Jonathan Richman : Sad Songs for Modern Lovers
May 5, 2019 20:22:21 GMT
Fox in the Snow and DrKrippen like this
Post by petrolino on May 5, 2019 20:22:21 GMT
Modern Love in Massachusetts
“I’m in love with Massachusetts
And the neon when it’s cold outside
And the highway when it’s late at night
Got the radio on
I’m like the roadrunner”
And the neon when it’s cold outside
And the highway when it’s late at night
Got the radio on
I’m like the roadrunner”
– The Modern Lovers
'Astral Plane' - The Modern Lovers
- Boston.com (ranked no. 12 in 'Boston's 25 Greatest Pop Music Acts Ever')
'Boston’s success in creating the sort of ‘college rock scene’ we wax nostalgically about is essential to the Our Band Could Be Your Life narrative, the awakening of underground rock in the USA during the ’80s. You can divide the conversation as it pertains to Boston into quarters. Act 1 begins with ‘proto-punks’ The Modern Lovers in the early ’70s, who laid a foundation for the fabulous punk, hardcore, garage, and power-pop scene to come. Act 2 starts around 1980 with Mission of Burma, a band that distilled post-punk into its own distinctly American, aggressive flavor. Act 3 begins half a decade later with the emergence of a trio of bands with wholly singular visions whose influence was widespread: the Pixies, Dinosaur Jr., and Throwing Muses. The final Act gets kicked off in the late ’80s and illustrates Boston’s role in the Alternative Rock landscape, with acts like the Lemonheads, Breeders, Blake Babies, Gigolo Aunts, and Buffalo Tom making a big splash during MTV’s alternative programming heyday in the early ’90s. As Act 3 bleeds into Act 4, the Boston scene produced a slew of outstanding bands that would make routine appearances on college radio playlists: Christmas, Big Dipper, The Cavedogs, Galaxie 500, The Neighborhoods, Salem 66, Scruffy the Cat, The Del Fuegos, Dumptruck, and the Volcano Suns, to name a few.'
- Little Records Podcast
'In college, Kristin Hersh was majoring in archetypal psychology and philosophy at Salvé Regina, while going to the Rhode Island School of Design and performing with the Throwing Muses in Boston every weekend. She dropped out of school during the fourth quarter of her senior year, in part because she was pregnant with her first child, Dylan, and kept fainting in class. After that, the band moved to Boston and added bassist Leslie Langston. After the move, the Throwing Muses were the first American band signed to the prestegious indie Brittish label 4AD."
- Drowned In Sound Music Forum
'Not all bands connected to the Boston scene of the late 1980s / early 1990s were formed there, but the common factor is they all performed in the city regularly, often sharing the same venues, and they borrowed lyrically and musically from Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers.'
- Musical Experiment : The Engine Room Broadcast
The Modern Lovers
"Jerry Harrison, who was my roommate at Harvard, saw Jonathan Richman playing on the Cambridge Commons, which is smaller than the Boston Commons, right by Harvard Square, and said to me, “You gotta come see this weird guy. He’s really nuts, but he sounds very cool…”
At that time, Jonathan used to wear these suits with a very conservative white shirt and tie, sport coat, and dress pants, and he had really short hair—it was really funny. There was something about it that was really confrontational in an interesting way.
Jonathan had a band with David Robinson, who was the drummer, and another guy named Rolf, who was playing bass, and they played these free shows on the Cambridge Commons. Jonathan had this blue Jazzmaster guitar with like two strings and had decorated it with the Howard Johnson’s decals. He had painted it light blue and orange like the Howard Johnson's colors—and almost all the songs he played were in E minor—it was very minimalist. "I see the restaurant. It is my friend" was a line from one of the songs.
Jerry and I were both amazed by Jonathan. I had been studying poetry with different people at Harvard, like Elizabeth Bishop and Robert Creeley, so I was struck by the connection between Jonathan’s deep poetic roots and the idea of talking about everyday things. So the poetry was there—instantly I could hear the visionary poetry.
Jonathan was doing that song “I’m Straight,” which, of course, he was. Jonathan didn’t take drugs—though, later on, Jerry persuaded him to take a puff of marijuana, and Jonathan suddenly got this weird look on his face and got up and was about to pick up a frying pan and said, “Jerry, I’m gonna have to hit you with a frying pan, 'cause I have to hurt somebody in order to know that I am stoned and I’m not myself...”
And I cracked up and said, “Jonathan, that’s OK. You don’t have to do that…”
At that time, Jonathan used to wear these suits with a very conservative white shirt and tie, sport coat, and dress pants, and he had really short hair—it was really funny. There was something about it that was really confrontational in an interesting way.
Jonathan had a band with David Robinson, who was the drummer, and another guy named Rolf, who was playing bass, and they played these free shows on the Cambridge Commons. Jonathan had this blue Jazzmaster guitar with like two strings and had decorated it with the Howard Johnson’s decals. He had painted it light blue and orange like the Howard Johnson's colors—and almost all the songs he played were in E minor—it was very minimalist. "I see the restaurant. It is my friend" was a line from one of the songs.
Jerry and I were both amazed by Jonathan. I had been studying poetry with different people at Harvard, like Elizabeth Bishop and Robert Creeley, so I was struck by the connection between Jonathan’s deep poetic roots and the idea of talking about everyday things. So the poetry was there—instantly I could hear the visionary poetry.
Jonathan was doing that song “I’m Straight,” which, of course, he was. Jonathan didn’t take drugs—though, later on, Jerry persuaded him to take a puff of marijuana, and Jonathan suddenly got this weird look on his face and got up and was about to pick up a frying pan and said, “Jerry, I’m gonna have to hit you with a frying pan, 'cause I have to hurt somebody in order to know that I am stoned and I’m not myself...”
And I cracked up and said, “Jonathan, that’s OK. You don’t have to do that…”
- Ernie Brooks speaking with Legs McNeil, Noisey
"An ex-music journalist of sorts, Jonathan Richman, from Boston, formed the Modern Lovers in 1971 as nothing but a good-time bar band. The key-boardist Jerry Harrison would later join Talking Heads and the drummer David Robinson would join The Cars, but back then all they were interested in doing was recreating the same sound as The Velvet Underground (it's perhaps worth repeating that while not many people bought Velvet Underground records when they first came out, all those who did went on to form bands) so you can imagine his excitement when John Cale offered to produce their first album. And his disappointment when his label not only didn't release the album, but subsequently dropped the band."
- Brian Boyd, The Irish Times
"There’s a simplicity and ease to Jonathan Richman — Modern Lovers founder and frontman and overall pop-rock purveyor — that borders on enigmatic. This applies not only to his quirky, whimsical musical worldview, but also to the man himself. Richman exudes an air of boyish wonderment that cannot be fatigued.
It was precisely that wide-eyed curiosity that first led Richman to New York as a teenager. His arrival was inspired by the things he was hearing in the city, namely the Velvet Underground, whose touch is indelibly imprinted on the Modern Lovers’ brief but massively influential body of work. Richman used the seeds planted by Lou Reed and the Velvets to inform his own musical voice and style, but he turned the mood inside out. Where the Velvets were dark and cynical, the Modern Lovers were hopeless romantics, high on the journey of self-discovery that comes with the territory of being young.
Richman long ago closed the book on the Modern Lovers, leaving psychedelic proto-punk at the door in favor of a pared down, guitar-and drum approach that arguably better fits his wistful flare for storytelling. The purity that has long been his hallmark is still perfectly intact, and when the Village Voice heard that he and his longtime drummer, Tommy Larkins, were scheduled to bring their quirky pop sensibilities to the Bowery Ballroom on November 8, we jumped at the prospect of speaking with him to peek a bit behind the curtain. The duo is touring behind a pair of 7″ releases that were put out earlier this year through the Cleveland-based record store/label Blue Arrow, and we wanted to know more about his time in New York, how it inspired him then, and how he feels about the city today.
Before long, we got word that our interview request had been forwarded to the singer by priority mail, Richman’s connection to the outside world runs through the United States Postal Service. He does not do phone interviews; he does not own a computer. In his handwritten response sent via snail mail, Richman riffed on his short stint living in New York with the kind of romanticism and eye for detail that make his music so treasurable."
- Ryan Bray, The Village Voice
"The Cars will be joined by such musical acts as Bon Jovi, Dire Straits, The Moody Blues, as well as the late Nina Simone, and the late Sister Rosetta Tharpe (who will receive the award for "Early Influence."
On their upcoming induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Class of 2018, Robinson said, "It was great! We have been nominated twice before. The anticipation factor has worn off a little bit. We were very thrilled."
Regarding the key to longevity in the music industry, Robinson said, "It always comes down to songs. We were lucky that we were accepted as classic rock, and that format can keep your audience for decades."
For aspiring drummers and musicians, his advice is as follows: "Don't give up! Be wise enough to understand that if you don't have talent you might try something else."
On the impact of technology in the music industry, Robinson said, "Good music is good music. It is different how people can find their music, but it's the same. Commercial music has gotten more commercial, and underground music has gotten more underground."
Robinson is pleased with the fact that vinyls are back in style. "I design covers and the packages. I love the fact that vinyl is popular. That is what I'm working on right now. They make much fancier packages, so they can charge more (for the limited editions), and it's a little more artful."
He noted that he does not have a personal favorite song from his musical catalog with The Cars. "I like everything that we did," he said. "The first three albums are really good!"
Robinson shared that he is excited to reunite with his former band-mates at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony this April, which will take place in Cleveland, Ohio. "I think we will play three songs. We got back together in 2011. We did a short tour to promote that record," he said, referring to their seventh studio album Move Like This.
For his dedicated rock fans, who have supported The Cars, he said, "Thanks for the support. If they didn't like it, our music wouldn't have gotten anywhere."
Robinson defined the word success as "contentment." He operates an art gallery in Massachusetts, where he sells jewelry that he makes himself. "I do it for fun. I like to create artwork, and I make jewelry and I sell it here in my shop," he said."
On their upcoming induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Class of 2018, Robinson said, "It was great! We have been nominated twice before. The anticipation factor has worn off a little bit. We were very thrilled."
Regarding the key to longevity in the music industry, Robinson said, "It always comes down to songs. We were lucky that we were accepted as classic rock, and that format can keep your audience for decades."
For aspiring drummers and musicians, his advice is as follows: "Don't give up! Be wise enough to understand that if you don't have talent you might try something else."
On the impact of technology in the music industry, Robinson said, "Good music is good music. It is different how people can find their music, but it's the same. Commercial music has gotten more commercial, and underground music has gotten more underground."
Robinson is pleased with the fact that vinyls are back in style. "I design covers and the packages. I love the fact that vinyl is popular. That is what I'm working on right now. They make much fancier packages, so they can charge more (for the limited editions), and it's a little more artful."
He noted that he does not have a personal favorite song from his musical catalog with The Cars. "I like everything that we did," he said. "The first three albums are really good!"
Robinson shared that he is excited to reunite with his former band-mates at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony this April, which will take place in Cleveland, Ohio. "I think we will play three songs. We got back together in 2011. We did a short tour to promote that record," he said, referring to their seventh studio album Move Like This.
For his dedicated rock fans, who have supported The Cars, he said, "Thanks for the support. If they didn't like it, our music wouldn't have gotten anywhere."
Robinson defined the word success as "contentment." He operates an art gallery in Massachusetts, where he sells jewelry that he makes himself. "I do it for fun. I like to create artwork, and I make jewelry and I sell it here in my shop," he said."
- Markos Papadatos, Digital Journal
Jerry Harrison with Talking Heads
David Robinson with The Cars
'Hospital' - The Modern Lovers
"By all accounts, 1988 was a tidal wave in the history of Boston’s alternative music scene. The same year that the Pixies unleashed “Surfer Rosa,’’ Throwing Muses, Galaxie 500, and Blake Babies were all courting national attention and college radio play. And then there was Ed’s Redeeming Qualities. You’ll be forgiven if your memories are a little fuzzy about this acoustic ensemble that came together almost by accident in early ’88. People didn’t know what to make of the band — neither then nor now — but anyone who saw Ed’s, at long-gone clubs such as the Rathskellar, can probably tell you a good story about that night.
Ed’s was the prototype for the little indie band that could, a cult favorite particularly embraced in Boston even though it formed in New Hampshire when its members — Carrie Bradley, Dani Leone, and Neno Perrotta — were graduate students in writing programs. Dom Leone, Dani’s cousin, later joined the band, but his tenure was short; he died in 1989 from cancer.
“There was something about the time and place of Boston in the late ’80s that was very serendipitous and right for the spirit of what we were doing,’’ Leone says. “We were appreciated in New Hampshire, but we were also heckled.’’
Ed’s was the prototype for the little indie band that could, a cult favorite particularly embraced in Boston even though it formed in New Hampshire when its members — Carrie Bradley, Dani Leone, and Neno Perrotta — were graduate students in writing programs. Dom Leone, Dani’s cousin, later joined the band, but his tenure was short; he died in 1989 from cancer.
“There was something about the time and place of Boston in the late ’80s that was very serendipitous and right for the spirit of what we were doing,’’ Leone says. “We were appreciated in New Hampshire, but we were also heckled.’’
- James Reed, Boston.com
"At the Cut, his second LP of collaborations with Silver Mt. Zion and Fugazi's Guy Picciotto, doesn't drop until later this month, but already singer-songwriter Vic Chesnutt has prepared another full-length album. And this time, his insanely iconic collaborator is Modern Lovers front-man Jonathan Richman.
The latest in Chesnutt's string of full-lengths is called Skitter On Take-Off and includes a whole bunch of production from Richman and long-time drummer Tommy Larkins. As previously reported, Richman and Chesnutt paired up for a joint North American tour earlier this year, making this new collaboration a smart move."
The latest in Chesnutt's string of full-lengths is called Skitter On Take-Off and includes a whole bunch of production from Richman and long-time drummer Tommy Larkins. As previously reported, Richman and Chesnutt paired up for a joint North American tour earlier this year, making this new collaboration a smart move."
- Josiah Hughes, exclaim!
"It’s also a good time to catch up on some Boston musical history. Forty years ago, a scruffy group called the Modern Lovers played most weekends on Cambridge Common, doing attitudinal songs about the singer’s lack of a girlfriend. That was more or less the beginning of punk rock in Boston, but the band’s ex-leader, Jonathan Richman, has since carved out a career as an acoustic troubadour, doing poignant and whimsical riffs on love and life. (You may have caught him in the movie “There’s Something About Mary.”) His annual fall shows at the Middle East in Central Square are always a delight, and he’s there from Oct. 15‒18 this year. We hear he’s even got a girlfriend now.
Back in the ’90s, the toast of Boston was a band called Letters to Cleo, a hyperactive pop/rock band with a dynamo of a singer named Kay Hanley. (How good was she? Well, in the next decade she got the job as the featured singer in Miley Cyrus’ show, standing off in the shadows and belting all the songs out when the star was busy twerking.) Most of the band members are based in Los Angeles now, but they make occasional reunion swings. They tore the proverbial roof off the Paradise last year. There’s no reason to think it won’t happen again when they play on Nov. 16‒17.
We noted last winter that the musical “Hamilton” was coming to Boston. There have been months of additional advance hype since then, which means that face value tickets for the show, which just opened a two-month run at the Opera House, are going to be even tougher to come by. One worthy alternative is “The Black Clown,” a world-premiere musical running through Sept. 23 at the American Repertory Theater. The show uses Langston Hughes’ 15-stanza poem as a jumping-off point for the black American experience, incorporating blues, gospel, and jazz, along with choreography that stretches from Josephine Baker to hip-hop. The defiant and empowering tone of Hughes’ poem is maintained throughout.
Nothing so relevant is promised in the forthcoming Emerson Colonial Theater production “The Play That Goes Wrong,” but it sure looks like fun: The show chronicles what happens when a 1920s murder mystery is performed by a troupe that’s not up to the task, including a corpse that insists on moving. If you remember the ’80s Broadway hit “Noises Off,” you’ve got the gist of this intentional theatrical train wreck. The two-week run opens at Emerson on Nov. 7. And if you need somewhere to take your folks for Parents Weekend, you could do worse than “Rock of Ages,” the hit musical about Sunset Strip metal decadence circa 1980s, featuring a soundtrack full of Styx and Def Leppard (both of whom played Boston for real this past summer). The show, at the Boch Center in Boston Oct. 23‒27, celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, meaning it’s time to get nostalgic about nostalgia.
A different kind of history is on view this month at the Institute of Contemporary Art, whose current show “We Wanted a Revolution: Black Radical Women, 1965–85” documents an era when women of color were creating new forms of expression in visual art, along with performance, film, and video. As a Boston Globe review recently put it, these artists were “throwing conceptual grenades” by opening their work to radical social and political movements. The show runs through Sept. 30."
- Brett Milano assesses the autumn-winter 2018 Boston arts scene in 'The Harvard Gazette'
Back in the ’90s, the toast of Boston was a band called Letters to Cleo, a hyperactive pop/rock band with a dynamo of a singer named Kay Hanley. (How good was she? Well, in the next decade she got the job as the featured singer in Miley Cyrus’ show, standing off in the shadows and belting all the songs out when the star was busy twerking.) Most of the band members are based in Los Angeles now, but they make occasional reunion swings. They tore the proverbial roof off the Paradise last year. There’s no reason to think it won’t happen again when they play on Nov. 16‒17.
We noted last winter that the musical “Hamilton” was coming to Boston. There have been months of additional advance hype since then, which means that face value tickets for the show, which just opened a two-month run at the Opera House, are going to be even tougher to come by. One worthy alternative is “The Black Clown,” a world-premiere musical running through Sept. 23 at the American Repertory Theater. The show uses Langston Hughes’ 15-stanza poem as a jumping-off point for the black American experience, incorporating blues, gospel, and jazz, along with choreography that stretches from Josephine Baker to hip-hop. The defiant and empowering tone of Hughes’ poem is maintained throughout.
Nothing so relevant is promised in the forthcoming Emerson Colonial Theater production “The Play That Goes Wrong,” but it sure looks like fun: The show chronicles what happens when a 1920s murder mystery is performed by a troupe that’s not up to the task, including a corpse that insists on moving. If you remember the ’80s Broadway hit “Noises Off,” you’ve got the gist of this intentional theatrical train wreck. The two-week run opens at Emerson on Nov. 7. And if you need somewhere to take your folks for Parents Weekend, you could do worse than “Rock of Ages,” the hit musical about Sunset Strip metal decadence circa 1980s, featuring a soundtrack full of Styx and Def Leppard (both of whom played Boston for real this past summer). The show, at the Boch Center in Boston Oct. 23‒27, celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, meaning it’s time to get nostalgic about nostalgia.
A different kind of history is on view this month at the Institute of Contemporary Art, whose current show “We Wanted a Revolution: Black Radical Women, 1965–85” documents an era when women of color were creating new forms of expression in visual art, along with performance, film, and video. As a Boston Globe review recently put it, these artists were “throwing conceptual grenades” by opening their work to radical social and political movements. The show runs through Sept. 30."
- Brett Milano assesses the autumn-winter 2018 Boston arts scene in 'The Harvard Gazette'
'Sewing Machine' - Vic Chesnutt with Jonathan Richman
