''Back in Your Life'' is the third album by American rock band

Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers The Modern Lovers were an American rock band led by Jonathan Richman in the 1970s and 1980s. The original band existed from 1970 to 1974 but their recordings were not released until 1976 or later. It featured Richman and bassist Ernie Brooks w ...

, released in February 1979 by Beserkley Records. Despite being credited to Richman and his backing band, the album only features the backing band on half of the album.

Background

The album marks an experimental venture away from the Modern Lovers' typical rock sound, mostly owing to a new backing band accompanying Richman. The album ventures into genres like

doo-wop Doo-wop (also spelled doowop and doo wop) is a genre of rhythm and blues music that originated in African-American communities during the 1940s, mainly in the large cities of the United States, including New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Chica ...

and

children's music Children's music or kids' music is music composed and performed for children. In European-influenced contexts this means music, usually songs, written specifically for a juvenile audience. The composers are usually adults. Children's music has hi ...

. In 2019, the album was reissued on silver-colored vinyl.

Reception

Stephen Cook of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

called the album "Sweet, fun, and honest", noting Richman's "unbridled enthusiasm, wit, and crack songs". ''

Smash Hits ''Smash Hits'' was a British music magazine aimed at young adults, originally published by EMAP. It ran from 1978 to 2006, and, after initially appearing monthly, was issued fortnightly during most of that time. The name survived as a brand fo ...

'' said, "The world's cleverest clown opts for a cheapo '50s style sound this time out as he jaunts and quavers through this collection with his usual mixture of humour and touching honesty. It's distinctive alright."

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and ...

said, "I'd say this is great kiddie music--lotsa innocence, lotsa animal songs, even a snot joke."

Track listing

All songs written by

Jonathan Richman Jonathan Michael Richman (born May 16, 1951) is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. In 1970, he founded the Modern Lovers, an influential proto-punk band. Since the mid-1970s, Richman has worked either solo or with low-key acoustic a ...

, unless otherwise noted. ;Side one #"Abdul and Cleopatra" – 3:18 #"(She's Gonna) Respect Me" – 2:49 #"Lover Please" (

Billy Swan William Lance Swan (born May 12, 1942) is an American country singer-songwriter, best known for his 1974 single, "I Can Help". Biography Swan was born in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, United States. As a child, he learned drums, piano and guitar ...

) – 1:58 #"Affection" – 4:06 #"Buzz Buzz Buzz" (John Gray, Robert Byrd) – 1:58 #"Back in Your Life" – 2:14 ;Side two #"Party in the Woods Tonight" – 3:01 #"My Love Is a Flower (Just Beginning to Bloom)" – 2:20 #"I'm Nature's Mosquito" – 2:45 #"Emaline" (Traditional; arranged by Jonathan Richman) – 2:07 #"Lydia" (Lewis Lymon, Morgan Robinson) – 3:11 #" I Hear You Calling Me" (music: Charles Marshall; lyrics: Harold Harford) – 2:52 ;2004 CD bonus tracks #

"Oh Carol" ( Chuck Berry) – 2:27 #"Astral Plane" (Live) – 3:42 #"Hospital" (Live) – 5:19 #" Chapel of Love" ( Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich,

Phil Spector Harvey Phillip Spector (born Harvey Philip Spector; December 26, 1939January 16, 2021) was an American record producer and songwriter, best known for his innovative recording practices and entrepreneurship in the 1960s, followed decades later by ...

) – 2:43

Personnel

Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers *

– vocals, guitar *Leroy Radcliffe – guitar, vocals (tracks 1, 3–5, 8, 10–12) *David Sharpe – drums, percussion, vocals (tracks 1, 3–5, 8, 10–12) *Asa Brebner – bass guitar, vocals (tracks 1, 3–5, 8, 10–12) Additional musicians *Peter Skip Duelks – backing vocals (tracks 2, 6, 7, 9) *Donald Gladstone –

double bass The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or #Terminology, by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched Bow (music), bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox addit ...

(tracks 2, 6, 7, 9) * Kenny Laguna –

glockenspiel The glockenspiel ( or , : bells and : set) or bells is a percussion instrument consisting of pitched aluminum or steel bars arranged in a keyboard layout. This makes the glockenspiel a type of metallophone, similar to the vibraphone. The glo ...

, backing vocals (tracks 2, 6, 7, 9) *

Andy Paley Andrew Douglas Paley (born November 2, 1952) is an American songwriter, record producer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist who formed the Paley Brothers, a 1970s power pop duo, with his brother Jonathan Paley. Following their disbandment, And ...

– guitar, backing vocals (tracks 2, 6, 7, 9) *Steve Tracey – backing vocals (tracks 2, 6, 7, 9) Technical *Glen Kolotkin – producer, engineer * Matthew King Kaufman – producer *Kenny Laguna – producer *Steve Kimball – mastering *Flashing Neon – LP concept *Linda Dennis – cover art *Jonathan Richman – cover art *Nina Port – art direction

References

1979 albums Jonathan Richman albums {{1970s-rock-album-stub