Following the dissolution of the Modern Lovers, Jonathan Richman ended up recording seven albums for the folk label Rounder Records. The not-so-unusual alliance resulted in a new/old sound for Richman and the results are readily evident on the collection Action Packed: The Best of Jonathan Richman. Unlike the noise and sneer barrage the Lovers were loved for, his solo recordings demonstrate Richman's emotive, stream-of-consciousness spazz rock with a stripped-down honesty. The son   [ read more ]

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Sweet, fun, and honest aptly describe this 1979 long-player by Jonathan Richman. And while some singers badly fumble at being innocently possessed, Richman keeps it all engaging with his unbridled enthusiasm, wit, and crack songs. This was Richman's first solo venture since forming the Modern Lovers in the early '70s, and the newfound freedom shows on loose doo wop rockers like "Party in the Woods Tonight" and such {#Sesame Street}-issue nature odes as "Buzz Buzz Buzz"; the breezy tone    [ read more ]

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Combining studio and live recordings, this Party is a rather quiet affair with just Jonathan and his guitar. Richman is more pensive than usual; while interpersonal dynamics remain his primary focus, his thoughts turn to relatively serious examinations of adultery ("My Career as a Homewrecker") and commitment ("Just for Fun"). Similarly, the minutia of romance is the concern of "The Girl Stands Up to Me Now," "When I Say Wife" (a fretful essay on nomenclature and possessiveness), and {&   [ read more ]

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Jonathan Richman's 19th album doesn't sport the raw passion of his debut with the Modern Lovers, nor does it showcase his vastly underestimated songwriting skills as superbly as prior solo albums like I, Jonathan and You Must Ask The Heart. It's just another exploration of the lovable troubadour's longstanding obsessions: the places he's been ("Springtime in New York," "Give Paris One More Chance"), the pitfalls of love ("Couples Must Fight," "I Took a Chance on Her"), the Spanish la   [ read more ]

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Ric Ocasek steps in to produce a lush-sounding record for Jonathan Richman, employing quirky keyboards, percussive effects and background vocalists. "Nineteen in Naples" is one of his typical, naive travelogues: "When I was 19, I went across the pond and I found myself in the demimonde." But his charming nasal voice seems to have all but disappeared; it's been replaced with a sort of arty croon, as on the title cut and the dour "Affection." Yet it suits the song treatments, which sound similar t   [ read more ]

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A lo-fi effort cut in a California basement, I, Jonathan returns Richman to the full band setting and manic diversity that recent conceptual efforts have forsaken. Sloppy and wild, the album is a blast from start to finish; among its many concerns are skydiving ("Tandem Jump"), sea life (the surf instrumental "Grunion Run"), nightclubbing ("I Was Dancing in a Lesbian Bar"), and hero worship ("Velvet Underground"). ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide

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The Skeletons' Lou Whitney and D. Clinton Thompson as well as a number of seasoned session vets join Richman as he ventures into Nashville territory. The material consists of a batch of originals, a few covers and a couple of old songs reworked from 1983's Jonathan Sings! The music's country affectations are entertaining without being gimmicky, and Richman sounds right at home in his twangy environs. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide

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As basic and bare-bones as its title, Jonathan Richman is a solo effort modeled after Richman's live show, spotlighting only his voice, guitar and percussive foot stomping. An eclectic mixture of originals and covers (occasionally sung in either French or Spanish), the record's simplicity is its charm; the high point, "I Eat With Gusto, Damn! You Bet," is a spoken-word paean to the joys of bad table manners. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide

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Although Richman's vocals have intermittently slipped into foreign tongues for years, Jonathan, Te Vas a Emocionar! is still a surprise: entirely sung in Spanish, the record is a charmer, transcending the language barrier with ease. Along with a few new originals and a handful of traditional Mexican tunes, the album primarily consists of loose Spanish reworkings of Richman favorites -- I, Jonathan's "You Can't Talk to the Dude" becomes "No Te Oye," for example, while Having a Party's "Just   [ read more ]

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Live catches Jonathan Richman at the height of his candy-floss novelty period. The music is warm and mild, almost all of it derived from '50s and early-'60s models such as surf idioms and guitar instrumentals. The lyrics are sweet and charming, sure to appeal to fanciful youngsters with visions of ice cream men and little dinosaurs in their heads. The only bothersome misstep here is the repeated encore reprise of the chorus to "Ice Cream Man," which extends well past the point of honest enjoymen   [ read more ]

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While the proto-punk genius of the Modern Lovers' first records is well known, not so publicized is their short-lived tenure as a live band. The live treatment has mixed results on the Modern Lovers' repertoire; Jonathan Richman has two types of songs: the fast-and-furious rockers ("She Cracked"), which benefit greatly from the live setting, and the slow-burning love songs ("Hospital"), which are not as well suited. Also, the sound quality leaves something to be desired; at times {^Live at   [ read more ]

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