 | Ruby (15)
08/06/2003 |  Everyone now knows Jonathan Richman as the freaky super-innocent acoustic guitar man in Something About Mary. Listen to the original punk rock record, Modern Lovers, recorded by John Cale in 1971, and you'll be amazed. It's truly one of the best records in rock history, every song a classic: "Roadrunner" "Astral Plane" "Pablo Picasso" "Dignified & Old" "She Cracked" "Someone I Care About" "Government Center" "Girlfren" -- man, what a great record. The funny thing that I read that's worth passing on is that, when punk started to come into vogue, everyone rediscovered this Modern Lovers record (the Pistols' cover "Roadrunner" on Swindle) and they suddenly were cool and sought after. But by this time, Jonathan had started his transformation into the the guy that sang songs about snowmen and leprocauns, wore cut-off jeans and sandles -- completely out of place among the green hair, dog collar and safety pin through the nose set. I'll give the ML 5-stars b/c I assume we're talking about the original incarnation. Jonathan's career after that was/is super-spotty (although I dig the 1988 songs "Everyday Clothes" and the 1983 album Jonathan Sings even more than that first ML record).
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