''The Modern Lovers'' is the debut

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

by American

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

band

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 ...

. It was released on

Beserkley Records Beserkley Records was an American independent record label based in Berkeley, California, from 1973 to 1984. Beserkley is usually regarded as a power pop and rock and roll label. During the 1970s, the label released albums by Earth Quake, Greg ...

in 1976, although, bar "Hospital" (recorded in 1971), the original tracks had been recorded in 1972. Six of the original tracks were produced by

John Cale John Davies Cale (born 9 March 1942) is a Welsh musician, composer, singer, songwriter and record producer who was a founding member of the American rock band the Velvet Underground. Over his six-decade career, Cale has worked in various styl ...

. The album has been featured three times on ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' magazine's list of

the 500 greatest albums of all time "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" is a recurring opinion survey and music ranking of the finest albums in history, compiled by the American magazine ''Rolling Stone''. It is based on weighted votes from selected musicians, critics, and indust ...

, and was included in Robert Dimery's book ''

1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die ''1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die'' is a musical reference book first published in 2005 by Universe Publishing. Part of the ''1001 Before You Die'' series, it compiles writings and information on albums chosen by a panel of music critics ...

''.

Background

The Modern Lovers were formed in 1970 by teenage singer, songwriter, and guitarist

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 ...

. In early 1971, the band's membership was settled as Richman,

Jerry Harrison Jeremiah Griffin Harrison (born February 21, 1949) is an American songwriter, musician, producer, and entrepreneur. He began his professional music career as a member of the cult band the Modern Lovers before becoming keyboardist and guitarist ...

(keyboards), Ernie Brooks (bass) and

David Robinson David Maurice Robinson (born August 6, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player who played for the San Antonio Spurs in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1989 to 2003, and minority owner of the Spurs. Nicknamed ...

(drums), with Richman's friend and original band member

John Felice The Real Kids are an American rock band from Boston, Massachusetts, United States, led by guitarist, singer and songwriter John Felice. Career Felice (born 1955) grew up in Natick, Massachusetts, as a neighbor and friend of Jonathan Richman, a ...

joining them occasionally as his school commitments allowed. By the autumn of 1971, through their live performances in Boston and New York, they had begun to attract the attention of several record company A&R men, including Stuart Love at

Warner Brothers Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American Film studio, film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, Califo ...

, and Allan Mason and

Matthew Kaufman Matthew H. Kaufman (29 September 1942 – 11 August 2013) was a British biologist. He was Professor Emeritus at University of Edinburgh having been Professor of Anatomy there from 1985 to 2007. He taught anatomy and embryology for more than 30 ...

at A&M. The band made their first recordings for Warner Brothers at the Intermedia Studios in Boston in late 1971; these included the version of "Hospital" which was later to feature on the album. In April 1972, the Modern Lovers travelled to

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

where they held two demo sessions; the first was produced for Warner Brothers by

, formerly of

the Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City in 1964. The original line-up consisted of singer/guitarist Lou Reed, multi-instrumentalist John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison, and drummer Angus MacLise. MacLise w ...

, while the second was produced by Allan Mason and Robert Appère for A&M. Both sets of sessions yielded tracks which, although originally recorded as demos, eventually found their way onto the album. The Cale sessions produced "

Roadrunner The roadrunners (genus ''Geococcyx''), also known as chaparral birds or chaparral cocks, are two species of fast-running ground cuckoos with long tails and crests. They are found in the southwestern and south-central United States and Mexico, us ...

", "Astral Plane", "Old World", "

Pablo Picasso Pablo Ruiz Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist and Scenic design, theatre designer who spent most of his adult life in France. One of the most influential artists of the 20th ce ...

", "She Cracked" and "Someone I Care About". The A&M sessions yielded "Girl Friend", "Modern World" and "Dignified and Old" (which, although not included on the original LP, was included on later CD reissues). However, the band were initially undecided over which record company to sign for, returned to Boston, and also did some recordings organised by

Kim Fowley Kim Vincent Fowley (July 21, 1939 – January 15, 2015) was the American record producer, songwriter and musician who was behind a string of novelty and cult pop rock singles in the 1960s, and managed The Runaways in the 1970s. He has been ...

and produced by Stuart "Dinky" Dawson. Eventually, in early 1973, they signed with Warner Brothers and agreed that John Cale should produce their debut album. In the meantime, they undertook a short residency at a hotel in

Bermuda ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = National song , song = " Hail to Bermuda" , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , mapsize2 = , map_caption2 = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = , e ...

. Returning to California in the summer to work with Cale, it became apparent both that there were personality clashes between some of the band members, and that Richman now wanted to take a different approach to his songs - much more mellow and easy-paced rather than the earlier aggressive hard rock. The sessions with Cale were terminated before any new recordings were completed. Warner Brothers then engaged Kim Fowley to work with the band, but by this time Richman refused to perform some of his most popular earlier songs live. The band were also affected by the death during the sessions of their friend

Gram Parsons Ingram Cecil Connor III (November 5, 1946 – September 19, 1973) who was known professionally as Gram Parsons, was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and pianist who recorded as a solo artist and with the International Submarine Band, ...

: on the day before Parsons' death, he and Richman had played

miniature golf Miniature golf, also known as minigolf, mini-putt, crazy golf, or putt-putt, is an offshoot of the sport of golf focusing solely on the putting aspect of its parent game. The aim of the game is to score the lowest number of points. It is played ...

and discussed recording together. The sessions with Fowley were aborted, although two tracks, "I'm Straight" and the original recording of "Government Center", and possibly others, were later issued on CD versions of ''The Modern Lovers''. Warner Brothers withdrew support from the band, and, early in 1974, the original Modern Lovers split up.

Release

In late 1974, Richman signed as a solo artist with Matthew "King" Kaufman's new label, "Home of the Hits", soon to be renamed

, and recorded four tracks with backing by the bands Earth Quake and

The Rubinoos The Rubinoos are an American power pop band that formed in 1970 in Berkeley, California. They are perhaps best known for their singles "I Think We're Alone Now" (1977, a cover of the hit by Tommy James & the Shondells), "I Wanna Be Your Boyfrien ...

, including new versions of both "Roadrunner" and "Government Center". These tracks were first issued as singles, and then on an album ''Beserkley Chartbusters Vol.1'' in 1975. In 1976, with a new line-up of the Modern Lovers, Richman began recording what he went on to regard as his debut album, ''

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 ...

''. However, in the meantime, Kaufman also put together the album ''The Modern Lovers'' from remixed versions of the tracks recorded four or more years earlier for Warner Brothers and A&M, and released it in August 1976. "Hospital" was credited as being "donated by Jerry Harrison" because he possessed the original 1971 session tapes.Modern Lovers - The Modern Lovers LP

Bonus tracks

The 1986 Beserkley reissue of the album added "I'm Straight" from the 1973 Fowley sessions. The 1989

compact disc The compact disc (CD) is a Digital media, digital optical disc data storage format that was co-developed by Philips and Sony to store and play digital audio recordings. In August 1982, the first compact disc was manufactured. It was then rele ...

reissue on

Rhino Records A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct species o ...

added "Government Center", also from the Fowley sessions, and "Dignified and Old" from the 1972 A&M demo recordings. Kaufman was credited as producer of "I'm Straight" and "Government Center" which were originally issued on Warners' ''Troublemakers'' compilation in 1980. Further bonus tracks were added on a 2003 remastered reissue on

Sanctuary Records Sanctuary Records Group Limited was a record label based in the United Kingdom and is as of 2013 a subsidiary of BMG Rights Management solely for reissues. Until June 2007, it was the largest independent record label in the UK and the largest m ...

: "I Wanna Sleep in Your Arms" and "Dance With Me" (recorded at the 1973 and 1972 demos with Fowley, respectively); and alternative versions of "Roadrunner", "Someone I Care About" and "Modern World" (the first two being from the 1971 Intermedia sessions in Boston, and the last one from the 1972 Fowley demos). This 17-track version of the album was released in the USA for the first time on

Castle Records A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...

in 2007.

Critical reception

''The Modern Lovers'' was immediately given an enthusiastic critical reception, with critic Ira Robbins of ''

Trouser Press ''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who Dave Schulps and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference to ...

'' hailing it as "one of the truly great

art rock Art rock is a subgenre of rock music that generally reflects a challenging or avant-garde approach to rock, or which makes use of modernist, experimental, or unconventional elements. Art rock aspires to elevate rock from entertainment to an art ...

albums of all time".

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 ...

of ''

The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the crea ...

'' felt that Jonathan Richman was deserving of his "critics' darling" status and stated that "by cutting through the vaguely protesty ambience of so-called rock culture he opens the way for a worldliness that is specific, realistic, and genuinely critical." In a retrospective write-up for

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 ...

Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, occ ...

states that "the combination of musical simplicity, driving

rock & roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm an ...

, and gawky emotional confessions makes ''The Modern Lovers'' one of the most startling

proto-punk Proto-punk (or protopunk) is rock music played mostly by garage bands from the 1960s to mid-1970s that foreshadowed the punk rock movement. The phrase is a retrospective label; the musicians involved were generally not originally associated wit ...

records—it strips rock & roll to its core and establishes the rock tradition of the geeky, awkward social outcast venting his frustrations."

Legacy

''The Modern Lovers'' influenced numerous aspiring punk rock musicians on both sides of the Atlantic, including the

Sex Pistols The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band formed in London in 1975. Although their initial career lasted just two and a half years, they were one of the most groundbreaking acts in the history of popular music. They were responsible for ...

, whose early cover of "Roadrunner" was placed on ''

The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle ''The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle'' is a 1980 British mockumentary film directed by Julien Temple and produced by Don Boyd and Jeremy Thomas. It centres on the British punk rock band Sex Pistols and, most prominently, their manager Malcolm McL ...

''. In the UK, the versions of "Roadrunner" produced by Cale and Kaufman were released as two sides of a single, which became a chart hit in 1977. In 2003, the album was ranked number 381 on ''

'' magazine's list of

, 382 in 2012, and 288 in 2020. In 2006, the album was included in Robert Dimery's ''

''.

Track listing

All songs written by

, except where noted.

Original LP

;Side one #"

" – 4:04 #"Astral Plane" – 3:00 #"Old World" – 4:00 #"

" – 4:15 ;Side two #"She Cracked" – 2:53 #"Hospital" – 5:31 (September 1971) #"Someone I Care About" – 3:37 #"Girl Friend" – 3:51 (A&M sessions, April 1972) #"Modern World" – 3:40 (A&M sessions, April 1972)

1986 Rhino reissue bonus tracks

;Side one #

"I'm Straight" * – 4:18 (Fowley sessions, October 1973) #"Dignified & Old" – 2:29 (A&M sessions, April 1972) ;Side two #

"Government Center" * – 2:03 (Fowley sessions, October 1973)

2003 Castle reissue bonus tracks

"Dignified & Old" – 2:29 (A&M sessions, April 1972) #"I'm Straight" * – 4:18 (Fowley sessions, October 1973) #"Government Center" * – 2:03 (Fowley sessions, October 1973) #"I Wanna Sleep in Your Arms" ** (Richman,

James Osterberg James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter and actor. Called the " Godfather of Punk", he was the vocalist and lyricist of proto-punk band The Stooges, who we ...

) – 2:32 (Fowley sessions, October 1973) #"Dance With Me" ** – 4:26 (Fowley sessions, October 1973) #"Someone I Care About" (alternate version) – 2:58 (September 1971) #"Modern World" (alternate version) – 3:16 (Fowley demo, 1972) #"Roadrunner" (alternate version) – 4:55 (September 1971) *Previously released on ''Troublemakers'' (1980)
**Previously released on '' The Original Modern Lovers'' (1981)

Personnel

The Modern Lovers *Ernie Brooks – bass guitar, background vocals *

– piano, organ, background vocals *

– vocals, guitars *

– drums, background vocals Technical *

– producer (tracks 1–5, 7) *Jerry Harrison – musical director (track 6) *Robert Appère – co-engineer (tracks 8–9, "Dignified & Old") * Allan Mason – co-engineer (tracks 8–9, "Dignified & Old") *Gary Phillips – remixing *

Matthew King Kaufman Matthew "King" Kaufman (born May 19, 1946) is an American record producer who was the owner of leading independent label Beserkley Records in Berkeley, California from the mid-1970s through the mid-1980s, successfully producing records by Jonath ...

– remixing, compilation *Glen Kolotkin – remixing *Jim Blodgett – LP co-ordination *T. Lubin – LP assistance *George Horn – mastering *

– producer ("I'm Straight", "Government Center", "I Wanna Sleep in Your Arms", "Dance with Me" and alternate versions) * Gary Stewart – reissue coordination (1986 edition) *Philip Milstein – research, assistance (1986 edition) *Geoff Gans – repackage art direction (1986 edition) *Monster X – repackage design (1986 edition) *Richard P. Rodgers – front cover photo (1986 edition) *Kevin J. Cummiskey – booklet photos (1986 edition) *

Bill Inglot Bill Inglot is an American music engineer and producer, best known for remastering older recordings to high quality digital standards. Inglot worked for Rhino Entertainment and other Warner Music Group labels from 1982 to 2007. He was largely re ...

– digital remastering (1986 edition) *Ken Perry – digital remastering (1986 edition) *David Wells – compilation, annotation (2003 edition) *The Town House – remastering (2003 edition) *Antony Amos – coordination (2003 edition)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Modern Lovers, The Jonathan Richman albums 1976 debut albums Albums produced by John Cale Rhino Records albums Beserkley Records albums