jonathan richman: is this guy a class fucking act or what?

I saw him live last year of college 07-08. That was a good year for concerts in Athens, GA. I think I saw Sloan and Nada Surf at that same venue. Sloan was probably the best of the 3 with their amazing song request collage for the encore. But I was sort of drinking for all 3 concerts and I can't remember the specifics of any of them, just that they were all great.

I don't have nearly all his albums to know which are best, but I really adore I, Jonathan

Also rep for I, Jonathan, I think my favorite after the 1st incarnation of Modern Lovers. Also re that review - he is a great singer, esp. these days.

Well in the last month since I asked for recommendations on this thread I've bought a few of his albums.

Rock n Roll with the Modern Lovers and the second album were the first ones I found which are pretty good. Then I went for I, Jonathan and Jonathan Sings! which are just incredible, I have been playing them both a lot over the last week.

I've ordered Modern Lovers 88. Rock & Romance and It's Time For the Modern Lovers would be my next choices to get but I'll have to add those to my rare overpriced vinyl list or just get bootlegs/downloads of them for now.

I already asked this in another thread about him but are any of his solo albums worth getting? I've ready so many mixed reviews of just about all of them apart from I, Jonathan.

Of course they are worth getting. He was practically a solo act from the time of Jonathan Sings anyway - he'd just assemble a bunch of musicians and friends to act as the Modern Lovers for a while.

I'm not very familiar with his last four solo albums but I think I have all the previous ones. They are all good. The self-titled one is kinda weak and I'd avoid that. "Having a Party with Jonathan Richman", "I, Jonathan" and "You Must Ask The Heart" are all great. Those would be my first picks. Mostly performed with good musicians with a couple of solo guitar numbers per album. "Jonathan Goes Country" is a full-on guitar album with retakes of some of his earlier songs like The Neighbours and Corner Store which are great. The Spanish album is a novelty which you can ignore.

His more recent albums have not been as enjoyable in my opinion. He tends to re-record two or three old songs per albums, plus the tone of his lyrics doesn't appeal to me the way his earlier one do. Instead of being confidently independent and declarative he can sound whiny and self-centred. And I don't think his tunes are as good either.

And don't ignore Modern Lovers '88 - it's good vintage Jonathan too.

Sorry, when I said "Jonathan Goes Country" was a guitar album, I meant to say, country album, with slide guitars, songs about horses etc.

Duh. I meant to say "Back In Your Life". You said you'd ordered '88.

Xpost. ILM pays me $9.99/year to point out whenever necessary that Rockin and Romance is available here:

http://www.twintone.com/projects/8558.html

It is a regular CD in every respect other than the cover art.

I'm a massive Jo Jo fan. Have everything he's done. 'Rockin' & Romance' and the other 80's Rough Trade albums are excellent. Sad that their so out of print.

Fave albums for me would probably be 'Back in Your Life' and 'Having a Party' but I'm sure I'd pick out a different one every day. I absolutely adore 'Now is better than Before' and 'I' just beginning to live' from 'Rockin' & Romance'.

Duh. I meant to say "Back In Your Life". You said you'd ordered '88.

― everything, Friday, March 12, 2010 11:09 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark

Yeah 88 should be with me early next week. I wasn't sure about Back In Your Life I'd seen some not so great things written about it but I'll get that one ordered too.

I think Jonathan Sings is the one to beat. I just played it again and I'm just loving it so much. It has a really great sound to it, it really suits him having the female backing vocals. In the sleeve notes it say's he isn't a massive fan of the album himself, he likes the band but hates his vocals and the production.

Xpost. ILM pays me $9.99/year to point out whenever necessary that Rockin and Romance is available here:

http://www.twintone.com/projects/8558.html

It is a regular CD in every respect other than the cover art.

― dlp9001, Saturday, March 13, 2010 12:55 AM (17 hours ago) Bookmark

Thanks for the tip (also in the other thread) I'm one of those people that still wants to own the actual album before downloading or getting it any other way. I think i would rather fork out for the vinyl than paying for a CD copy even if it is close to owning the real thing.

It's really annoying, I think I just pick bands to get into that have rare back catalogues to make it hard for myself (see also The Cardiacs)

Twin Tone also has the excellent Yung Wu record -- I think it's the only place you can get it (other than used record stores ...) Kind of fun to see how much those records sold.

Xpost. ha-ha. Fortunately I'm blessed with a huge collection of Jonathan and Cardiacs spread across ridiculous amounts of formats. I have actually found the 80s era Modern Lovers albums to be quite easy to find in second hand, but that probably depends on where you live. Back in You Life starts off with a pretty weak song (Abdul and Cleopatra) but then the rest of it is solid. I always consider it to be a companion piece to Modern Lovers Live - it has the same killer line-up - Asa, Leroy and D.Sharpe and the tone of the songs is similar - some uptempo dance numbers with great backing harmonies (and some of that conversational stuff where Jonathan asks the Modern Lovers what they think), a couple of faux-naive numbers, a great rock'n'roll cover of "Lover Please" and a sprinkling of his more sincere/confessional material.

Regarding the female backing vocals - Jonathan likes to use his backing vocalists as foils and when he's singing with women that can often work really well. I think that Jonathan Sings and Rockin and Romance are the only ones where there is female backing vocalists all over the place but there's a sprinkling throughout the catalogue. The Neighbours has some great dynamic. Her sarcastic response to Jonathan's explanations is just classic. Also, "Just Because I'm Irish" from You Must Ask The Heart which has Julia Sweeney is pretty great.

I'm incredibly jealous of you right now. I live in the UK where the second hand record shops are really struggling. I've asked in quite a a few shops recently about about both The Cardiacs and Jonathan Richman, Most reactions have been no chance mate!

I can't believe up until a few years ago you could get Cardiacs records in shops and on their website and now they go for over 60 pounds. I just got a copy of The seaside through the post today, which is great.

Anyway back to Jonathan Richman. I'm bidding on Back In Your LIfe on Ebay now. I'm not quite rich enough to bid on the one copy of Rockin and Romance that's 85 pounds.

The Neighbors is probably my favourite song of his at the moment. I love how both the versions of That Summer Feeling are really different but both equally amazing.

Holy Shit. Eighty five quid? That's ridiculous. Especially with the Twin/Tone version available for a tenner. Both these artists need comprehensive box-set makeovers right now. BIYL is one I have not seen around much. I don't have it on vinyl - I have had the cassette for about 20 years and thankfully found a CD of it more recently. I think I mentioned upthread that there's a great version of The Neighbours on Jonathan Goes Country which is killer, but there's a third rendition on his Spanish album (like I said, not essential).

Yeah it's one of those buy it now jobs so no-one is going to ever bid on it. They are pretty much wasting their time and...well mine!

So yeah if anyone has any spare copies they would like to sell of that or It's Time for the Modern lovers or can just point me to somwhere that might have them on vinyl, I would be so grateful.

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.

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?

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4021/4585196011_5180679db6_o.jpg

looool

class fucking act

I am seeing him in two days, seriously anticipating.

He is right on about the 4 seasons.

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."

He is right on about the 4 seasons.

― Band Fag X (u s steel)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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...

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs058.snc4/35253_10150214895280076_846520075_13710560_2172710_n.jpg

awwww. when is that from? 1990s?

you must have a disorder that prevents you from reading parantheticals!

This is Steve Shasta btw.

rockin' and romance is, right now, my favourite jr album. the new one is good too.

Not sure if he's a class act, but have you guys heard this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjEtJ0T61SQ

I thought it was someone doing a Modern Lovers-era Jonathan impression at first.

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: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ds33tuGRE64

elsewhere, 'i have come out to play' is actually the greatest song ever. sorry hey jude.

this is great - Jonathan Richman Reads A Poem For MOJO
http://soundcloud.com/mojomagazine/jonathan-richman-reads-a-poem
"Yes it feels strange. Yes it feels strange."

this guy is a class fucking act.

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?

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...

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.

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rh0_0XJ7PSM

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: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjpuUNqCZQ8 but i'm not in a position to watch that right now

The Modern Lovers had a rhythm section
― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Monday, November 17, 2003 11:42 PM (8 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

the entire city of Olympia doesn't
― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Monday, November 17, 2003 11:44 PM (8 years ago

yeesh

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.

"heathercroall ‏ @heathercroall
I 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?

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

Is Nick looking at Jonathan and thinking,"Is this guy a class fucking act or what?"

Can't help but hear the title of this thread being spoken by the voice of Mike Damon from Fast Times at Ridgemont High