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Yo Jo-Jo: A Jonathan Richman Primer

Jonathan Richman,rock n’ roll’s biggest sweetheart. Perhaps one of the funniest and most sincere musicians to come out of the 70’s burgeoning punk scene. Throughout his career he’s never catered to the sound of the times and has always produced albums that are uniquely Jonathan(For better and for worse.).He plays with gusto! Damn, you bet!

In the last few weeks, I’ve gone on a bit of a deep dive through his discography. I’ve listened to everything from the first Modern Lovers record all the way through to 2010’s “O Moon,Queen Of Night On Earth”(I couldn’t easily get a hold of his last three. They don’t seem to be streaming anywhere.). Here’s a list to help you get acquainted with the dude.

Modern Lovers- Roadrunner(The Modern Lovers,1972)

When the dust is settled, this is the track that he will be remembered for. The driving riff as Richman drives through town, stopping at the stop and shop, the call and response from the band, etc. Just a perfect rock and roll song, really untouchable.

She Cracked(The Modern Lovers,1972)

As much as I love the first Modern Lovers record, Jonathan sounds kinda pretentious on some of these tracks. This song is a banger, but Jonathan just gets really mean here. He seems to outgrow this stage pretty quickly.

Modern Lovers- Don’t Let Our Youth Go To Waste(The Original Modern Lovers,197?)

This is from a live show with the original line up. Very romantic, so sweet that you need a root canal. The Galaxie 500 cover of this one is really special

New England(Jonathan Richman and The Modern Lovers, 1976)

Gone is the ferocity and anger of the first line up of the band, and replacing that is a jovial love of the modern world. A travelogue about his home region and just a delightful tune. A very sharp, but needed change. You can only complain about “The Phonies” for so long before it starts to get pathetic.

South American Folk Song( Rock N’ Roll With The Modern Lovers,1977)

Jonathan always includes an instrumental track on his records and this one is one of his finest. A very underrated classical guitar player!

I’m A Little Dinosaur(Modern Lovers ‘Live’,1977)

To be a fly on the wall…This is an early performance of his new lineup and there is big contingent of people wanting to hear the old stuff. Jonathan surprises them all with a set list that mostly features what could only be described as kid’s songs. This is the best track from this live set, but Ice Cream Man is also notable for it’s incredible ending. Check out this live version where he really hams it up:

Neon Sign(It’s Time For,1986)

Just a really tender song about how fast things change and how easy it is to feel like someone out of time. The background vocals really compliment this song well. It’s Time For might be my favorite record by him.

Dancing Late At Night(Modern Lovers ‘88, 1988)

A good old fashioned rock n roll tune. The late 80’s line up of this band might be his tightest band yet.

Don’t Change For Me ( Jonathan Goes Funky Demo, 198?)

This is from a demo that is available on Youtube. Great femme backing vocals and it’s a shame that this demo tape never got released. It’s just so cool and slick sounding. “We can watch Gunsmoke, I don’t even like it.”

Since She Started To Ride(Jonathan Goes Country,1990)

This is off his country themed album “Jonathan Goes Country”. Whilst this record can be quite spotty, it’s not without it’s charms (Corner Store, The Neighbors). This song is so playful and I can’t help but smile every time I hear it.

That Summer Feeling(I Jonathan,1992)

One of the most beautiful songs ever written. Just a wonderful, haunting rumination on youth and nostalgia.

Not So Much To Be Loved As To Love(Not So Much To Be Loved As To Love2004)

It surprising to see such longevity with Jonathan. Thirty years into his career and he is still putting out great material. This is a very mature song, a song that understands the value of loving people and expecting nothing in return.

My Affected Accent(O Moon, Queen of Night On Earth, 2010)

Jonathan pokes fun at his youthful snobbery, This song is so damn funny.

The Bitter Herb(O Moon,Queen Of Night On Earth,2010)

These late period albums are really mature and introspective. It’s like he’s gone full circle from his early career. This song seems to be about suffering and perhaps his mortality. A far cry from his drive to the stop and shop, for sure. The backing vocals here are a real treat.

That’s probably enough to get you started. If you like what you hear, why don’t you also surrender to Jonathan! Below I’ve included my entire playlist of music that I’ve decided to keep in my library and a Spotify friendly version of this list(It’s missing Neon Sign. That record isn’t on Spotify.) I also highly recommend his Conan appearances, as you get to see his humor in real time. Thanks for reading!