Sunday, October 21
Jonathan Richman, "Her Mystery Not Of High Heels and Eye Shadow" (Vapor 2001)
After thirty years as a musical marginal, one of the countless offbeat characters criscrossing the country and playing to any available audience, Jonathan Richman has become part of the cultural landscape. There he was on PBS "History of Rock'n'Roll" series, being hailed as the Godfather of Punk. There he was on the front page of the New York Times arts section last weekend, as part of a story on jazz clubs staying open in the face of tragedy. There he was, crooning and anticking with longtime drummer/sidekick Tommy Larkins, in "There's Something About Mary," the sort of high-profile gig that has dogged him ever since, for better or worse. Heck, he even made it into Spike a few years ago, where his sing-a-long paean to late-night New England driving was reckoned the 53rd Best Thing of the Millennium.
Through it all, despite progressing from the tough-guy posturing of the indispensable debut "Modern Lovers" to the carefree exuberance of albums like 1993's "Having a Party," Jonathan has lost none of his charm. Part of it is a simplicity that makes even young squirts like me nostalgic for the 1950s, and makes the rich, chunky guitar of tunes like "Me and Her Got A Good Thing Goin' Baby" the musical equivalent of comfort food. Part of it is a childlike innocence that paradoxically makes the hard-earned sage advice of "Couples Must Fight" and "I Took A Chance on Her" that much more credible. Mostly it's just a sense of fun that's inescapable in live performance and shines through as strongly as ever on his unwieldily titled twentieth release.
Backed by nothing more than bouyant acoustic strumming, Larkins' spirited drumming, and the occasional piano or violin, Richman holds forth on love, friendship, and his favorite cities (the brilliant "Give Paris One More Chance,") occasionally in Spanish (the bouncy "Yo Tengo una Novia.") And when he sings, you've just got to smile. 9/10
After thirty years as a musical marginal, one of the countless offbeat characters criscrossing the country and playing to any available audience, Jonathan Richman has become part of the cultural landscape. There he was on PBS "History of Rock'n'Roll" series, being hailed as the Godfather of Punk. There he was on the front page of the New York Times arts section last weekend, as part of a story on jazz clubs staying open in the face of tragedy. There he was, crooning and anticking with longtime drummer/sidekick Tommy Larkins, in "There's Something About Mary," the sort of high-profile gig that has dogged him ever since, for better or worse. Heck, he even made it into Spike a few years ago, where his sing-a-long paean to late-night New England driving was reckoned the 53rd Best Thing of the Millennium.
Through it all, despite progressing from the tough-guy posturing of the indispensable debut "Modern Lovers" to the carefree exuberance of albums like 1993's "Having a Party," Jonathan has lost none of his charm. Part of it is a simplicity that makes even young squirts like me nostalgic for the 1950s, and makes the rich, chunky guitar of tunes like "Me and Her Got A Good Thing Goin' Baby" the musical equivalent of comfort food. Part of it is a childlike innocence that paradoxically makes the hard-earned sage advice of "Couples Must Fight" and "I Took A Chance on Her" that much more credible. Mostly it's just a sense of fun that's inescapable in live performance and shines through as strongly as ever on his unwieldily titled twentieth release.
Backed by nothing more than bouyant acoustic strumming, Larkins' spirited drumming, and the occasional piano or violin, Richman holds forth on love, friendship, and his favorite cities (the brilliant "Give Paris One More Chance,") occasionally in Spanish (the bouncy "Yo Tengo una Novia.") And when he sings, you've just got to smile. 9/10
