So I’ve gotten started with The Beserkley Years compilation. I love it. I also love the songs he did in There’s Something About Mary.
So where do I go from here? Which albums should I buy first? There first time I ever heard him was on Conan about 10 years ago. He did the song “The Girl Stands Up to Me Now”, which I thought was cool. Looks like that song is on Having a Party. Anybody know that album? Is that a good one?
The single best thing Jonathan has done is the first Modern Lovers album, which was his band before he named a new band “jonathan richman and the modern lovers”, before he went solo. It’s an amazing album, and every song on it is incredible. It’s full of insta-classics like “Pablo Picasso,” “Astral Plane,” “Roadrunner,” “I’m Straight.” Here it is -. Though Amazon seems to think it’s out of print, it’s perpetually in print on CD.
Next up, go with Having a Party. It’s a good one.
If you can find it - I think it’s one of the few records of his that’s not on CD - DEFINITELY get “Rock n’ Roll with the Modern Lovers”. It’s probably my favorite thing he’s done; it’s the second backing band he called the Modern Lovers, and it’s an entirely acoustic /upright bass/brushed drumkit set that has a very Violent Femmes vibe going on, sort of like a wacky campfire singalong. “Rollercoaster by the sea” is probably my favorite song he’s ever done, and their version of “wheels on the bus” is life-changing.
Of his more recent records, Her mystery not of high heels and eye shadow is easily my favorite thing he’s done in the past ten years, and I highly recommend it. His most recent, “not so much to be loved as to love,” was spotty, though the title track is so sweet, simple, and beautiful that it almost makes it worth the purchase price alone. My wife and I danced to it at our wedding this past September.
Hope that helps!
Another vote for the first Modern Lovers album, which is also one of my all-time fave albums (although I have yet to convert a friend to it; this is one of those love-it-or-hate-it affairs). To the extent that most people are even aware of who Jonathan Richman is, they often have the erroneous impression that he’s just some weirdly fay hippie-type of singer-songwriter. But this album, at least, has some surprisingly grim and daring stuff on it. “Hospital” is about a girlfriend who had a breakdown and attempted suicide; “Astral Plane” is a masturbation-type song whose narrator fantasizes about meeting the girl he’s lusting for in the world of their dreams; and “Pablo Picasso” still can’t be played on the radio.
And yes, that “Jerry Harrison” there with the white-afro 'do is the future Talking Head and music producer…
One thing I can tell you: if you get a chance to see him perform live, don’t miss it! He has a rambling patter that ties each song to the next and it absolutely charming. The first time I saw him (1992?), he played the lobby of the college library building to a crowd of about 150, if that. He had a bit of a sore throat, and between songs, he’d take a swig of olive oil for a bottle he kept nearby. Then he’d wink at the audience and sing a little italian opera, as if involuntarily. At another show I saw, he danced a “mambo” and insisted that the audience dance along with him. He seems to truly enjoy his performances, and is gratified when everyone else is having fun, too.