Reviews (page 7 of 8)
Couldn't get into this one.
Ruim! Achei um disco entediante. A banda é competente, mas não surpreendem de maneira alguma, tocam o básico de uma forma básica. Tudo bem previsível. O grande destaque do álbum está nos vocais. São bêbados, surrados, baixo astral e energia. Parece que o vocalista não quer cantar. E claro, muitas pessoas vão apontar para isso como uma escolha estilística, mas pra mim, só me causa tédio e monotonia. Indiferença total. Bléh. 2/5
I can see why unhappy mid-70s rock critics thought this was the t-i-t-z. I do feel like I should have known before today that Jerry Harrison was in this band. I'm less concerned that I didn't know the Cars drummer was also in this band.
Maso
lead singer sounds like zach from gilmore girls
The album was ok
487/1001 🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑
In a nutshell: straight-edged Velvet Underground. It’s geeky proto-punk with a bit of art rock thrown in. Monotone vocals, simple chords, constant tempo. What’s stopping me from giving this a lower rating is the legacy. I hear The Modern Lovers all the time at indie DJ nights. Musicians do cite the band and/or Jonathan Richman as an influence. Overall: 4/10
3/10
Keyboard is cool. Pablo Picasso is kind of a lame song. This guy is a tool. This jit cracks birds. They sound like Jim E. Brown on some of their songs. If you know, you know. 2.5/5
Ehhhhh idk Jim
I respected this album and there were a lot of elements to it that I found enjoyable, but ultimately it didn't click for me.
Fun early proto-punk, there's a rawness to it that resonates to me to a certain degree. But I don't think I needed to hear this before I die.
Not my cup of tea. Sounds "loud" for the sake of it
Just overly long and boring. Nothing offensive about it per se, but nothing to write home about. Many other bands did this formula (plodding guitars, more spoken lyrics) a lot better. At least I stay awake for Lifter Puller.
Not for me
Their debut album. Rock / Punk. Roadrunner is a good opening track. Lyrically fun and I don't kind the vocals on that at all. The album sounds like a drunken jam session by The Doors, The Strokes and The Stones. Only they're meandering and not really making much sense at all. Old World and Pablo Picasso are not good songs, ha. Very average.
okay part of me kinda likes this and part of me does not. It’s a 2
Felt like a Velvet Underground knock off. I've always heard what an amazing songwriter Jonathan Richman is. There were some fun moments, but I won't be coming back to this or looking for other releases from his catalog. Punk/protopunk just ain't for me, with very few exceptions.
really has this "oh we have this diy not polished punk sound" that my ears and soul doesn't like. isn't terrible but i'd be glad not to hear this again. the closest is really see through tho
There's not much to gripe about this album; it was alright, but I'm just not a fan of his voice and the way he uses it in this. Many people compare this to The Doors, and I hear the similarities; however, Jim Morrison has character and emotion in his voice that this singer will never possess. This album features bland and non-dynamic instrumentation that gives nothing.
Oh i recognize "Roadrunner" from School of Rock, which is probably why it has so many listens
Punk rock - a few cool tracks.
This was a good listen in parts, and it started really promisingly, but at times the album blends into a soup of distorted guitars and sounds that are hard to differentiate from one another. Ultimately, it's a decent enough listen but very samey throughout and gets a little boring to listen to.
Talk singing. Some interesting sounds, but was tough for me to get into.
Easy “chill” sound… Simple music… Lyrics inspired by MJ and LSD…. I could listen to it sometimes but I didn’t feel anything special Just usual british pop/punk rock, even with some post punk vibes in it
I’m so conflicted by this…on one hand, the actual music/instrumentals are so interesting and.ahead of its time. On the other hand, the vocals are just so bad and pretentious sounding. I don’t think I can get past the vocals tbh
2 - not good
Quite reminiscent of The Velvet Underground for me. I would listen to this instead of The Velvet Underground (as I'm not the biggest fan of theirs), but I would listen to plenty of other stuff instead of this. I'd go 2.5, but I'm sticking to my round down policy.
Not too bad.
not my taste at all
If I heard one of the first few songs from this album in a movie from the 70s, playing while the square-jawed, golden-haired protagonist drove down a California highway in his convertible with a girl at his side, I'd think that it was pretty cool music. I would pay attention to the credits and look up the song on Spotify and listen to it about three times in a row. Then I would add it to a playlist and three months later it would come up again and I would wonder where I came across this song and why I added it to this specific playlist. Yup. Favorite track: "Roadrunner"
Great for a punk sounding band.
Not really my jam
Sounded like a band of high school boys from the 60s playing in someone's parents garage
9/25/25. Will need to listen several more times to appreciate this one, thought it was a little boring although the songwriting was interesting at points. My rating today likely won't reflect what I think of it in the future.
Meh
This is incredibly meh
I didnt like this
All the songs sound very much the same. It's not horrible but not memorable. A memorable live band in Boston at the time - precursor to the Velvet Underground.
silmäsi ovat niin kaukana toisistaan.. näytät joltain sammakolta.. nenäsi on ehdottomasti vino... kasvojesi muoto on kauhistuttava.... ihosi näyttää vitun karhealta.. oletko edes kuullut kosteusvoiteesta?.... näytät tässä kuvassa 3/10 meikillä... en edes halua kuvitella, miltä näytät ilman meikkiä.. oksensin suuhuni pelkästään ajatellessani sitä... pääsi on vitun jättimäinen (vaikka se voi johtua kirahvikaulastasi).... mitä tulee hiuksiisi, LMFAOOO.... oikeasti, tee jotain sille kuivalle perseelle... näytät hevoselta... tuijota kasvojasi yli 5 sekuntia... näet kuinka ruma olet... liian kaukana toisistaan olevat silmät vahingoittavat jo ennestään rumaa kasvoa entisestään.... valitettavasti sinulle sitä ei voi korjata leikkauksella, lol.... käsivartesi ovat aivan liian pitkät.... lol miten ne roikkuvat sivuillasi.... muistuttaa minua vähän spagetista.... mitä tulee tisseihisi.... me kaikki tiedämme, että niissä on ylimääräistä pehmustetta.... voi vittu minä kuollut... älä edes anna minun aloittaa ruskettuneesta ihostasi... se toimii vain jos näytät kuumalta... valitettavasti et näytä kuumalta LMFAO... on vaikea tiivistää kaltaisesi olentoa yhdellä sanalla... en pysty enää......"RUMA" olisi epäreilua... koska se ei heijasta sitä, kuinka vastenmieliseltä näytät LOL... groteski on venyttelyä... mutta jossain siltä väliltä... olisit... old world
This was like listening to the worst Velvet Underground tribute band in history. In fact, this is the worst VU tribute band ever. It just isn’t very good, and there is no way I needed to hear it before I die.
I guess I see how this sort of leads to punk but man it's not all that interesting. Boring vocals, boring guitar tone, boring keys...
Pre-listening thoughts: in the fear that I will avoid listening to an album like this forever, I am instead going down the backlog in chronological order starting with the most recent. I knew I would put one like this off for way too long which is ultimately what created the backlog last time. Who knows, this could surprise me. Post/during listening thoughts: well. it didn't. It's like the Doors. Except they sing even less. and I don't really like the doors. so. 4/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: no Fav tracks: uhh roadrunner? Least fav tracks: Pablo Picasso, Hospital
This feels like one of those albums that probably spoke to something in the youths pretty well at the time, but just didn’t age out of the time well. The music itself is whatever and the lyrics are a bit too specifically “I’m in my early 20s in the 1970s, and this is my life”
Not a fan.
Best Song: Roadrunner. It has a sort of likeable, throwback vibe to it. Worst Song: Dance With Me. What a terrible idea to isolate and focus a song entirely on the vocals, which are clearly the worst part of the entire album. Overall: Ahh, another song from "The Fall" school of talk-singing. Totally skippable, uninteresting droning.
I was very unfamiliar with The Modern Lovers, though I recognized their biggest “hit,” Roadrunner. The reason I was unfamiliar is that the group broke up before their first album came out. The songs were recorded in 1971 & 1972, but the album debuted in 1976. Their history & influence on music afterwards are fascinating. If you’re a fan of the NeW York punk scene & 80’s new wave, then this may be the album for you. However, I just plain didn’t like it. The Modern Lovers were influenced by The Velvet Underground, another band I can’t get into. The songs have a Velvet Underground sound, but also a bit of 60s psychedelic with the keyboards. It’s easy to see how The Modern Lovers influenced rock in the 80s; in fact, keyboardist Jerry Harrison later went on to play for the Talking Heads, & drummer David Robinson went on to play drums with The Cars. Those bands were just two of the many bands influenced by The Modern Lovers. I hate being an old man about music that came out before I was born, but the songs are kind of simple & the lyrics are very teen angsty. Founder/lead singer/songwriter, Jonathan Richman isn’t a good singer. He sounds like he’s half asleep when singing, which is more like talking. The lyrics are weird, he has a song about trying to snake a girl from a hippie, & his main argument is that he doesn’t get high & her bf is always stoned. Another song is about his love for the 50s & how he'd rather things stayed the same, which is weird for a rock band in the 70s, especially a proto-punk band. Other songs are about how he can’t pick up chicks. Maybe it’s satire I’m not getting. I will not listen to this again, I don’t think, but I appreciate the band’s influence on music in the '70s & '80s. It's at least worth a listen for music history's sake.
okay, used to be better.
Within the first 2 songs I was locked in for a 1, but it kinda grew on me, definitely musically and a little bit lyrically. I think I would listen to this again before the Allman Brothers album. The frontman is clearly just ad-libbing for most songs, but also shows some vulnerbility and honesty. His voice is definitely awful. I'm unsure why his bandmates didn't veto him to be the singer when they first heard notes come out of his mouth. Also, very much reminds me of a poor man's the Doors, wonder who came first?
The less I can hear the vocalist the better. Pablo Picasso is a big miss. Roadrunner is a lot of fun. I don’t mind the pre-punk driving guitar, bass, drums.
kind of a weird one. definitely has some interesting ideas, but just not really for me.
Avant-garbage.
alternative... a little too alternative for me
Ich verstehe, dass es einflussreich war, aber mich hat es ziemlich genervt.
Ok. 2.5/5
Don’t like his voice
very shallow lyrics i feel Has an english rock vibe that is pcool
I really hate this guy's voice. He sounds like he has a blocked nose and the songs vary from punky ranting to whining and whinging
Sounded a bit like The Doors, if you took out all the things that make The Doors good and left behind the rickety organ. It's supposedly some bridge between garage punk and new-wave punk. They still sound like garbage. Half the songs sound like they're mumbled through cardboard and bad mikes. It's lyrically dense and somewhat atonal and muddled. The lead needs some lessons on annunciation and elocution. Pass My Rating: 2/5
TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Yawn.
I went through a whole rollercoaster of reactions to this album I thought it was boring, I thought Jonathan Richmans voice was really annoying, I thought it was kinda groovy. And the extremes cancel out to make me think it’s just interesting and an experiment with a new sound that’s maybe not always for me
Not the worst album I’ve heard, but that’s the best I can say.
Pretty boring
Why Jonathan Richman has been such a critic’s darling and cult favorite all these years is puzzling to me, Most of this was pretty lame. He was pretty cute as the street troubadour in There’s Something About Mary.
Didn't realize this was where Jonathan Richman started. Its a cheap knockoff of all the other better music at the time.
Started out good (Astral Plane was a standout), but got more boring as the album continued. More like talking than singing.
I honestly don't understand why would this album be a most listen...
Ugh okay so this kinda felt like a slog to get through for me. But honestly, some parts of it aren't too bad, it'd be nice if they'd lean into those parts. It's staring longingly across the street at my alley, as opposed to some other 1s that were perhaps in another city, so it gets the 2 on that count.
Appreciate the idea behind it and the lyrics but just couldn’t connect with the way too relaxed manner of singing. Not really memorable.
I mean it’s really ok
just felt boring tbh
The entire time I was listening to this album, I was thinking about other bands. When I was still dating, that was usually a sign you needed to move on. This wasn’t a bad album overall, but my first instinct was they sounded like Gaslight Anthem. But then The Kinks (Roadrunner) and then CCR (Pablo Picasso), the Doors (Astral Plane), and especially Velvet Underground came rolling in, especially on songs like Someone I Care About. Even Girlfriend sounded like the Turtles. I didn’t hate this but I think I would prefer listening to the original bands rather than the knock off. Time of move on….
This turned out to be surprisingly boring. This singer's voice sounds like a dead version of Morrison. It really bored me, but there are some good moments here and there. 2 stars.
the vocals don’t do it for me
I’ve never understood the hype surrounding this album. It must have been considered ‘groundbreaking’ in its day, but I think that’s largely due to the ‘sameness’ of its contemporaries allowing it to stand apart. While ‘Astral Plane’ is good, the album peaks from the start with ‘Roadrunner’. The rest is a jangling mess summarised by the sophomoric rhyme of ‘Picasso’ and ‘asshole’. Underwhelming.
A little odd, early punk isn’t my favorite
Really thought I would enjoy this but some of the lyrics are sooo bad. They remind me of the man who sings about cities and towns
Sounds like The Doors, not my thing
Kjedelig i lengden. The Doors light, uten å treffe like godt på melodi, stemning, tekst eller vokal.
I don't love this album. In fact I don't even like this album. The vocals all sound lackluster and flat. The music is not very interesting. The songs are short but feel like an eternity.
he sounds like he is 20 beers deep 😭😭 ts so ass
I was interested to hear this as I only knew Roadrunner. It alternated between a poor man's Doors and a poor man's Stooges. Yes, Pablo Picasso was an arsehole and that song gave weird incel vibes. Don't think this one will be troubling my playlist again anytime soon.
I don't get it. Music is irrelevant at best, lyrics are bad, vocals are weak. What is the point of this?
What if Jim Morrison was from Boston and lived despite his drinking, and The Doors stayed around long enough to become punky?
Low grade doors tribute band
I groaned as soon as the vocalist opened his mouth. I really hate the drunk/slurring/atonal/doesn't care affectation of punk singers. It doesn't matter what interesting things they might be doing instrumentally, or lyrically, I can't get past the "singing." (Of course, a whole song based around "Picasso" sort of rhyming with "asshole" doesn't say great things for their lyrics, either.)
This sounds like dollar store Doors, but with no talent. This is awful. I really struggled to get through this one. Especially Jonathan Richman's moaning. It got a bonus point because the first song on the album, Roadrunner, reminded me of the movie School of Rock. The rest of the album is garbage. Favorite songs: Roadrunner, Pablo Picasso, I Wanna Sleep In Your Arms Least favorite songs: Hospital, I'm Straight, Dance With Me 2/5
Whilst you can undoubtedly hear the massive influence nyc underground music had on all sorts of music throughout the years, it remains a sound that was (I assume) best listened to live and direct at the time, 60 years have passed however and instead I’m listening to this in my car on the motorway. Sonically this sounds ok, the band are well put together, the music is simple but listenable, the lyrics and actual vocals however are not. Every song sounds like a vague collection of thoughts, designed more to be heard over the sound of clinking glasses and general chit chat, than something to actually be listened to, the subject themes are tedious, lyrics uninspiring, vocals honestly quite boring. By the time we reach “girlfriend” half of the lyrics being the letters or girlfriend being spelled out loud, I had to tap out. There’s nothing wrong with NYC underground, but there’s plenty of examples that have aged better.
It was ok but not for me. Has the samey 1970s rock sound that all rock music from that era has. All songs sounded very similar
What was this? Sounded like a drunk man singing absolute garbage down at the pub, and he wanted you to know he could spell g-i-r-l-f-r-i-e-n-d. An extra star for the guitar
Pönksöngvari reynir að semja og syngja Bítlalag er það eina sem ég gat hugsað um þetta. Afskaplega glatað og leiðinlegt að hlusta á. Ég var mjög feginn þegar platan loksins kláraðist. Aldrei aftur.
I ain’t listenin to allat was not rocking with the first couple songs
All sounded much the same
The first time I listened to this album was horrendous. The second time, it was better, since I knew what it was like, but still not a great experience. I just can't stand this type of singing, and the instruments felt bland. There's some nice melodies here and there, but not enough to want me to listen to this album again. And just for the record, Picasso is known to be a misogynist and treating his wifes poorly, so he was kind of an asshole (or maybe I'm missing the point of the song).
C'est tellement mid, mou et décevant que j'arrête à la cinquième track, ça m’abasourdis et m'insulte que quelqu'un aille l'idée de mettre ça dans la liste des 1001 albums à écouter avant de mourrir. Je pense que le créateur de la liste original s'est lancé dans ce projet là ayant en tête qu'il connaissait forcément au minimum 1001 albums de qualité, pis autour du 400e il s'est rendu compte qu'il était pas mal au bout de ses connaissances musicales. Moi j'dis qu'il aurait du donner le mandat à Tony Fantano, troquant 600 albums de post-punk/new wave/britpop médiocres à 600 albums de hip-hop médiocres, ce qui ne semble d'ailleurs pas une si bonne idée que ça finalement.
2,5
Very poor. He can't sing and the songs themselves are forgettable.
I thought this was just okay. It feels like The Doors attempting post-punk, to varied levels of success, and I don't like The Doors. Post-punk is a genre with a ton of variety - some of it (like Talking Heads, Wire, Television) fucking rules. A lot of it sucks. This is right in the middle for me. There are some very fun tracks, like Roadrunner or Pablo Picasso, but everything else falls short of that quality. 5/10
Well... Not really my style of music personally. I would have listened to it again but the end of the album really turned me off.
meh. should I like this more? i don't.
I don’t get it. And there are plenty of technically ‘bad’ singers who are listenable because of the way they deliver a song, their lyrics, or they have interesting music and production backing them up. This has none of those
it's not bad by any means, but I didn't particularly enjoy it. Kind of meandering. Alright for background noise though
banda alternativosa do começo dos anos 70...2 estrelas.
Meh. It's bland British rock where the guy can barely sing and rambles on and on. Annoying overall. 2/5
2.0 - Weak
Lou Reed with none of the charisma.
Musically the album is good. But the lead singer really ruins it with his bad voice. Favorite track: hospital other picks: roadrunner, pablo picasso, i wanna sleep in your arms
Not my preferred genre
>The Modern Lovers >actually very dated and not that loving What did they mean by this?
eeehhh
70s at its core but nothing really stands out for me most of the album “Pablo Picasso never got called an asshole” Favourite track: Pablo Picasso (the only song I really enjoyed)
Went in with very low expectations and I guess I liked Roadrunner more than I thought I would. Very simple chords, and it continues in a similar vein for a couple tracks, with what sounds like organ (Mellotron?) supporting. Weird semi-spoken vocals on some songs like the offbeat Hospital. Girlfriend and Modern World might be the next best songs on here with something approaching catchy riffs. Not for me - it does at least sound pretty good with distinct instruments and a chunky rhythm section, but I don't like the songs or vocals enough to come back to this.
Music ok, lyrics not so much
Very mediocre
Tried to listen twice and have no memory of it either time.
I am Straight sounds like Marcy Playground, earlier cuts sound like a hybrid of The Doors and VU, it could've been more influential if it was released in 1972 instead of 76. The group that recorded this album went to greener pastures. How strange is that Mr Cale released a cover of Pablo Picasso before the band had their album out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Nf5aOrL3sc Other than that, it did not move me. Jerry Harrison (Talking Heads) - keys Ernie Brooks (David Johansen) - bass David Robinson (The Cars) - drums Jonathan Richman - vocals, guitar 4/10
Very much a *listens to the The Velvet Underground once* album. I adore it on that level, so clearly hearing the influences and even pushing it forward. Feels like such a labor of love. It also kinda feels a bit proto-emo in a way that tickles my brain with the awkwardness in a lot of the lyrics. I think it's pretty easy to see how this influenced a ton of people and how it sounds ahead of its time. A bit new wave at times and the organ reminded me of Sterolab's Super Falling Star for some reason. I feel I'd fuck with it more if the lyrics didn't feel so aggressively straight that I start yearning for Rivers Cuomo.
70s rock - not horrible, but definitely not my style, and kinda boring.
A slog to get through, some of the tracks sounded unfinished and almost as if they were demos, e.g. Girlfriend which was particularly grating. There are some slightly better songs such as Astral Plane which had a real Doors vibe to it, but on the whole just a confusing album with no real identity. Favourite tracks: Astral Plane & Government Center. Not one to revisit. 2/5
There is nothing particularly good here but it is not the worst album on this list. 2 stars or D.
I typically look up the track listing of each album, and make my judgement based on the original track listing. If it’s good, I might continue onto the bonus tracks, alternative takes, demos, etc. I knew by about the 3rd song I would not be exploring beyond the original 9 tracks.
Nerd Bedroom rock - my mates loved this at the time, but passed me by. I can hear the Velvet Underground influence in parts, but this is not even remotely "cool"
I’d rather eat deep-fried drywall than listen to one more bland British dude try to create original music.
Can’t say I get it. Seems like Suicidal Tendencies covering deep cuts of The Doors.
Liked half the songs easily, great groove and lyrics on some but the singing and repetitiveness is too much and annoying as hell.
Sounds like someone doing karaoke to The Doors.
So here’s the thing, I can hear the influence of this band in about 100 bands that came after it. I think my only problem with this album, is that it seems very unpolished. Plenty of bands around the same time we’re doing similar things, but had a much more polished sound. While I can hear the influences, this album is not for me.
"Roadrunner" was on a compilation album I had as a kid so I had high hopes for this. Sadly, the new wave vibes of that particular track were not evident on the rest of the album which was a unholy mix of The Doors (who I never liked) and Elvis Costello (who I do like, but has been on this list far too often already)
Now I know where Roadrunner is from and that the original was not by the Sex Pistols. Apart from that track nothing here to inspire me.
At the start thought I was going to struggle getting through this, but got used to the downer non vocals, and started hearing those influences on the indie bands i used to listen to.
shoutout massachusetts!!! i had heard Roadrunner before because my cryptography professor in college had the URL encrypted as an answer for a homework assignment. overall the album isn’t great, boring/bad instrumentals with an annoying voice. Hospital was a nice outlier - lower key than the rest of the album and more emotional.
An alright album but not really my style.
Sounds like The Doors with a very slight touch of proto-punk. I like The Doors, and I like Punk. I don't like this. They are basically imitating two interesting expressions, riding them of all that makes those influences brilliant — the charisma of Jim Morrison, the virtuosic playing of Ray Manzarek and the punky energy.
#403. This one is a bit shit. Quite difficult to actually get through the whole thing. 2/5: I want to forget about this.
# 362 : I don't love it, I don't hate it. It does get better with each listen, Kind of bland, and sounds like an amateur band that I could go see in the local pub. Not bad, but not good either.
Underwhelming...the songs started sounding the same after a while.
favourite song - pablo picasso favourite lyric - well we've known each other from other lives / i want to see you today / but i'll prove my knowledge of what's inside / when i intercept you on the astral plane cover - 4/10 overall album - 2/5
There were moments where I was thinking, okay, as a Talking Heads fan, I can get behind some of this. But it’s not Talking Heads and I was over it quickly.
Crap
Not my favorite but you can see how it shaped punk and grunge
Extremely boring.
галимы джаз 3/10
Very very very standard. Idk why it is on the list. Not that it is bad, but is it one of the best albums ever? I can't see it.
Too tame for punk, too punk for mainstream
forgettable is the highest praise I have for it
Roadrunner saves this album from middom 2 beeps out of 5
Do you like rock music? Then this album is for you.The only thing I like about this album is just the beats. The lyrics are decent I guess but I do not like the guy voice. I do not recommed this album jest because of the guys voice.
i think that this song is talking about some world where he could talk with with some girl in his dream state?. this could not be it, but anyways, i don't like or hate this song, but i see how people would like this album because it could be relatable.
1st song-its pretty good I like it cus it is cool and very clam to 2nd song- its so clam to I really like it so much 3rd song-
Ok, this album is okay. In my opinion, I don't like this album, but I feel like it's okay. I don't like the lead singer's voice. But I do like the instruments in the background. I feel like his voice is too monotone or something; maybe it's because I can't understand what he's saying. But I absolutely LOVE the guitar and the drums in the background. I recommend that you listen to this album, but the instrumental version, and not with the lyrics.
Loved a few.
bleh
..
ok
Big nope to this one, just a less interesting version of other things we have done.
This man was not singing; he was speaking. I was not a fan of his voice, and the songs were just OK.
Yeah you know how sometimes when you like a genre of thing except for a couple of fairly notable examples? It's not like anyone has ever said "oh like The Modern Lovers?" when I'm describing my music taste, but it would be reasonable if they did, and I really hated this album. I don't think it's a one but it's a 1.5 hanging on to a 2 by the skin of its teeth. The production is so sparse that I actually noticed words, and the words were like "ugh I miss the 1950s" and "Pablo Picasso got all the chicks because women can't say no to hot men with hot cars" and if they weren't cringe they were rhymey.
Sadly I found little redeeming qualities. The vocal style ruins the album for me.
I didn't hear what others are finding in this one. None of it grabbed me in a positive or negative way. After it was finished I put it back on since I had no attachment and didn't know what to review it. After the second listen I'm in the same place.
4/10. Nothing particularly memorable.
That sounds like a bored Franz ferdinand. There is no point listening to that.
Man was that ever a boring slog to get through. Not quite 1 star bad but I considered it
Really torn on to what to rate this album. Everyone regards it very highly. I do not find it terrible, but do not find it terribly engaging. There seems to be no uniqueness in the songs themselves. If one is not paying close attention to this album they seem to blend in to one song. A couple songs not longer sound "edgy", and instead come across as dated. Worth a listen, but there is no spot reserved in my library for this album.
Sometimes boundaries can only be pushed by someone with unfettered confidence and a complete absence of introspective tendencies, so for that we must be grateful for teenage rockstars. But it doesn't make me want to listen to this guy drone-sing the same 4 notes as if it's the most brilliant poetry ever written.
p356. 1976. 2 stars. The bastard new wave children of The Velvet Underground. At the time this was revolutionary - a whole generation realised that if these guys could pick up a guitar and make a record, so could they. Having said that, this hasn't aged well, and it has too much filler - one classic track does not make for an album of essential listening. Additional points deducted for Jonathan Richman's nasal whine.
Whatever you call this genre is what I just dont care for. Flat vocals with serviceable instrumentals with no charm. I got annoyed by this one pretty quickly, Old World made me take a break. Just too much droning nonsense, although it sounds like they had fun making it.
Pretty generic 70s stuff to be honest
this just isn't interesting.
Sounds like a garage band's version of the Doors recorded in their garage - although there is definitely no Jim Morrison here... A couple of entertaining tracks on the disc - my favorite was "Pablo Picasso" - something about that track pulled me in to their vibe.
Interesting mix of The Stooges and Talking Heads to my ears at first, then gets a bit annoying and instrumentally didn't grab me
nothing special
Budget version of stuff I like. Man some songs this dude really makes you want to hit skip.
# Playlist Track - Roadrunner. # Notes - Vocals are really poorly held on this one. Really struggled to get to the end. - The ballad "Hospital" is especially atrocious.
What if Bob Dylan couldn't write songs and secretly wished to be the rolling Stones that's what you get out of the modern lovers
Bit repetitive
Why not
Sikkert originalt nok, men ikke for mig
1. roadrunner - 1.5 2. aztral - 1 3. old uuorld - 1 4. picazzo - 1 5. cracked - 1.5 6. hozpital - 2 7. care about - 1.5 8. girlfriend - 1 9. modern - 1.5 10. old - 1 11. ztraight - 0 12. government - 0 13. zleep - 1 14. dance - 1 15. care about - 1.5
Ok, but not something I would listen to again 2/5
I keep hearing how great these guys are. I’ll take your word for it. I suppose it should be on this list as he’s deeply regarded. But there’s no craft here. There’s no emotion. There’s no art. Maybe you had to be there. Interested to see Jerry harrison was a part of it.
I'm really starting to run out of things to say about all these forgettable albums. I listened to it, didn't enjoy it that much, (although it didn't repulse me) and immediately forgot about it because there was nothing remotely interesting about it.
Snore
For the first time in 119 albums in, I can't figure out why this is here. I wouldn't consider any of it offensive, but it felt like an album full of what I would consider the filler tracks on better albums. Aggressively fine, which would be a 3 if it wasn't 17 tracks and over an hour long.
Maybe a 3
Started off pretty decently, but then things became really bad whenever every single song sounded pretty much the exact same way - music in the background and just shouting (or talking) and overall wasn't a great experience. Normally I would rate this 1 star but because I had really low expectations in the beginning, the first 20 seconds didn't seem too disappointing.
It has a Velvet Underground feel, which makes sense. Clearly ahead of it's time, if recorded in early 70s, and quite influential. Still isn't good though. I like how pitch and tone are merely suggestions for the singer. I guess he didn't hit his stride until "There's Something About Mary". 2.7
Hospital // Girlfriend //
Just sounds like droll, proto-punk to me. Kept waiting for things to pick up or get interesting and they never did. I think the vocal delivery played a large part in making me feel that way.
3.77 per track.
I thought Neil Young couldn't sing
the yap album 2.3/5
Easier to listen to than the French album from yesterday.
Punk British Rock, similar to Talking Heads. Not for me.
Flashes of greatness surrounded by British mediocrity. Kinda went back and forth between somewhat interesting and annoying.
Mediocre music with mediocre vocals. I don't really think I needed to listen to this before I died.
Nice demo tape? This seems to include a skilled singer and instrumentalists, but the production quality and songwriting are not of interest to me. I'll pass. Better luck down the street, I hope you do well. As they say, “You've got potential, kid.”
This album sounds like if Bob Dylan tried to make early indie/punk rock. The upbeat tracks sound okay musically but the vocals are strung out and meandering. For “Roadrunner,” why count to 6? A lot of these song lyrics did not age well, especially “I’m Straight.” For this eponymous album, the rule applies.
An odd one. I was thinking it’s a bit like The Velvet Underground or The Doors, with a bit of Ziggy and Iggy in the mix, but, all this stuff was happening in the late 60s early 70s, why would this be “good” for 1976? Then read up to find out it was recorded in 72 and released later. Fair enough. But does that make it very out of date? Yeah, maybe? Do I like the songs (should probably be a more important question)? Kind of, although I did find the spelling of Girlfriend and the repetition of Picasso/Asshole pretty annoying. So vaguely annoying music, 4 years past its peers, have to go low I think. 2 stars.
Boh sì si può ascoltare, ma non mi pare nulla di particolare.
I gave it several listens but just didn’t connect with this one.
Whole load of meh from me. Sounds like the singer is a bit drunk the entire time.
Quite forgettable, it was nice enough but I couldn't point out any stand out tracks
Jonathan Richman's ability to distill complex emotions into simple, relatable narratives, combined with the band's raw sound, cements this album as an essential and influential work in the evolution of alternative and punk rock, but sonically, it’s just not for me. it’s a wonderfully curated album and a lot of thought was put into it, but it’s just not for me. it’s getting a 3/10 from me. sorry :’(
Some fun party music here.
Had never of this band or any of its music. I found it curious how or why they made Rolling Stones top 500 list. There’s nothing remarkable here and the monotone voice of the lead vocalist kills what little enjoyment there is as ever song sounds pretty much like the last one. The 3 alternative versions of 3 of the album tracks are by far the best music on the disc, more up tempo and the vocals are forced to keep pace a little more. At least I know why I’ve never heard of them.
Compliqué, ce disque. Les mélodies sont souvent quelconques, les musiciens pas forcément en place, et le chanteur est approximatif. Peuvent être sauvés “She Cracked” et éventuellement lur tube “Roadrunner”. Chaque morceau contient son moment décevant, un solo d’harmonium inutile, un pont à la guitare naze, comme celui de “Old World”, incroyablement foireux. Et que dire de “Girlfriend” où le chanteur sonnant comme un vieil alcoolo essaie d’épeler “G-I-R-L-F-R-I-E-N-D” mais foire deux lettres sur la fin. Cela rend l’ensemble parfois assez rigolo, presque attachant, ou peut être pathétique. Sans doute que ce disque est vu comme un précurseur du punk, mais difficile d’en faire un incontournable.
This is not good. I don't understand American music sometimes.
blegh
Didn't love this.
Roadrunner's great, and I actually like Jonathan Richman in small doses. This was a tough listen.
Nothing really stood out here. A couple tracks with some vibes but nothing I’d really want to come back to. Lead singer is mopey sounding
Um, but why was this album on the list?
Soso proto-punk/psych-rock with one of the whiniest singers I've ever heard. Roadrunner is good, the rest, totally forgettable, and Girlfriend is one of the worst songs I've ever heard.
That was certainly something I'd not heard before.
This has moments that I really like, and then the guy just starts talking about random weird things. The bad definitely outweighs the good.
I dont have too much to say about this one. The music wasn't bad but it wasn't particularly memorable. Road Runner was the highlight of the album. The singer has an interesting voice but I would rather listen to the Cars if I wanted something that had this feel. Not an album I plan to return to but decent enough music.
A few good songs but overall did not enjoy much
Pretty generic, but the lyrics were distractingly bad so I'm doxking a point. Usually I don't care about lyrics but holy shit I don't give a shit how stoned hippie Johnny is or that you want a girlfriend instead of cocaine.
Okay
I see The Modern Lovers were a band of all-stars who went on to form the likes of Talking Heads and The Cars, and this collection of numbers was very well critically acclaimed at the time, but it sounded bland and forgettable to me. Not sure why such hype.
Very mid. I’m not really a fan of the vocalist’s style.
4/10 - In a word boring, in a few words not very exciting. The songs all kinda blended together and I do not want to hear any more about hippie johnny.
4.5/10 pretty boring, music and vocals didn’t mesh well and the dudes voice wasn’t great
Good but not entirely my type of coffee
Brit stuff
Roadrunner - 3 Astral Plane - 2 Old World - 2.5 Pablo Picasso - 2 She Cracked - 2 Hospital - 2 Someone I Care About - 2 Girlfriend - that's a O.N.E. baby Modern World - 3
05/06/24 S Tier—————————5 A Tier—————————4 B Tier—————————3 She Cracked Roadrunner Hospital Someone I care About C Tier—————————2 Old World Pablo Picasso Astral Plane D Tier—————————1 Girlfriend
Mwa
Not for me
Not a big fan of this one
I’m sure there was something here but I really wasn’t a fan
I’ll listen to the Doors or Velvet Underground and get the same situation
I'm trying to figure out why this album is on this list. I listened through twice and never got it.
I’ve completely forgotten this Album After listening
Pretty entertaining to listen to, but a little more comical than I think they were going for. Felt like they’re reading from a teenager diary and just happen to be playing a little bit of guitar, keyboard, and drums for fun. Some songs had good instrumentals and bad lyrics, some had funny lyrics and bland backing. Think I would like it most of it less and less the more I’d listen. 5/10
Grand, some of the songs were good but wasn't blown away by any of them really sometimes found the album a little boring.
When your frontman shows up in a raging drunk to the session waving papers around covered in scribbles of “asshole” and “girlfriend” but you really gotta use the studio time
Not my usual type of music but quite enjoyed this
Pretty banal - not much to commend it.
downloaded hospital but definition of white people music
Not great, it's got some hints of the good 70s stuff but it strays too close to early new romantics stuff at times and I can't abide it.
Not much that got me involved in this. I'm not sure why. Maybe his voice? Maybe the music just feels calm somehow?
this album kinda um sucked. all the reviews saying it sounds like knock off the doors are right at that point just listen to the doors they’re way better than this anyways
Too proto-punk for me.
Alright but didn't do much for me
Generic post rock. Didn’t care for this much at all.
Listening to the lyrics is like listening to a drunk/high person trying to tell you a story. Some of the tracks gave me mild B-52s vibes
Ass 2 Didnt physically hurt to listen to so thats not too bad
yawn
Not abhorrentlly bad, but pointless and banal. I heard 'Cars' coming from the beginning, and then to my "suprise"... lol. Catchy commercial jingles don't earn many stars though
An exceptionally okay record that made me feel completely no emotions, positive or negative. This is the second album I've had this week that claims to be "the origin of punk", and I definitely enjoyed "Black Monk Time" way more than this. Plus it was released 10 years before this, so I think it has the tighter alibi.
A pubescent incarnation of a later 1980s americana garage band with wannabe desires to be another Velvet Underground. I really really dislike the vocals on every track, so nasally it just crawls beneath tour skin. Best track, probably She Cracked.... immediately followed by the worst track Hospital. I'm really searching for something positive to say about these guys, and this alleged album that was released years after the band actually split up... but there's absolutely nothing special here, nothing to rave about, they were just a group of guys who got together in the 70s, threw a few tracks together and then disappeared again.
Like a crap Jim Morrison tribute. Some instrumentals were OK but the album is not for me.
genuinely cannot tell if this just went over my head or if I put more thought into this than the Modern Lovers did
Got excited at first. Sounded very stooges-esque. Quickly descended into boring rambling nonsense. By the end of Pablo Picasso I'd already written them off.
Det här var ganska dåligt tbh
Lyrics are shit, vocals make me visibly cringe, and was just really weird. It really does sound like a bunch of emo, misfit dudes from Natick got together in someone's garage, made this album, then nodded at each other afterwards and said "yeah this is really good". It's a 2, but a high one, because it hit at certain times. Does that mean anything though?
While I am in love with Massachusetts and often drive past the Stop 'n' Shop with my radio on, that doesn't mean I connect with these songs in any way.
Sometimes music scratches in itch, but other times it makes me itchy.
I can't stand the singer he's some buns
Do not love the vocals, but the organ is pretty cool. Not a huge fan of this punk adjacent type of music.
It has its moments, but it's definitely too long. I got tireeeed. I don't like the vocals.
wasn't fussed
Decent, nothing special. Doors lite.
Super frustrating. You can hear really promising things but it's under a pile of crap.
Some pretty decent music in here but overall just felt like the same ol stuff we have heard before. There really should be a group that goes through this list and puts all these bands into groups to say "Oops we have 76 titles on this list that all sound the same, lets remove some and get other groups or people in here that have different sounds."
Sometimes Jonathan Richman’s voice works with the sludgy garage rock. But then there’s stuff like “Girl Friend,” which is terrible.
Guy’s voice sucks.
Poor man’s velvet underground
Alright
Much like the Velvet Underground, not a lot of people listened to or bought The Modern Lovers, but nearly all that did formed a band and the influence of Jonathan Richman and friends looms large. I don't find listening to this particularly repeatable, but admire the influence it had.
sorry, jonathan richman's choice to sing flat and whiny doesn't work for me
A couple really good songs; the rest – meh.
nothing really stood out
I thought this was a parody album after listening to the first few songs - it's that bad. Specifically, the vocals and lyrics are horrible. I stopped listening when I reached the track "Hospital," when the "singer" delivers the following line in a half-assed, drunken muttering voice: "I go to bakeries all day long. There's a lack of sweetness in my life." Besides the singer's god-awful voice and delivery, the guitars and keys/synths are all over the place and NOT good. The only reason I gave this two stars instead of one is because: 1.) The bass and drums are surprisingly very tight, and... 2.) Pablo Picasso is so hilariously, terribly bad that I laughed the entire time
Nothing very interesting here
A few tracks that caught my ear, but nothing spectacular. 2/5
Punk Rock Jim Morrison? Who's that other band, hmm, Velvet Underground? This is pretty uninspired proto-punk with someone trying to be Ray Manzarek in the background so far. The bass playing is very good. Some of these lyrics are sounding very sixth-form college deep poetry-esque. This wasn't terrible, but I didn't really like it that much. 2 / 5 stars.
Decent start to the album. Mega sag in the middle, became a bit of a drag. At the time of release, likely much more original and impactful.
I was waiting for this album to finish faster. I really disliked the vocals
not my thing
attempt at old british sad rock
Not great
Forgettable
pablo picasso was not called an asshole
This is some garage band punk. It's way to raw for my liking, and it's punk.
Yeah not a fan.
Comment il m'a pris la tête avec sa voix de lépreux lui
erratum: Pablo Picasso est un gros trou du cul
Thought I would like this but as the opener Roadrunner faded out the rest became a bit dreary and half arsed. Not impressed.
sounds like a shitty local pub band that you hear once and then never think about ever again
I really want to like the Modern Lovers...I love the concept. But every time I listen to them I just get a little bored. It does seem pretty influential, but I think the Stooges are far for formative for the punk sound and are of the same era. 2.5/5
meh
Proto-punk is not a genre I like, it turns out. I enjoyed the vocalist, but overall I didn’t like the songs.
Yeah pretty good. Not mad about it
No es muy cautivante.
I hear the Ramones, Lou Reed, hints of The Doors. I don't know who influenced who. Nothing here really grabbed me.
Halfway through this I wished it was Modern Romance, and their best song was "Ay Ay Ay Ay Moosey", so that's saying something