the truth of the matter is that tonite he was something very different from any of that. sure the blank stare of barely supressed joy at the awww-shucks amazingness of getting paid to play this music remains, but the goon-mumble which pow-pow-powered "roadrunner" into infinity and beyond has grown into a sometimes marvellously rich, well, not croon exactly but it's as close as he's likely to get. there's some sprightly tub thumping, some suprisingly gentle spanish inflected guitar play (i say this shocked as someone who knows nothing of his solo material.) his delivery was po'faced, yes, but it's also executed with the timing and inflection of a comedian, albeit stripped of all sardonicism. the songs themselves were wonderful. i knew not a one, but he made me feel like i did, instantly. it was a sly, un-manipulative insinuation, and i liked it.
i say all this as a person who is nominally/normally put off by all the things this perfomance contains/represents: purposefully witty/"charming" songcraft (see also my irrational distrust of stephin merrit), a man and his acoustic guitar, vocals/lyrics/delivery privileged over "pure" (whadever the fuck that means) sound, cute-ness in music... i'll admit it, i was charmed. i don't see myself rushing out tomorrow to beef up my collection, but i will surely see him again on his next go around. he's gotta be pushing 50 now, doesn't he? he doesn't really "fit" in 2002 does he? lumping him in with any sort of neo-singer songwriter movement is false: how does he compare to smog, pete yorn, or alicia keys to name but three? and while it's safe to say he's a major reason 1/2 japanese existed, lumping him with any idiot-savant acousticians (the moldy fucking peaches?...oh jad, what haf you wrought??) is likewise doomed to failure: closer to four-track aznavour than cuddlecore songs about blowjobs (and thank fucking christ for that.)
one of the first songs he played was "springtime in new york" (at least i assumed that's what it was called), and i can't really described the mood it called up, comparable with so very few things in the vast morass of art about nyc, maybe the gentlest work of paul auster (cf. moon palace) or the experience of living in the city itself (which, like that ridiculous song suggests, everyone should do once before they become hardened.) it's a love song to a place which so effortlessly trumps any of the post-9/11 blather (neil young, stick your head up your own arse in abject shame, please.) it made me happy to be alive, which few things do these days. so cheers, i guess.
― jess, Sunday, 7 April 2002 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink
― unknown or illegal user, Sunday, 7 April 2002 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink
― modern moonlight, Sunday, 7 April 2002 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink
― Andrew L, Sunday, 7 April 2002 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink
― maryann, Sunday, 7 April 2002 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink
― M Matos, Sunday, 7 April 2002 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink
yeah, that was a little disconcerting too. i was totally expecting the uber-geek to walk on stage, when out came this dapper fellow (if a little "intense" in the blank stare dept.) i'm sure he could have become the makeout king of montana with any girl in the place, and he certainly had the crowd eating out of his hand.
i had forgetten i wrote this little epic when i woke up from my 11pm nap.
― dave k, Sunday, 7 April 2002 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink
As for my pal Andrew L's understandable interest in his chest, can I just mention that I HAVE TOUCHED JR'S BARE CHEST! Mmmm...
― Martin Skidmore, Sunday, 7 April 2002 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink
I've seen JR about five times, and was only disappointed once. He has nothing to do with punk, except that he occasionally sings a song called "Velvet Underground." He is a troubador. He sets down his guitar and dances, accompanied only by his own singing and clapping. He's charming, and cute like a bunny. But he tackles serious subjects (cf. "My Little Girl's Got a Full Time Daddy Now", "The Neighbors") that most songwriters wouldn't touch. And he's an extremely nice guy.
― J, Sunday, 7 April 2002 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink
― Mark, Sunday, 7 April 2002 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink
― Keiko, Sunday, 7 April 2002 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink
I've never seen him live but the rumour is he's playing Glastonbury so here's hoping.
By the way, love your prose, wish I could write like that when pissed.
Kris.
― Kris England, Monday, 8 April 2002 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink
― lawrence kansas, Monday, 8 April 2002 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink
So, I guess my answer is "what". *smiles glassily, backs quickly but politely out of the room*
― Dan Perry, Monday, 8 April 2002 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink
― Mark, Monday, 8 April 2002 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink
― jess, Monday, 8 April 2002 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink
― Chris Sallis, Monday, 8 April 2002 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink
Yes, and you see that people who are great performers, or something else superlative, often blow away your conceptions of liking or disliking the domain in which they work. Your first paragraph indicates your reluctance to buy into received opinion about "greatness", "importance", etc., and it's true these opinions are often the result of stupid canon-happy past-never-experienced pseudo-worship, but sometimes people who are called great really (still) are when you get to see them. So yeah, Jonathan Richman is great, but what you're really writing about is how suprised you were that your contrary-ness was disarmed in spite of yourself. Hope it happens more often.
― arch ibog, Tuesday, 9 April 2002 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink
[sputtering]...he INVENTED punk rock on The Modern Lovers!
― M Matos, Friday, 12 April 2002 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink
― jess, Friday, 12 April 2002 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink
(i was referring to the post above yrs actually, m.)
This is something of which I am well aware. I was describing Jonathan circa now, as opposed to what may be fairly described as a bit of an anomaly in his career. He's never done anything like that record since. "Government Center" may be one of the happiest, most compassionate songs ever written, but it's probably the only thing on the record that wouldn't seem out of place if Jonathan busted it out today. I certainly don't see him playing "She Cracked," "Hospital" or "I'm Straight." Maybe "Girlfriend," but "Pablo Picasso"? I don't think he would curse onstage anymore!
― J, Friday, 12 April 2002 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink
I was at this gig too, Chris and I agree that it was brilliant (inc. Sex Machine cover). Was a tad disappointed that he didn't play "That Summer Feeling" which was the first song of his I heard, but with such a long career & large repertoire such things are inevitable I suppose.
― MarkH (MarkH), Monday, 9 June 2003 07:39 (9 years ago) Permalink
(revive!)
― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:06 (9 years ago) Permalink
― amateur!st (amateurist), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:09 (9 years ago) Permalink
― pauls00, Monday, 17 November 2003 23:18 (9 years ago) Permalink
In fact, his sheer un-rock n' roll attitude is what makes him so punk rawk.
Plus, he can write a fuckin mean song.
― David Allen, Monday, 17 November 2003 23:27 (9 years ago) Permalink
― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:37 (9 years ago) Permalink
― M Matos (M Matos), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:38 (9 years ago) Permalink
― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:41 (9 years ago) Permalink
― M Matos (M Matos), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:41 (9 years ago) Permalink
― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:42 (9 years ago) Permalink
― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:44 (9 years ago) Permalink
― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:45 (9 years ago) Permalink
― M Matos (M Matos), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:46 (9 years ago) Permalink
― M Matos (M Matos), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:47 (9 years ago) Permalink
― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 17 November 2003 23:49 (9 years ago) Permalink
― Carey (Carey), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 02:42 (9 years ago) Permalink
― fiddo centington (dubplatestyle), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 02:44 (9 years ago) Permalink
― A Nairn (moretap), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 02:58 (9 years ago) Permalink
― kephm, Tuesday, 18 November 2003 20:25 (9 years ago) Permalink
If your really liking 'Jonathan Sings' I'm pretty sure you'll love 'Rockin' n Romance', it has similar production and, to me, a stronger set of songs all round. That's crazy it's selling for so much now. I even think I have two copies, I might be able to help you out. I managed to find all the Jonathan LP's a few years back. Think the one I most struggled with was the 'I'm so confused' album.
'Back in Your Life' is essential. 'Affection' is one of my favourite Jonathan songs.
Totally forgot to mention the self titled album earlier. It might actually be the best of the LP's for me. Some outstanding songs on there i.e 'Micicals Will Start to Happen', 'A Mistake for Me' and 'Closer'. That album has some of Jonathan's best guitar playing.
― AnotherDeadHero, Saturday, 13 March 2010 20:38 (3 years ago) Permalink
Just had a look and it's 'It's Time For the Modern Lovers' that I have two copies of, not 'Rockin' n Romance'.
Does anyone know if 'Havin a Party', 'You Must Ask the Heart' and 'I, Jonathan' ever got a vinyl release?
― AnotherDeadHero, Saturday, 13 March 2010 20:47 (3 years ago) Permalink
― iiiijjjj, Friday, 7 May 2010 21:51 (3 years ago) Permalink
looool
― the sound of a norwegian guy being wrong (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 7 May 2010 21:57 (3 years ago) Permalink
class fucking act
― tylerw, Friday, 7 May 2010 21:58 (3 years ago) Permalink
I am seeing him in two days, seriously anticipating.
― bug holocaust (sleeve), Saturday, 8 May 2010 00:19 (3 years ago) Permalink
He is right on about the 4 seasons.
― Band Fag X (u s steel), Saturday, 8 May 2010 00:49 (3 years ago) Permalink
I see he's at the Casbah in San Diego in two weeks. Sounds like a magical night, love him and that place so much. Last thing I heard that moved me: "Time Has Gone By So Fast." All-time favorite: "You Must Ask the Heart."
― Pete Scholtes, Saturday, 8 May 2010 19:10 (3 years ago) Permalink
― Band Fag X (u s steel)
― CaptainLorax, Saturday, 8 May 2010 19:54 (3 years ago) Permalink
i think i know what that letter is in response to... a review of a bryan ferry album by dave marsh, right?
funny--i've been listening to jonathan richman nonstop today.
― by another name (amateurist), Sunday, 9 May 2010 03:50 (3 years ago) Permalink
ok that was great.
anyone heard him do this newer version of "Old World"? probably the most radical rewrite i've ever heard an artist do for a song, the new version is a total rejection/kissoff of the old world with its "secrecy, torture, and keeping women in their place". the line about "I still love my parents" is gone, and it seems like whatever reactionary value the old song had in the early 70's isn't worth including anymore.
also A+ for the closer about how depression is good and you need to sit by the stinky pond instead of going to the plexiglass apartment.
― bug holocaust (sleeve), Monday, 10 May 2010 06:04 (3 years ago) Permalink
been listening to his latest LP a lot lately. i suppose it seems almost passé to praise a new jonathan richman album (does anyone buy his albums anymore?) but i quite like it.
― by another name (amateurist), Monday, 10 May 2010 10:24 (3 years ago) Permalink
i mean, it won't make any converts, but if you're willing to indulge him, it's quite moving.
the shambolic arrangements even have an artsy edge, which in a sideways sort of way returns him to his musical roots.
― by another name (amateurist), Monday, 10 May 2010 10:25 (3 years ago) Permalink
I for one will ALWAYS buy the new Jo Jo record.
I thought the last one was great, stronger than 'Her Mystery and Not of High Heels' and 'Not so much to be Loved as to Love'.
I thought it was great to hear him pick up the electric again, albiet very briefly.
― AnotherDeadHero, Monday, 10 May 2010 14:52 (3 years ago) Permalink
i was just in a nostalgic mood (for the mid nineties, lol) and thought i would photograph this picture and stick it up here. he was sort of an asshole to my friends but was super nice to me and he held my hand a lot. this picture was in market square in knoxville, tn. he had arrived in town early for my friend to interview him and we got to chill for a while...
― i am giving you the caesar salad of compliments (Nijoli), Saturday, 24 July 2010 22:22 (2 years ago) Permalink
awwww. when is that from? 1990s?
― by another name (amateurist), Friday, 24 September 2010 06:14 (2 years ago) Permalink
you must have a disorder that prevents you from reading parantheticals!
This is Steve Shasta btw.
― Fartbritz Sootzveti (Steve Shasta), Friday, 24 September 2010 06:49 (2 years ago) Permalink
rockin' and romance is, right now, my favourite jr album. the new one is good too.
― Spikey, Monday, 20 December 2010 09:49 (2 years ago) Permalink
Not sure if he's a class act, but have you guys heard this?
― bamcquern, Tuesday, 27 September 2011 08:44 (1 year ago) Permalink
I thought it was someone doing a Modern Lovers-era Jonathan impression at first.
― bamcquern, Tuesday, 27 September 2011 08:45 (1 year ago) Permalink
it was a 2008 vinyl only single. as you might expect it's pretty fun live.....going by reports :-( should have been included on Because Her Beauty is Raw and Wild tbh. and it's bside is another version of when we refuse to suffer, itself a good song. not sure if it's got the wonderful electric guitar the 2nd version has though. fun live version of when we refuse:
elsewhere, 'i have come out to play' is actually the greatest song ever. sorry hey jude.
― Spikey, Tuesday, 27 September 2011 11:24 (1 year ago) Permalink
this is great - Jonathan Richman Reads A Poem For MOJOhttp://soundcloud.com/mojomagazine/jonathan-richman-reads-a-poem"Yes it feels strange. Yes it feels strange."
― tylerw, Thursday, 23 February 2012 20:20 (1 year ago) Permalink
this guy is a class fucking act.
― shart practice (Merdeyeux), Wednesday, 29 February 2012 23:58 (1 year ago) Permalink
still got the moves despite his advancing years (either "old, almost forty" or "almost fifty") too.
he played 'old world' and 'girlfriend', has he been doing more of the old stuff lately or did i just get lucky?
― shart practice (Merdeyeux), Thursday, 1 March 2012 00:00 (1 year ago) Permalink
i heard him do "girlfriend" a few years back, never heard "old world"... even though the approach of the original modern lovers stuff is different, not like a lot of those songs wouldn't fit into his set...
― tylerw, Thursday, 1 March 2012 00:02 (1 year ago) Permalink
I haven't seen him in at least a decade but he would occasionally break out Roadrunner, Old World, Pablo Picasso when I saw him several times in the late 90s/00s. Altho he was equally inclined to just play Sex Machine for half an hour.
― Artful Dodderer (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 1 March 2012 00:03 (1 year ago) Permalink
i have a ticket to see him tomorrow which i had been trying to get rid of because i have other commitments, but now i'm considering just slipping out of those hopefully unnoticed...
new song 'bohemia' is a lot of fun, has a feeling more akin to the 70s and 80s stuff than to the last few albums
― shart practice (Merdeyeux), Thursday, 1 March 2012 00:18 (1 year ago) Permalink
as is his way, Jonathan re-wrote and re-recorded Old World for the 2008 album (don't remember the album name currently) so that's probably been a bit of a regular lately. He does a fair amount of Modern Lovers stuff really. There always seems to be at least one Modern Lovers song a night. It's the 1976 to about 1986 stuff that gets ignored, unless he's re-wrote and re-recorded it (Vincent Van Gough)
iirc what I just said is pretty much said by him here: but i'm not in a position to watch that right now
― Spikey, Thursday, 1 March 2012 05:19 (1 year ago) Permalink
The Modern Lovers had a rhythm section― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Monday, November 17, 2003 11:42 PM (8 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalinkthe entire city of Olympia doesn't― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Monday, November 17, 2003 11:44 PM (8 years ago
the entire city of Olympia doesn't― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Monday, November 17, 2003 11:44 PM (8 years ago
yeesh
― (The Other) J.D. (J.D.), Thursday, 1 March 2012 05:35 (1 year ago) Permalink
Other than having a catchy chorus, "Bohemia" doesn't strike me as being that far removed from the stuff on the last couple of albums. He's definitely developed a more abstract style of songwriting.
― timellison, Thursday, 1 March 2012 06:14 (1 year ago) Permalink
"heathercroall @heathercroallI was standing up front right next to Nick Cave as Jonathan Richman sang about being pretentious and finding the Door to Bohemia. too funny"
So when Nick Cave attends a Jonathan Richman concert, do you think Jonathan recognizes Nick?
― Spikey, Friday, 2 March 2012 14:38 (1 year ago) Permalink
i really have no idea how aware or tapped in Richman is to people like that who you might consider his peers or at least familiar to most of his fanbase
― some dude, Friday, 2 March 2012 14:56 (1 year ago) Permalink
Is Nick looking at Jonathan and thinking,"Is this guy a class fucking act or what?"
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Friday, 2 March 2012 20:40 (1 year ago) Permalink
Can't help but hear the title of this thread being spoken by the voice of Mike Damon from Fast Times at Ridgemont High
― Why Does Redd People Never Want To Blecch? (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 3 March 2012 04:31 (1 year ago) Permalink
went to the Union Chapel gig last night and I can confirm that he is the fucking classest of acts.
― I'm not going leftfield on you... (hypehat), Saturday, 3 March 2012 18:25 (1 year ago) Permalink
saws him last night in berlin in the festsaal kreuzberg. it was packed and i sweated a lot. just him and a drummer. a very short set, only about one hour and three short encores. but i don't remember having smiled as much at any concert before. he finished with the song where the mind gets asked about love, can't handle the question and directs the asker to the heart. somehow he reminds me a lot of neil young, the same kind of innocence, the same kind of realness.
― alex in mainhattan, Tuesday, 14 August 2012 21:04 (9 months ago) Permalink
sp: i saw him last night...
it's funny how much of this guy's oeuvre was 20-30 years ahead of its time with the de rigeur hipster-lifestyle topics - organic farming, hating cars, locavore foods etc
― Welcome to my world of proses (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 25 January 2013 21:39 (3 months ago) Permalink
i dunno if he was that ahead of the curve on caring about those things, but he was definitely ahead of the curve in thinking "hey i can write a song about this" about lots of things he writes about
― fonkytimez lemonade (some dude), Friday, 25 January 2013 21:53 (3 months ago) Permalink
Wow, Jess. Your opening post here is fan-fuckin'-tastic! It so perfectly evokes the feeling of being really truly surprisingly into something you "should" dislike, and that's one of my favorite things--and something you can never ever plan for.
― Clarke B., Friday, 25 January 2013 21:56 (3 months ago) Permalink
i saw richman live for the first time within a year of this thread being started (but don't think i had seen it then) and jess really does sum up really well why he's one of my favorite live acts ever.
― fonkytimez lemonade (some dude), Friday, 25 January 2013 21:59 (3 months ago) Permalink
he was definitely ahead of the curve in thinking "hey i can write a song about this" about lots of things he writes about
writing a song about how awesome the local falafel stand is, for example, fits right into today's indie landscape - but I can't think of anybody doing that kind of thing besides him back then.
― Welcome to my world of proses (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 25 January 2013 22:03 (3 months ago) Permalink
I've been on a "backfill" with the Bezerkley albums, I only had the first one for ages. Now I have up to the live one.
― Mark G, Friday, 25 January 2013 22:05 (3 months ago) Permalink
saw him a couple of months ago and he was great, I could just listen to his song introductions by themselves. loved his whole rap about apologizing to the moon for the way all of our artificial light competes w/"her", and the version of "Old World" that he does nowadays is spine-tingling.
― sleeve, Friday, 25 January 2013 22:05 (3 months ago) Permalink
Bezerkely albums are all really solid
― Welcome to my world of proses (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 25 January 2013 22:11 (3 months ago) Permalink
I'm a bit of a Jonathan obsessive. Own all his albums, mostly on vinyl. Those Rough Trade released 80's LP's that have never really been available on CD are absolute corkers. I'm also a big fan of the 1989 'Jonathan Richman' and 'Having a Party With Jonathan Richman' albums as well; some of his best electric guitar playing.
― Internet Alan, Saturday, 26 January 2013 12:02 (3 months ago) Permalink
Have seen him many times, but not in a decade or more. Not in this century in fact. Maybe next month.
― Leopard Skin POLL-Box Hat (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 26 January 2013 15:52 (3 months ago) Permalink
Jonathan does not have a computer and does not like to do interviews but he responded via hand-written poems on paper to 2 questions from a writer(musician) who works for the Washington Post. Jonathan is gonna be in DC tonight
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/going-out-guide/wp/2013/02/21/jonathan-richman-wrote-me-a-poem-no-really/
― curmudgeon, Friday, 22 February 2013 15:00 (2 months ago) Permalink
and the answer comes again: a class fucking act
― D4y0 (some dude), Friday, 22 February 2013 16:21 (2 months ago) Permalink
tbh I never really noticed how much he uses Dr. Seuss cadences before
― Donkamole Marvin (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 22 February 2013 16:24 (2 months ago) Permalink