To mark my return to the Blogworld (and also because I had it already stored on my HD and no CDs are readily available due to the Great CD Robbery) here is the Original first LP by the Modern Lovers, then still featuring Jerry Harrison, later with the Talking Heads. The songs on this record were produced with legendary Kim Fowley between Summer 72 and Fall 73. There are lengthy liner notes by Jonathan himself, but to read them completely, please buy the original record! These songs preceded the recordings with John Cale that would later result in the actual first Modern Lovers LP. There is unfortunately no longer any further information at Rock in Boston.
You always hear that was Proto-Punk, but this is just perfect Pop music of a very own style! Strangely enough, my edition of the 1982 Line Records re-release white vinyl edition also contains 'I'm straight' as track 4, although uncredited on the sleeve.
I am a fan of Jonathan Richman since more than 30 years. I just found out now (ohmygod, am I that old?), I first heard Roadrunner in 77 or 78 as a kid. JR was really brought to my attention by 'Egyptian Reggae' around 77 or 78 by Gerd Timmermanns on NDR2. Early in the 80s I found the 77 Live LP at a flea market. Since then I was hooked. I have seen him several times since my first JR concert in 1988 in Münster. In the early 90s I saw him in the Berlin Loft and the next day in Hamburg and even met him in person on the Reeperbahn! Great guy! There were concerts closer to my then home Braunschweig, as recorded in my previous post on the concert in Hildesheim.
I am not really up to date as what he does today, but I am sure he will be close to your town soon. If you do not go to a concert, if he is playing near you, you will definitely have to go to hell if you do not go hear him! So better be there!
He was responsible for influences on the first wave of British Punk (Glen Matlock of the Sex Pistols remembered this) and not only remembered for his fanatical love of Velvet Underground. Sleeping in Lou Reed's appartment is not his only merit.
To be honest, I prefer his post 77 tracks, although ML were pure class. There was more fun in his music afterwards. Go to the Hildesheim concert and listen to the Bermuda story (I am the one who asked for it...). A few days after that concert I heard Bang Bang Lulu in a supermarket! You will find out why he changed... Remember Splinter in Berlin? (This is only intended to be understood by one person).
I had a lot of continous fun with his music ever since and his concerts since then. I do hope you will be able to understand my fascination with this fantastic entertainer Jonathan Richman!
Have fun with Jonathan!
There will be no updates automatically. As now I am busy with updating my own life, I do hope one day I will be able to be more stable regarding new posts.
There is a fantastic review by another collector on JoJo here. I can sign almost every word of it (except the remark on 'Hospital', one of the greatest songs of all time!)!
Modern Lovers - Original 1972/73
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