Reviews (page 4 of 8)
I like the unfinished feel of this.
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.
Fucking great. Heavily indebted to the Velvet Underground, but way better than The Doors. Can trace a line directly to 00s indie bands like The Strokes.
I’m so conflicted by this…on one hand, the actual music/instrumentals are so interesting and.ahead of its time. On the other hand, the vocals are just so bad and pretentious sounding. I don’t think I can get past the vocals tbh
2 - not good
Quite reminiscent of The Velvet Underground for me. I would listen to this instead of The Velvet Underground (as I'm not the biggest fan of theirs), but I would listen to plenty of other stuff instead of this. I'd go 2.5, but I'm sticking to my round down policy.
Really fresh. I still don’t count it as punk at all
Not too bad.
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.
The Modern Lovers Roadrunner is a classic, an absolute banger. I didn’t realise it was actually recorded in 1972, I always thought it originated in the early punk and garage rock period when it was released. Although 1972 does make sense, as you can see the connection with the Velvet Underground with its two chord driving rhythm and detached, stream of consciousness delivery. That undoubtedly sets the formula for much of the rest of it, but it's a winning template for me - organs, driving, vaguely motorik drums, pulsing bass, drawling vocals and non-linear lyrics. While none of the songs quite match Roadrunner there are some excellent songs. Astral Planes has a nice bluesy boogie, Old World is very akin to Roadrunner but establishes a nice hypnotic sense, and the organ is excellent. Pablo Picasso adds a bit of The Doors to the Velvet Underground, and again has a great, insistent beat. She Cracked might be the most post punk sounding track, despite preceding punk by 5 years, with its scratchy guitars and drum pattern. Alongside Girl Friend, Hospital adds a slightly different shade, breaking the overriding rhythmic pattern, with Someone I Care About bringing back normal service in between, as does the fine closer Modern World, with its echoes of I Heard It Through The Grapevine. I very much enjoyed this, a great 35 minutes of proto post-punk garage rock’n’roll, that was well ahead of its time. Solid 4. 🛣️🛣️🛣️🛣️ Playlist submission: Roadrunner
This has the casual rock n roll swagger that any decent indie guitar band should strive for. 'Roadrunner' is superb yet feels made up on the spot. The album lyrics are observations on life, by a young outsider. It's punk before punk. There feels a swirling mix of Iggy Pop (especially), but also the vocals/organ touches of The Doors ('Old World' at one point is very 'LA Woman'); Velvet Underground is a clear influence (unsurprising to learn Cale produced some of it); The Cramps and The Ramones (there are Motown sensibilities mixed in with the downbeat punky vocal; and as with those band the bass is important in setting out simple but effective harmonies and counter harmonies, check out 'Dignufied and Old' for your evidence). They are the band that sounds most like The Strokes, who ripped them off (the drawled semi-spoken vocal must've been an influence on Julian Casablancas - it has a great, disinterested but still tuneful baritone). They also presage new wave, with the jaunty feel of Talking Heads; and Bowie himself actually covered 'Pablo Picasso' on his Reality album. After listening for a while, I read up on it and was astonished this was recorded in 71/72. It has huge similarities to the Velvet Underground but also feels like a different side of the same coin. Lou Reed's laconic songs of urban decay and character studies are replaced with Richmans' introspective and anxious lyrics. Reed sings of the edges of society and Richman _is_ on the edge of society. Don't you see? Anyway it's banging.
What a great and original album. Who would have thought the goofy singer from the Farelly Brothers movies would actually be a talented artist.
not my taste at all
A modern classic that set the stage (among others) for the garage rock revival of the early 2000s.
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
Niet mijn stijl
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
I’d never heard of this band/album, but it was really enjoyable! Sounds ahead of its time. Not everything worked (“Girlfriend”), but for the most part it was a lot of fun. I can see myself revisiting this one. Favorites: Roadrunner, She Cracked
If I heard one of the first few songs from this album in a movie from the 70s, playing while the square-jawed, golden-haired protagonist drove down a California highway in his convertible with a girl at his side, I'd think that it was pretty cool music. I would pay attention to the credits and look up the song on Spotify and listen to it about three times in a row. Then I would add it to a playlist and three months later it would come up again and I would wonder where I came across this song and why I added it to this specific playlist. Yup. Favorite track: "Roadrunner"
A shitty version of The Doors. But with The Doors being awesome that’s less of an insult than you’d think
Damn this album is cool. Even after the huge single it doesn't let up on being catchy and fun. Shame this didn't release earlier as it should have been. The singer's voice is just the perfect amount of sincere awkward coolness. Like he is very nervous to sing but at the same time doesn't care how he sounds singing. I love it
Not my cup of tea. 2.5
Great for a punk sounding band.
Not really my jam
This was OK, but nothing special.
Sounded like a band of high school boys from the 60s playing in someone's parents garage
Better than expected for a band I did not know. However, not being placed on my play list.
Yeah nah...
First time listen and very much enjoyed the droning fast passed punk/rock. Like the vocals also.
It gets 2 ⭐ based on relevance of the lyrics in their time. The vocals were hard to listen to, and the music itself was repetitious and nothing really special (not good, not bad). Listened before: No Saved tracks: No Favorite tracks: Straight ⭐⭐ Being generous
I like the music, but I hate the vocals and lyrics. Listened before? N Saved to library? N Favorite track(s): N/A ⭐: Hated it.
9/25/25. Will need to listen several more times to appreciate this one, thought it was a little boring although the songwriting was interesting at points. My rating today likely won't reflect what I think of it in the future.
I actually really enjoyed this. Was a bit like stranglers/velvet underground vibe.
I don't know this music, but I love it. This seems very ahead of its time - evergreen. Liked Songs Added: Roadrunner Astral Plane Pablo Picasso She Cracked Modern World
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.
Meh
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.
This is incredibly meh
I didnt like this
Great punk driving beat.
A good punky garage rock record. Interesting songwriting, Roadrunner is a banger for sure.
All the songs sound very much the same. It's not horrible but not memorable. A memorable live band in Boston at the time - precursor to the Velvet Underground.
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.
silmäsi ovat niin kaukana toisistaan.. näytät joltain sammakolta.. nenäsi on ehdottomasti vino... kasvojesi muoto on kauhistuttava.... ihosi näyttää vitun karhealta.. oletko edes kuullut kosteusvoiteesta?.... näytät tässä kuvassa 3/10 meikillä... en edes halua kuvitella, miltä näytät ilman meikkiä.. oksensin suuhuni pelkästään ajatellessani sitä... pääsi on vitun jättimäinen (vaikka se voi johtua kirahvikaulastasi).... mitä tulee hiuksiisi, LMFAOOO.... oikeasti, tee jotain sille kuivalle perseelle... näytät hevoselta... tuijota kasvojasi yli 5 sekuntia... näet kuinka ruma olet... liian kaukana toisistaan olevat silmät vahingoittavat jo ennestään rumaa kasvoa entisestään.... valitettavasti sinulle sitä ei voi korjata leikkauksella, lol.... käsivartesi ovat aivan liian pitkät.... lol miten ne roikkuvat sivuillasi.... muistuttaa minua vähän spagetista.... mitä tulee tisseihisi.... me kaikki tiedämme, että niissä on ylimääräistä pehmustetta.... voi vittu minä kuollut... älä edes anna minun aloittaa ruskettuneesta ihostasi... se toimii vain jos näytät kuumalta... valitettavasti et näytä kuumalta LMFAO... on vaikea tiivistää kaltaisesi olentoa yhdellä sanalla... en pysty enää......"RUMA" olisi epäreilua... koska se ei heijasta sitä, kuinka vastenmieliseltä näytät LOL... groteski on venyttelyä... mutta jossain siltä väliltä... olisit... old world
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.
Kind of proto punk in a bad way. It has the sloppiness and the bad singing, but not the energy. Some songs have a part that isn’t terrible, most don’t. I can imagine this album influenced bands like Television, the Replacements and maybe even the Pixies and the Strokes. Still don’t like it.
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
I only really knew Roadrunner and Pablo Picasso but the rest of the album was great.
Eh whatever?
- **Background**: Contextualizes the album's creation and delayed release. - **Lyrical analysis**: Examines Jonathan Richman’s lyrical themes and style. - **Musical composition**: Breaks down the album’s proto-punk sound and influences. - **Production analysis**: Discusses John Cale’s raw production and its impact. - **Thematic exploration**: Explores nostalgia, alienation, and authenticity. - **Influence and legacy**: Details the album’s impact on punk and indie rock. - **Pros and cons**: Balanced evaluation of the album’s strengths and weaknesses. ------ # In-Depth Review of *The Modern Lovers* by The Modern Lovers: A Proto-Punk Landmark ## 🎵 1 Background and Context The Modern Lovers' self-titled debut album is one of rock history's most fascinating **paradoxes** - a record recorded in 1971-1972 but not released until 1976, after the original band had already disbanded. Led by the idiosyncratic **Jonathan Richman**, the Boston-based group created a seminal work that became a **missing link** between the raw simplicity of garage rock, the experimental ethos of the Velvet Underground, and the burgeoning punk movement that would emerge later in the 1970s. The album was pieced together from demo sessions produced by John Cale (formerly of the Velvet Underground) and others, initially recorded for Warner Brothers and A&M Records before being released on Beserkley Records . Despite its complicated genesis, the album has consistently been recognized as a groundbreaking work, appearing three times on Rolling Stone's list of the **500 Greatest Albums of All Time** and being included in Robert Dimery's influential book *1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die* . ## 📝 2 Lyrical Analysis Jonathan Richman's lyrics on *The Modern Lovers* represent a dramatic departure from the prevailing rock trends of the early 1970s. While contemporaries were exploring fantasy, mythology, and political grandstanding, Richman focused on the **everyday experiences** and **emotional realities** of young adulthood with unflinching honesty and vulnerability. - **Authentic Vulnerability**: Richman's lyrics explore themes of loneliness, social anxiety, and romantic yearning with a childlike naïveté that feels genuinely vulnerable rather than strategically cool. In "Hospital," he sings with palpable desperation about visiting a loved one in medical care, blurring the lines between romantic devotion and pathological obsession . The song's repetitive structure ("Emergency room, emergency room") reinforces the sense of psychological fixation . - **Social Observation**: Tracks like "Pablo Picasso" and "I'm Straight" showcase Richman's knack for social commentary through personal lens. "Pablo Picasso" humorously contrasts the artist's legendary romantic success ("He was only 5'3" but girls could not resist his stare") with the social failures of ordinary people, while "I'm Straight" presents a manifesto against drug culture through the voice of a proudly sober outsider . - **Urban Poetry**: Richman finds beauty in the mundane landscapes of modern America, particularly on the iconic "Roadrunner," which transforms a nighttime drive along Massachusetts highways into a transcendent rock-and-roll ritual . The lyrics celebrate the simple joy of driving with the radio on, creating what critic Greil Marcus would later call "the most obvious song in the world, and the most strange" . ## 🎸 3 Musical Composition Musically, *The Modern Lovers* delivers a masterclass in **minimalist efficiency**, leveraging simple structures and repetitive patterns to create hypnotic, driving rock that predated both punk and new wave movements. - **Velvet Underground Influence**: The band's debt to the Velvet Underground is unmistakable, particularly in their use of droning organs (courtesy of future Talking Head Jerry Harrison) and propulsive, simple rhythms . Tracks like "She Cracked" and "Roadrunner" feature the same chugging, motorik rhythms that characterized much of the Velvets' work, albeit with more youthful energy and less avant-garde experimentation . - **Dynamic Range**: Despite its reputation as a proto-punk album, the record displays considerable dynamic variety. While "Roadrunner" and "She Cracked" are full-tempo rockers, "Hospital" is a slow, haunting ballad built around a simple two-chord progression that underscores the lyrical despair . "Girl Friend" takes an almost conversational approach, with Richman half-speaking the verses over minimal instrumentation . - **Instrumental Proficiency**: The individual performances are commendable precisely because they avoid technical flashiness. David Robinson's drumming (later featured in The Cars) provides straightforward, powerful foundations, while Ernie Brooks' bass lines offer melodic counterpoints to Richman's vocal melodies . The organ work by Jerry Harrison provides textural depth without ever overwhelming the songs' simple structures . *Table: Key Track Breakdown* | **Track** | **Tempo** | **Key Lyrical Theme** | **Musical Highlights** | |-----------|-----------|----------------------|-----------------------| | Roadrunner | Fast | Freedom through movement | Driving rhythm, minimalist guitar | | Pablo Picasso | Mid-tempo | Social alienation | Humorous spoken delivery, repetitive riff | | Hospital | Slow | Obsessive love | Haunting organ, sparse arrangement | | I'm Straight | Mid-fast | Straight-edge identity | Punchy delivery, social commentary | | Modern World | Fast | Embracing modernity | Energetic performance, optimistic lyrics | ## 🎛️ 4 Production Analysis The production of *The Modern Lovers* reflects its complicated origins as a collection of demo recordings rather than a conceived album project. Interestingly, this lack of polish became one of its greatest strengths, capturing the band's raw energy in a way that more sophisticated production might have diminished. - **John Cale's Influence**: The six tracks produced by John Cale (including "Roadrunner," "Pablo Picasso," and "She Cracked") display his characteristically minimalist approach, emphasizing live energy over technical perfection . Cale reportedly encouraged more aggressive performances from Richman, creating a tension between the singer's inherent naïveté and the music's driving intensity . - **Demo Quality**: Because the album was compiled from various demo sessions, there are slight variations in sound quality and ambience between tracks. "Hospital" was recorded earlier than the others (1971 versus 1972) and has a noticeably different tonal quality . Rather than detracting from the album, these variations enhance its documentary quality, capturing the band at different moments rather than attempting to create an artificial consistency. - **Minimal Processing**: The recordings feature little of the studio processing that characterized most early-70s rock recordings. There are no obvious tape effects, minimal compression, and no artificial double-tracking—choices that make the album sound remarkably fresh and modern decades later . The vocals are dry and upfront in the mix, emphasizing the lyrical content and Richman's distinctive delivery. ## 🧠 5 Thematic Exploration *The Modern Lovers* explores several interconnected themes that were unusual for rock music of its time, establishing Richman as a unique voice with a particular worldview that would influence generations of indie musicians. - **Nostalgia and Modernity**: Richman displays a fascinating tension between nostalgia for traditional values ("Old World") and enthusiastic embrace of modern America ("Modern World"). This isn't the reactionary nostalgia of many rock traditionalists, but rather a selective appreciation for elements of both past and present . He finds beauty in both his parents' values and the contemporary landscape of shopping malls and highways. - **Alienation and Belonging**: Many songs explore the experience of being an outsider while desperately seeking connection. "I'm Straight" presents the narrator as proudly different from drug-using peers, while "Someone I Care About" explicitly rejects casual relationships in favor of meaningful connection . This theme of authentic connection versus social posturing recurs throughout the album. - **Urban Romanticism**: Richman transforms the mundane landscapes of suburban Boston into settings for existential drama and romantic yearning. The "modern world" he describes isn't a dystopian technological nightmare but a environment where meaning and beauty can be found in unexpected places . His romanticism finds poetry in gas stations, highways, and hospitals rather than traditional natural settings. - **Authenticity vs. Performance**: Throughout the album, Richman positions himself in opposition to rock posturing and hipster affectation. His vocal delivery—often described as nerdy or awkward—becomes a statement against the polished professionalism of mainstream rock . This embrace of authentic imperfection would become a cornerstone of indie ethics in subsequent decades. ## 📊 6 Influence and Legacy The influence of *The Modern Lovers* on subsequent music movements is disproportionate to its initial commercial impact, making it a classic example of a cult record that shapes future generations more than its own time. - **Punk Precursor**: The album's raw simplicity and direct emotional expression provided a template for the punk movement that emerged shortly after its release. The Sex Pistols covered "Roadrunner" on *The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle*, while multiple punk and new wave artists cited the album as a key influence . The record demonstrated that technical proficiency was unnecessary for powerful rock expression. - **Indie Rock Foundation**: The album's DIY aesthetic and lyrical focus on personal experience rather than grand themes established foundational principles for indie rock. Artists like Lou Barlow, Stephen Malkmus, and Conor Oberst would later explore similar territory of vulnerable, autobiographical songwriting . - **Band Members' Future Projects**: The individual members' subsequent careers further extended the album's influence. Jerry Harrison became part of Talking Heads, David Robinson co-founded The Cars, and Ernie Brooks worked with various New York art rock acts . Richman himself continued as a cult figure with a devoted following, his later work exploring even more minimalist and lyrical directions . *Table: The Modern Lovers' Influence on Subsequent Artists* | **Artist** | **Influence** | **Example of Impact** | |------------|---------------|----------------------| | Sex Pistols | Proto-punk sound | Covered "Roadrunner" on *The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle* | | Talking Heads | Nerdy intellectualism | Jerry Harrison joined the band after Modern Lovers | | Pixies | Quiet-loud dynamics | Black Francis cited Richman's lyrical approach as influence | | Belle & Sebastian | Twee aesthetic | Adopted similar vulnerability and literary references | | Yo La Tengo | DIY ethos | Covered Modern Lovers songs in live performances | ## 👍 👎 7 Pros and Cons Evaluation ### Pros: - **Groundbreaking Sound**: The album's fusion of Velvet Underground-inspired minimalism with punk energy created a new template for rock music that would prove enormously influential . - **Authentic Songwriting**: Richman's lyrics broke from rock clichés to explore personal vulnerability and everyday experience with unusual honesty . - **Historical Significance**: As a bridge between 1960s proto-punk and 1970s punk proper, the album occupies a unique position in rock history . - **Consistent Vision**: Despite being compiled from different sessions, the album maintains a coherent aesthetic and philosophical outlook . - **Emotional Impact**: The raw performances convey genuine emotion that remains compelling decades later . ### Cons: - **Uneven Sound Quality**: The compilation nature of the album results in some variation between tracks recorded in different sessions . - **Limited Musical Range**: The minimalist approach may feel restrictive to listeners preferring more musical variety or technical virtuosity . - **Acquired Vocal Style**: Richman's distinctive vocal delivery—nasal, sometimes off-key, and deliberately unpolished—can be an obstacle for some listeners . - **Incomplete Vision**: Because the album was released after Richman had moved toward a different musical direction, it doesn't fully represent his artistic intentions at the time of release . ## 🎯 8 Conclusion *The Modern Lovers* stands as a landmark album that transcends its origins as a collection of demo recordings to become one of the most influential rock records of the 1970s. Its power derives from the tension between **raw musical simplicity** and **complex emotional expression**, between nostalgic yearning and embrace of the modern world, between social alienation and desperate desire for connection. Jonathan Richman's unique songwriting perspective—simultaneously naive and deeply perceptive—created a new template for rock authenticity that would inspire countless musicians in punk, indie, and alternative scenes. While the album may sound deliberately unpolished to listeners accustomed to more produced works, its raw energy and emotional honesty remain compelling decades after its release. The project's accidental nature—compiled from demos after the band had already disbanded—resulted in a captured moment of creative inspiration rather than a carefully crafted product. This gives the album its enduring vitality and ensures its place not just as a historical curio, but as a living, breathing work of art that continues to speak to new generations of listeners seeking alternatives to mainstream musical conventions . The Modern Lovers' debut demonstrates that great rock music doesn't require technical virtuosity, sophisticated production, or grandiose themes—it only requires authenticity, energy, and something genuine to say. In embracing these values, the album created a blueprint that would shape the future of independent music for decades to come.
Baaaaaad
This was like listening to the worst Velvet Underground tribute band in history. In fact, this is the worst VU tribute band ever. It just isn’t very good, and there is no way I needed to hear it before I die.
Jonathan Richman is sui generis and this is our introduction.
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.
This is an absolutely essential album. Yeah, it's basically a Velvet Underground knockoff (hey, he was young) but without the drugs and with a cheerful spirit, which of course he has honed to a fine point over the years. I can see how you'd wonder what the big deal was if you never heard anything else Jonathan did, though. And if course Roadrunner is an anthem for those of us from Massachusetts--there was an effort a while back to make it the state rock song--so some of us are biased. This is for the Brits: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2007/jul/20/popandrock5
Some of the reviews for this album are completely insane. How can you not love this? 4.5
I guess I see how this sort of leads to punk but man it's not all that interesting. Boring vocals, boring guitar tone, boring keys...
Just nice rock
Solid punk album. This is what I’m here for!
Such strong vibes. Roadrunner Pablo Picasso Government Center is a legendary collection. My only criticism is that it’s kinda same-y. But still at least a solid 8.5/10. 6/09/25
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.
Pre-listening thoughts: in the fear that I will avoid listening to an album like this forever, I am instead going down the backlog in chronological order starting with the most recent. I knew I would put one like this off for way too long which is ultimately what created the backlog last time. Who knows, this could surprise me. Post/during listening thoughts: well. it didn't. It's like the Doors. Except they sing even less. and I don't really like the doors. so. 4/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: no Fav tracks: uhh roadrunner? Least fav tracks: Pablo Picasso, Hospital
Some cool instrumentation. Mostly on the beginning of the album though. The singer is a bit low energy.
It’s was like being forced to listen to really bad slam poetry.
Ass. The singer is ass and ruins all of it.
This feels like one of those albums that probably spoke to something in the youths pretty well at the time, but just didn’t age out of the time well. The music itself is whatever and the lyrics are a bit too specifically “I’m in my early 20s in the 1970s, and this is my life”
Not that good.
Not a fan.
Enjoyed listening to this.
Best Song: Roadrunner. It has a sort of likeable, throwback vibe to it. Worst Song: Dance With Me. What a terrible idea to isolate and focus a song entirely on the vocals, which are clearly the worst part of the entire album. Overall: Ahh, another song from "The Fall" school of talk-singing. Totally skippable, uninteresting droning.
I was very unfamiliar with The Modern Lovers, though I recognized their biggest “hit,” Roadrunner. The reason I was unfamiliar is that the group broke up before their first album came out. The songs were recorded in 1971 & 1972, but the album debuted in 1976. Their history & influence on music afterwards are fascinating. If you’re a fan of the NeW York punk scene & 80’s new wave, then this may be the album for you. However, I just plain didn’t like it. The Modern Lovers were influenced by The Velvet Underground, another band I can’t get into. The songs have a Velvet Underground sound, but also a bit of 60s psychedelic with the keyboards. It’s easy to see how The Modern Lovers influenced rock in the 80s; in fact, keyboardist Jerry Harrison later went on to play for the Talking Heads, & drummer David Robinson went on to play drums with The Cars. Those bands were just two of the many bands influenced by The Modern Lovers. I hate being an old man about music that came out before I was born, but the songs are kind of simple & the lyrics are very teen angsty. Founder/lead singer/songwriter, Jonathan Richman isn’t a good singer. He sounds like he’s half asleep when singing, which is more like talking. The lyrics are weird, he has a song about trying to snake a girl from a hippie, & his main argument is that he doesn’t get high & her bf is always stoned. Another song is about his love for the 50s & how he'd rather things stayed the same, which is weird for a rock band in the 70s, especially a proto-punk band. Other songs are about how he can’t pick up chicks. Maybe it’s satire I’m not getting. I will not listen to this again, I don’t think, but I appreciate the band’s influence on music in the '70s & '80s. It's at least worth a listen for music history's sake.
okay, used to be better.
Nope,
Another day, another punk album that doesn't fit any vibe ever
Within the first 2 songs I was locked in for a 1, but it kinda grew on me, definitely musically and a little bit lyrically. I think I would listen to this again before the Allman Brothers album. The frontman is clearly just ad-libbing for most songs, but also shows some vulnerbility and honesty. His voice is definitely awful. I'm unsure why his bandmates didn't veto him to be the singer when they first heard notes come out of his mouth. Also, very much reminds me of a poor man's the Doors, wonder who came first?
Only realized 70% of the way through the album that the band wasn't British. Pretty interesting album I thought - at first, it just seemed like decent classic rock radio fodder, but it was funky and I probably will listen to it again. Love the drums
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.
The less I can hear the vocalist the better. Pablo Picasso is a big miss. Roadrunner is a lot of fun. I don’t mind the pre-punk driving guitar, bass, drums.
kind of a weird one. definitely has some interesting ideas, but just not really for me.
A bit shocked to see all the low reviews for this record. I fuckin' love it. It's sassy and fun and a bit goofy and sardonic. The songs are catchy enough. Good stuff from Richman et al. 4/5
Avant-garbage.
I loved this album. Proto punk, I guess. Unique and cool.
alternative... a little too alternative for me
Ich verstehe, dass es einflussreich war, aber mich hat es ziemlich genervt.
a powder keg of near instant memorability....the minimalism hammers every refrain home and brings so much clarity to the central creative ideas. some crazy bangers, and some deeply uncanny stuff as well. would be great on its own, but its rly put over the top by the singularity and utter Weirdness of jonathan richman, out here recording proto punk five years before the ramones debut (tho it ended up released the same year) yet approaching the stark minimalism not in the context of rebellious subversion but a chasing of, as he repeatedly puts it, the Old World. some of the lyrics are so square that they become dangerous objects when combined with the Sharpness of the songs. elvis costello scribbled notes during this record like his life depended on it.
Ok. 2.5/5
mjeh. jag säger mjeh. gött och kort men det känns lite tunt.
Fantastic, they've always had the sauce
I had never actually listened to this band before. They’re solid!
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.
I struggle with rating this, as the music for the time and the influence makes me want to give it a 4.5, which I'd round up to 5 for this scale. However, I also feel a lot of the music is unrefined, and that feels like a solid 4 to me. I'm amazed, though, that I never knew "Pablo Picasso" was originally by The Modern Lovers, as I never heard it before hearing David Bowie's version. ...And if you write a song good enough for Bowie to cover, especially at that stage in his career, that is really something. I'm going to give it a 4, as it is is rough and just doesn't hit the heights I even think it could. I want to somewhat compare it to Big Star, who put out an album that is almost perfect and was refined, even for a bunch of kids from the midwest getting no attention.
Solid music, Jonathan Richman's voice has never appealed to me. ;)
Roadrunner 4 Astral Plane 3.8 Old World 3.8 Pablo Picasso 4.2 She Cracked 3.7 Hospital 4 Someone I Care About 4 Girl Friend 3.6 Modern World 3.8 Score:3.877777778
6/10
Don’t like his voice
To me, this album is being in your late teens and starting to have fun on your own terms for the first time in your life. And it's just nice to have a goofy album with songs that you can shoutalong to with your friends and feel a good place for that day
This is #day371 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… it's so much fun listening to music. Take this record: echoes of The Velvet Underground (no surprise John Cale produced the majority of songs), or some Talking Heads, mostly due to the era and geography (but not only! Just looked up and learned that Jerry Harrison started his carreer as The Moder Lovers' keyboardist before joining David Byrne and co on keys and guitars). Or, say, Television, in terms of the sound and aesthetic, (and due to the timeframe again), though The Modern Lovers carved out their own space in way ahead of time. The organ is the backbone here, giving the record a distinctive psychedelic flair. "Astral Plane," which instantly rang a bell, sounds like The Doors doing post-punk. And then "Hospital" is, of course, a brilliant gem of a love song. Anyway, I'd love to have this on vinyl. This is a 5 out of 5. Looking forward to #day372.
Nice.
Not bad but only 3-4 songs I really like
very shallow lyrics i feel Has an english rock vibe that is pcool
Clearly a love letter to Velvet Underground, but this is pretty fun. Not a new album to me, but I think it could be considered a classic.
Un ersatz à chier des Doors
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)
I really hate this guy's voice. He sounds like he has a blocked nose and the songs vary from punky ranting to whining and whinging
Sounded a bit like The Doors, if you took out all the things that make The Doors good and left behind the rickety organ. It's supposedly some bridge between garage punk and new-wave punk. They still sound like garbage. Half the songs sound like they're mumbled through cardboard and bad mikes. It's lyrically dense and somewhat atonal and muddled. The lead needs some lessons on annunciation and elocution. Pass My Rating: 2/5
TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
The first album I quit after a couple of songs. Hos did this album even get here??
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.
Yawn.
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
idk if this is ironic or what but the lyrics are uninspired and the instrumentation is mid at best. misogyny doesn’t fly around here. i only fw the verse of hospital
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.
I went through a whole rollercoaster of reactions to this album I thought it was boring, I thought Jonathan Richmans voice was really annoying, I thought it was kinda groovy. And the extremes cancel out to make me think it’s just interesting and an experiment with a new sound that’s maybe not always for me
Favorite Track: Astral Plane
Such a quirky delightful album that captures the wide-eyed innocence of art-scene proto-punk. Fits in great with Talking Heads and Velvet Underground and lays the groundwork for alt-rock for decades to come.
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
Último día del mes y vamos con un álbum que no he escuchado de una banda que creo me suena de nombre. Lo que leo por su reseña me engancha, así que me dispongo a escucharlos desde la curiosidad. Desde el primer tema me recuerda a lo que leí en la reseña completa: una voz con tintes de Lou Reed, de Iggy Pop y con un sonido proto-punk, proto-indie, desde una voz como decepcionada con la vida, que canta desde ése lugar, grita, se apasiona y no pretende mostrarse puramente luminosa. Los teclados me recuerdan a Ray Manzarek y me hacen acordar lo mucho que me gustaban los Doors y de que hace tiempo no los escucho. Ahora que lo pienso, hay también leves atisbos de Jim Morrison que se terminan colando. Las guitarras, por otra parte, me recuerdan a Television. Vuelvo nuevamente a un comentario hecho para otro disco de éste reto sobre que siempre lo proto-punk me encantó: cómo en una misma época surgió una cantidad innumerable de bandas, sobre todo en Estados Unidos, que iban por el mismo camino, me parece fascinante. Debo decir que pasa a mi lista de discos favoritos, desde ya. Muchas gracias y hasta mañana, ya con el mes de agosto encima.
Not the worst album I’ve heard, but that’s the best I can say.
Good
Very enjoyable punk album
Well, I gotta admit, I'm embarrassed. When my group got this album, it was July 30th. I can't remember what was going on that day, but for whatever reason, I didn't get to it then. Maybe I just didn't feel like it, or maybe I was too busy tryna deal with the dang backlog that'd been burning a hole in me for a while — I'unno. In any case, into the backlog it went, where I promptly forgot about it. It wouldn't be until August 5th, then, long after taking care of that day's 1001 Albums pick, that I'd actually sit down and listen to the album. And once I finally got done with it, I figured, "Well, once I finish reading these few comics, I'm sure I'll form an opinion about it that I can write down." Then I forgot about it. Cut to today: August 19th. Now, sure, there have been other albums in my backlog that've been stinking up the place longer (lookin' at you, Coldcut), but consider: I haven't heard any of those yet. I have heard THE MODERN LOVERS. And yet... I'unno, I just couldn't think of anything specific I really wanna say about them. I suppose I could start with the general statement that I don't think they're bad. I mean, the voice honestly doesn't bother me like I know it has some people. It's not one I haven't heard in punk before, and it's probably because of this album it's popped up often enough elsewhere for me to get used to it. Then there's the Doors-y organ: some people've used it as a means to call these guys "The Doors at home," but, like, come on. I'm not gonna sneeze at good organ, and Doors-y organ is **good** organ. And in general, this album has a lot of good garage and proto-punk material. Re-listening to side one as I type this, I can tell you it's a good time. If I can figure any reason why it took me so long to get around forming an opinion about this album, it might just be a sense of "It reminds me of other stuff I'd wanna listen to first." Like, at some point in the second half of the album I was sinking into such a mood of "It's fine" that I started wishing I could just be listening to The Doors or, I'unno, The Clash instead. Like, as good as this album is, there is a sort of "wow" factor that I feel like is missing from it. And that's not me knocking it for not being complex; there's an appeal in that. I'm just not able to listen to these songs and think of them as anything more than just "good." Y'know? Ultimately, I just can't say I'm too impressed by this. Sure, I enjoyed my time with it more than I didn't, and I'm not gonna knock it down a point just because I wasn't blown outta my seat... But I don't think I can act too surprised that it took me as long as I did to write this review. Like, if it weren't for the framing device it allowed me... Yeah. Well, that's another album off the backlog, anyway. Time to go continue putting off Coldcut.
Not much to say. Just some good stuff here. 4.5 bumped down to 4.
I’m at a 4.5 that I’ll bump down to a 4, though I’d love to leave it there. The top review on this site calls this album “unoriginal, uninspired, gutter trash”, and I have no idea how that could possibly be the takeaway after listening to this. It’s “un” a lot of things – it’s unpolished, it’s unusual, and it’s undeniably a little awkward… but I think those are all strengths for the album. Jonathan Richman’s vocal performance here can be summed up by two words in my mind: “weird earnestness”. He has hesitations, he doesn’t sound super confident, and it feels like he’s one mumble or stutter away from making a track fall apart. Is it intentional? I’m not entirely sure, but whether it is or not, it does add a charming sense of earnestness to the whole album. For my brain, I can imagine a guy standing on a stage, performing live for the first time in front of his peers & friends, and being *absolutely scared shitless*… but still getting through it. The band around him kills it; not a single bad instrumental on this thing, and for being recorded in 1971, this does act as a pretty good preview of the punk scene to come in the years afterward. There are really high highs on this album – “Pablo Picasso” & “Hospital” are standouts for me in particular, and as an entire 35 minute package, I can’t really say there’s a bad track here. So, why the bump down to a 4 then? There’s 3 tracks in my mind where the “weird earnestness” just didn’t fully click for my tastes – “Old World”, “Girlfriend”, & the closer, “Modern World”. It’s not because the vocals or instrumental don’t work, but it’s because the lyricism just feels a little too ambiguous in terms of intent, compared to the rest of the album. This album’s strength is his earnestness, and it works mostly because these are well-written tracks that make themselves incredibly clear in meaning, intent & tone. When you add a little bit of ambiguity, then his vocal hesitations, while still good, act as more of a lack of commitment to his beliefs, and that muddies the waters a little bit. They’re still good tracks to listen to, and they don’t shake the album that badly, but having 3 of them is enough for me to bump this down from a 4.5 to a 4. Make no mistake though; this is anything but “unoriginal, uninspired, gutter trash” – for 1971 & 1972, this is pretty original, decently inspired, and far from being trash. It’s an album I highly recommend, and I’d be at an easy 5 if the writing on those 3 tracks were cleaned up just a little bit. Hell, I’ll probably be at a 5 in the future anyway if even one of those tracks clicks nicer on a future listen. It’s a really enjoyable album, and I really did like it. It’s no less than a 4 to my ears, and it deserves to be on the list. Pretty good stuff.
3 Stars (8/15)
Pretty boring
Why Jonathan Richman has been such a critic’s darling and cult favorite all these years is puzzling to me, Most of this was pretty lame. He was pretty cute as the street troubadour in There’s Something About Mary.
Hittar inga större fel på denna platta.
неплохо.
Didn't realize this was where Jonathan Richman started. Its a cheap knockoff of all the other better music at the time.
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.
Started out good (Astral Plane was a standout), but got more boring as the album continued. More like talking than singing.
I honestly don't understand why would this album be a most listen...
He's has a really pretty loose relationship with tuning in his singing, doesn't he? But I guess that's just rock'n'roll, baby. 4/5 no further notes.
I liked this way more than i thought i would. Makes me cringe in the best way. The sounds match the cover. Love it. Can dance in a basement to this. FOUR
I’m in love with Massachusetts.
decent. like a ramones lite
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.
Ugh okay so this kinda felt like a slog to get through for me. But honestly, some parts of it aren't too bad, it'd be nice if they'd lean into those parts. It's staring longingly across the street at my alley, as opposed to some other 1s that were perhaps in another city, so it gets the 2 on that count.
I found this abysmal and couldn't finish it. Like just could not get through it and found the whole thing grating.
Really great stuff! Tight songwriting, killer instrumentation, and a surprisingly punk-ish sound for something recorded in the early 70s (albeit not released until '76).
Was expecting to hate it from reviews but I was jammin’! Really enjoyed almost all of it (except Girlfriend). The dude’s voice wasn’t as bad as I was expecting, maybe because sounding kinda drunk works well for rock music? Some awesome guitar parts.
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.
Appreciate the idea behind it and the lyrics but just couldn’t connect with the way too relaxed manner of singing. Not really memorable.
My boyfriend and I enjoyed this one, I would listen again
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.
Cover 4 Velvet Underground meets the Doors. Like it more then I thought I would. Good album. Great even.
I mean it’s really ok
Not for me. Too rough
This is SUCH a New Englander album!!! I fucking love it!!! Like, yes, Jonathan, my upbringing *does* make me love the old world even though I want to live in the modern world; yes, I *have* imagined a girlfriend’s ex-boyfriends in the suburbs and driven out to see those suburbs at the end of the red line; I *have* driven past the Stop & Shop with my radio on; and I *am* a girl who dropped out of a Boston-based University (not BU though). All very, very, very relatable to my personal life. Oh, and also, these are some of the greatest songs ever written. But the New Englandness!!!!
Ik luister "Astral Plane" vaak omdat ik die in een afspeellijstje heb staan, maar ik was eigenlijk vergeten hoe goed de plaat van begin tot eind is.
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.
Super Dope
Lovely Jonathan Richman with his beautiful tunes.
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.
Maybe it just evidences my slow moving brain, but I was expecting this to be a New Romantic band. Probably just because Lovers is in the name. It’s not that though, it’s a real nice and gritty garage rock album. I was pleasantly surprised from the get go, and that interest didn’t waver for the rest of the album. Modern Lovers are a band I’d never even heard of before today, but I quite enjoyed this. It also sounds far more modern than it is. This album is almost 50 years old!
I love all the JR I know, but I've never listened to this album in full. really good, really fun
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
This is obviously great but all of my favourite Jonathan Richman stuff is from the next album and on, still great though
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.
Dated sounding, boring rock
I really hate this album. It was intolerable to get through
just felt boring tbh
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
I've enjoyed versions of these songs and this album for years. Well-liked here. Easy rating....
Starts like an album by British punk rockers but they are actually American and bring something unique to the table that reconnects to the 1950s. Saying that they're Proto-Punk diminishes this tradition a bit.
Cool, classic rocknroll shit. Favorite song is "Hospital"
Монотонная нудятина
The entire time I was listening to this album, I was thinking about other bands. When I was still dating, that was usually a sign you needed to move on. This wasn’t a bad album overall, but my first instinct was they sounded like Gaslight Anthem. But then The Kinks (Roadrunner) and then CCR (Pablo Picasso), the Doors (Astral Plane), and especially Velvet Underground came rolling in, especially on songs like Someone I Care About. Even Girlfriend sounded like the Turtles. I didn’t hate this but I think I would prefer listening to the original bands rather than the knock off. Time of move on….
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.
i was expecting to like this... i liked the dreams i had when it sent me to sleep
all the moder lovers tracks
POSTPUNK BABY... but as post punk I thought it was kinda middling
This turned out to be surprisingly boring. This singer's voice sounds like a dead version of Morrison. It really bored me, but there are some good moments here and there. 2 stars.
A fun and creative debut
3.5
Really interesting old rock album. Nice beat/rythm focused songs, easy to groove to.
the vocals don’t do it for me
Loved it when I heard it in my early 20’s and still do in my mid 60’s.
I’ve heard and loved Roadrunner before but I had no idea how good this band was. It’s no surprise they’re one of the bands mentioned in LCD Soundsystem’s Losing My Edge; the influence from Jonathan Richman to James Murphy is a straight line. It’s crazy this came out in 1976, it sounds so contemporary I can only imagine it was a very divisive record at the time. Glad this list got me to listen to this though, it was exactly the sort of thing I love and now a ton of other Jonathan Richman albums to check out as well.
I’ve never understood the hype surrounding this album. It must have been considered ‘groundbreaking’ in its day, but I think that’s largely due to the ‘sameness’ of its contemporaries allowing it to stand apart. While ‘Astral Plane’ is good, the album peaks from the start with ‘Roadrunner’. The rest is a jangling mess summarised by the sophomoric rhyme of ‘Picasso’ and ‘asshole’. Underwhelming.
Lyrics written by a 7th grader, annoying vocals, and basic music do not make for a good album.
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.
Had to turn it off really not a fan. Really not my genre and much of the music was repetitive making it hard to listen to
I dunno, man, it's fun but would this noncommital rambling be as popular if Massholes didn't de facto support everything MA?
A little odd, early punk isn’t my favorite
The Modern Lovers is a great introduction to punk for Power Pop fans. 9.5/10
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.
Really thought I would enjoy this but some of the lyrics are sooo bad. They remind me of the man who sings about cities and towns
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 enjoyed this a lot. I associate Jonathan Richman with much simpler, sillier songs so it was interesting for me to hear him get dark. A couple songs had too much organ and tiptoed into Doors territory but they thankfully didn’t cross the line.
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...
Came in with zero expectations and got blown away. Very similar to Velvet Underground's self-titled and every bit as good. Fun, catchy, not too serious, and so very simple in the instrumentation (it doesn't hit you over the head with volume), which allows for the vocals to really shine. Loved it all! 9/10
Unique sound
Proto-emo masshole jams.
the TBI Doors
Any band who rhymes Picasso with asshole is alright by me, but I can't help feel the producer on this album who isn't John Cale should have wasted less time trying to emulate him.
In this Modern World, sometimes you need a Roadrunner to show you the way from the Old World.
Sounds like The Doors, not my thing
Reminds me of bad punk rock versions of the doors and velvet underground.
Bad songwriting, bad singing, bad playing, boring songs
Everything about this is horrible
Sterke 4’er, et meget solid debutalbum. Jonathan Richman er heilt unike. Blir du fascinert av hans verden, så er det ingen vei tilbake
Kjedelig i lengden. The Doors light, uten å treffe like godt på melodi, stemning, tekst eller vokal.
Good ol’ fashioned underground rock.
Väger mellan tre å fyra. Tycker förstås det är rätt bra. Men saknar låtar som griper tag i en liten extra. Men som tidigare tycker jag helheten är tillräckligt bra. Så det blir en fyra. Skulle absolut kunna lyssna mer.
Kände lite osugen när det tredje 70-talsalbumet på rad dök upp, men gillade denna. Inget mästerverk men tyckte det The Doors:iga soundet ihop med sångarens stil fungerade bra ihop.
3.0/5.0: Good
pretty bland, but not bad
Nearly 50 years old and this still sounds great. A fantastic slice of American proto punk/new wave
“Mom, I wanna get some Velvet Underground!” “We have Velvet Underground at home” This is the Velvet Underground at home. And I mean that in the best possible way.
Good old rock n roll
음.. 너무 러프한데 그당시에 파격적인건가? 근데 계속 듣다보니까 묘하게 좋은거같다. 이 프로그램의 장점이다. 24시간 동안 다음앨범이 안나오는 것의 의도인가..
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.
I don't love this album. In fact I don't even like this album. The vocals all sound lackluster and flat. The music is not very interesting. The songs are short but feel like an eternity.
he sounds like he is 20 beers deep 😭😭 ts so ass
Ég er aðdáandi.
I was interested to hear this as I only knew Roadrunner. It alternated between a poor man's Doors and a poor man's Stooges. Yes, Pablo Picasso was an arsehole and that song gave weird incel vibes. Don't think this one will be troubling my playlist again anytime soon.
This might have been good if it wasn’t for the vocals and lyrics
This was a little bit dreary. Nothing remarkable about it at all. Also, they got Picasso's height wrong.
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.
I don't get it. Music is irrelevant at best, lyrics are bad, vocals are weak. What is the point of this?
Due palle Le alternative manco le ascolto. Non lo ho neanche finito. Noioso,vocals insopportabili. Strumenti generici,il secondo brano è carino. Il resto boh…. Meh Voto reale: 1,5
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
Torture.
What if Jim Morrison was from Boston and lived despite his drinking, and The Doors stayed around long enough to become punky?
Sounds like he's singing while sick and high on cold medicine
Should rock album
Not very interesting, but no strong dislike either
This band definitely has a Velvet Underground sound. While some might be disenchanted with the singers style and voice, I liked it. It lent itself to what they were doing with the music. My expectations weren't high thinking that this should be a top tier band so I liked what they were doing and I liked their energy and vibe. 3.75/5
Heard a few times before but it only really hit me this time just how overwhelming the Velvet Underground influence is on here, probably why i enjoy it so much. Obviously 'Roadrunner' (one of the best songs ever) takes almost directly from the Velvet's 'Sister Ray' (probably the best song ever), but the album is filled with those vibes.
Low grade doors tribute band
Pretty solid overall, I enjoyed it.
I groaned as soon as the vocalist opened his mouth. I really hate the drunk/slurring/atonal/doesn't care affectation of punk singers. It doesn't matter what interesting things they might be doing instrumentally, or lyrically, I can't get past the "singing." (Of course, a whole song based around "Picasso" sort of rhyming with "asshole" doesn't say great things for their lyrics, either.)
4.5
Pretty decent album. I'm adding the group to my listen list.
This sounds like dollar store Doors, but with no talent. This is awful. I really struggled to get through this one. Especially Jonathan Richman's moaning. It got a bonus point because the first song on the album, Roadrunner, reminded me of the movie School of Rock. The rest of the album is garbage. Favorite songs: Roadrunner, Pablo Picasso, I Wanna Sleep In Your Arms Least favorite songs: Hospital, I'm Straight, Dance With Me 2/5
Whilst you can undoubtedly hear the massive influence nyc underground music had on all sorts of music throughout the years, it remains a sound that was (I assume) best listened to live and direct at the time, 60 years have passed however and instead I’m listening to this in my car on the motorway. Sonically this sounds ok, the band are well put together, the music is simple but listenable, the lyrics and actual vocals however are not. Every song sounds like a vague collection of thoughts, designed more to be heard over the sound of clinking glasses and general chit chat, than something to actually be listened to, the subject themes are tedious, lyrics uninspiring, vocals honestly quite boring. By the time we reach “girlfriend” half of the lyrics being the letters or girlfriend being spelled out loud, I had to tap out. There’s nothing wrong with NYC underground, but there’s plenty of examples that have aged better.
It was ok but not for me. Has the samey 1970s rock sound that all rock music from that era has. All songs sounded very similar
What was this? Sounded like a drunk man singing absolute garbage down at the pub, and he wanted you to know he could spell g-i-r-l-f-r-i-e-n-d. An extra star for the guitar
Pönksöngvari reynir að semja og syngja Bítlalag er það eina sem ég gat hugsað um þetta. Afskaplega glatað og leiðinlegt að hlusta á. Ég var mjög feginn þegar platan loksins kláraðist. Aldrei aftur.
I ain’t listenin to allat was not rocking with the first couple songs
I like this, very Velvet Underground although can see why the half spoken vocals are not to everyone's taste. It's alt rock though and suits the songs. The guitar playing is quite unique and doesn't sound like many other bands even in the proto punk days. Not 5* because Girlfriend was a poor track. Mostly liked the rest though and might return to this
All sounded much the same
Although I am familiar with The Cars and Jonathan Richmond, this was totally new to me and I can see why it is revered - a bunch of demos from 1972 which sounds years ahead of most other rock from the era. It's not completely to my tastes but I thought the lyrics were funny and the production was very punchy.
Strange, apparently these were actually recorded in 1971&72 which is interesting how late it was released after recorded. The vocal style I don't really think had really been done, where he's just kind of rambling more than singing. Some parts are funny, its got that like Talking Heads random, making fun of government/corporate/upper-class life lyrical style. Feels like Television in the way that they could be a punk band but aren't really (I guess this is before actually but the point still stands), musically speaking. Favourite songs: roadrunner, Pablo Picasso, someone I care about, modern world, government center, I wanna sleep in your arms. Overall around 7/10
81% Best: Roadrunner; She Cracked; Hospital; Modern World Must-Hear? Maybe
Great energy. Will spin again. Punky, rocky sleazy.
The first time I listened to this album was horrendous. The second time, it was better, since I knew what it was like, but still not a great experience. I just can't stand this type of singing, and the instruments felt bland. There's some nice melodies here and there, but not enough to want me to listen to this album again. And just for the record, Picasso is known to be a misogynist and treating his wifes poorly, so he was kind of an asshole (or maybe I'm missing the point of the song).
Wow this is such a solid 1970s sound. I think once I realized I was listening to psychedelic rock I was more open to the songs, which are silly and weird. But I guess this also classifies as proto-punk? It's a lot to get this right on the tail of Iggy Pop. Anyway, I fully laughed at "Pablo Picasso." What a perfect encapsulation of the self-righteous ridiculousness of a young person. My parents would have been preteens when this album came out and I wonder what they thought of this group, or if they listened at all. I could imagine my dad being into them, but maybe they were too weird? I think I'll ask.
C'est tellement mid, mou et décevant que j'arrête à la cinquième track, ça m’abasourdis et m'insulte que quelqu'un aille l'idée de mettre ça dans la liste des 1001 albums à écouter avant de mourrir. Je pense que le créateur de la liste original s'est lancé dans ce projet là ayant en tête qu'il connaissait forcément au minimum 1001 albums de qualité, pis autour du 400e il s'est rendu compte qu'il était pas mal au bout de ses connaissances musicales. Moi j'dis qu'il aurait du donner le mandat à Tony Fantano, troquant 600 albums de post-punk/new wave/britpop médiocres à 600 albums de hip-hop médiocres, ce qui ne semble d'ailleurs pas une si bonne idée que ça finalement.
Started great but didn’t really keep me at it
Definitely velvet undergroundy sound.
2,5
I love this album. Was great to revisit it.
Very poor. He can't sing and the songs themselves are forgettable.
I thought this was just okay. It feels like The Doors attempting post-punk, to varied levels of success, and I don't like The Doors. Post-punk is a genre with a ton of variety - some of it (like Talking Heads, Wire, Television) fucking rules. A lot of it sucks. This is right in the middle for me. There are some very fun tracks, like Roadrunner or Pablo Picasso, but everything else falls short of that quality. 5/10
A little same-y sounding, maybe that's just the singer, but otherwise a great album! Pablo Picasso was probably called an asshole at some point
Well... Not really my style of music personally. I would have listened to it again but the end of the album really turned me off.
I can see the Velvet Underground influence, and I can appreciate that this was important in a time where punk was first emerging. That being said, there's really not anything on this album worth revisiting for me.
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.
Saaaaai
This was fucking cool
RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE of The Velvet Underground and Talking Heads is the Modern Lovers: chronologically, musically, and lyrically. SO FUN. Jonathan Richman apparently loved great music, influenced by the New York music scene of the late 60s, but he was more optimistic than rebellious. He sings about his love for the old world, and for that matter his love for the modern world. On "Old World" he sings: I had a New York girlfriend And she couldn't understand How I could still love my parents And still love the old world All this is taken up another notch on "She Cracked." What a song. Spoiler alert: she cracked but he won’t. Enjoying life is its own kind of rebellion. Five stars for one of the greatest “unknown” albums of all time. *** Best songs: Roadrunner, Pablo Picasso, Old World, Modern World, She Cracked Best cameo: “Pablo Picasso" on the "Repo Man" soundtrack Best memory: Finding my own copy of this rare and collectible, out-of-print record in an Ann Arbor record store circa 1988 Best opportunity: the one you have if you received this album today.
The Modern Lovers. What a fabulous Album. Even the most cursory of historical dives on this band tells the story of there inevitable disbanding before they even had a chance to explode. However, no amount of troubled history can overshadow the amazing work that is this album. Track to track, it is a tour-de-force of Pre-Punk proclamations for those not yet ready to rebel. The vide is full of energy and attitude that invites you into all the familiar struggles of youth and reminds even those of us that are older, that we should have taken them all more seriously than we did. Yet, even the album arrives after its own time. Do yourself a favor and stop what you're doing, clear the room that has the best sound system you own, and listen to this album! You'll be glad you did, and you'll lament that this is all we really get from the Modern Lovers.
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
Album 736 of 1001 The Modern Lovers - The Modern Lovers (1976) Rating : 3.75 / 5 Nice proto-punk. Listened twice and the 2nd time got me. Great album. Former Velvet Underground's Jonathan Richman is out front and brings a great mix of humor and angst.
meh. should I like this more? i don't.
I don’t get it. And there are plenty of technically ‘bad’ singers who are listenable because of the way they deliver a song, their lyrics, or they have interesting music and production backing them up. This has none of those
it's not bad by any means, but I didn't particularly enjoy it. Kind of meandering. Alright for background noise though
A fabulous bridge between the Velvet Underground and indie rock.
banda alternativosa do começo dos anos 70...2 estrelas.
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.
This could be a soundtrack to a Quentin Tarantino movie. I mean that in a good way.
This is great. Don’t know why I expected it to be boring, but it felt very fresh, engaging throughout the whole thing, and very phun. Really enjoyed it. Glad to have heard it. 4/5
Great album. I love that clean-tone rock and roll
It’s ok, in its way.
Pablo Picasso never got called an asshole
Positiv overraskelse, jeg kunne godt lide det
Super fed, lyder som en forløber for meget af min yndlings-indie! Mega forud for sin tid (specielt efter jeg så at den her optaget i start-70erne????)