Reviews (page 4 of 8)
Scrappy and lived in and cool
I really like the sound of this one, but I can't pick out a lot of favorites from the tracklist. Still a solid listen. Favorite: Roadrunner
This album was great, I particularly liked Hospital. Will definitely be returning.
7/10
violent femmes/green day feel like
im straight.
4.5
Never heard this before. VERY reminiscent of the doors, but also somehow presaging new wave punk from the 80s.
V solid. Liked it a lot. Will pursue further.
Well, there is a guy that played in TH later, so it has to be rated properly.
Great, would listen again
Solid album, feels like they are laying the groundwork for later punk
Can’t believe I’ve only just found this album, it’s fantastic. The walking bass and organ combo is my jam. Velvet Underground with a bit of the doors thrown in. The lyrics and vocals get a bit repetitive and the songs are perhaps a tad too long, but the sound is so effortlessly cool. 4/5 - Loses momentum in the second half unfortunately, but it’s added to my collection.
Liked it.
yeah!!!
This album got real, real fast.
This was a good listen. A lot of interesting guitar textures going on throughout the album. Favorite tracks: Roadrunner, Astral Plane, Pablo Picasso (I still can't figure out if he's really and asshole or not), Hospital and I'm Straight.
Like a fun, poppier version of the Velvet Underground (a clear and direct influence on Richman). The classic songs are deadset classics (roadrunner, pablo picasso, she cracked). Obviously influential on many, many subsequent bands. One of the key proto-punk albums. Loose and energetic recording.
Embarrassingly, I'd never heard of them... but now very glad I have. Jangly, surfy, hippy fodder that was clearly the inspiration for a mid-to-late-noughties band I can't remember. Inevitably called 'The' something. For fuck's sake.
I like the vibe, reminds me of Cream's "Sunshine of your Love". But no song struck me as really memorable... Except maybe for "Pablo Picasso", but that one didn't excite me much either.
Definitely sounded like hugely influenced by The Velvet Underground and from their Wiki that's definitely the case. However this does feel a bit more pessimism and ironic than The Velvet Underground. Some of the songs do absolutely nothing, but others like "Road Runner", "Pablos Picasso", and "Hospital" feel very nostalgic, maybe I've heard them or maybe I've just heard songs that have copped their style. "Dance With Me" is surprising that they were released with that much recording distortion, but that flaw in production is kind of my jam. The Jonathan Richman delivery is definitely the point of which you are too drunk to sing but god dammit you gotta do it anyways, which I mean I can respect. I like that there are only a few albums of the group, makes it feel a bit more transient. I'd be curious if I'd like Richman's solo stuff or if this combination of musicians had struck gold.
Drummer for the Cars; bassist for Talking Heads. That’s a pretty fantastic evolution. How do I not know this band?
No Post Punk without Proto Punk. Can hear how much influence this has had.
I love this album and listen to it a lot. I wish I could give it a 4.5 because I can't give it 5. Not on the same level as 5 star albums
p
I liked this. Never heard of it but the seem cool. Forefathers of punk?
Lazy 80s punk sound. Roadrunner was in school of rock
Easy to listen to proto-punk. Nothing extraordinary.
Cool Album!!
This is right up my street. The modern lovers bridge the gap between experiential 60s rock and 80s punk. This is a good piece of rock history.
An ancient album that is not boring?
Echt gut... Bisschen weniger Punk als mc5
Not without merits but not my thing. Some decent songs but just couldn’t get to grips with the style. Favourite song-Hang down your head
I like this. Reminds me of the doors. Enjoyable.
They were ahead of their time.
the modern lovers are not very modern anymore but their loving is still strong. I shall besto up their album seven pablo picassos (not the asshole one but the other one)
4.2 - Jonathan Richman manages to sound simultaneously too cool to care and utterly vulnerable with his chatty lyrics and endearing, slacker-y vocals. Extra points for putting suburban Massachusetts on the rock map! Standout tracks include “Roadrunner” and “I’m Straight.”
Guay. Me recuerda a Evan Dando
well, this isn't fair, because jonathan richman is a bit of a hometown hero, and the state's favorite song appears on this album twice...but yeah, i liked it. strongly reminiscent, unsurprisingly, of the velvet underground, but still its own thing.
Ensikuuntelulla tästä jäi vähän sekavat fiilikset. Onneksi kuitenkin annoin vielä ensin yhden, ja lopulta varmaan noin viisi lisäkuuntelua paremmalla keskittymisellä. Tämähän olikin lopulta aivan hemmetin vangitsevaa tykittelyä. Eräs listan positiivisimmista yllätyksistä toistaiseksi. Vaikkei ihan viiden tähden kokonaisuus olekaan, niin varmasti lähempänä vitosta kuin kolmosta. Erityismaininnan ansaitsisi useampikin kappale mutta mieleen jäi varsinkin Hospital sekä David Bowien myöhemmin coveroima Pablo Picasso.
Feels punk rock, but doesn't thrash, I really enjoyed this one.
Classic Boston album. Probably enjoyed most "Hospital" and "Dance with me"
I has teenage boy band vibes. I like the vibe.
Some good songs I'll definitely find myself listening to again, some very forgettable ones.
5/10
Not bad at all. Pretty enjoyable.
It's like a cakey velvet underground
Almost like the missing link between The Doors and Sex Pistols. Cool sound and attitude, but the songs leave a little to be desired.
omg i listened to this on friday and have zero recollection of what i heard
This reminds me of Galveston. It seems like a nice vacation spot - beaches, fire pits, and a small boardwalk. Then, as you head west, the area slowly reveals rows of cookie-cutter beach homes lining the gulf. The organ brings me back as I drift off during songs, just like the tinge of oil from the area's refineries does while on the beach.
Album 237. The Modern Lovers (https://open.spotify.com/album/5BPCP7WSGBG4br2o4WRmd8?si=5vlZ-2-QRDi3XlLlrLifMQ) — The Modern Lovers (1976) A decent rock-punk album actually. 3/5 Liked: — Astral Plane — She Cracked
Crunchy and raw. I enjoyed most of it. The Boston references are pretty cool.
Like a lot of the albums it opens strong but then becomes a bit iffy.
It is ok, enjoyable background listen.
Echoes of the Velvet Underground and the Doors from this seminal proto-punk band, originally recorded in 1971/2 but it didn't see the light of day until a few years later. a simplistic and uncluttered sound, easy to hear how this influenced the early punk movement.
*Great start to the album with many proto-punk tracks *The albums slows down on the B-side
20/06/2026 I hate giving 3 stars out, but for something as average as this... Spotify listeners: 306.7k
I kind of like it. It did sound way too similar though. 3/5
What makes it great is the tension between toughness and naivete. Plenty of proto-punk records sound aggressive. This one sounds alert, awkward, funny, and almost embarrassingly sincere.
Fairly good
et ok proto-punk album. Albummet har ikke helt overvundet mig på mine gennemlytninger. Tror forsangerens stemme og fraseringer irriterer mig lidt, og mange af sangene har ikke lykkes med at skille sig fra de andre for mig. Dog er der et par gode numre på albummet. Standouts: Roadrunner, Astral Plane, Hospital
It sounds like the continuation of what the Velvet Underground were doing prior. As such, it contains some great highlights as 'Roadrunner', 'Astral Plane' and 'Pablo Picasso' which make the album be memorable throughout. 8/10 [KEEP]
Good beat. The lyrics are a bit incely in my opinion
This is a super mid album, but not offensive at all. I might put it on again, but I honestly doubt it. It sounds like Lou Reed lost any edge and really wanted to just talk earnestly about everyday observations.
Так себе любовнички
Я загалом не фанат такого прото-панку, тут десь 50 на 50. Є забавні пісні типу Пікассо, а є нудні. Коротше типовий альбом на трієчку.
Very good, a few songs annoyed me, but in general nice
It was alright probably wouldn’t listen again but not a horrible experience
Decent writing but started getting old towards the end. Can see the influence it had but might need some modernization
Eh, it was fine but didn't seem like anything special to me.
Started off somewhat liking it but tapered off from there 3/5
Slightly better than expected. 2.5/5
70's but could also pass for 2010's. A bit punky at times. not bad
buen añbum muy ochentoso
Liked this, but the vocals wear on you. 3/5
So this phone call today concerns Hippie Johnny…
MEH its a middle of the pack rock album
The velvet underground, sos vos?
I remember this being better when I’ve listened in the past. Guy pined on and on about random women
A nice enough album, but one that never really grabbed my attention. There were a few standout tracks though: Roadrunner Hospital Dance With Me
Stylistically, sounds a lot like the Adam and the Ants album I just listened to. Maybe a little reminiscent of The Clash? Sort of Adam and the Ants meet The Clash...
3 stars
Was that a straight pride song? Favorite track: Roadrunner 3.5/5
I don't know. This one didn't really do much for me. There were a couple songs that were pretty good, but the rest wasn't for me. 2.5 Stars rounded up
3/5
It was fine while I was listening to it but not memorable whatsoever
fun in spots
Decent.
Had it's ups and downs, overall a fun album and worth listening to at least once.
Perfectly whelmed.
Familiar with Roadrunner and heard some of Richman’s solo stuff. This was all ok without blowing me away. Interesting that the songs were recorded in 71 and 72 - the sound is later than that and seeing it was produced by John Cale also explains the Velvet Underground influences in places. She Cracked is a bit Stooges like. May revisit as would like to focus a bit more on the lyrics. A (maybe harsh) 3.
dije "che que parecido a la velvet" y después me fijé y los produjo john cale, y si
6/10
Good 3 listens All good Pablo Picasso
This is a proto-punk album that lioks backward to Velvet Underground and foreshadows the NYC punk scene of the late 70's. It gets off to a great start with "Roadrunner" but nothing that follows comes close to that high point except maybe "Modern World." Two of the Modern Lovers, Jerry Harrison and David Robinson (of Talking Heads and the Cars, respectively) went on to bigger and better things. Richman is a godawful singer but that's part of his charm (?) I really like the outtakes, especially"Straight" and it's ode to Hippie Johnny.
Always loved the song Road Runner, great soundtrack to a nighttime drive around Boston. Other fun songs on here too like Pablo Picasso. I do get kind of bored with it though, Richman's schtick loses its charm for me and my enthusiasm for the first few songs just doesn't carry through.
So for the most part idgaf about legacy (some few exceptions) supposedly this band was super impactful, but I dont care. Im here to listen to music not a history lesson. While that might be a slap in the face for many bands and albums, it dont care if the music before or after this album just happened to be better than this. As I listen to this album now its...... alright? This singer sounds like he performs in basement bars, loses his shirt every show, and fucks hard. The music is good, but not mind blowing to me, like some of these reviews or even the fuckin band biography makes it out to be. Mid Get with the times old man
It took me years to convince Spotify that I don't want to hear Roadrunner. If you don't like this, Television and The Stooges did the same thing but better.
Pretty cool, interesting vocals, nice enough.
buen álbum, muy del estilo the doors, pero no lo escucharía mucho
This album is interesting. On one hand, it sounds like an alternative release from the mid 90s, at times. However, there are parts of the vocals that seem rushed and not all the way thought out. This was probably influential to many a college radio band in the decades that followed its release. Not a bad record. 3.2/5.0
the debut album of the modern lovers, another 70s pre-new wave/alternative rock group; these guys coming from massachusetts. these guys were quick to form a band in their young and prime ages. it's another one of those early punk albums, especially a debut that are a dime-a-dozen. songs kinda blend in with each other and the singer sounds bored as hell, like he doesn't wanna be there. it has a decent enough foundation, but there's just not anything that sticks out here. at least to me. like other stuff though, this one of course paved the way for more bands to come... i dunno, i'm just giving my honest opinion.
This was pretty cool, and maybe better than a 3 (I listened a while ago and failed to post my review). As an avowed Repo Man fan, "Pablo Picasso" always ranked high in my book, and Bowie does a cool cover of the tune, and the "radio on!" earworm appears in another song and it's driving me crazy that I can't figure out where I know it — it's not from this version of this song... that I know.
Yeah, these guys are fun and all, but it's hard for me to get past the "It's fun. For a bit," stage. But I like Ritchman's surrealist fantasies.
Enjoyable enough
Dit is gewoon The Velvet Underground met wat orgel. Klink prima verder, maar ik heb alles al eens ergens anders gehoord.
war gut. habs aber schon wieder vergessen.
jonathan richmans best work and i say that hatingly
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.
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
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.
If it weren't for the keys sounding like a Doors record, this album could be released today
Love JR but not this album.
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
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.
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 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.
I’ve tried a few times with this fella and it’s never grabbed me. I find his songs repetitive
6/10
'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)
its running as fast as i can
Roadrunner is like 3 min too long and his voice and penchant for repeating lyrics for old, but overall a solid album.
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
Better band name than songs.
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'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
Wasn't bad but just didn't stand out
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
Midpoint between The Doors and The Cure
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
Had some good moments 3/5
Favourite tracks on this album: Astral pane, old world, Pablo Picasso, Someone I care about, Modern World.
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.
'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
Proto punk enjoyment
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*
Kelpo perusrokkia. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ei mitään ihmeellistä. ⭐⭐⭐
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.
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.
This is very mid. Cool rock swagger. Doesn’t offer much else.
Roadrunner, roadrunner... Still like this album, but it doesn't hit like it used to
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.
Some pretty good tunes on this. Definitely worth a listen
chill, specific vibe and vocals, a lil bit boring, but interesting at some points
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.
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".
Actually, I'm pretty sure plenty of people considered Pablo Picasso an asshole.
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.
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.
I really liked Hospital.
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.
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.
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.
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.
ok
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.
very cool but normal, typical 70s music
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
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
Not really my style, appreciate for the time being
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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
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.
later
Prefer the faster songs to the slow tempo ones. Pretty enjoyable.
Fun little piece of weird rock, not quite enough to remember for a while but enough to appreciate
Nice
talk singing can work but the backing music has to be exceptional this is not it is mid
This was okay. Upbeat, relatively British rock. There weren’t any standout tracks but I enjoyed a once through
Interesting voice, and songs. Not too bad.
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
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.
Really weird, but somewhat likeable
Hört Jonathan Richman förut men inte det här bandet som tydligen var hans debut!
Jävligt imponerande sound för sin tid, vill gärna ge högre betyg men helheten var inte mer än stabil!
Blir inte mer 3/5 än såhär.
This post-punk band I have heard before but fall into that "oh, that was them?" blanket. I like them and that feels careless, but I am into post-punk music in general so I listen to a lot of it. Nevertheless I am glad to put a name to the music and I was happy with the album overall. I try not to look up the band before I write a review for bias purposes, but I wanted to know why I had not really known them, being a fan of the genre. Turns out they only lasted a couple of years and were released even after they broke up, so it is to do with the lack of exposure overall I would think. Anyhow, they are fun enough to listen to and if you like the genre, they will not disappoint.
Roadrunners a great track. Pablo Piccasso is not. I like the Velvet Underground so ergo I should like Modern Lovers as they are so derivative (even being produced by John Cale) yet for some reason they don't quite connect.
Punk is just so uninteresting to me
The comparison to the Velvet Underground is obvious and not quite on the same level. Pretty raw lyrically. 3/5 Might listen again
i liked this!
Hmmm. It goes up to 3 stars for BU reference and my husband is an alum. Otherwise performative males with mediocre instrumentals, odd accents and annoying lyrics
A shitty version of The Doors. But with The Doors being awesome that’s less of an insult than you’d think
Not my cup of tea. 2.5
This was OK, but nothing special.
Better than expected for a band I did not know. However, not being placed on my play list.
Takie 3/5. Ogółem dobre, ale ze dwa utwory które wywołały niezrozumiałą irytację. Wydaje się, że pixies się mogli na tym wzorować.
Definitely the beginnings of garage rock. Overall the album was meh. Couple of songs were fun
Did not enjoy. Actually couldn't finish it. Life's too short.
eh
Haha! Honestly in my ear, the vocals sound like a pantomime of an American English speaker, so it's hard to take this too seriously. Still, I really liked it. Teetering on four stars, but it wasn't quite something I'd get excited to hear.
A good punky garage rock record. Interesting songwriting, Roadrunner is a banger for sure.
Not as bad as some reviews make out, but nothing great either unfortunately. The only stand out song is ‘Roadrunner’, the rest all sound the same. A classic middle of the road 2.5 album.
the debut album of modern lovers that stripped out the glitz and glam of rock n roll and established the proto punk sound by stripping down rock to driving guitar and awkward angsty teenage confessions, this album was instrumental in forming the modern rock sound we think of today.
Interesting classic rock with a little bit of a punk influence. It suffers a bit from the "trailblazer problem", i.e. that while it might have been really influential back in the day, it sounds a bit "bland" (not the right word, but I can't think of a better one) all those decades later because everything introduced and innovated by that album has been done a thousand times since, sometimes better. But that's not the album's fault at all, which remains a nice listen. It's just not as "gripping" as it maybe used to be back in the day.
The Modern Lovers is one of those albums where its a good listen but it is a case of "What do you expect me to say about it?". It really is your typical 70s punk rock album if i have ever seen one as it has all the quirks that an album like that would have. This band does have a pretty interesting history though seeing as this album came out two years after the band broke up. I do find that fact pretty interesting seeing as not a lot of bands do this very often. There is also the fact that it is their first album meaning that nothing ever got released when this band was together. I may be touching on this a bit too much but i find this more interesting than the actual album. Best Song: Pablo Picasso Worst Song: Roadrunner
Eh whatever?
I was not familiar with the album or the band. Gave it a listen without looking up any info about it first. I immediately thought it sounded too much like a Velvet Underground knockoff with a little Doors thrown in here and there. After listening I looked them up. I was familiar with Jonathan Richman by name but not not by music. And yes indeed, it did say the album was produced by John Cale of the Velvet Underground and that Richman was viewed as a Lou Reed successor of sorts. It was okay. I didn't love it. Maybe if I'd heard it back in the day I would appreciate it more.
Um disco interessante, especialmente se considerarmos que soa bastante diferenciado ao que era feito na época de sua gravação, na primeira metade dos anos 1970.
Some cool instrumentation. Mostly on the beginning of the album though. The singer is a bit low energy.
I'm sure this will be another generally despised album in a string of rough ones for the group but I actually kinda liked it, having heard of Jonathan Richman as an artist before but never this band per se, and was my first listen to this album. I can hear how you can draw a line right from the Velvet Underground through these guys to eventually what punk would become, and enjoyed the relatively lo-fi and straightforward nature of the songwriting and vocal delivery. Roadrunner is a super fun song and I like the self-deprecating and sort of downer lyrics on some of the other tracks. May not get a ton of repeat spins as an album but I can totally see why this was influential and found it a pretty fun listen.
mjeh. jag säger mjeh. gött och kort men det känns lite tunt.
Casually listened to this in the car, didn’t love it and was ready to give it a 2 but Greyson called me out for not finishing it. I said “there’s nothing I could hear that would change my rating.” Then the next day I started it over again and gave it a solid headphone listening, so now I’m rating it a 3. Maybe the singer’s bad voice is better appreciated with headphones versus a casual background soundtrack.
Solid music, Jonathan Richman's voice has never appealed to me. ;)
6/10
Not bad but only 3-4 songs I really like
I heard you have a compilation of every good song ever done by anybody. Every great song by the Beach Boys. All the underground hits. All the Modern Lovers tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Niagara record on German import. I heard that you have a white label of every seminal Detroit techno hit - 1985, '86, '87. I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '60s cut and another box set from the '70s. Genuinely, went into this with high expectations because of James Murphy, and was rewarded with an album that is fine to moderately good.
drei (plus)
Had a Stooges sort of vibe without being at all the Stooges. This is an interesting find of a band I’d never heard of. Not my favorite, but there were enough good parts to keep me me listening.
this feels like what television would sound like if they were more mainstream, i liked it, some good guitar work and vocals and good energy, good album
The singing is a little annoying. Kinda sounds like if a donkey could sing with the intonation. The songs are repetitive and lowkey hard to tell the difference between sometimes. Had to ask myself if I had just listened to the song that played after. All that being said, the songs themselves are pretty good.
Favorite Track: Astral Plane
Pablo Picasso was never called an asshole. I want to rate this a 4 just for that song, but it’s a solid 3 for me. I feel like this makes for a good companion album to the Violent Femmes debut album. It has similar themes but from a person with a different perspective, more hopeless romantic than bitter. It’s a good album but not one I put on ever, save for Pablo Picasso and a couple other songs.
El primer tema es temón y punchh. Old world me da un poco vibes a lou reed. Esq es muy velvet underground me mola. Hospital al principio he dicho meh pero luego cuando medio rompe con la batería muy guay, diferente, pero extrañamente familiar creo que ya la habia escuchado antes. Siento que la producción tiene mazo dimensión, es decir es como si estuviera en la habitación donde grabaron sobre todo en hospital , ¿tiene sentido? Aunque aveces demasiado casera
Good
3 Stars (8/15)
Hittar inga större fel på denna platta.
неплохо.
OK, reasonable punk album
People call this album really influential but it doesn’t do it for me
Not too bad. Some songs are a little slow.
I really liked this album. I think that the sameness of subject matter and the singer's voice make it fade a little towards the back half of the album. The organ and pace of some of the songs make it sound somewhat like the Doors (who I don't always like) but it is done in a different way. I will listen again.
GREAT instrumentation and variety, the energy is great, and although it often has some rambling and slightly off-key vocals, it somehow kinda works. Good! Standouts: Pablo Picasso • She Cracked • Modern World
Pretty good! I love the instrumentation here. The violins and organ are so lush in contrast to the vocals. The singing and lyrics did not do anything for me and this will not be entering my rotation, but I appreciate the production and variety.
This is an interesting album. While it wasn’t one of my favorites, I could see so many influences. They reminded me a little of the Bleachers and Jack Antonoff. Bumped them up a star for that.
Not for me. Too rough
Highlight: She Cracked Garage-ey feel on the recording, especially the vocals. Doesn't sound too produced, gives it an edge. I admire the more unique tracks more than the straightforward rock n roll.
I kind of liked this one. The vocals are a bit unconventional in sound and style so I think it might take a few listens for it to settle in but I enjoyed it.
Pre-listen notes: I never really spent any time with Jonathan Richman. I know that he’s something of a cult hero, but my only real experience with him was through There’s Something About Mary and a Nerf Herder song about him (“please, God, don’t let me end up like Jonathan Richman…”. I never really understood the reference, though I do love Nerf Herder). So, I’m kind of happy to take the time here. Listening notes: This record reminds me of a Doors-y Velvet Underground. I’ve never been a big fan of either of those bands (though I like a few songs here and there of both). So, this record is probably falling a little flat for me. But it’s not without its merits. I appreciate the groove some of these songs settle into. More importantly, this record gives me a greater appreciation for that aforementioned Nerf Herder song, "Jonathan Richman." I always liked the song pretty good, but I did not understand the lyrics at all, and I guess I could never be bothered to look up the references. Well, they're all here in this record, and that song makes a ton more sense now. And it's actually pretty funny. Parry Gripp is a treasure, and I wish one of his records would crop up in 1001, but I kind of doubt the world sees it that way. Destiny's Child? Sure, the discriminating listener definitely needs to hear that played-out, busted piece of shit. Nerf Herder? Too silly to be taken seriously, I'm sure... Anyway, I probably don’t have loads to say about Modern Lovers. It’s listenable, but I’ll probably never come back and revisit it. It’s probably the definition of a 3/5. There’s nothing really offensive about it, and it’s sort of enjoyable, but not enjoyable enough to invest real time with. I’m not sure why it’s in this list, honestly. But it’s definitely not the worst thing that’s been selected. 3.0/5
Hospital is a great tune
I think if I were in 1976 with only the music available to me in 1976, I'd have liked this a lot more. But with 50 years' worth of available alternatives, I'm afraid it hasn't aged well enough to be competitive with all of the artists it undoubtably influenced. That said, it's very impressive that this was recorded in 1971/1972, and that undeniably gives them proto-punk street cred. That's not to say, however, that they were completely original ('Old World' was clearly inspired by 'L.A. Woman', for example), but if other, more well-known artists deemed this album worthy of a cover or two, that shouldn't be discounted. Hmmm... rating this one is tough. I gave it two playthroughs, but nothing really grabbed me (except 'Hospital' - that was a keeper). But I also can't deny that this feels like a pretty important precursor to music I really do enjoy. So, I guess a 3 it is.
I kept thinking I was going to get bored as I was listening to this. I was surprised when I didn’t. It’s not something I will be jumping back into for a second round, but it did exceed my expectations.
He escuchado todo el álbum y aunque está guay no hay ninguna canción que me llegue a atrapar para guardarla en la lista de reproducción personal, es una pena que las canciones se me hagan tan largas aunque duran poco. La parte instrumental es lo que mas me gusta y lo más memorable para mí. Le daría un 5/10
3/5
Cool, classic rocknroll shit. Favorite song is "Hospital"
Random thoughts: * surprised to learn this is Jonathan Richman. I became aware of Jonathan Richman and his album I, Jonathan a few years ago. I thought maybe it was through 1001 but I can’t find him there. That album has a great track called “I Was Dancing in the Lesbian Bar” * this music of The Modern Lovers felt familiar and unique at the same time. Weird to feel that way. * I enjoyed this one a lot and can see why it is included in 1001. * this music was clearly way ahead of its time. Still sounds fresh today. * I’ll come back a revisit this one.
POSTPUNK BABY... but as post punk I thought it was kinda middling
A fun and creative debut
I read that this guy involved with / influenced by the Velvet Underground .. not typically my genre but I did genuinely like some of this more than VU (who I think in general are a bit overrated). I liked this more on second listen.
I dunno, man, it's fun but would this noncommital rambling be as popular if Massholes didn't de facto support everything MA?
This was enjoyable. Sounds kind of like The Cure and something British I can't quite put my finger on. Maybe also a little The Smiths.
One of those records that I’ve heard of, but never heard. It was a good listen.
I have a soft spot for "angsty guy in a garage upset about a girl or the absence of any at all" music. Some of the songs on this album scratched that itch, others were the kind of defiant 70s dirtbag music (a genre that I have now learned is called proto-punk) I haven't been a huge fan of in the project. Bucking the system by writing the most simplistic songs possible with radically inane lyrics, doesn't resonate with me. I did like those sadboy songs though, so who am I to judge?
I have mixed feelings about albums that feel closer to slam poetry than music. The lyrics were engaging, requiring that I come back and listen at least one more time. And at first, I really liked the driving rock beats of most of the songs, but eventually the music sort of disappeared because it was so mundane, unnecessary even. It became little more than spoken word poetry after a while...
Proto-emo masshole jams.
In this Modern World, sometimes you need a Roadrunner to show you the way from the Old World.
3.0/5.0: Good
pretty bland, but not bad
Is it my kind of my music? - Yes! Definitely. Did I listened to it entirely? - Of course, no problem at all. Would I listen to it one more time? - Yeah, I could totally. Not sure when, but it could happen. Not sure if it will. ______________________________________ So, I liked it! I won't say it's one of those life changing album either, but I had a great time listening to it. It was pleasant, and I did not skip any songs. I was doing something else and wasn't begging the album to end which is a good start I guess. Maybe I should add I did... not listened to the expanded version, only the original (I don't think I know this band enough to listen to the expanded version). It was nice but I don't have much to say either because this is not... well... surprising? They used a formula that works and it fits it so yeah but there are not a lot of risks? Maybe I should listen again, just in case.
This might have been good if it wasn’t for the vocals and lyrics
Part of me feels this was shit but I really enjoyed it. Having just come back from New England all the Boston & Mass references put a smile on my face.
Gets a bit samey through it, but I can see the appeal. There’s albums like car seat headrest stuff that is clearly inspired by it. Good songwriting but not my cup of tea vocals
***an ok album, easy listening
I like this more than I let on, it feels a little Strokes-y
Pretty fun listen, never heard of The Modern Lovers. Kinda sounded like if the Doors and the Strokes had a lovechild. 6/10
Should rock album
Not very interesting, but no strong dislike either
Pretty solid overall, I enjoyed it.
Started great but didn’t really keep me at it
Has mid-60s rock vibes, but also early punk. Didn't love it; didn't hate it; liked it more than I thought I would.
01) Roadrunner - 7,0 02) Astral Plane - 6,0 03) Old World - 6,5 04) Pablo Picasso - 6,5 05) She Cracked - 6,5 06) Hospital - 6,5 07) Someone I Care About - 6,0 08) Girl Friend - 6,0 09) Modern World - 6,0 TOTAL: 6,33 (63/100) Current ranking: 377/509
This was an interesting listen- I felt that I could sonically hear it travel from the 60's to the 70's track by track. "Astral plane" had a sort of Doors influence in the keyboards, but I could hear the proto-punk as it got to "she cracked" and "someone to care about" and sounded like Velvet Underground influence. Among mentions of so many sound influences, I wish the album sounded more like it's *own thing* and less an amalgamation of other things.
It’s ok, in its way.
Positiv overraskelse, jeg kunne godt lide det