Consumer Guide Album

Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers: Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers [Beserkley, 1976]
Well then, is this Lou Reed without chemicals or Loudon Wainwright III with a cold? If the former, he'd better renegotiate his right to be fey by balancing off each new LP with some rock 'n' roll drone ("Road Runner," say, or the Earth Quake cuts on Beserkley Chartbusters). And if the latter, there'd better be one funny song as astonishing as "Pablo Picasso" (or "Rufus Is a Tit Man") every time. B+