The Modern Lovers - The Modern Lovers
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CD Details
Artist: The Modern LoversEdition: Music CD
Format: Extra tracks, Import
CD Release Date: 2003-08-05
Music Label: Castle Music UK
Soundtracks:
- Roadrunner
- Astral Plane
- Old World
- Pablo Picasso
- She Cracked
- Hospital
- Someone I Care About
- Girlfriend
- Modern World
- Dignified & Old
- I'm Straight
- Government Center
- I Wanna Sleep in Your Arms
- Dance With Me
- Someone I Care About [Alternative Version][Alternate Take]
- Modern World [Alternative Version][Alternate Take]
- Roadrunner [Alternative Version][Alternate Take]
Music reviews of The Modern Lovers
Music Review: One of the greatest rock 'n' roll albums ever recorded
Rating: 5 Stars
It's the kind of thing that shouldn't work, but somehow does: the Modern Lovers' first album is a collection of demos, recorded in 1973 and released three years later. The songs are all raw and loose, plucked from the mind of bandleader Jonathan Richman while they were still in their embryonic stages. One gets the sensation that improvisation played as large a role in the creation of this music as did songwriting; each number is built around two or three (exceedingly well-chosen) guitar chords and lyrics that often seem to have been created on the spot.
Now, this could have easily been the formula for disaster- the record could have sounded like the halfhearted noodlings of some sub par garage band. Thankfully, the Modern Lovers were neither halfhearted nor amateurish. Sure, they weren't the most polished of musicians, but what they lacked in technical virtuosity they made up for in attitude and energy. This music captures the raw, honest ecstasy that marks the best rock `n' roll. Richman's songs work because the band executes them with a kind of uncanny freeform joy, stuffing every moment with pure electrified excitement. Jerry Harrison plays keyboards with a kind of unhinged abandon that's reminiscent of all of the Farfisa organists who played in 60s garage bands, while drummer David Robinson and bassist Ernie Brooks give these songs a rollicking, relentless pulse. Richman's guitar playing bridges all of the gaps between 50s rock `n' roll, the Velvet Underground, and punk rock, merging infectious danceability with brutal aggression. Even more impressive are his lyrics- they really are nothing short of pure poetry, an expertly conducted merger of emotional honesty, keen observation, and sly wit. He tackles teenage angst without ever sounding whiney, expresses a love for the modern world without ever sounding na?ve, and shows a genuine devotion to rock `n' roll without ever fawning. Which makes him the ideal man to sing these songs- he sounds like some sort of post-modern Bob Dylan, wearing his technically flawed voice as a badge of pride. His raspy, nasal croon underscores the vulnerability and humor of the lyrics, and makes them sound infinitely more personal.
Which leaves us with a collection of great songs. "Pablo Picasso" features a wonderfully tangled mess of raw, mean guitars and strutting rhythms, all of which underscore Richman's deliciously bizarre (and subtly barbed) lyrics. "Someone I Care About" is an all-out rocker with an irresistible riff, explosive performances on the part of all band members, and lyrics that manage to subvert rock `n' roll's clich?s while being strangely touching. "Old World" is a folk-tinged number with a quietly addictive keyboard performance, and "She Cracked" is a rollicking ode to heartbreak. "Modern World" and "Astral Plane" are endearing semi-love-songs, while "Hospital" and "Girlfriend" are some two of the most uncompromising ballads ever penned.
As great as these songs are, they all ultimately pale in comparison to "Roadrunner," the album's opening track, and easily one of the ten best rock `n' roll performances ever. In just under five minutes, Richman and his band mates capture the music's indescribable power. The song's energy is simply rapturous, as the four musicians play off of one another with effortless intuition, spewing forth gorgeous bursts of hot-wired melody, spiraling in, over, and around Richman's deceptively simple guitar riff (two chords, as big and beautiful as all outdoors, and played with Biblical passion). The vocals here are simply stunning- Richman testifies to rock's ability to heal and uplift with the conviction of a faith healer, speaking (as if in tongues) over the gorgeous musical din with complete confidence, inflecting every last lyric with a sense of spontaneity, as if they were created on the spot, in a fit of clarity and emotional ecstasy. The lyrics are a delirious rush, a living, breathing celebration of love, of music, of the joys of night driving and neon signs and freedom. It's simply one of the most emotionally direct, primal, affecting, and genuinely life-affirming songs ever. Music this brilliant only comes along once in a very long while.
If you care about rock `n' roll, get this album. That's all there is to it.
Description of The Modern Lovers
2003 reissue of 1976 classic, that's unavailable domestically, features 17 tracks including 8 bonus tracks, 'Dignified & Old', 'I'm Straight', 'Government Center', 'I Wanna Sleep In Your Arms', 'Dance With Me', 'Someone I Care About' (Alternative Version), 'Modern World' (Alternative Version), & 'Roadrunner' (Alternative Version). Includes slipcase & foldout sleeve with extensive liner notes, photos & other memorabilia. Castle.General CDs
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