CD Odyssey Disc 1721: The Modern Lovers

Last night I went dancing for the first time in a while. While the music wasn’t to my tastes, the crowd was great and the dancing an experience I’ve always loved that was long overdue for a return.

Disc 1721 is…Self-Titled

Artist: The Modern Lovers

Year of Release: 1976, but featuring music from 1971-1973

What’s up with the Cover?  A less than inspiring logo. It is OK, and I like the purple they’ve chosen, but um…could be more. This is a reissue and I believe the original has a black background with a blue heart and a white circle. That looks a bit better but still…yawn.

How I Came To Know It: Ever since my friend Casey put me onto Jonathan Richman I’ve been buying up his back catalogue. I’d never heard (nor even “heard of”) this record when I saw it in the record store and decided to give it a go.

How It Stacks Up: I have two other Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers albums. Technically this is not Jonathan Richman, and the Modern Lovers, this is just “The Modern Lovers” although yes, Jonathan Richman is in the band. I realize this is confusing. More on this later.

In the meantime, to remove the confusion I’m going to count this in my overall assessment of Jonathan Richman in my collection, in all his various Modern Lover contexts. That means I have three total albums, and it also means this is my final review (at least until I can find the elusive “I, Jonathan”). I rank “The Modern Lovers” at #3. Here’s the full accounting:

1. Jonathan Sings!: 4 stars (reviewed at Disc 1630)
2. Self-Titled (Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers): 4 stars (reviewed at Disc 1649)
3. Self-Titled (The Modern Lovers): 3 stars (reviewed right here)

 Rating: 3 stars but almost 4

Listening to the Modern Lovers self-titled debut felt a little bit like peering into a parallel universe. A place where the Modern Lovers are a punk band with some pop sensibilities, instead of the reverse. So similar, but with the emphasis differently placed.

From 1971-1973 Jonathan Richman was part of the original Modern Lovers, but they split up and Richman would go on to front a new band. Along the way, the old recordings from his original band kind of hung around, eventually getting released in 1976 – the same year Richman’s new band (also the Modern Lovers but now with is name in the front) released their eponymous debut.

The earlier record has similarities to Richman’s later solo work mostly through his quavering but confident vocals, and his propensity to observe the world in a detached but insightful manner. The song topics are a bit more straightforward tunes about love, drugs and rock and roll. No martians, no abominable snowmen in the market that you’ll hear on his other records. Still present – his idealized exploration of love.

Well, it could be idealized, or it could be ironic. With Richman it is hard to tell, but I find his music a lot more enjoyable if you assume he is being earnest. It opens you up to a world where your faith in the basic decency of people is affirmed, even if things don’t always go the way they should.

Musically, the Modern Lovers (the album I’m reviewing right now…) has a stronger punk edge, with a garage-like feel to the playing that was strongly reminiscent of early Lou Reed. This is reinforced by songs that do not get creative with the melody. A couple of chords, played in earnest.

The heavy use of organ and the meandering feel to the songs evokes a late sixties/early seventies psychedelia as well, which is a welcome addition and makes songs that could feel repetitive instead draw you into a joyful, almost manic trance.

The goofiness that defines Richman’s other albums does appear on one tune. With “Pablo Picasso” Richman muses:

“Some people try to pick up girls and get called assholes
This never happened to Pablo Picasso “

I doubt Picasso was never called an asshole, but I guess anything is possible and it is a curious thought regardless. The song further benefits from a stoner surfer vibe on guitar that makes it the best track on a record with many good ones.

On “Girlfriend” the chorus spells out the song’s title as “g-i-r-l-f-r-e-n”. We know from the title Richman knows better, but this nod to ‘whatevs’ is part of what gives the Modern Lovers their charm. They are nerds and outcasts, but they make it cool.

“I’m Straight” is a great song, but not at all about what you would think based on the current meaning of the word. Back in the early seventies, the expression meant “not high.” The song features Richman phoning around, jealous of another neighbourhood character, “Hippy Johnny” who is always high.

My copy of the record is the 2003 re-release, which is good because it comes with a lot of extra tunes, including the aforementioned “I’m Straight” and the also brilliant “Government Center”. Unfortunately, it was 2003 and soulless record execs were feeling the need to use up the new medium’s available space. As a result, we get “alternate versions” of three of the record’s songs, (“Someone I Care About”, “Modern World” and “Roadrunner”). The first two are not even the record’s better songs and while “Roadrunner” is awesome, the original studio version is demonstrably better.

Minor complaints however on a record that otherwise shows Richman’s genius in a couple of ways. First, that the record is a master class in early punk/alternative music and the other that it came out in the same year as Richman dropped another classic record in a totally different (and yet not) style. Parallel universes, in every awesome way possible.

Best tracks: Roadrunner, Old World, Pablo Picasso, Hospital, Girlfriend, I’m Straight, Government Center