The Modern Lovers

Pretty upbeat and I enjoyed the songs.

Pablo Picasso was never called an asshole

Das 1976 veröffentlichte Album "The Modern Lovers" der gleichnamigen US-amerikanischen Band gilt als einflussreiches Werk des Proto-Punk und Garage Rock. Die Aufnahmen entstanden bereits zwischen 1971 und 1973 in Studios wie Intermedia Sound in Boston und A&M Studios in Los Angeles. ​ Die Band bestand aus Jonathan Richman (Gesang, Gitarre), Jerry Harrison (Keyboard), Ernie Brooks (Bass) und David Robinson (Schlagzeug). Ihre Musik ist geprägt von minimalistischen Arrangements und direkten Texten. Herausragende Stücke des Albums sind "Roadrunner", "Pablo Picasso" und "Hospital". "Roadrunner" wurde später von den Sex Pistols gecovert und gilt als Klassiker des Genres. ​ Insgesamt stellt "The Modern Lovers" ein bedeutendes Album dar, das den Weg für spätere Punk- und New-Wave-Bewegungen ebnete. Es verbindet rohe Energie mit introspektiven Texten und bleibt ein Meilenstein der Rockgeschichte.​

Joaa, ganz nett

Great album to illustrate the evolution of music styles; you can hear the vaguely Punk Rock style turn toward a more Alternative-y version of itself. Sometimes there are hints of it being even more ahead of its time. But also many of the songs don't work for me, so from my subjective perspective it gets 3 stars.

Well, some people try to pick up girls And get called assholes This never happened to Pablo Picasso He could walk down your street And girls could not resist his stare and so Pablo Picasso was never called an asshole I can really get behind this message. You don't have to be good looking, you just have to be an artist. And, that can be cultivated. Artists have to have confidence.

Pretty good, reminds me of television but not as interesting guitar playing

Pretty mid

I've always like Jonathan Richmans voice and he's obviously a talented storyteller and songwriter. I mean I can just picture Picasso cruising around in his El Dorado and all the girls swooning over his hard stare and never callling him an asshole. The guy must have been on something really strong! Or maybe he just wanted someone who rhymed with asshole. Fidel Castro got lucky. 3½ for me. Though some of the songs failed to hit the mark so downgraded to 3.

My first thought was how a band could open an album with a cover song. Then I learned they recorded the album long before the 1979 release, and it was the pistols covering them.

5/10

Solid album Standout songs: Roadrunner Pablo Picasso

Tempted to give this a 5 to balance out the 1 star reviews. If you gave this a 1, you haven’t listened to enough on this list.

Liked the one Bowie covered, Pablo Picasso, though his version is far superior.

These songs were fine but forgettable. Totally average for what I imagine the era would get you, which makes sense if it’s true this sat unreleased for several years. 2.5/5

.-.

Fun little rocker. Kept me interested through out

The main vocalist has a very distinctive voice which I think could be divisive but I found it was enjoyable. I was surprised at how modern it sounded for an album from 1972. Some songs sounded like Pulp, which I enjoyed.

naja, nicht wirklich. dann aber via Roadrunner und das (miserable!) cover der Sex Pistols doch noch irgendwie verstanden, weshalb das album für die rockgeschichte wichtig ist. und vielleicht besser als beim ersten durchhören.

Maybe a 4, trying to review things retroactively

what's good is good, what's bad is bad, sorry paz.

Another introduction to me. Sounds like a worse copy of "The Doors". I prefer the David Bowie version of "Pablo Picasso" but having the original version here plus a few more o.k. tracks ("She Cracked", "Modern World", "Dignified An Old") sums up to a weak three stars vote. 2,5

Buen disco, admiradores de la Velvet

As the book blurb says - very Lou Reed inspired. It was Just ok.

Very average, but average is not bad

Some mid 70s rock that delivers about what you'd expect it to. It's good, probably somebody's favorite, but just ok to me.

Decent grooves but gets a bit tedious with Jonathan's singing. I liked Dignified as a stand out. 2.5/3

The singing was not the best part of the album. The music was all right, but the talking/singing was not something I am a fan of, but I know it's appealing to some. It is great music for just chilling with a 70s vibe.

This band and album was completely new to me. Proto-punk apparently. Reminded me a little of Sex Bob-Omb (Scott Pilgrim). A raw, juvenile US garage band. It was ok, but won’t be added to my favourites list.

Really enjoyed the first few songs but it just went on a bit too long. However I have had roadrunner roadrunnaaAAA stuck in my head for a day so well done.

Neat and fun but also kinda annoying to me

this was pretty fun but also a bit boring i thought at points ... but i had a good time

Jonathan Richman is a love or hate kind of guy. I tend to enjoy his goofier, less self serious songs. This record is a bit more traditional when it comes to the songwriting. It’s not a bad listen per se - but not my first choice of Richman albums.

Kojarzyć się może z The Doors albo The Strokes. Wokal momentami jakby niezbyt trzeźwy i czysty. Do przesłuchania i zapomnienia, ale uszy nie krwawią. Mocne 6/10, jedną nogą ponad przeciętnością.

I have a soft spot for things that are somewhat proto-punk like this. The singing is done pretty bland and uninteresting, but it fits the aesthetic pretty well. The relatively simple riffs and playing is done really well and I find the songs to be very engaging, even if the things that are sung about don't always make sense.

Started out pretty cool, but at some point it started to drone on too long. RIP Anthony Bourdain tho. 3/5 Highlights: Roadrunner Astral Plane

Remarkably British sounding album from a non-British band.

I've heard this before. Among the various "lead singers who can't sing" I put Jonathan Richman near the top. But this album is a bit inconsistent. I think the Modern Lovers come into their own a little later on. But this is the only album from the "classic" Modern Lovers lineup, and it turns out to have been pretty influential. I can only give it 3 stars...just too inconsistent to rank higher. Soft 3 stars.

The doors dupe

I didnt know that Jonathan Richmand was the front man. Sounds like a bored velvet underground though

Half the time I can’t tell if they’re being intentionally simplistic or just tired.

This was fine. It sounded very raw. It reminded me a little bit of The Ramones, and a LOT of the Strokes. Or I guess I should say now that The Strokes sound like these guys.

Felt like I'm in the studio with my friend's high school band

Vocals are off putting but grew on me, they were kinda cooking near the end of the album Still pretty good though

Middle of the road. Sounds like a mash-up of several 60s bands. Nothing special to see here, folks.

I wanted to like this album more than I did. That's probably because I've got some friends who speak highly of Jonathan Richman, but I get the feeling I just like his later stuff better. This album feels like a promising starting point, not a blast out of the gate. The suburban take on Velvet Underground was hit-or-miss for me. I think the faster ones worked better for me - Roadrunner and Astral Plane will get into my rotation. The slower ones often felt a little unfocused, slipping past dispassionate right into low energy. Unfortunately I found songs like Pablo Picasso, Someone To Care About, and I'm Straight downright creepy, and not in a good way. Turns out I'm less scared by Lou Reed singing about heroin than a suburban boy trying to be Lou Reed singing about how hard it is being a Nice Guy. These didn't sound like songs about people, they sounded like songs about somebody who wants roles filled in his life. I had trouble shaking the feeling that this album sells a lot of fedoras. Maybe I should take a cue from "Girlfriend", which I think lets us in on the joke a little. You can't make your refrain "G-I-R-L-F-R-E-N" and not have a sense of humor about your Heavy Deep and Real feelings. TL;DR: liked the garage rock, miss me with the art rock.

The Modern Doors, amirite?

I've heard this before. Among the various "lead singers who can't sing" I put Jonathan Richman near the top. But this album is a bit inconsistent. I think the Modern Lovers come into their own a little later on. But this is the only album from the "classic" Modern Lovers lineup, and it turns out to have been pretty influential. I can only give it 3 stars...just too inconsistent to rank higher. Soft 3 stars.

Not too bad.

3.0 2x

Cake’s weird stepbrother. Roadrunner rules.

Big velvet underground vibes on this album, which isn’t a bad thing. Good album can see how it influenced a lot of the punk music that would quickly follow, worthy of this list, will I come back to it, I’m not so sure.

Firmly in the 'warrants further exploration' bracket. Deos lots of interesting things ... possibly some droney boring things too. Lots of influences. Sounds like the Fall, or even something like Parquet Courts. Intriguing.

A good proto-punk album. Shame the band lost a few members (to The Cars and Talking Heads) and could never quite match this effort again.

Listened to the original release first, found it quite good. Thinking "yo, I should check out the bonus tracks then" I listen to Government Center and it's one of the worst songs ever songed Hospital is very nice tho

hudba, ze které jdou cítit drogy. Nic revolučního, ale fajn.

The singer has a unique singing style amd voice. It makes for an interesting listen

My guess is these dudes hung out with Morrison, Bowie...Lou Reed? First listen, and I dig it. Sort of like spoken word.

Decent but unspectacular.

The music was not bad, but I wasn't a fan of the singing. Too moody or something.

Catchy, but it didn’t really stick with me. The highlights were really good but the rest of the album was not very memorable. Highlights: Old World, Pablo Picasso, I’m Straight

3.5

Good

Quirky. “Pablo Picasso” was hilarious. I became aware of this song by David Bowie covering it on his 2003 album REALITY.

Didn’t get much of it listened to but I can hear some things I Ike. Can hear some other bands possibly taking influence from this group

Could tell right away that this was influenced by The Velvet Underground. It's a fine listen. Did not like the Pablo Picasso song. Some of the other song lyrics aren't great. Like 1960s rock creeping towards punk.

Eh

Kinda boring

Roadrunner is the dumbest rock 'n' roll start to an album. I like dumb rock 'n' roll. Elsewhere and the energy can't be matched. The album has its moments. Someone I Care About has a great buzz about it. The Strokes are clearly fans.

groundwork foundation of what would become 80s styled 'laid-back' rock. pretty cool

I've been familiar with the song Roadrunner forever, but I've never actually listened to anything else by the Modern Lovers. There's a cool energy they capture in that opening track that the rest of the album doesn't quite ever rise to again. It made for a decent listen though, and I'd probably put this on again occasionally.

Started strong, dipped in the middle, but then I liked it again by the end. Interesting history too. 3.49/5

If you told me this was a loving parody of this kind of album, made by the Hippos in the late 90s, I'd have never questioned it. Still, there are a couple songs on here that I like unironically.

The Modern Lovers huh? Never heard of them. Reminds me of The Doors. It was okay it definitely had that 60s sounds but mixed in with some newer sounding sounds. I'll give it 3 stars

Early punk that sounds like it’s got some Cali surf influence to it. I liked it. It was goofy but good. Probably a fun band to see live. The singer sounds drunk and the drummer can really play. Otherwise it was pretty straightforward.

Local band. Another group that was heavily influenced by Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground. I did enjoy it but I prefer the VU

Much of this sounds, as so many bands do, like a descendant of Lou Reed. So I grew up in Boston where Roadrunner was a bit of an FM (WBCN) anthem. I never listened to the whole album but its quite astounding considering it was produced in 1972 and at the forefront of the Punk movement. While it mostly has the sound and crude vocals and sparse production of Punk, the themes seem anti-Punk in their lack of raw emotion, love of parents, wanting of girlfriend and someone to care for, being straight, and generally loving life. In the end it has some value, especially considering its context, and there are good songs. But it does get tiresome, particularly the vocals.

Seeing a lot of bad reviews for this but I’m enjoying it. It’s a little quirky, obviously in the vein of Velvet Underground and Talking Heads. Not as sophisticated or intricate, but worth a listen.

Best cool, maar pakt me ook niet echt. Paar lekkere nummers.

Alright, but the tunes can get a bit repetitive and lacking in some creativity

Can't believe I never heard this before. Will need to give it another listen. Pretty solid overall.

While nothing really grabbed me, it has some important historical value as a listen and definite influential in context to other groups that came after The Modern Lovers.

++: Old World, Pablo Picasso, She Cracked, Hospital, Modern World +: Road Runner, Astral Plane, Someone I Care About -: Grirlfriend 7,9/10

I’ve listened to this album 3 or 4 times over the past 15 or so years trying to get it. I see it on “best of” lists all the time and it’s constantly praised as this phenomenal rock album. I don’t get it. It just sounds like a band who really wanted to make a Velvet Underground album but forgot to add all the weirdness and experimentation that makes VU so unique. They can all play their instruments well enough and my wife was bobbing her head to it so that’s worth a couple stars I guess

A solid punk album with some pretty cringe lyrics, though some of the slower songs like Hospital provided an eeriness that gave a nice balance and made it a bit less predictable

I need a G-I-R-L-F-R-E-N

whatever

July 4, 2024 HL: "Hospital", "Roadrunner", "Someone I Care About", "Dignified & Old" (bonus) I like the organ, thanks Jerry Context is important; if this was recorded when it was released (1976), it feels like awkward trend-chasing. Knowing that it was actually recorded as early as 1971 makes it surprisingly Modern! Despite its similarities to 90s alternative & its likeability, if we're talking about marble-mouthed proto-punk music, it has stiff competition in this list. Like, if I had a choice between The Modern Lovers, vs Lou Reed, or Iggy Pop, or New York Dolls, or Television...

An era in a bottle.

It's kinda fun.

Surprisingly enjoyable. Echoes of the Doors, Roxy Music etc

Eh, not really anything that special. Not really any songs I like in particular. It wasn’t terrible though.

It was fine. The vocals were a little weird, and some of the songs a bit chaotic. But it was fine.

could i write poetry to this? n

While it's an interesting and influential album, I'm giving it three stars because Jonathan Richman's voice and talk-singing style gets on my nerves after a while. Add a half-star because I didn't know that The Talking Heads' Jerry Harrison was also in The Modern Lovers.

If the songs were all less than 3 minutes I'd give it a five. There's a lot to like about this album, but the songs get repetitive and repetitive.

Solid.

Decently enjoyable

Blind album and artist. Another not so spectacular album that did not pique my interest, but glad I try new things. Cant say I didnt!

I'm a bit of a sucker for Jonathan's 'aw shucks just turned up here at the studio from the middle of nowhere with a guitar after two days on a Greyhound bus vibe' tied to a sunnier version of the VU groove. This is pretty good summary of his style, not for everyone.

Whimsical and laid back at the same time, but when I listened to the lyrics it was kinda silly. Still okay in the background.

Not bad

Ok

As it started, I thought that I would be able to enjoy the album. Then it just started to get really really boring to me. It kind of made me think of a band from my college days...but then when I took a quick listen to some tracks from that college band, it actually sounded nothing like them. I am not sure why they came to mind.

Okay.

Mark VB type beat

I don’t really know where to begin…? This was a unique experience for sure. The songs are sometimes about something and sometimes about…nothing (Picasso wasn’t ever called an asshole, apparently). The singer sounded like a precursor to mumble rap. The instrumentals were generally great. I really liked a few of the songs but on the whole this was just ok. Probably pretty great if you’re into mid-70’s proto-punk or new wave. There’s definitely some Talking Heads in here (though they wouldn’t debut fully until the following year), and even some Doors (mainly the keyboard playing/riffs). The lead singer was probably also the inspiration for the Hold Steady’s lead singer, if I had to guess. Also the song about how a woman was probably “magical as a little girl” or whatever was weird and I didn’t want it. I get that they’re the “Modern” “Lovers” but this and a couple other songs just didn’t age well. Oh and the misspelling of “girlfriend” in the lyrics was probably supposed to be funny but it…wasn’t…? Or it was the first time? Overall this was good. Another three star album to throw onto the pile. Standout tracks: Roadrunner, Astral Plane, She Cackled, Someone I Care About

Some good stuff in here, even some flashes of brilliance, but like most Jonathan Richman the songs are all too long and repetitive. Excellent production but I was antsy by the end. Low 3.

"Girlfriend" was great. It honestly felt like a mix of Television and Bruce Springsteen which was alot of fun. Otherwise the album was fine.

It was alright. I liked the start, but it got kind of slow and lackluster in the middle.

The Modern Lovers is like 2 albums in one. At times it’s very Stooges, indie punk and I like that and at times they sound like a bad Doors cover band. When they are good it sounds quite modern. 5.9/10

slightly whiny, monotone voice. Repetitive rhythms. Some nice shreddy moments. Not bad for punk.

The singer had a very strange cadence which was kind of throwing me off all album. But this wasn't terrible for a punk album. Low 3

Насколько легко меня подкупить на синты doors? Да Но в остальном вокал мне не сильно зашел да и музыка не развивает идею дверей, а больше похоже на копирование Алкоальбом: паленный виски

Какие-то велветы, только всратые... или не всратые. Хз, чёт я не выкупил до конца видимо, как-то нудненько. Почитал про роль перехода от глэма к панку через минимализм... звучит, как оправдание какое-то. I'm Straight, чё сказать. Ну кст есть ещё классная почти блюзовая My Girlfriend. Но так что-то плохо отложилось.

Not great but not bad, my favorites were “Roadrunner” and “Modern World.”

It started off very promising. Ultimately it’s a little too much of the same thing when you listen to the whole album. At its best it does remind me of the velvet underground a bit.

57/100 Some good, some bad, some made me think of OkkRiv

A weird little album. The singer isn't very good but I still find him kinda charming, and the songs range from banal and empty to refreshingly direct. I do think there's a good pop rock band here but they only sometimes manage to emerge. Best song: Astral Plane

If The Doors were proto-punk vampires. 3.5

Sounded just like Velvet Underground. Not a bad thing but just not as original as it's made out to be..

Generally a bit forgettable although also feels forward thinking. Probs would sit with some early 90s stuff to be honest. 2.7

2.5

I was surprised by the recognition of the opening track as I went in blind. A good pop song and rest of the album seemed fun but dated. A 3.5 if there was half marks.

It’s like The Doors and The Velvet Underground made a baby. Most songs sound earlier than 1976. I like it. 3.2

I'm absolutely baffled by the deluge of upvoted 1 star reviews here. This is pretty nice you know. It's got a good energy to much of it and has some nice bopping tunes. Some of the songs are a bit droney and repetitive and those I like less.

Good album. Meanders a lot but quite interesting. Unlikely to listen again

Hadn’t heard of these guys before. Sounds like they have influenced a lot of stuff later on. Not really something I’ll revisit but decent enough.

Some of this is good. But this lead singer does NOT have the pipes to carry a ballad. “Hospital” and “Girl Friend” are both huge momentum killers, and the album would have been so much better if they had both been left off it entirely. And I’m pretty sure it’s well-documented that Pablo Picasso was, in fact, an asshole.

Slightly refreshing actually. Instead of macho postering which was very common in the 70s, we get some vulnerability and angst. Yet it still maintains some abrasiveness. It isn't perfect by any stretch but it's decent.

Spiritual successors to The Doors and Velvet Underground, Spiritual predecessors of Punk and New York Art Rock. I'm sure many people love this band, and fair play to them. To me it sounds like a decent college band. In parts it almost sounds like a parody of the style it helped spawn. They are in the old world. Goodbye old world, here comes the new world. We have iphones now and Netflix, not sure we need Blockbuster video. It was great at the time, but now life is easier, perhaps blander, but being lazy is a valid way of coping.

I'm SO tired of 70s albums, so I had very, very low expectations of this album. I had a bad attitude during the first song, so it was headed for a very low rating. But once I settled in, the album is actually quite good! It sounds less like 70s rock to me, and more like early 2000s the the vein of The Strokes, The Killers, etc. It's not earth shattering, but it's a unique sound for the 70s. Comfortable 3 stars

Liked the Lou Reed vibe. Might listen again.

All new to me but enjoyed it

6.5/10

Lively. Nothing special

I find it very comedic that seminal albums in the proto-punk, punk, and post-punk genres all came out within the same year, as it really shows how loose those titles are. This album, in particular, doesn't feel especially punk-ish, save for its indifferent vocal delivery and some more strange guitar solos. If anything, its just a 70s take on rock 'n' roll with more angst-ridden lyrics, but it can still feel pretty stereotypical. The coolest thing to come out of this band, in my opinion, is the members that went on to be in bigger projects like Talking Heads and the Cars, as you can hear it a little here, and its neat enough as is, but when you start to forget the influences and changes, you start to suspect that perhaps the world of punk would have continued without this album, as its more of a Velvet Underground re-hash at its most out there, and while it certainly had its sway on the music world, as I mentioned it was already competing with punk and post-punk acts at the time of its release. Its more of a cool story tied into an alright album, with a good track or two to keep it in the limelight. Certainly not bad, but outclassed by everyone around them, and its hard to see it another way, personally.

Antecedente del punk, el álbum homónimo de The Modern Lovers concentra la angustia juvenil en su rock & roll sin artificios mezclado con art-rock inspirado en la Velvet Underground. No en vano su origen son las maquetas que el grupo grabó con John Cale tres años antes. Destaca el primer tema del disco, el clásico "Roadrunner". Y me gustan "Old World", "Modern World", "She Cracked" y la emotiva "Someone I Care About". También el sarcasmo de "Pablo Picasso", donde la letra dice algo así como "A Pablo Picasso nunca le llamaron gilipollas... no como a ti".

This album feels pretty damn ahead of it's time, by that I mean the singer is mostly bad. But I gotta say it's sometimes a vibe. A lot of these don't land but then they bring out a cool Doors-style solo and win me back. It's a love hate relationship. The lyrics can be funny and real too. I love the idea of it but it's not the most enjoyable music at times lmao.

Doors ish

decent record!

Not bad

Some of the songs are a little annoying but overall not a bad listen

It was fine, if it came on the radio I would keep it on and sing along. But nothing revolutionary or different. Maybe they one of the first but felt very much like other music of that time.

I mean, I might call Pablo Picasso an asshole if he was being an asshole. But I get the point, lol. This album is fun, I enjoyed the lyrics. Nothing was particularly moving or catchy, but it was likable nonetheless.

was disappointed "She Cracked" wasn't about Fortnite

Fun music, like this type of early 'new wave' music, got energy and nice rhythms. Favorite: "Hospital". Still, not one I would play again and again

It’s a good punk album and makes for an interesting listen. Kinda mellow but still punk. It is a long album, maybe overly long. I can see why it belongs on this list.

Really interisting, somewhere between Stones, Clash and Oasis

I'd give the vocals a D, but that's pretty much par for the course for classic punk. Otherwise this was fine.

Voice varied from great to kinda annoying, I think it suits alot of the songs but not all.

Decent, has me pining for roxy music

The Strokes definitely listened to these guys.

On first listen I just wrote it off as some weird punk record, but there is a lot here that I ignored until really paying attention. This is a very personal and very individual album. It's got an indie feel that I haven't seen in a lot of other punk from this era, and it makes it stand out more than I thought. I'm not the worlds biggest fan of it, but it certainly has some respect from me. Favorites were Roadrunner, Hospital, and Modern World

Weird and punky, I liked this. Very much a predecessor to indie music that would come later. Favorite songs were Roadrunner, Pablo Picasso, and Modern World

Best Songs: (No bangers, but enjoyable overall) Listen Again: Yes

All you 1 and 5 star-ers are overstating your case. Solid 3 star album. Obviously a big influence on what was to come.

This album reminds me of a lot of the things coming out in the mid 60s British invasion period. It's not bad, certainly better than a lot of the offerings that have been given. Not sure I would seek them out, but I'd listen to them if they came on randomly.

That's not my taste in musik. But ok

It played nicely

Of it’s time but I liked it, mostly.

This album reminded me so much if the doors, but generally in a lesser way. Still enjoyed the album, and I really like rhe song Pablo Picasso, but overall, a very average album to me.

I can't say I've heard an album like it before. Really accurately depicts what the punk genre tries to embody in my opinion. It isn't the most pleasant listen but fascinating, unique, and artistic.

Great instrumentals that are fun to listen to, but the vocals on this are bad. The singer is trying too hard to sound like a 70's Britipop singer

Liked this

Loved the music (5/5), hated the lyrics and the singing (1/5). On a song or two it works, but not a whole album. Averages to a 3/5.

Mid 70s rock

Great early proto-punk sound. Clearly a huge influence on many who came after. "Hospital" is a standout to me, different sound with the same raw energy.

The Modern Lovers Lyrics by Lou Reed Vocals by Julian Casablancas Guitars by The Velvet Underground Vibes by Blondie Pleased to hear the original ‘pablo Picasso’ (as covered by Bowie)

Un disco estupendo que voy a volver a escuchar.

Pretty good background music.

(Approx. 62 mins.) Early punk rock. Singular sound, lots of spoken lyrics. (5/10)

It was a different kind of album, interesting, 3 stars

Strong 3

this wasn’t bad. it kind of reminded me of a mashup of iggy pop and the pretenders.

Fíla þetta, næstum því hrátt, samt eitthvað smúþ.

Their style gets kind of annoying after a while but still fine.

I feel like w a lot of these I don’t actively dislike them but I just would never choose to listen to them… this to me was like someone got really into karaoke and popped off a little bit. I think there’s a bit of a disconnect between the music n the singing and the dudes voice is not super compelling 5/10

Didn’t quite get through the whole thing, but pretty solid. Not amazing 6.5/10

There’s definitely some good and some bad on this album. I like the overall sound and most of the songs have a pretty cool vibe, but the song hospital illustrates everything I dislike about the album. Dude’s voice can be annoying as fuck at times, and he tries to do some weird, taylor swift like spoken word rap shit that just doesn’t work at all. Like a really shitty attempt to mimic Lou reed. However, the album is still kinda weirdly charming. I really don’t know how I feel about this. 5/10

Knew I recognized that voice! Once I remembered where, the album got higher rated.

2.5

Not bad, but not my thing. Except for the Pablo Picasso song

The Modern Lovers by The Modern Lovers Monday 5/6/2024, 1:27, office S Tier————————— Roadrunner A Tier————————— Astral Plane Pablo Picasso Modern World B Tier————————— She Cracked Someone I Care About C Tier————————— Old World Hospital Girlfriend

John!

Decent music, but the lyrics were literally cringe. They were painful to listen to.

7/10

80s Pop Punk vibes

Basically Roadrunner is the only good track, but he's having fun, and that makes it far more redeemable in my eyes then a lot of the self indulgent stuff you'll hear on this list.

Odd, interesting. Probably wouldn't listen to again. +1 for G-I-R-L-F-R-E-N 3/5

70s style talk songs, good for road trips imo. First song on the album is most popular. Album has a lot of songs that sound the same. Mostly more of the same kind of 70s riffing, and talk singing...

I have a soft spot for rambling music like this 3

Fun, driving riffs that feel pitched right between rock n roll and punk. Definitely draws influence from The Velvet Underground. There’s a lot of irony and sarcasm baked into the music and vocals but I actually think that’s just a cover for lead singer Jonathan Richman to hide his earnestness. Song after song, he seems to crave love and sincerity. “Old World,” for example, is an open-hearted song about nostalgia for the ‘50s. “Hospital” was a nice change from the faster paced tracks. I liked the vulnerability of the lyrics. It’s a strange, sad song about a bad relationship. It stopped me in my tracks and made an impression. I enjoyed this. A more varied mix of sounds or maybe some surprising lyrical turns would have pushed this into excellent territory. But it’s a strong album.

Sometimes I feel like these apathetic "wah wah" kind of vocal sounds get annoying fast and I don't end up having the patience to listen for very long. I'm really either hot or cold on it, because sometimes I really do actually like them. There's this "round-ness" to them that specifically annoys me though, like in "Astral Plane"'s intro, the words "room" and in"sane", where the singer comes up from under the pitch, then goes over it, and then comes back down in what I imagine is a circular motion. The nice thing though is that I really think it fits in this band, and come to think of it I don't often hear that sort of sound in this type of classic rock too often. So that's nice. Now that I realize it, "Astral Plane" in general is a great song. I love the Doors-like organ parts, and the loose drumming that is nicely in the pocket but also just bopping around. Ok I know why I am start to like this so much. "Hospital" sounds like a song from the band Okkervil River, which is one of my favorite bands of all time. It is uncanny how similar the whole sound of the track sounds like an Okkervil song (even though Okkervil came out like 20 years after this band). I love it! I kind of wish the whole album sounded like this whole. "I go to bakeries all day long there's a lack of sweetness in my life." I love how silly this lyric is.

The lyrics are just weird enough to be interesting but not off-putting. That being said, I wasn’t sold on the vocals. They weren’t irritating, they just bordered on sounding bored/drunk. The instrumentals were fun, but didn’t really stick out to me as anything super unique or hypnotizing. I wouldn’t mind if the songs were on the radio but I’m also probably not going to go out searching for them.

Nice vocals, nice lyrics, awesome balls

I quite liked this

Quite enjoyed this - as people have said, the quality is pretty patchy, but Roadrunner and Modern World are real highlights. It's super simple, stripped back rock music focused around the vocals (which is odd, given his voice isn't that strong). That said, his lyrics are fun, and the attitude comes across in spades. Probably not an album I'll revisit (although I'll save a couple of the best songs) 3/5.

They remind me of Cake.

Sounded very familiar, lead singer looked familiar too. Not something I would buy, probably.

That were alright, weren’t it? A low 3

Not interesting

It reminded me of the episode of Rick and Morty episode where they have to come up with a hit song to save the planet

3.5/5. This was alright. A but different from something that I would listen to, but I kind of liked it. Some parts of it were fun.

Pretty good! Enjoyed the instrumentals especially.

Fine

5/10. Yeah, I just don't get it.

It's crazy after listening to so many Velvet Underground projects that this is so clearly produced John Cale. I had to check that like 2 seconds into the first song. Unfortunately it's pretty slow. 5/10

one of the last proto-punk records before punk debuted. This makes sense where the Modern Lovers' self-titled debt was actually recorded years prior to being released. A lot of Modern Lovers' songs are based around solid hooks with a driving garage rock energy that almost borders on power pop. Jonathan Richman's vocal delivery is what gives the Modern Lovers their proto-punk sheen.

Not bad, but nothing here really stood out for me.

I know this band thanks to M.I.A.'s cover of Roadrunner. The rest of the album felt like it was trying to take off, but it just didn't go anywhere. Maybe I should listen to another of their albums since I'm intrigued enough. We shall see.

Started strong, fizzled fast. Just couldn't get into it because nothing was really catching my interest

Je connaissais la version de David Bowie de Pablo Picasso; je ne savais pas qu’ils en étaient les auteurs. Certaines chansons me rappellent The Velvet Underground, me plaisent ; mais en général, je trouve que ça ressemble à plusieurs groupes du genre et que la prestation du chanteur est un peu maniérée.

Pretty fun album. I find myself enjoying psychedelic rock quite a bit more than I imagined. There were more than a few tracks that missed the mark for me here, but the ones that hit were really enjoyable. Favorite track: She Cracked

I enjoyed it but it started to get quite repetitive

early punk that didn't make much of an impression.

не люблю разговорный вокал, называйтесь хип-хоп тогда

Interesting album, kind of a transitional album from rock to punk. Not every song is great, but there are definitely a couple of entertaining songs.

A lot of the albums on this list are plagued by dumb lyrics, even (especially?) many of the ones that I really like. It's easy to overlook a line that sounds like it was scribbled on a bathroom stall if everything sounds great. I was hopeful that would be the story of this album, because I really wanted to like it. The guitarist is really talented and almost always doing something interesting...but the words are just so egregiously idiotic, and they're highlighted by their repetitiveness, making them impossible to ignore. The weirdest part of all of it is that the guitarist is also the lead vocalist. Get out of your own way, man! Best track: Roadrunner

The Modern Lovers is the debut album by American rock band the Modern Lovers. This art rock / garage rock album was an outstanding critical success and influenced tons of aspiring punk rock musicians. It had that early punk rock feeling while also being lyrically down-to-earth. The Modern Lovers is an awesome album start to finish, and I'm excited to listen to other music from the band.

Other than "Roadrunner" I don't know if I've heard other music from The Modern Lovers. Overall, I enjoyed the album and "Roadrunner" was my favorite track. The vocals sometimes drift away from recognizable melodies into an almost spoken-word delivery of the lyrics, but I'm okay with that because the overall energy of the tracks as a whole. I think that the band is doing something interesting with their version of punk-ish rock and roll. There were a few tracks in the middle that I would probably skip on a re-listen, but I definitely would be interested in hearing more from the band.

almost. sounds like they influenced dandy warhols but were influenced by andy warhol

Safa, pero en todos los temas me da la sensación de que se lo chorearon a alguien (the cure, the doors, pink floyd, cake), aunque son mas viejos jaja.

honestly impressed this is from the mid 70s they seem like an early American version of the arctic monkeys

Good mid 70's punk sound with exploratory lyrics. Great use of space. Nothing crazy, but a solid album all the same

It’s quite clear what sort of records were influenced by this one. The post punk sound is pretty refreshing and it all circles back to the writing which is well done. An overall interesting piece of ‘70s rock.

One cool song and a bunch of middling ones

I was expecting a full album of Bowie's Modern Love so this was rather dissapointing

Uneven album

I know you can be overwhelmed, and I know you can be underwhelmed. But can you ever just be whelmed?

Meh

I know one song from this album, "Hospital." I heard it in some random Timothy Chalamet A24 movie called Hot Summer Nights. Movie didn't leave an impression but the song and the scene with it sure did. I'm surprised to hear this is so critically acclaimed, not because it's bad but because I've never heard anything about this band or album prior to hearing the one song in a throwaway movie. I wish there was more on here for me to latch onto, but it's pretty generic. What was the deal in the '70s with American bands trying to sound British and vice versa? Here's a prime example. Favorite tracks: Hospital, Girlfriemd, Old World. Album art: Band name/logo. Cool-ish style. 3/5

Listened Before? N Ok this was better! I loved this album. Early formation of punk sounds and quick, fun songs. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Modern World (Alternative Version)

Fun punk jams, but a little repetitive

Edgy and bedraggled all at once because of the edgy crispy little guitar riffs, snappy drums, and sweet keys and bedraggled with the spent last night in the gutter vocals. Amazing that these musicians washed into the Cars and Talking Heads-- such major bands. I liked it. Overall, a cool album

Jonathan Richman always makes me smile with his odd, eccentric voice and lyrics. My attention for this album waned after a few tracks and my interest for this played like a midwest state fair... "Oh, look! It's the state's largest watermelon" or "Hey, let's go pet the goats, chickens and rabbits and afterward eat some meat on a stick." Mmm, that was good. You were hungry! ..It takes a little while, but eventually you realize you devoured half-cooked meat on a stick after petting farm animals and didn't wash you hands between activities Now, you feel an urgent need to leave.

Estilo facilón con voz un tanto melancólica, con canciones con acordes un tanto básicos, pero cómodo de escuchar. Ningún corte destacable o muy reconocido

So incredibly ahead of it's time. They are basically a Pavement prequel.

Astral plane is pretty nice and Pablo Picasso has a fun tune

Dude’s weird but the songwriting is undeniably great.

Proto 80s new wave in the 70s!

Didn't like the vocals

Instrumentalists were solid as fuck but I was not into the slam poetry and the lyrics felt worse than jam band lyrics

Old School American Rock. Sounds like it could be on GOTG. Quite fun. Sometimes cringe.

Seems nice enough. Solid Velvet Underground like rock.

Honestly, not my taste but I can see someone enjoying this really good.

I quite enjoyed this but it came off the back of a week of very difficult listens. Always quite liked the NY new wave/proto punk scene. Apart from Roadrunner it's pretty basic fare but it's come at a time of rare generosity on my marking.

Ok

I regret to say I don’t find Jonathan Richman’s innocence on The Modern Lovers to be as endearing as say Taylor Swift’s on ‘Fearless’ or Soulja Boy’s on ‘souljaboytellem.com’ (who have the advantage of being actual teenagers when they recorded those albums), but nevertheless the music is plenty catchy and he has his endearingly innocent lyrical moments; from the funny “Pablo Picasso was never called an asshole” to the beautifully well-meaning “I won’t pretend I like a girl if I really don’t”. If lovers in the modern world were all like that, we’d live in a better world.

Well well well

"underground rock", kinda raw guitars and vocals but not harsh. Some good synth/organ driven stuff too

Man, I am two minds on this .. Some songs were really good, but then some were just him being like, "Johnny's stoned... But I'm not... If Johnny's so great, why's he stoned?" Over and over Just gonna split the difference

Poppy quirky goodness

It’s like if The Doors were less pretentious and more stoned.

Classic east coast sound, which I love. Bitch wants to be Lou Reed soooo bad but I’d simply rather listen to Velvet Underground

idk whatever it was fine

Found this a bit grating on first listen due to Jonathan Richman's voice but I was compelled to give it another go and didn't mind it.

Kind of like The Doors but worse

I didn't find any exemplary compositions or reasons to listen at length on The Modern Lovers, but the synth adds just the right edge to the sometimes-whiny affect.

quite good

Interesting early punk, some decent tracks.

R U KIDDING THIS STUPID WEBSITE JUST DELETED SLL MY NOTES AND IM NEARLY FONISHED THE ALBUM anyways i’ll still do my wrap up. This album is very cool, many songs are really similar but the band knows what works for them. They have a very particular range which doesn’t offer much excitement or change but is easy listening. The drums to me are a stand out on this album, especially on songs like Hospital and the breakdown in RoadRunner with a big use of high hats. I really enjoy the way this album is song, it’s as if they recorded it from the live performance in front of an audience, it doesn’t sounds scripted instead really natural. Jonathan Richmans voice is quite unique, very accented, reminds me of Joey or Dee Dee Ramone. It seems to me as if this band can only create two different style songs. Either very fast pace with a cool rhythm, or slowed down with nothing much but a simple drum beat. The Modern Lovers didn’t venture much music wise, they stayed in their lane. After reading a few reviews it is now clearer to me this bands style and i can appreciate their choices more. Although it’s a groovy easy listening album, I did get quite bored easily with its repetitiveness. Their style encaptures an awkward angst-ridden adolescent sound paired with a stripped down rock and roll. that’s how it is described in a cool article i found

I've never heard of this band or album before, but I really liked the vocals a lot, because they reminded me of other artists I like: Sonic Youth, Iggy Pop, Elvis Costello, etc. You can hear the early punk influences, and this album sounds very much ahead of its time.

Perfectly fine

Pretty amazing for the time it was recorded, but with today's ears, there's nothing absolutely wonderful about this. Still had a great time!

I liked Jonathon Richman when I first heard him, but soon the wide-eyed, child-like schtick wore off, and like a 70s sitcom, the jokes aren't so funny any more. From a historical perspective, this album being released in 76 would, I guess, put it in firmly in the proto-punk category. I like songs like Pablo Picasso & Hospital, but the ballads are hard to take.

Lots of folks are saying that the Modern Lovers are indebted to the Velvet Underground but personally I prefer the Modern Lovers to the VU. This proto-punk album influenced a ton of bands and I see that it features Jerry Harrison from Talking Heads and David Robinson from the Cars and they ain't no slouches. If you're a fan of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations you'll be familiar with the best track - Roadrunner. I love the driving guitars and Richman's voice perfectly captures the pre-punk NY scene.

tijdje geleden geluisterd maar vergeten te reviewen. vond hem wel prima dus geef het 3 sterren, sorry voor de slechte review!

Ahead of its time but annoying in places.

Meh.

There was something... about this band... that I didn't know. I recognized that voice right off the git. And I was not one iota surprised to see that members of both The Cars and Talking Heads were in this band. I'd heard of Modern Lovers but never listened to them, bit before my time. But I can totally hear their influence in Talking Heads.

Enjoyed the vocal on this, album a bit mad but worked because of it

Fine, nothing special

A one trick pony, but it's a good trick: Roadrunner is outstanding (though some versions are better than others and this album version is definitely not the best). The rest of the album seems to be trying to do it again with various amounts of success. She Cracked comes close.

It grooved at times

I was pleasantly surprised by some of the songs on this album. Normally I don't enjoy slowly spoken lyrics but there were a few stand out songs. Pablo picaso was my favorite, it made me chuckle. The very first song was probably my 2nd favorite.

I’m really torn with this album. The vocals absolutely suck. I don’t know what it is about the vocalist’a voice but I just can’t stand it. I think if the delivery was different I would like it more, because I love psychedelic rock in general and this is slightly reminiscent of those classics from the 60s, but at the same time more modern. I’m enjoying the bits where there’s just instruments playing. The vocals are really not it. Saved tracks: Roadrunner, Old World, Pablo Picasso, Hospital

Voelt als een voorloper van punk

3.5

Another band, that I have never heard of! And it's a shame, because the self titled album was a very cohere and entertaining piece, with few underrated (apparently) gems in there. When I was listening to the first couple song on this album, all I could think of was The Doors. The style of music, slow melodies with a keyboard sounds a'la Manzarek and vocalist, not even close as charismatic as Morrison, but singing in a similar style, almost like reciting a poem in a deep, slightly drunk voice. Over the course of the album the style has changed into something more bespoke and original, but the slight influence of The Doors could be felt until the last song. The little gems I mentioned were as follows: "I'm straight" and "Hospital". The first one was a very outward, happy-like song, with a nice chorus and easy to follow throughout. The other one was a very calm ballad, a little out of style towards the rest of the album, but making it a real highlight. Rest of the songs felt a little monotonous and boring, especially toward the end of the record. I will be happy to come back to it from time to time, but only in small doses.

Like the songs with a bit more pace. Dignified and Old was an early Sloan cover!

Noice

Tutukan!

Simple rock n roll

first listen super boring

It was ok.

2.5/5

Pas mauvais, le petit son early punk est bien nice.

Just to know

What struck me first was that the singer was really nasal and whiny, plus the lyrics were cliché. But, when I looked past that, I found the melodies were really nice, the live-in-the-studio production worked amazingly for the album and there wasn't much padding (only nine songs), overall I'm a little conflicted on this one. A decent record.

Just Generic new wave.

good but the songs kind of sound the same

Nothing fancy, but nice instrumentals. Not the greatest fan of the vocals.

I've listened to this already. 5-8/10 somewhere around that.

This is good, I remember hearing roadrunner from the sex pistols.

Sounds a bit like what the Doors would have been if Lou Reed was their front man. I enjoy most of this.

Some nice early punk with a few fun moments, I most like the Pablo Picasso song.

This is the kind of thing I usually like. But it left me kind of meh. It wasn't bad, it wasn't boring, it just didn't float my boat today. My favorite song was I Wanna Sleep In Your Arms.

Only really know these guys from being name checked in LCD Soundsystem’s Losing My Edge This was fine

I like the music and wacky lyrics but not a fan of the vocals or talk-singing. Kind of reminds me of the Talking Heads