The Modern Lovers – The Modern Lovers (1976)
In sixth grade, everyone in my class had to trace their footsteps onto a long sheet of paper and write who their hero was, i.e. the person whose footsteps they wanted to follow in. Everyone else wrote bullshit like “my dad” or “Michael Jordan,” but I said that my hero was Jonathan Richman, the lead singer of the Modern Lovers. My written explanation was, “When I grow up I want to be a semi-famous Jewish guitar player from the Boston area, just like Jonathan Richman.” That’s not a made-up story; I’ve really been a rock snob asshole since I was seven. (In first grade I named my reading group “the Silver Apples” and told everyone in my class, “they practically invented electronica!”)
But anyway, this album is seriously great shit. Richman’s adenoidal vocals, the fuzzy surf-garage guitar, and the Doors-style keyboards all add up to punk rock five years before punk rock existed (although it wasn’t released until 1976, these songs were all recorded in ’72, with the exception of the gorgeous, heartbreaking “Hospital,” which is from ’71.) The most famous track is “Roadrunner,” covered by the Sex Pistols on The Great Rock ‘N’ Roll Swindle soundtrack. If this ode to Route “128 when it’s dark outside” isn’t the perfect driving song, I don’t know what is. Also check out the rockin’, surf-y “Modern World,” the fuzzy drone of “Pablo Picasso” and my personal favorite, the excellent straight-edge anthem “I’m Straight.”
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Tags: garage rock, jonathan richman, modern lovers, proto-punk
What a story. I wish I grew up on good music like that. For me in the 5/6th Grade it was Rage Against the Machine, Marilyn Manson, Nirvana etc. Oh, and some other stuff I don’t think I’m brave enough to admit.
Well I guess I tactfully omitted some of the other stuff I listened to in my younger days.
Limp Bizkit were a particular favorite……
All that nu-metal stuff like Limp Bizkit and Korn was huge at my primary school for some reason. And so were those horrible so-called “punk” bands like Regurigator, Jebadiah, Frenzel Rhomb, Offspring, The Living End and Greenday. I think the only way I managed to listen to some decent music during that time was through Rage (a popular all-night music-video show) and Triple J’s Hottest 100 CDs, which at least had introduced me to some cool stuff like Radiohead, Queens of the Stone Age, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, At the Drive In, U2, Beck, New Order etc.
i just want to let you know that the first album i put on when i got to school was this one. and that i’m so very glad that i met you at a jonathan richman show.
love you.
and i’m straight is my favorite too.