The Modern Lovers
‘The Modern Lovers’, 1976. Proto punk. Jonathan Richman was the main man here. Ernie on drums later joined The Cars and keyboardist Jerry joined Talking Heads. Richman loved the Velvet Underground and John Cale produced these recordings, done 1972/3 but not released until 1976. Jonathan was anti-hippy, with short hair, singing songs with titles like ‘I’m Straight’ and ‘Dignified and Old’ in an adenoidal, off-key voice. Vietnam, long hair and pot was the norm then. A contrary bod.
‘Roadrunner’ kicks this off. A two-chord classic about the joys of cruising with the radio on. A softer version was re-recorded, released and charted in 1976. This is the original punky, Velvets riff fest. A desert island disc. ‘Astral Plane’ is a chugging riff with keyboard wash and stabbing guitar. The guitars all over this album sound punk years before the name was given. ‘Old World’ is a deep bass throb with moody keyboards and Fender strum, a love poem to the old ways, of parents, of innocence. More Hug It than Smash It Up. The middle eight swells and bursts open like sunshine. Another desert island disc. ‘Pablo Picasso’ is a slow chug bass with freaked out guitars about, yep, Picasso. It’s funny. John Cale still covers it in concert. ‘She Cracked’ is a fast one chord thrash rocker about unhinged, modern girlfriends. Great lyrics too. ‘Hospital’ follows, probably about the cracked girlfriend. A slow, sad piano with Richman’s plaintive croon. One of my fave lyrics: ‘I go to bakeries all day long/there’s a lack of sweetness in my life’. ‘Someone I Care About’ another fast rocker with fuzztone keyboards and flailing riff, hand claps too. ‘Girlfriend’ slows it down with sparse guitar, pretty piano and heartfelt vocal. It’s gorgeous. Happy sad. ‘Modern World’ ends it with another relentless riff, tight drums, raging keyboard.
This stuff is nearly 50 years old but sounds fresh. Richman went to Bermuda and mellowed out before this album was released. He came back a different person and effectively disowned it. Don’t matter. Sharp, tight, funny. This is a classic set of songs. ‘Roadrunner’ especially was a big influence on UK punks.
The Modern Lovers
‘The Modern Lovers’, 1976. Proto punk. Jonathan Richman was the main man here. Ernie on drums later joined The Cars and keyboardist Jerry joined Talking Heads. Richman loved the Velvet Underground and John Cale produced these recordings, done 1972/3 but not released until 1976. Jonathan was anti-hippy, with short hair, singing songs with titles like ‘I’m Straight’ and ‘Dignified and Old’ in an adenoidal, off-key voice. Vietnam, long hair and pot was the norm then. A contrary bod.
‘Roadrunner’ kicks this off. A two-chord classic about the joys of cruising with the radio on. A softer version was re-recorded, released and charted in 1976. This is the original punky, Velvets riff fest. A desert island disc. ‘Astral Plane’ is a chugging riff with keyboard wash and stabbing guitar. The guitars all over this album sound punk years before the name was given. ‘Old World’ is a deep bass throb with moody keyboards and Fender strum, a love poem to the old ways, of parents, of innocence. More Hug It than Smash It Up. The middle eight swells and bursts open like sunshine. Another desert island disc. ‘Pablo Picasso’ is a slow chug bass with freaked out guitars about, yep, Picasso. It’s funny. John Cale still covers it in concert. ‘She Cracked’ is a fast one chord thrash rocker about unhinged, modern girlfriends. Great lyrics too. ‘Hospital’ follows, probably about the cracked girlfriend. A slow, sad piano with Richman’s plaintive croon. One of my fave lyrics: ‘I go to bakeries all day long/there’s a lack of sweetness in my life’. ‘Someone I Care About’ another fast rocker with fuzztone keyboards and flailing riff, hand claps too. ‘Girlfriend’ slows it down with sparse guitar, pretty piano and heartfelt vocal. It’s gorgeous. Happy sad. ‘Modern World’ ends it with another relentless riff, tight drums, raging keyboard.
This stuff is nearly 50 years old but sounds fresh. Richman went to Bermuda and mellowed out before this album was released. He came back a different person and effectively disowned it. Don’t matter. Sharp, tight, funny. This is a classic set of songs. ‘Roadrunner’ especially was a big influence on UK punks.