of punk and indy rock even if I wasn’t crazy about most of it. “Hospital” is a great song and the original “Pablo Picasso” is cool, but I like Bowie’s version better. Still, I prefer this to their own forefathers, the Velvet Underground.
Very velvet underground sounding. Was fantastic in some moments, really muddles and confusing in others.
Jim Morrison died and these guys tried to corner the market on sounding high behind the mic. They did not do it well.
It was okay
The album was ok
I enjoyed this album more than I expected. It’s like punk meets the doors, but it works.
Proto-punk? You know, not bad. I'm not the biggest fan of punk but I like a lot of the other elements that went into this album.
Proto Strokes with a less cultivated attitude and worse lyrics. Enjoyed it but double I’ll relive it.
487/1001 🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑
Sounded much more like a indie rock album from the 2000's that wanted to sound old than something from the 1970's. Decent music overall, I could listen to this again. 3.5/5
In a nutshell: straight-edged Velvet Underground. It’s geeky proto-punk with a bit of art rock thrown in. Monotone vocals, simple chords, constant tempo. What’s stopping me from giving this a lower rating is the legacy. I hear The Modern Lovers all the time at indie DJ nights. Musicians do cite the band and/or Jonathan Richman as an influence. Overall: 4/10
Old World and Roadrunner are solid tracks,
I'm sorting of amazed at the virulence of some of these 1 star reviews. I always assume that Roadrunner is just utterly irresistible and that Pablo Picasso is guaranteed to put a smile on your face. And overall the album is simple beautiful rock and roll with an admittedly unique and off kilter sensibility writing the songs. Anyway my incredibly modest claim to fame is that I once performed Rhys Chatham's An Angel Moves To Fast To See alongside Ernie Brooks the bass player on this. There was me, him, a drummer and um... 99 other guitar players. Me and ol' Ern didn't get a chance to get close. The original recording of that guitar symphony (not featuring me) would put the cat amongst the pigeons on this thing.
Ma dai. Forse 5
3/10
Hey man, this was fun. I'll be honest. When I first started hearing Roadrunner, and for most of the song, it very much felt derivative of everything going on with British Invasion of the time. Some Doors, some Ramones, VERY Lou Reed inspired talking cadence. Nothing you havent heard before, right? WRONG. Because you a little bit of research, and other than the Doors, literally every other of those influences that I just mentioned, and all others that eventually take the cake as the preeminent Punk bands, came AFTER this album. And the instrumentals bang. They have fun with rhythm, melody, and leads. AGAIN, Is it anything you havent heard before in some capacity, no. But how much music really is? Very little, and if you believe otherwise, you need to go have a chat with your ego and your sense of musical awareness. BUT theyre having fun as a group. AND everything that the instrumentalists are doing is actually a very cool synthesis of what was coming before them (i.e. Psychedelic rock and Hard Rock (Like Zeppelin) and Rock n Roll). History is but a pendulum, kids. And before you get to the stripped down very basic bones of what Punk music is, there naturally had to be a transition period from the savant guitarists and monster band constructions where the notes were all that mattered. And it seems very clear to me that this album stands at right about that point. And its fun. Theyre having fun! And so is the singer. And he's fucking funny. I havent laughed this hard during an album in years. And the lyrics are cool. One or two lines from Pablo Picasso, or Girlfren did more for me lyrically than Bob Dylan really ever did, and I'm not really trying to dig on Bob Dylan, I'm just trying to use a reference people will get. And I mean it. The whole group isnt taking themselves too seriously and that is kind of the point at the heart of Punk music and what it would really be remembered for when it took full shape in the mid-70s. Yeah all that fancy playing is cool, but I dont care about that, everyones trying too hard to be Page, or Clapton, or Hendrix, but we're just going to bang (our heads). 9.4/10 4.2/5 but gets a 5 for the vibes and for making me laugh and for making me do research and learn some more and widen my view of appreciation.
A man at the time younger than myself navigating early adulthood. The lyrics were earnest, oftentimes too on the nose for my taste. Girlfriend was kinda stupid lol. I just got bored with this one and felt like it didn’t add too much new that other albums have.
My hopes were not high going into this one based on the name of the band and the album cover, but so far I'm pleasantly surprised. It's a Boston band so I am inherently biased when you kick off an album with "I'm in love with Massachusetts" but "Roadrunner" is a super strong song to open the album with. I like "Astral Plane" a lot, the synth is groovy and a bit spooky and I'm enjoying Jonathan Richman's vocals so far. I just wish he sounded more Bostonian and less British for a guy born in Boston. "Modern" is a good way to describe this band, this feels pretty cutting edge for the 70s. This does not sound like a record recorded in the 70s. In "Old World" Richman is bouncing around the beat in a really refreshing way, playing around with delivery and timing a lot. "Well, some people try to pick up girls and get called assholes / this never happened to Pablo Picasso / He could walk down your street and girls could not resist his stare and so / Pablo Picasso was never called an asshole". I mean this is just fun man. And you know what, he's fucking right. Nobody every called Pablo Picasso an asshole and he probably pulled like crazy because he was Pablo Picasso. This is a really fun song and it's a joy to listen to. And the instrumental breakdown halfway through rocks. This album has attitude, it's aloof, it's having fun and it's not taking itself too seriously. This is good music. Definition of proto-punk. This album fucks. "She Cracked" is a nice shift of energy after "Pablo Picasso", and I love the abrasive abandon of the musicality towards the end just to go right back into the hook. Wow, "Hospital". This is awesome. The slow build up into the frantic drums and complete change of pace just to bring things back down. This song is really gorgeous. If I was going through a breakup this would fuck me up. I have too many good things to say about this song. Taking a break from the song-by-song, I really love Richman's vocals. I feel like they're growing on me more and more as the album goes on, and he sings with a certain happy-sadness that feels very human and relatable. He sounds like some guy, and that's cool. Some guy who has known sorrow and has known joy. There aren't many things on this album that are amazing or jaw dropping from a technical perspective, it's the emotion and energy that you can feel in the songs that make them really stick, not some crazy riff or masterful drum solo. It's simple music in that sense, but I feel like there's a ton of depth in the way that it's being played. "I'm Straight" is so good. Richman is just having a conversation over this one and I really love it. Brother does not like Hippie Johnny. He thinks he deserves what Hippie Johnny has. Maybe he's right, but either way I like this one a lot. Even if the lyrics are repetitive, his delivery of them never is. Holy shit "Government Center" I know that place! I take the train there sometimes! They just want the poor government center workers to smile and have a good time, what a fine group of young gentlemen. "Dance With Me" is a really unsettling song to end the album off, and I mean that as a compliment. I love the grating guitar coming in over the hook. I loved this album and I can't believe it was made when it was. Fuck it, 5. This was really cool.
Keyboard is cool. Pablo Picasso is kind of a lame song. This guy is a tool. This jit cracks birds. They sound like Jim E. Brown on some of their songs. If you know, you know. 2.5/5
4.3 That actually kinda ripped. Loved the two guitars throughout and lyrics were captivating. Good stuff
Ehhhhh idk Jim
One of the best records ever, hands down, bar none. Each song is a classic - epic in pop song format. Story behind the record is fascinating. Story behind the band is fascinating. It all fell apart for reasons out of all their control. Jonathan Richman is a national treasure.
I respected this album and there were a lot of elements to it that I found enjoyable, but ultimately it didn't click for me.
later
Prefer the faster songs to the slow tempo ones. Pretty enjoyable.
I’ve not heard this one before. Quite good.
One of my hands down favorite records of all time. 5 *
Fun early proto-punk, there's a rawness to it that resonates to me to a certain degree. But I don't think I needed to hear this before I die.
Fun little piece of weird rock, not quite enough to remember for a while but enough to appreciate
Not my cup of tea. Sounds "loud" for the sake of it
I really enjoyed this album! Wonderful listen!
Just overly long and boring. Nothing offensive about it per se, but nothing to write home about. Many other bands did this formula (plodding guitars, more spoken lyrics) a lot better. At least I stay awake for Lifter Puller.
Not for me
Love the Modern Lovers, the bands they influenced not so much. Maybe it's being from New England, maybe it's just that Jonathon knows how to write a tune.
Nice
We like Jonathan richman lots and lots. Road runner is a real jam and lots of others are good roo
I hated this album
Nope. Nope. Nope.
There's not one single thing that makes this album great. The repetitive chords give it tons of energy as the songs chug along. The lyrics are largely weird and zany, with weird concepts or choruses on songs like "Pablo Picasso" and "Girlfriend." And for an early not-quite-punk album there's some nice variety with upbeat songs and slow ones. But one thing that really elevates all of that is the organ / keyboard from Jerry Harrison. It makes these song sound really full and dynamic, contrasting them with some of the other proto punk from this era. And that era is really the early 70s, given when these songs were recorded. How innovate an album is doesn't usually impact my rating, but I was more impressed when I realized this predated New York Dolls, Patti Smith, et al. There's an easy comparison with the Velvet Underground here, but the Velvets rarely sounded this fun or carefree.
Their debut album. Rock / Punk. Roadrunner is a good opening track. Lyrically fun and I don't kind the vocals on that at all. The album sounds like a drunken jam session by The Doors, The Strokes and The Stones. Only they're meandering and not really making much sense at all. Old World and Pablo Picasso are not good songs, ha. Very average.
He needs sex addiction therapy.
(96/100)
talk singing can work but the backing music has to be exceptional this is not it is mid
okay part of me kinda likes this and part of me does not. It’s a 2
Felt like a Velvet Underground knock off. I've always heard what an amazing songwriter Jonathan Richman is. There were some fun moments, but I won't be coming back to this or looking for other releases from his catalog. Punk/protopunk just ain't for me, with very few exceptions.
I'm not sure what led me to listening to this album originally, as it's well before my time, but I've loved it since I first heard it. A five star classic for me.
This was okay. Upbeat, relatively British rock. There weren’t any standout tracks but I enjoyed a once through
Pro-punk sound showed up earlier than I knew. Nice historical album from a band I haven’t heard of but definitely sounded familiar.
PABLO PICASSO NEVER GOT CALLED AN ASSHOLE
The first four songs are impeccable and use cool words like ‘astral’ and ‘arcane’. I liked all the other songs too and I feel like they were pretty distinct. This is a high 4.5ish album that I look forward to hearing again soon. Also I like really shrill organ music, ymmv.
Favorite tracks: Roadrunner, Pablo Picasso, Hospital Pretty much exactly the kind of music I like. A lot of the songs sound like they're making it up as they go - which I love!
I don’t listen to the entire album, but thru the first 9 tracks, there was nothing great and the dudes singing voice was so bad it was distracting
Pablo Picasso - another song from the past.
Interesting voice, and songs. Not too bad.
really has this "oh we have this diy not polished punk sound" that my ears and soul doesn't like. isn't terrible but i'd be glad not to hear this again. the closest is really see through tho
There's not much to gripe about this album; it was alright, but I'm just not a fan of his voice and the way he uses it in this. Many people compare this to The Doors, and I hear the similarities; however, Jim Morrison has character and emotion in his voice that this singer will never possess. This album features bland and non-dynamic instrumentation that gives nothing.
The Modern Lovers sound timeless in the best way. Honestly, if someone told me they recorded this in a home studio last week, I’d believe them. There’s a raw, effortless charm to it - light, fun, and full of that restless energy that clearly went on to inspire bands like The Strokes. Even their Spotify photo (aside from one member) could pass for any indie group from the past 30 years. I was surprised to realize I already had one of their live tracks, “Egyptian Reggae (Live),” in my library, and this album has the same kind of offbeat joy. It’s an easy listen that still feels fresh decades later.
Oh i recognize "Roadrunner" from School of Rock, which is probably why it has so many listens
Fun and funny (sometimes intentional... sometimes not?) Some Bowie/Iggy vibes, adolescent Velvet Underground worship Not great, but enjoyed more than I was expecting Fantastic sounding mix
good good
Jonathan Richman makes bread ovens now. I think I'd rather listen to bread ovens than this. Would I listen to again? Nope.
I have been looking forward to this album, simply because this album seems to check a lot of boxes for music that I tend to enjoy. I didn't enjoy the album as much as I enjoyed other power-pop records on this list, but it was fairly close. This album has a light-hearted Elvis Costello vibe to it and I enjoyed many of the songs on here. I didn't expect the keyboards (by Jerry Harrison of the Talking Heads!) to be so prominent. Could I argue against the inclusion of this one because the 70's rise of power-pop had been covered fairly well in this book? Possibly. Could I also argue a band that seems like they are one step away from being the Doors and one step away from being Elvis Costello, while also putting good songs together on an album deserves inclusion regardless. Possibly. Anyway, I liked this one and thought it was fun to listen to. I was going to list the songs I liked but then realized that I was going to list most of the songs. Even the songs on the deluxe version were pretty good songs.
“Astral Plane” captured the charming essence of how simple this bands successful formula was. Slightly funny, blunt, almost just a talking delivery at times. “Hospital” was a great little story as well as a good time for a mood/tempo switch. John Richman at the helm here comes off as deeply passionate and just so plainly human. He sings about very real-life things/feelings very plainly but with a great deal of love. James Murphy, New York based frontman of LCD Soundsystem, has talked about being an artist that borrows/steals from greats from the past - I’m so sure that he got a bit of his delivery from listening to “I’m Straight” on this record. The similarities are prominent. This might be the best proto-punk album I’ve heard so far. It’s a bit unfair to say that, as an uneducated American who doesn’t know all that much about the full picture of punk in the cultural zeitgeist. But that doesn’t change how much I enjoyed this album after not expecting much of anything from it. 4/5!
Punk rock - a few cool tracks.
This was a good listen in parts, and it started really promisingly, but at times the album blends into a soup of distorted guitars and sounds that are hard to differentiate from one another. Ultimately, it's a decent enough listen but very samey throughout and gets a little boring to listen to.
It's... fine? I like Pablo Picasso. I just can't quite excited about this.
This might be the worst album I’ve ever heard.
3.5
This singer has a cool first name, but his voice got on my nerves. Seems like they missed their place in the 60's. I Wanna Sleep In Your Arms was a favorite, but this is a 3 to me. Not really my jam.
Talk singing. Some interesting sounds, but was tough for me to get into.
Easy “chill” sound… Simple music… Lyrics inspired by MJ and LSD…. I could listen to it sometimes but I didn’t feel anything special Just usual british pop/punk rock, even with some post punk vibes in it
Really weird, but somewhat likeable
Definitely getting Ramones vibes. This album hit.