The Modern Lovers

Too proto-punk for me.

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

Pretty good! Enjoyed the instrumentals especially.

so singular

Well that was dull. Maybe it makes more sense to include it if you know the context, as sometimes early versions of something sound uninspired but that's because later artists riffed on the concepts and often improved on them. No idea if that is the case here, but I hope so otherwise I really can't see how you would include it as a top 1000 album.

Fine

Alright but didn't do much for me

top

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

I hated this one. The voice was like nails on a chalkboard. Some of the songs physically hurt to listen to and I never want to think about this one again

Enjoyed this. Will come back to

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ass 2 Didnt physically hurt to listen to so thats not too bad

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

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.

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

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.

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.

loved it

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.

Desde que sono la primera canción ame todo! Ame este disco. 10/10! Guardado completo .

genuinely cannot tell if this just went over my head or if I put more thought into this than the Modern Lovers did

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

Gott nee

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.

Liked it more than I thought I would

Me parecía raro no conocer este disco, dado que es de un género que me gusta mucho. Menos mal que no lo había conocido.

great punk album

This was one of the most stupid albums I’ve heard in a long time - and I mean that in a good way. The singer wasn’t that good, but the songs were sooo weird and interesting. I definitely didn’t like all of them and probably won’t listen to it much, but it’s definitely an album I’ll remember. I also read that one of the members were later part of Talking Heads, and while this doesn’t reach their heights, you can definitely see where some inspiration came from. With lines like “Well some people try to pick up girls And get called assholes This never happened to Pablo Picasso”, how can you not like it.

Thoroughly suprised by this one. It's like a The Doors if they decided to be a punk rock band instead. The lyrics are quirky and unexpected like "Someone I care about" which is a song about only wanting a serious relationship and nothing else. It felt original, fun and catchy, I still got Roadrunner stuck in my head.

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

I LOVED this, literally from the first note. A new favorite of mine.

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

Not available on spotify

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.

D Roadrunner - 2 Astral Plane - 2 Old World - 1 Pablo Picasso - 1 She Cracked - 2 Hospital - 1 Someone I Care About - 1 Girlfriend - 1 Modern World -2 Dignified and Old - 1 I’m Straight - 1 Government Center -2 I Wanna Sleep in Your Arms -2 Dance With Me - 1 This is one of the worst albums I’ve heard in recent memory. I couldn’t believe the sh** I was hearing. Boring, bad vocals, laughably simple lyrics. You could give a fifth grader a tambourine and a recorder and he’d concoct a better album for you.

Surprisingly good!

I can't stand the singer he's some buns

perfect

Guay. Me recuerda a Evan Dando

Do not love the vocals, but the organ is pretty cool. Not a huge fan of this punk adjacent type of music.

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.

Terrible crap

For a band with a ringleader who proclaims himself in love with the old and modern worlds, The Modern Lovers are as apt of a name for such an enterprise. New York in the early to mid 70s were a colorful yet frightening place, teetering on the brink of collapse that inspired flights and burgeoning movements and missives from Presidents to drop dead. It was such a place for Jonathan Richman and his band of Velvet Underground admirers to make home. There are glimpses of who the former band were but also who Talking Heads were going to become, thanks to the presence of Jerry Harrison (album producer and Talking Heads' eventual guitarist and keyboardist) at the controls. For quite some time, I've been leery of Richman and his contributions, mainly due to his whirlpooling presence amongst my playlists. Yet this album places itself at my sweet spot, largely informative and grasping in its admirably awkward overt manner that would inspire legions of other bands in its wake. In regards to this, all we can do is not resist this album's stare.

Solid garage rock from back in the day

4 stars

This is like an over achieving high school garage band, but you can tell there is tons of potential here. Fun lyrics, fun music. Great Boston references too. Never thought I'd hear "Massachusetts" used in a song.

One cool song and a bunch of middling ones

It has its moments, but it's definitely too long. I got tireeeed. I don't like the vocals.

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?

wasn't fussed

Meh

The parts dont really add up to anything, but the sum is very pleasant indeed

Really enjoyed this album actually. Had a good blend of proto-punk but also just easy garage rock listening. With just enough charm and art to pull it altogether. The lyrics ramble but are also meaningful. Favorites: Roadrunner, Astral Plane, Someone I Care About, Pablo Picasso Least Favorites: Girlfriend,

Decent, nothing special. Doors lite.

Oof. Those lyrics were laughably terrible.

Super frustrating. You can hear really promising things but it's under a pile of crap.

I had heard this one before and was happy to see it as the selection for the day. I really like this one. I was surprised to see some of the other reviews - a lot of people really hate this one. I guess his voice is kind of love it or hate it.

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."

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

This album was hard to rate. I really enjoyed it, during actually listening I felt anywhere from a 3 to a 5. I’ll settle on a 4 then. Great rock, there was also some punk elements that really made me enjoy this album. TBz 1. Hospital 2. She Cracked 3. Astral Plane 4. Roadrunner

Not surprised to hear that this was produced by a velvet underground alum. Simple, but still fresh. Doesn’t totally feel like it’s pushing any envelopes, but still very solid

as with all velvet derivatives, this doesn’t do the original projects justice but is still quite good. missed the discordant violin, though.

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.

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

This is an album I think I used to like more than I do now, but Roadrunner and Dignified and Old are still worth the price of admission.

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.

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.

"Roadrunner" is one of those songs I know from multiple sources but could never name the band if you asked me, but just a good, solid Velvet Underground like track. Astral Plane feels like they are channeling The Doors. Pablo Picasso is another fun and weird track that feels like The Ramones would have had fun covering it. Overall a short, tight, fast and solid album.

Not bad tbf

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

sorry, jonathan richman's choice to sing flat and whiny doesn't work for me

This album seems like a nice bridge between the Velvet Underground and all of the alternative rock artists that came of age in the 1980s. This makes sense, given that a member of the Velvet Underground produced much of the album The Modern Lovers and especially Jonathan Richman, have a weird sensibility to them, but it works with their happy-go-lucky musical style. The first song, Road Runner, is an absolute classic. 4/5 The production could be a little cleaner, but I can't really hold that against them, since a lot of the album was recorded as demos

Dude’s weird but the songwriting is undeniably great.

Proto 80s new wave in the 70s!

A couple really good songs; the rest – meh.

1000lbs of respect for John Cale. But I really didn't get anything out of this. It's the debut, so maybe they needed time to grow or something. But there is nothing here.

Such a great timeless album. Pablo Picasso is easily my favourite and RoadRunner is very enjoyable.

Scuzzy fun. All the people making unfavorable comparisons to the Velvet Underground are reaching, if you ask me. While the VU comprise a spectrum of sounds, The Modern Lovers take only one of the shades of that spectrum and run with it, and the same is true of basically all garage rock, surely? Fave track - "Pablo Picasso" has long been a favorite, but "Roadrunner" is awesome too....

Real great. Will be returning to this one!

One, two, three, four, five, six Roadrunner, roadrunner Going faster miles an hour Gonna drive past the Stop 'n' Shop With the radio on I'm in love with Massachusetts And the neon when it's cold outside And the highway when it's late at night Got the radio on I'm like the roadrunner Alright I'm in love with modern moonlight 128 when it's dark outside I'm in love with Massachusetts I'm in love with the radio on It helps me from being alone late at night Helps me from being lonely late at night I don't feel so bad now in the car Don't feel so alone, got the radio on Like the roadrunner That's right Said welcome to the spirit of 1956 Patient in the bushes next to '57 The highway is your girlfriend as you go by quick Suburban trees, suburban speed And it smells like heaven, I say Roadrunner once Roadrunner twice I'm in love with rock and roll and I'll be out all night Roadrunner That's right Well now Roadrunner, roadrunner Going faster miles an hour Gonna drive to the Stop 'n' Shop With the radio on at night And me in love with modern moonlight Me in love with modern rock & roll Modern girls and modern rock & roll Don't feel so alone, got the radio on Like the roadrunner O.K. now you sing Modern Lovers I got the AM (Radio on!) Got the car, got the AM (Radio on!) Got the AM sound, got the (Radio on!) Got the rockin' modern neon sound (Radio on!) I got the car from Massachusetts, got the (Radio on!) I got the power of Massachusetts when it's late at night (Radio on!) I got the modern sounds of modern Massachusetts I've got the world, got the turnpike, got the I've got the, got the power of the AM Got the, late at night, hit 'em wide, rock & roll late at night The factories and the auto signs got the power of modern sounds Alright Right, bye bye!

Didn't like the vocals

Velvet underground kind of vibes, dig it

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

Good in the car

Could listen to Jonathan Richman all day. This is an old favourite I was happy to revisit

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

Nothing very interesting here

Hard to believe this was recorded in 1971 and 1972. It still sounds so fresh, and provided the template for the punk, new wave, and indie guitar bands for the next 40 years.

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

A few tracks that caught my ear, but nothing spectacular. 2/5

I've heard this album a few times in my life and I always forget it's from the '70s. It seems newer than that. I feel like it grows on me the more I hear it. 4/5.

Seems nice enough. Solid Velvet Underground like rock.

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.

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

Groovy as ever

I loved this, I will be listening to it again

It’s a good album. Lovely to hear Jerry Harrison before he made it big(ger) with Talking Heads!

I was waiting for this album to finish faster. I really disliked the vocals

Nope

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.

Punk but not quite punk yet

Not a fan of the lyrics

not my thing

attempt at old british sad rock

Fun album, recognized Roadrunner from School of Rock with Jack Black

Ok

Not great

The album as a whole is better than any individual song. Sounds like it could have been recorded last week- the timelessness of the sound was surprising.

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.

5/5

Classic proto punk

Well well well

This band kind of struck me as the lovechild of The Doors and The Velvet Underground, and I love it! Jonathan Richman is an amazing frontman and pens down some great lyrics! And the band is great too, the keyboards in general have a huge presence presence in the songs. Roadrunner is a standout track, but my personal favorite has got to be the beautiful Hospital and its haunting vibe! Such a unique album! Favorite lyrics: - I go to bakeries all day long. There's a lack of sweetness in my life. And there is pain inside. You can see it in my eyes. Key tracks:Roadrunner, Astral Plane, Pablo Picasso, Hospital 8 out of 10

Very punk sound! Tinge of blues sensibilities, very cool, not my thing.

Forgettable

Saw JR & the Modern Lovers over 30 years ago and what good memories this album brought back. Aside from the fantastic Road Runner, many of the tracks reveal an eclectic mix of influences (garage rock, Springsteen, rock n roll, pop) as well as a proto-punk and new wave elements too. Repays repeated listens

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.

"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

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

This influential proto-punk record is a not bullshit riff filled album full of bangers. Roadrunner and Pablo Picasso are the clear highlights here, but all the album flows super well and is short and sweet. The production is clear as hell and the melodies are on point. I completely get why this album receives such high praise. 8,5/10

Thought I would like this but as the opener Roadrunner faded out the rest became a bit dreary and half arsed. Not impressed.

Poppy quirky goodness

So how do you categorise this? No idea. Lou Reed - esque? I guess that's probably doing it an injustice. I was going to give it a 4, but I reckon this will grow on me like a slow creeping STD. Just as memorable but without the rash.

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

I don’t mind not amazing singers so I quite liked this 4/5

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

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

idk whatever it was fine

Proto-punk is not a genre I like, it turns out. I enjoyed the vocalist, but overall I didn’t like the songs.

Some really great tracks on the this album roadrunner, Pablo Picasso and Astral Plane. However too many songs sound like 2nd rate Velvet Underground songs, not much originality. Good album to listen to but nothing groundbreaking to make it 5 stars

I was introduced to The Modern Lovers through covers: the Sex Pistols cover of Roadrunner and Burning Sensations version of Pablo Picasso on the Repo Man movie soundtrack. I love this record. Earnest (sometimes painfully so) garage punk songs that are tuneful and still partly sound like they were made up as they went along. The lyrics are sweet and sad and bare. Cale brought a Velvet Underground sensibility to the writing and production the preserved Richmond’s voice and emotion. A favorite.

I'm a huge fan of the song Roadrunner. There's some other good stuff on here but overall the record is pretty mixed. "I'm straight" is a real low point. I'll probably go 4 stars just on the power of Roadrunner.

Really enjoyable album with some great songs. Roadrunner is amazing, of course, but other good stuff on this album too.

I can hear the influence that Modern Lovers had on the later generations. Great album front to back.

Yeah pretty good. Not mad about it

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.

Pablo Picasso hehe so fun wow ok hospital is good I wish I had g i r l f r e n I'm straight

M: 1 creepy and sad O: 1 not creative

Proto-strokescore

What a talent. This is perhaps not JR in his purest form but probably his most powerful and punkiest. "Pablo Picasso" and "Girlfren" (sp?) contain all-time indie one-liners. The songwriting and nasal delivery and oddball content are all delightful and totally original. One recognizes this is not for everyone (just the voice or willful weirdness will put off many), but it's certainly singular and, speaking personally, very much one's thing.

No es muy cautivante.

Timeless music. Some songs sound 80s/Violent Femmes.

I hear the Ramones, Lou Reed, hints of The Doors. I don't know who influenced who. Nothing here really grabbed me.

really really great. tight, poppy and clever, dry sense of humor. 5 stars.

Kind of like The Doors but worse

If I were a Richman…

Halfway through this I wished it was Modern Romance, and their best song was "Ay Ay Ay Ay Moosey", so that's saying something

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.

Twisted genius at play here- convention breaking, wild and untamed. Richman’s slurred vocals and the rough musical aesthetic make for an aggressive and alienating listen yet compelling at the same time.

Strongly reminds me of Velvet Underground, Lou Reed, and then, later, a lot of 90s lo-fi indie rock. I have always liked Jonathan Richman's music. Although I wouldn't want to listen to him everyday, there is something really refreshing about his simple, upbeat songwriting and delivery. In a world of jaded, cynical artists, he is so - not jaded. This is cool and different. I can see why it's on the list. It's not going to be one I'll be listening to frequently, but I am glad I heard it.

quite good

Better than I though, wouldn’t go back

Interesting early punk, some decent tracks.

sounds very Clashish. Good stuff

it's just worse Ramones...

Alright sometimes repetative but unique.

10/10 insanely fun 70’s rock the singers voice tends to feel a bit repetitive at times but it still has great vibes the whole time

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

For a rock album I thought this was one of the lesser enjoyed ones I’ve had. Their songs are pretty stupid and feel like they were written by a 16 year old. The instrumentals are pretty generic but the dainger has an average voice and overall it was lame. 4.3/10

Tässä on hetkensä ja tutut biisinsä, mutta silti menee toisesta korvasta sisään, toisesta ulos. Vaikka kuuntelin kahdesti!

Tyylillisesti lupaavaa, joskin muodollisesti liian venyväistä. Vaatisi lisää kuuntelua - en osaa vielä sanoa, kolahtaako vai ei.

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.

Didn't hate it, but it's not very memorable.

Perfectly fine

Meh

Very first wave. Two thumbs up.

Kind of a crossover between Velvet Underground, The Doors and New York punk from the 70's. Of course it's good! Jonathan Richman sounds like an addicted crooner that longs for its past glorious days. Awesome.

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!

If the Strokes did music in the 70's it would have been exactly like that. I'm a huge fan of the Strokes - so I loved it !

This album was released in 1976, but the fact that it was recorded in 1972 makes it all the way more impressive. It's my first time with the Modern Lovers and I'm stunned by the honest delivery of Jonathan Richman. At that time, glam rock and high pitched singers ruled the scene and he's just there, playing it humble and doing his job. Their proto-punk organ/guitar driven sound is also very nice, hard to believe it was made early 70s.

This started out really strong, but tried very hard to lose my attention. By the time "dance with me" finally came around, I just wanted it to be over. For 1976 I can see how it has influenced others, however it's pretty clear that it is derived from Velvet Underground, Kraftwerk and Neu! so I guess swings and roundabouts? Will be difficult to go higher than 2 for this simply because it lost me so quickly after such a good start.

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.

God that was dull

Great album in every aspect (like many other Jonathan Richman albums). Hard to believe it took 4 years before it was released.

The music was not terrible, but I couldn't stand the vocals.

Very pleasant surprise.

entretenido

Another band I've never ever fucking heard of, but the second it starts it sets the tone for a whole lot of suck. Thanks Dimery, it didn't need to be here but I'm stuck listening to it for the next hour. 2/5.

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

Jonathan Richman is great. A groundbreaking album for its time.

Pablo Picasso.. never got called an asshole

Sometimes I get the chorus of “Pablo Picasso” in my head and can’t get it out. I just have to wait until it goes away. The album was fine, lots of speak-singing. Don’t know what’s so special about it.

I love my indie rock and I‘m sure a lot of modern bands were probably influenced by this artist. But that was hard to listen to. Not for me.

Ahead of its time but annoying in places.

Wowow I didn't realised the modern lovers are from the 70s! I've been listening to Pablo Picasso for weeks and assumed it was post 2010. What a fresh sound for the era, so far ahead of their time. Can hear a similarity to The Velvet Underground's sound. Really an excellent album.

Bijzonder modern voor 1976

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.

не сильно выдающийся альбом скучненько однообразно на мой взгляд

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.

Not my cup of tea

Prefs: Roadrunner, Old World, Pablo Picasso, She Cracked, Hospital, Someone I Care About, Modern World Moins pref: Girlfriend

It started off alright but then it became repetitive and not in a good way. Wasn't a fan of the vocals, a bit like a worse version of the Doors. It's interesting to hear Jerry Harrison before Talking Heads, although his organ got annoying after a while.

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

She cracked, I'm sad, but I won't.

Not good.

Wasn't my favourite

Bit shit. vocalist sounds like he is taking the piss.

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.

Kun tajuu tän albumin idean, joka on awkwardness.. ei se tee tästä yhtään parempaa.. prömpötystä.. mutta eriliasta musiikia.. nothing special but relisten worthy..

Old punk still sucks

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

Good Boston references and some good tunes

Good album!

Loving it

Noice

Tutukan!

This record and this band take on almost mythical stature, which I'm sure that's how Jonathan Richman prefers it. At the end of the day though these recordings that were pulled together to make this record are an excellent snapshot of an otherwise short lived and unrealized sound. Richman has always been changing and not wanting to even perform any older songs all that often. These songs are edgy and have that proto punk driving force and their influence is far felt 50 years later. It's an incredible recording and we should be thankful it exists.

Simple rock n roll

Between 2-3. Kinda nice but also kinda annoying.

first listen super boring

boy don't you just love all this influential pre-punk

It was ok.

2.5/5

Not too bad with vocals that match the same pitch and way as of “suicidal tendencies “ but more funky with defiantly back music that carries the same and flat vocals so can be a decent listen if your not paying attention

Something between punk and new wave. It's ok, nothing memorable

Välillä ihan potentiaalisen menevää, mit en välitä vähän liian mattamaisesta soundista ja aneemisesta laulajasta.

This was not good.

Jonathan Richmond gives us a glimpse in to his perpetually adolescent brain. Essentially the invention of geek rock. The fact some of these songs were from 1971 shows how ahead of his time he was. Though I'm pretty sure Picasso was called an arsehole at least once in his life. Best Tracks: Roadrunner; Astral Plane; She Cracked

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

Found it just ok. I liked the vibe at the start but it got a bit old. Not enough energy to keep me hooked even though the melodies were alright.

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.

This is a solid 1 not. I’m just happy I won’t have to listen to it again. cover art: 3 /5

good but the songs kind of sound the same

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

Incredible. The more I listen to music of this era and genre, the more I realise how unoriginal The Strokes are.

Pretty damn cool.

This album is hugely influential is stands as a landmark proto-punk album. Though the instrumentation is simplistic and reminiscent of garage rock, this album leans into its more experimental side producing an enduring art rock statement. The lyrics satirize rock culture and often verge into the delightfully absurd. The self awareness of this album is refreshing and makes its one of the most consequential pieces of 70s experimental rock.

I actually liked this one. Not like groundbreaking but fun with a sorta outsiders sound, bit velvet underground/ violent femmes. I'd heard bits and bobs from richman before but I liked taking the time to listen to the album. Good!

Apart from Roadrunner, I hadn't heard anything from this band before. It's a bit too repetitive and basic for me. I don't think I'll intentionally listen to it again, but I can see how it's an important piece of rock history and would have influenced the likes of The Replacements, Pavement, The Strokes, etc.

The biggest problems are that the lead singer’s voice and the organ tones aren’t at all to my taste. Singer constantly sounds like he's drunk and organ tone is just grating to the ears. Other than that, it’s decent quality 70’s rock with a bit of variety. I didn’t actually wind up making it all the way through, just because I really wasn't feeling it. Nothing was truly appalling, it's just that the downsides consistently outweighed the upsides. There’s bits and pieces of real quality, even excellence, sprinkled in a few of the tracks but it never comes together in a way that’s satisfying.

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

Why have I never heard of this before?

"The Modern Lovers" is the debut album by the Boston-based band The Modern Lovers which, for this album, consisted of Jonathan Richman (lead singer and guitarist), Jerry Harrison (keyboards, future Talking Head member), David Robinson (drummer, future Car's member) and Ernie Brooks (bass). The album was released in 1976 but was recorded in 1971-1972. Going to LA, they recorded six songs for Warner Brothers with John Cale (Velvet Underground fame) as producer and two songs for A&M and Allan Mason as producer. When they returned to Boston, the band couldn't decide on a record label and, additionally, Jonathan Richman wanted to redo the songs in a totally different direction. Eventually, Richman's new record label Beserkley remixed the orginal tapes which then became the album in 1976. The music style is referred to as proto punk. That is actually a very good name; this music is basically an interception between some of the pyschedelic 60's, the Byrds, the Velvet Underground and the forthcoming punk. No surpise a heavy Velvet Underground influence; besides Cale as the producer, RIchman was a huge VU fan and is featured prominently in their Hulu documentary. Lyrically these songs are mostly about girls and relationships but not all. This is a really good album. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and the album starts with their single "Roadrunner." Richman's nasally voice. Straight-forward 60's sounding rock. Nice Keyboard interlude and a fantastic ending with the backing vocals. A song about driving around listening to the radio, stopping by the store and maybe about isolation. A favorite of mine, "Pablo Picasso" ends the first side with a dark Velvet Underground vibe. Acoustic guitar. Electric guitar enters and now gives the song a 60's pyschedelic, Byrd's-esque feel. Some guy (Pablo Picasso) gets all the girls and fame without really trying. Richman said it was about his obsession with girls. Let's get more of the punk flowing on the second side with "She Cracked." Quicker tempo, harder, more rockin' than anything previous. His girl went crazy but he won't. "Girl Friend" is a slower song, more relaxed. Kind of punk poetry and imagery comparing his girlfriend/love to art and understanding both. "Modern World" ends the album rockin'. 60's guitar. Another VU-influenced song. This album is considered a classic and rightfully so. This is good place to start with Jonathan Richman. But don't stop there, he has fantastic music throughout his career and is well-worth checking out.

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.

Jonathan Richman is the Nathan Fielder of rock music

I Love this album. So cool, so innocent, so straight ahead. To me it ranks with The Violent Femmes debut album as the one that best captures teenage life. Modern Lovers focusing more on teenage simplicity, Violent Femmes more on teenage angst. It helps that Jonathan Richman and Gordon Gano both have idiosyncratic (some might say; annoying) voices that I love. Any album is chock full of classics; Roadrunner, Astral Plane, Pablo Picasso and the fantastic I'm Straight. As well as other minor classics like Girlfriend, Dignified and Old, She Cracked. Just a classic album that laid the blueprint that was later followed by indie rock bands like Guided By Voices, Magnetic Fields, Pavement and the afore mentioned Violent Femmes. 5 stars

Mid

Refreshingly ahead of it's time, but not really a great listen. I knew Roadrunner. Interesting to read the strong friendship with Gram Parsons and that Jerry Talking Heads is the keyboard player.

Uninspired, insipid, and derivative. I know it’s easy to be a critic, but I really think all these words apply. Nothing about this album feels new for its time; every aspect of it is a worse version of a previous band’s work. Pretty boring. I might have given it a 2, but the lead vocals were the most lackluster I’ve ever heard, so I feel justified giving it a 1.

It was an enjoyable listen I wish I listened to it more closely but I’ll definitely listen to it in the future.

Not a fan. No reason to ever listen to that album or and if the songs on it.

good

A little punkish, but also pretty melodic with songs like Hospital. Roadrunner & Pablo Picasso are pretty cool songs too. I've never heard of this band before this so it's always interesting to be exposed to a brand new sound. I may have to look up what else the guitarist for this band has done because I like the tone and emotion behind the guitar specifically.. Pretty weird sounding record but I enjoyed it a lot. Like a more evolved Velvet Underground without the pretentiousness

Not my style, just a knock off psychedelic rock album, but there are better from the same genre.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6... love this, absolute genius! Even though this isn't really an "album" it's incredibly influential. Straight line from the VU to this to everything great in the indie world.

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

Not bad a bit boring though

The album wasn't great. I was not familiar with any of the songs nor of the band. It is best described as punk music. It was totally forgettable. Probably a little lower than a 2, but I will round up.

There's nothing I could say about this perfect album that hasn't already been said. And yes, Pablo Picasso might be the greatest song ever. That's all, folks!

pas fan, du rock avec une voix traînante pénible. mou du gland

A proto-punk 70's album, somewhere between 1960's The Doors and 1980's Black Flag. A good listen!