The Modern Lovers

• The Modern Lovers [Home of the Hits, 1976] A
• Precise Modern Lovers Order [Rounder, 1994] ***

See Also:

• Jonathan Richman
• Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers
• merge all

Consumer Guide Reviews:

The Modern Lovers [Home of the Hits, 1976]
These legendary sessions, produced by John Cale for Warners in the early '70s but never released, still sound ahead of their time. Jonathan Richman's gift is to make explicit that love for "the modern world" that is the truth of so much of the best rock and roll: by cutting through the vaguely protesty ambience of so-called rock culture he opens the way for a worldliness that is specific, realistic, and genuinely critical. Not that he tries to achieve this himself--he's much too childlike. Sometimes his unmusicianship adds a catch to a three-chord melody and his off-key singing unlocks doors you didn't know were there. But other times he sounds like his allowance is too big, as worldly as Holden Caulfield with no '50s for excuse--the first rock hero who could use a spanking. A

Precise Modern Lovers Order [Rounder, 1994]
live Harvard '71 and Berkeley '73, back when Jonathan thought cute was pretending he couldn't spell "girlfriend" ("A Plea for Tenderness," "The Mixer [Men and Women Together]," "I'm Straight") ***

See Also

• Looks Like Velvet [1972-08-16]