Reviews (page 6 of 8)
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
This felt more modern than 1976 and was very emo. Kinda problematic, but not the absolute worst.
Can’t decide if I like the slow-fast talk-singing. Reminds me of toned-down velvet underground. Okkervil river vocals are a lot like this. Somebody get this poor guy a girlfriend.
Garage-rock. Ni fu ni fa.
this would get higher marks from me if Jonathon Richman's voice wasn't so blah and monotone. He has character and some charisma and isn't the only lead singer with zero range. Kind of an indie-pop Iggy Pop? But it all starts to sound the same. The band is great, I like the songs. But Richman...
Tää ei ollut pöllömpi. Tosin vähän ehkä epätasainen. Tykkäsin biiseistä jossa noi urut oli pinnassa. Tuli sellanen 22pp -fiilis. 3/5
Good. Will listen again
So far, this project has made me a little bit leery of proto-punk from artists I have never heard of. Well, this album broke the curse; I was pleasantly surprised, because this album was pretty enjoyable! Aspects of this album definitely reminded me of psychedelic rock, and at times the singer reminded me a lot of Jim Morrison. At the same time, I hear some bits and pieces that sound like 80s and 90s alt rock genres. I wouldn't ever presume to say this is the only band to have past and future musical references spanning four decades, but for some reason it was very apparent to me here!
It feels very prescient (Someone I Care About for instance sounds like a Sonic Youth song??), but this kind of minimalist rock is very hit and miss for me (minimalist as in songs with simple chord progressions and a singing style that's not too melodic and close to speaking). It sometimes sounds cool and other times boring depending on my mood.
Obviously, some classics, but I much prefer Jonathan Richman's later, more naive work.s
Felt familiar. Couple clever songs.
This one was kind of all over the place. Some tracks I really liked, while others were just plain underwhelming. Vocals are fun, instrumentals are strong, but wow, Dance with Me made my ears bleed. Fave track: Pablo Picasso. Not sure if they're idolizing him or making fun of him but it's catchy as hell either way.
Nice
Some the album still sounds jolly.
Liked it!
I feel like there's potential there but they haven't really pushed the envelope.
Enjoyed it. I know Roadrunner but not listened to the other stuff until today
Roadrunner is a 10/10 classic, the rest rather pales by comparison. Disappointed
An important stepping stone on the way to punk - honestly, I'm blown away that it was recorded in 71 - but I just don't see myself coming back to it very often.
It was akin to a really good burger patty with Moldy bread. Horrible Openers and closers, but the meat was tasty.
3/5. First listen. Good stuff!
I love Talking Heads and this is the band Jerry Harrison was in before joining the 'Heads. I've never listened to them. Sounds like a bridge between conventional 70s rock and the post-punk of Talking Heads. Shocker. This stuff is cool. I dig. Feel like Im giving out a lot of 3/5 lately. But there have been some pretty middling records. And I guess this is one of them.
I had heard (and am a fan of) Roadrunner, but I was pessimistic about this album being on the list. But - I liked it. It's a nice "bridge" album. There some 60s Animals vibe (with the guitar tones and organ), a 70s punk-rock feel, and it's a clear pre-cursor to the 80s new wave stuff that would come after. I like it.
A passable impression of The Stooges and Velvet Underground.
What an interesting band and album. They kind of time travel in that they can sound like a surf-rock proto-punk 60s band or a more 90s grunge-y type, and it's all quite fun. The lead vocalist's voice was at times engaging and at times annoying, but I kind of have a feeling that was what he was going for. Snappy musicianship and steady performances here. All in all, good fun.
Kann man gut nebenbei hören
A breath of fresh air after some awful albums from the generator lol, nice sound.
3,5
A fun record and, in it's way, a very influential record.
Never heard this before, pretty good.
buen álbum. me quedo con Hospital. me inspiró. creo que esto le gusta a The Strokes.
Expected more from this.
Nice to become acquainted with another of those hipster bands listed in that LCD Soundsystem song. It sounds years ahead of its time and I found the frontman really engaging. Fun lyrics and some decent tunes too. Downgraded slightly after the second listen as I realised only a few tracks (Pablo Picasso, Hospital, I'm Straight, maybe a couple of others) had properly grabbed me.
Velvet Underground vibes for sure. Its ok.
Rock, proto punk.
Sin pena ni gloria
So I read about how influential this was. I struggled to have any thoughts during listening other than "Hm. Those vocals are a bit too unpolished for me. Guitars are cool, though." I feel like I *should* enjoy this more considering its role in history, but proto-punk (dare I say punk in general?) is a weak spot of mine. I wouldn't turn it off but I'd have to cherry pick certain songs to re-visit unless I were doing some chores where it fades a bit more into the background.
I'd believe this is a recent album if I didn't know better (the Current play list). The sound can be tide loosely to Velvet Underground to show that it was a sound back in the early 70s. I like it.
Never heard of this band until today. Pretty good - reminded me of some bands that I couldn’t quite place while listening. I’m thinking it’s a 3.5 and then went to the Wikipedia page that said Rolling Stone placed it in the top 500 best albums of all time. Rolling Stone mag sucks and I have very little respect for any thing they printed after 1984, so rounding down.
Wow school of rock I love day school of rock soundtrack life, other than that it’s ok they have good hair the dude has a nice voice but he just kinda goes on and on 3 stars imo
nako, 3
Standouts - Pablo Picasso; Modern World; Dignified and Old Interesting sounding band Lyricism is at the forefront, sometimes kind of funny lyrics This album would probably take a few listens for me to get into it
Classic
Some cool tunes, didn't realize this was out in 1976 which was earlier than I thought
Not very impressive.
De zanger stak wat af ten opzichte van de rest van het album. Anders wel oké
I get the influence, the tone and timing of Richman's vocals, but halfway through this exercise of listening from start to finish, I'd rather have put on Chain and The Gang.
3.98
It was pretty good, but everything sounded the same after a while.
Echte ouwe rockmuziek. Ik vind het een beetje 13 in een dozijn. ***
Some of the tracks really sucked, but this is mostly enjoyable. Favorite tracks are Modern World and I'm Straight.
Rating: 6/10
caught my interest after a few songs just because it's weird, but music is lame and too much talk of women
Garage-rock. Ni fu ni fa.
Ehh, not my taste. Jerry Harrison's band before Talking Heads, so that's cool.
Not bad at all but nothing really stood out for me. Just a collection of good rock songs, not sure I’ll listen again in a hurry
забыл что сказать ну гаражи гараж
I liked Roadrunner and Astral Plane, but that was where the album peaked for me. Not much variation in themes, and the guy seems like an ass. Pablo Picasso was super dumb.
Had its moments. Reminded me of a couple different artists mashed together - maybe some overlapping members or influence? 3.5
J'ai passé un très mauvais moment à l'écoute de cet album, comme trop souvent en ce moment, je demande donc officiellement à mon camarade d'écoute robboomer, proche de Robert, de le contacter dans les plus bref delais afin de redresser la barre.
A bunch of ace driving songs, with ‘Road Runner’ still being the best of them. A couple of average to good songs in ‘Astral Plane’ and ‘Pablo Picasso’ and a couple of downright stinkers in ‘Hospital’ and ‘Girlfriend’, two ballads that really annoy. When it’s great, you can clearly hear the importance and influence this record has had on punk and rock in general. Having said that, I didn’t love it all the way through. YMMV.
Cool find! I've never heard of them before, they sound like an edgier version of the Velvet Underground. I can hear the groundwork for bands like the Clash and the Sex Pistols from this album. Favorite Tracks: "Roadrunner" "Pablo Picasso"
Pas pire mais generique comme album. Je n’etais peut etrepas dans le bon mood. 3*
Many different sounds and great exploration of punk rock
another fine but forgettable 3
Fun album if nothing really spectacular to me. I dig the vocalist's style. Reminds me of some modern post-rock.
Lead singer vocals and organ reminiscent of doors, enjoyed the variety of pace and sound in their tracks, boston references, and quirky awkward dating lyrics.
Little cheesy lyrics 3/5
Funny punk rock sound. Hard to believe it’s from the 70s
Rocky. Fun. Like “Pablo Picasso” and “Girlfriend”
Surprised I haven’t heard of them before. Early punk. Can definitely see how much of an influence they had on later bands like the cramps.
Wie Beat!Beat!Beat!
Irregular
Jedan od okejastijih albuma sedamdeset i šeste godine, pogotovo što album započinju sa jako dobrom stvari zvanom Roadrunner. Općenito album je dobar i živi do svoje ocjene koje joj je dano na rym.
Rockigere und saubere Version der Ramones
Banda de rock totalmente desconocida por mí, pero que llevan el rollito de rock hablado más que cantado. Me recuerdan mucho a The Doors. Me han gustado.
Das ist also Proto-Punk... ganz schön!
Another new band for me. Sounded surprisingly current for a 70s album.
punk when there was not punk yet? velvet underground copied it?
Aikakautensa rokkia, kyllä tästä tulee jollain tasolla The Doors mieleen. Muutamia ihan meneviä kappaleitakin oli mukana, mutta aika tasapaksua tavaraa noin yleisesti. Esim Roadrunner ja Pablo Picasso jäivät mieleen.
Not a great album or sound objectively speaking, but I enjoyed it subjectively as a cult classic and as an influence on the punk that I enjoy.
Buen disco de pre-punk, pero sin excesos
I thought it was all right musically but a bit weird lyrically: kind of ironically awkward, but just enough to be uncomfortable. It might be an "important" album but I don't think it's enjoyable.
this grew on me, was a lil drony but I liked the slow ones. pretty cool ‘hospital’ was so nice and sad. bit repetitive tho.
decent
Proto-punk, dat heb ik even opgezocht. Hier en daar wat gelijkenis met the Doors qua geluid en muziek, maar dan een tikkie anders. Zangstijl is kenmerkend, hou ik wel van. Roadrunner en Pablo Picasso (die kende ik al wel) springen eruit.
@@@. A couple of nice songs, sometimes weird singing.
I enjoyed this album. A lot of similarities with Velvet Underground and The Doors. Sleepy punk.
Enjoyably, more so than velvet underground. Quite a distinct twang in the guitar sound which was nice
3
Decent proto punk
I just can't it's so boring. it's not a 1 star unlistenable album but it's sooooo close
eh not really that good but occasionally ok Will I listen to again: 1%
More less.
Boring de fou
Pretty bad. If jim Morrison and Iggy Pop had a crap baby
Favorite song: Roadrunner, Astral Plane, Pablo Picasso, Modern World 2.5
I have no idea what this is supposed to be adding to this project. Pure, unadulterated filler.
This is an album I definitely thought that I would like but I didn’t. If The Velvet Underground is butter than The Modern Lovers if margarine.
DAMN
I gained nothing from listening to this. No enjoyment, no insight. Won't miss of i never hear again
Pretty lame '70s psychedelic Rock album. No idea why this one is on the list when The Doors and bands of similar genre exist and do this much better.
Really wanted to like this album. I like a couple of Jonathan Richman songs but had never listened to Modern Lovers. This had potential, but overall, it just did not do it for me.
Basic
american rock is definitely not my thing...
Did not spark joy. Fine to work to, sounded too much like the velvet underground but not good enough and that made me dislike it.
Hmmm. Hrrmmrmrmrmrmrmmrmr. The list hasn't been making these genre predictions easy as of late. "The Modern Lovers" strikes me as an English band name given that it's most likely sarcastic, and the 1976 release date leads me to view this album as a proto-punk release. The angular geometry on the album cover verifies this theory for me, though for reasons I can't really explain. Anyways, I'm locking in punk for my prediction. Let's blow this popsicle stand. I'm a fucking genius and I love being right (if you ignore the fact that this band is American). On YouTube Music, the video for "Astral Plane" is of some midget stripteasing while lying on a bed. It's not even an official video - some random guy uploaded a recording of himself set to this song and YouTube decided it was peachy keen to include on their service. This album was okay, though I'm not and will never be a punker. Still, this is a lot more tolerable than your average punk outing. For one, the album isn't jam-fucking-packed with one-minute songs. There's some actual meat on the bones of these tunes (albeit not much). The music of this album is incredibly low energy and unvaried, being comprised almost entirely of the same droning guitars and repetitious drum beats. The same can be said for the vocals, which are neither charismatic nor entertaining. Still, I suppose I didn't mind the bassy sound of this album, which was able to just barely hold my attention across the runtime of this album. All in all, this was an adept, if very boring listen. Book time. The frontman of the group was heavily influenced by The Velvet Underground. The drummer from The Cars and the keyboardist from Talking Heads were in the original lineup of this band. John Cale of The Velvet Underground produced one of the band's demo tapes. The lyrics are very contradictory and countercultural. "Pablo Picasso" was covered by John Cale and later David Bowie. "Roadrunner" has been covered by a wide array of punk bands, most notably the Sex Pistols. The band were dropped by their label once they had finished recording the songs for this album. It released three years later on a different label, with the original lineup having imploded long beforehand. Roadrunner was a hit single. According to Wikipedia, this album was met with an absolutely glowing response from critics. The only music publication that didn't give this album a 10/10 was Pitchfork, settling for a meagre 9.2/10. The album is influential in punk rock circles and has received enduring acclaim, though it hasn't charted anywhere. I just hear The Velvet Underground when I listen to this music, though I suppose these guys got in on the ground floor of punk and appear to be well-respected within their niche. I'm content to let this album through. I cosign this inclusion.
Not as good as I hoped. Richman's voice drones on a bit.
i mean, like, sure, but there's just zero passion here. sounds like they're performing with guns to their heads
mid
Didn’t know this band, but I remember the “Pablo Picasso” song.
Very much like Iggy Pop & The Stooges, but not as good.
Nah. Again.
366/1089 it’s gotten to a point (girlfriend) where it just feels like random rambling, idk it’s losing me a bit 48/100
As a parody of Jim Morrison, its pretty good! Pablo Picasso is a great satire of that rambling poetry style The Doors uses, and... wait, this isn't a joke album?
A fine punk debut album. Had some enjoyable songs, an okay listen. Not my favorite, though.
Not, as they say, for me. At times, it very nearly stops being annoying and starts being fun, but those times are few and far between, and a long way from being worth it. I don't really get what they're trying to do to be honest - there's no shock factor, no musicality, and not really any sense of joy or anything.
A case of the vocals ruining the experience. I hate how nasal Richmans singing is which is a shame because the songwriting is superb.
Me hizo acordar bastante a The Doors. No soy tan fanático de The Doors. Igual estuvo bien.
:(
It was okay, but I doubt I'd listen to it again. Many other bands do the same thing and are better.
Pretty boring.
Feels like budget rate The Doors? Which are already a budget rate band? I don't know, I'm having a hard time this time.
Not totally unlistenable since there's definitely some energy here and I found my self bopping along, but the real issue here is the vocals. The dude is barely singing, it's moreso just talking the whole time which I'm honestly just not a fan of. 2/5
Why is this here. It’s so middle of the road that it’s incredible that it was even thought about after a year.
My least favourite genre: stupid white boys speaking over a terrible band. It would have been a 1 but for the gumption to put out a song which in all seriousness rhymed Pablo Picasso to asshole and avocado.
I think I might have enjoyed this more if the best song wasn't track 1
It's not awful, but it's not really something I'd choose to listen to. I made it all the way through the album but that was in no small part due to being preoccupied by something else. I wouldn't want to hear it again.
Don't remember don't care enough to relisten to.
Kind of terrible no?
A mix between the doors and velvet underground that never got laid. 4/10 Top song Roadrunner
At first i thought this sounds quite good but then everything sounded the same
I was excited when I saw this was the album with Roadrunner, but then heard the rest of it.
Not udder shite but senseless and meaningless. Just goes on with itself like its doing something special but its not. '76 is pretty early for this sound so I'll give a nod to that. But, I'm not impressed.
Oh, well. It was probably provocative at the time, but fifty years later the record Sounds really dated, dusty and desperate.
Thumbs down. Voice not carrying the tune.
The poor man’s Lou Reed. Not my bag, baby. 1.5⭐️
For more than half my life, the only knowledge of/exposure to The Modern Lovers I had was the Sex Pistols' cover of "Roadrunner. At some point not that long ago (5-10 years ago, maybe?) I finally heard the original version and it amused me as a novelty - reminding me of my childhood love of the Pistols - but did not make me want to seek out any more of their music. But now it has sought ME out... Having listened... I guess you had to be there? I don't hate this but it is difficult for me to see why it was such a big deal, even in its day. I guess I can kind of hear proto-punk here and understand why the early punks were drawn to it. But listening to it 50 years after its release, with the benefit of hindsight (hindsound?) and all the music that has come since then, it just doesn't sound very remarkable to me.
I thought a lot of the lyrics sounded like they were written by a 1 year old. It was funny sometimes and fun. But I couldn't listen to some of songs simple because I was cringing a lot.
This is influential? How?? This is music so generic I could've written it myself, and his voice is so bad he shouldn't even be allowed to call himself a singer. I think y'all are just forcing yourselves to like this. You don't have to, you know. It's okay to admit this is not good. It's what Hippie Johhny would want you to do.
I couldn't listen to it - I get that this is the "we don't care about vocals" era but surely there's a line.
idk nothing special
I dunno man. Is this really one of the best 1001? It was fine. Nothing special. I listen to it a few hours ago and can hardly remember it. 2/5.
Nahhh, not for me. I already dislike Elvis Costello for borrowing everything from rock and punk except for the spirit. This is even more “nice.” It’s different and I see how that’s fun for some people. Not me, though, this just irked me. It’s got some nice intrumentals and organ playing so it’s better than one star but not by much.
It's not dreadful. I can understand why other people might enjoy this. I just wish the singing didn't sound so lazy.
Another band completely new to me. This was ok. You can definitely hear the Velvet Underground influence, particularly in the vocal delivery. I’d rather listen to The Velvet Underground though. The album seemed to plateau after about four songs and I ultimately got pretty bored of it towards the end.
uncomfortable and borderline icky to listen to
Oui c’est joli et ça reprend bien certains style, rockabillie ou folk et puis un peu d’ethnique de loin … Dancing late at night est cool et the theme from moulin rouge est mignonne … mais je ne réécouterai pas l’album
Groupe inconnu. Premier constat : le 'chant' est plutôt désagréable. Quand il arrête c'est mieux ! Ceci dit l'accompagnement n'est pas vraiment original, il ne m'a pas vraiment marqué. Rien de remarquable donc, pas de seconde écoute envisagée. Les quelques chorus (sans chant, donc double bonus ...) le sauvent de la note minimale. =>2/5
176 songs is just too many...all average at best, kinda boring album.
It's a less serious, less musically talented version of The Doors. Some funny lyrics, not much else to point out!
Pretty mid
The sheer amount of bad vocalising here deserves some kind of award. From the very beginning of the record, we're blessed with "Rud runnuh rud runnuh". Everything coming out of this guy's mouth is monotonous drunken nonsense. In terms of melody, delivery, enunciation (every vowel is just "uh" and I challenge you to prove otherwise). It manages to represent both the absolute worst and the absolute average of punk at the same time (because let's be honest, the "punk median" is close to the bottom of the music barrel). At least the synth in the second half is pretty good, and the instruments players manage to conjure a catchy, fun, danceable backbeat. Those factors push Roadrunner up significantly. And by track 2, I'm warming up (marginally) to the terrible singing. The fact that these songs were recorded in 1971/2 cannot be overlooked. Anticipating the punk explosion of '77 by one year is impressive. But by five years? We're talking the height of glam and classic hard rock. It's safe to say there were few artists at the time that dared to be as rough-around-the-edges as The Modern Lovers. Rough-around-the-edges just doesn't impress the listener in quite the same way, though. Pablo Picasso might make for a legendary Cubism artist, but he makes for a pretty mediocre 1-chord song by the Modern Lovers. The word "asshole" is overused here. We get it. You like talking about assholes. Girlfriend is also a weak spot here. The singing continues to be extremely poor, and the addition of piano doesn't quite make the experience worth it. We need something rougher, like a distorted guitar, to "justify" that singing. In contrast, Hospital reminds me of something the Velvet Underground might release – lots of changes in tempo and mood, keeping the listener engaged, and still managing to be pretty catchy on top of that. Many points given for that. (A bonus tack, I'm Straight, also takes clear inspiration from VU.) The bonus track Government Center is passable in isolation but once you see the resemblance with poorly-done Doors karaoke, you can't unhear it. It's listenable. A little better than a 1-star effort, yet much worse than a 5-star. (The sheer number of 5s is pretty crazy. As is the major hyping-up done by critics.) 2/5 Key tracks: Astral Plane, Hospital
Didn't love this. I have found through this process that anything too close to proto-punk or its adjacent genres really isn't up my alley. Could have done without this one honestly.
i’m pretty sure people did think Picasso was an asshole. like if The Doors were less tallented
forgettable Would I listen again: by accident Deserves to be on this list: nope 1.6
i didn’t care for it
(2.75) not bad!
Two songs I really liked, one I sorta liked, and the rest I thought were dreadful. Singer sounded like a cross between Shane Mcgowan and Julian Casablancas on the 3rd Strokes record... was begging for songs to end at times.
I’ve heard of the band, not sure I’ve ever listened to them. Very heavily influenced by Velvet Underground and other proto punk music. Can’t say it’s very good though. Shouldn’t be on the list and way too long.
I wanted to like this so bad, but unfortunately, it missed the mark.
Occasionally (Roadrunner; I Wanna Sleep In Your Arms) Jonathan Richman sucks at making music in a way that is actually a lot of genuine fun and almost endearing. But most of the rest of the time he just sucks at making music like any man who sucks at making music. It grates after a while :/ My Certified Woman take here is that it's kind of obvious why the character depicted in many of the lyrics is apparently having so much trouble finding a girlfriend
Some interesting sounds, but a little atonal overall.
I didn't vibe with this album at all.. It feels like an average 70's rock album 2/5
Yeah this dude’s voice sucks, but I think it’s more because he doesn’t just go hard with it. His voice made me think of Tim Armstrong of Rancid, but Tim knows how to take that unique voice and use it appropriately in the music. The music here just doesn’t suit his voice most of the time, and I eventually gave up.
I don't like the singers voice
Whilst not actively repulsive, so not worthy of 1 star, it is incredibly amateurish, sounding like a pub band nervously playing their first gig. 'Girlfriend' is a particular lowlight. 1.5
Just not very interesting. Dull voice dull songs
Not for me, though it's not really bad. Just bores me.
Why does a band that has and plays some decent music have a singer with vocals like that?
nothing special
I despise punk but hospital was a good track
I already hated Velvet Underground. This is 10 years later, sounds the same and I don't see what additionally they bring to the table.
Totally underwhelmed by this mediocre rock album. It wasn’t insultingly bad, like it didn’t belong on the list it just did nothing for me and after like 8 hours I had forgotten almost everything this album has to offer. The only real memory I have from the album is it peaked with the song “She cracked”. I wanted to like this cause I actually liked the half assed vocal delivery. It almost sounds like if a heavily intoxicated British version of Ben Stein was the lead singer of a mediocre rock band. Honestly I’m not trying to be so harsh, like there’s a cool part of Hospital that I liked, I mean I didn’t actually like the full song but it had a creative cool moment for a minute there where the singer sorta picks up his speed to match the best of the song but don’t worry it only lasts for 5 secs and then your stuck with the rest. Mid album at best.
its okay, probably wouldnt listen again though
I guess this was innovative for their time, but I just don't this whiney-talking type of "singing" that is off-beat too many times for my liking.
It's alright, I think, but I understand why I had not heard this before. Pablo Picasso and Hospital stood out, but the rest were mostly kind of same same. In contrast to many other non-5/5 reviews, I don't actually mind the lyrics/singing style.
This had some weird lyrics like "loving the old world" and Pablo Picasso being a ladies man.
I might have given it a 3, but when you can’t spell in your songs you lose one star.
It seemed redundant. I know how to spell girlfriend so why did you try to
This was kinda bleh. Dude's voice was bleh, the music was bleh, the lyrics were bleh. I really don't have anything positive too say about this
really did not care for vocals at all. lyrics were just blah
No standouts, but inoffensive
Toujours les mêmes albums, et celui-ci ne me convainc pas vraiment
Every song seemingly consisted of three contiguous notes, which only emphasized the absurd lyrics.
Album started off okay, however the vocals at times sound like they were being sung by Butthead, and “Girlfriend” was steaming pile of shit
I mostly prefer singing in songs with vocals. This started out alright, but became tedious as a full playthrough. Probably better in small doses.
Had its moments, will probably not revisit it though.
"now we say bye-bye old world, gotta help the new world" once again unsure if i found the right version, i think i just listened to some compilation of theirs i think this guy wants a girlfriend... can't tell if i like or not
Sounds like what I imagine would have constituted college music in the 70s. Starts off rocking with unbridled energy with Roadrunner, dreams fruitlessly of success with girls, and devolves into slurring desperation from doing too many shots on stage with I'm Straight (like his boozing makes him better boyfriend material than Hippie Johnny's pot). The lyrics are youthful and naive, but the talent is lacking.
Not for me, it was fine? Pretty low and slow and the singing felt uninspired.
It's ok. Not my fav. Probably wouldn't listen to it again. Kinda like early rock.
Meh more early punk.
Really just a worse version of Dire Straits that isn't even catchy.
I liked the singer's voice, but I could not stand some of the lyrics. I had never heard of this group before today and I'm glad I had a chance to check out something new, but overall I was not a fan and I won't be continuing with more of their discography.
Dull dull dull
Bleachers remind me of them a bit
Not bad, but I did lose interest from Hospital to the end of the album. No issues with this one, but it's not a immediate add to my list of want to replay albums.
Dit album, dit vat voor mij eigenlijk voor een groot deel samen wat ik matig vind aan deze lijst. Het is dramatisch gezongen, de zanger klinkt alsof hij echt werkelijk alles liever zou doen dan dit en daarnaast is het instrumentaal prima. Het is rock, niet veel meer dan dat eigenlijk. Het is geen slecht album hoor, zeker niet. Maar het is zo agressief 'ok' dat ik me er kapot aan irriteer. Een album als hiervoor is dan tenminste gewoon echt vreemd, dit is gewoon niet heel erg bijzonder en denk dat als het nu uit zou komen dat er niemand naar zou luisteren.
They sound like the clash, but horny
Not for me but can't say it is the worst either
We krijgen punk, lees ik. Nou, wel een heel laf kleurloos schijfje voor punk. Daar doet een orgeltje weinig aan. Misschien komt dat label 'punk' vooral vanuit de matige zang en moet ik het meer scharen onder post-punk. Maar zelfs dan, er zijn zoveel concurrenten in deze lijst die meer indruk achter laten. Eigenlijk is dit nog te min voor een vergeetbare 3...
Is there something I’m missing with this? I understand shit like this is not supposed to be polished to sound raw, but there’s a point where you just end up sounding like shit. Like the lead singer just hurts my ears and the songs just sound stupid. It just sounds like someone recorded some band playing in a bar and put the raw recording on vinyl. Then every music publication calls it shit like “iconic” and puts it on a thousand arbitrary lists… like this one. And I sit here wondering if my musical taste is just shit or if I’m just too uncultured to understand what the appeal is. Funnily enough, everyone says this is similar to The Velvet Underground. I thought that one album was overrated (you know the one), so I guess it’s no surprise I think this one is, too. Favorite track: Roadrunner Other hits: She Cracked, Someone I Care About
Meh.
I would be disappointed if I bought this album in 1976 on a whim
This is nothing special. The music is alright, but the vocals are pretty garbage.
2/5
Meh...
for an album it was fun but it was truly boring
Felt super repetitive and not super enjoyable to me.