Talk:Jonathan Richman

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is within the scope of WikiProject Biography. For more information, visit the project page.
Biography Portal
B This article has been rated as B-Class on the project's quality scale. [FAQ]
This article is supported by WikiProject Musicians, an attempt to build a comprehensive and detailed biographical guide to musicians and musical groups on Wikipedia.


Which version of Jonathan / Modern Lovers appears on the excellent "Row B Seat 13" live album?

That's an excellent question. I've never heard of it, and allmusic.com seems to think it doesn't exist. Can you give me more details? Is it perhaps a bootleg? -- Paul Drye

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000BIDB/o/qid=/sr=8-1/ref=sr_aps_pm_1_1/026-4639140-6506019

The call it Modern Lovers Live, but thats another name

Interesting. It's a reissue of a live album, issued by Berserkley Records in 1977. Never heard of it before this (tho' I'm not obsessive about Richman). Based on the year, the label, and the track listing, it's almost definitely the second lineup. -- Paul Drye

Mines not a reissue, its vinyl and on Berserkley. Its also excellent. Give it a listen...

The line up is as follows:
Jonathan Richman - Guitar, Vocals
Asa Brebner - Bass, Vocals
D. Sharpe - Drums, Percussion , Percussion
Leroy Radcliffe - Guitar, Vocals
--Simon Angling 15:58, 25 Apr 2004 (UTC)

I don't think there's a need for separating the discography between ML, JR and JR&ML

213.64.74.121 21:48, 13 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Their first album was released in 1975

I have two copies (somewhere) of the Modern Lover's first album, and I am absolutely certain that I listened to it, and played it for a friend, on the night Saturday Night Live debutted in 1975 (October 11, 1975). I know this because my friend's brother was killed in a car accident later that night. Thomas144 16:29, 26 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Unmentioned Mysterious Song

Does anyone know anything about I'm a Little Airplane Now? It's really crazy and I'd like to know more about it. All the information I've found on it so far comes from http://tmbw.net/wiki/I'm_A_Little_Airplane (featured on http://tmbw.net/wiki/Podcast_6A) and that it was on Sesame Street (as mentioned here http://www.vaporrecords.com/catalog/a_jon_richman.html). --ArtifexCrastinus 07:37, 22 April 2007 (UTC)

This [1] ? Ghmyrtle 09:16, 22 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] This Introduction is making some broad and unverifiable assumptions

Here is how Wikipedia introduces Jonathan Richman:

"Jonathan Richman (born 16 May 1951) is an American proto-punk icon and one of the progenitors of "indie rock". He is known for his wide-eyed, near-childlike lyrical outlook, and music that, while rooted in 1950s rock and roll structures, can be wildly eclectic."

This introduction makes too many assumptions based on vague genre influence. While these statements may be true in a sense, it is incredibly misleading and should at least have some sort of outside source support. It is also insulting to Jonathan Richman that he is credited as only being a progenitor of one vague style of popular music.

Additionally, anyone that has listened to the first Modern Lovers albums will hear "rock and roll structures." The songs on that particular album diverge from "rock and roll structures" in such drastic ways that one could only say it was based upon, and not "rooted" in this style. Though the Modern Lovers have their own entry, separating Jonathan Richman from this album or discussing him without it is not only neglectful, it is insane.

Further, this introduction is a hack job paraphrase of this All Music Guide intro by Jason Ankeny.

"Jonathan Richman was one of rock's most eccentric and unpredictable cult figures, a performer whose eternally childlike public persona and seeming naiveté...tended to obscure the dexterity and craft of his music, which skirted from garage rock to country to Latin stylings and back"

http://wc04.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:aifyxqr5ldje~T1 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.138.16.238 (talk) 03:17, 6 October 2007 (UTC)

So, what do you suggest ? We should collectively try to improve it, not just attack what's there now.Ghmyrtle 11:58, 7 October 2007 (UTC)
No, we should attack what is up right now so that it is improved. I know very little about Richman, but the introduction needs to be completely rewritten. -kevin talkemail 00:50, 7 March 2008 (UTC)
Well, I've had a go, and deleted the tag (which I accept was a fair one), but it is difficult to describe the music of someone with so many unique qualities - and "outsider" doesn't quite cover it either. Anyone else want to have a go? Ghmyrtle (talk) 22:12, 7 March 2008 (UTC)