Monday, August 10, 2009

The Modern Lovers - The Modern Lovers (1977)

I'm a man of many words, yet this album leaves me speechless. I discovered it over 15 years ago, when I learned that Road Runner as performed by the Sex Pistols and Pablo Picasso as performed by the Burning Sensations were written by the same person. I wasn't prepared for the emotional honesty from The Modern Lovers, it was unlike anything I had ever heard before. Jonathan Richman sang about the things he loved: old buildings, art, neon signs, girls, and of course, driving down the highway with the radio on. It changed my life, hearing that record. I no longer saw rebellion as a reaction to norms, but as positive steps toward an independent future. To sum up this album by it's intellectual and spiritual impact sell it short. This album is a raw, ragged album, that sounds way ahead of it's time. "I'm Straight" is so upfront and naked, it makes Morrisey and his ilk seem like guarded, cranky souls. There aren't many albums that can have as much an impact as this one. If you don't own it, you're missing out on one of the true unheralded classics of rock and roll. Listen; and fly into the mystery.

Track Listing....
01 - Roadrunner. 4:07
02 - Astral plane. 3:01
03 - Old world. 4:04
04 - Pablo Picasso. 4:22
05 - I'm straight. 4:18
06 - Dignified and old. 2:29
07 - She cracked. 2:56
08 - Hospital. 5:35
09 - Someone I care about. 3:39
10 - Girl friend. 3:55
11 - Modern world. 3:44
12 - Government center. 2:03

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