Jonathan Richman Albums (20)
'Because Her Beauty Is Raw and Wild'
Release Date 4/8/2008
Tracks 14
Label Ada/Vapor
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What The Critics Say
Jonathan Richman closes his 20th album, 2008's Because Her Beauty Is Raw and Wild, with "As My Mother Lay Lying," a simple, emotionally powerful song in which he sings about sitting with his mother as she hovered near death in a home for the elderly, and how much he continued to learn from her even in her final moments. It's a singular piece of work that without calling attention to itself shows how far Richman's muse has taken him in the past decade. While sweetness and unaffected emotional honesty still dominate Richman's music, he's quietly allowed his music to grow in unexpected ways, embracing French and Spanish as well as English, writing of art and the ecstasies of love with unforced intelligence and brio, and pondering the mysteries of life and decay in a manner that's never pretentious but still conveys the weight of his themes. Richman covers a Leonard Cohen number, "Here It Is," and it fits like a charm with the 12 new originals on this album (one divided into two parts); Richman may not share the same dark undercurrents that inform Cohen's lyrics, but as he's matured his songs reflect a depth and fearlessness these two songwriters certainly share, and the intimacy of these recordings, most featuring just Richman and percussionist Tommy Larkins, only adds to their effectiveness. When Jonathan Richman debuted with the Modern Lovers, he sounded like someone who had somehow managed to create his own style independent of what was happening in the world of music around him, and with Because Her Beauty Is Raw and Wild, he confirms that he's still following a path all his own, and it's a journey that's strange, compelling, and very beautiful. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
'Not So Much to Be Loved as to Love'
Release Date 6/22/2004
Tracks 15
Label Sanctuary/Vapor
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What The Critics Say
Jonathan Richman has been slowly but surely maturing, which nearly 30 years after the first Modern Lovers album shouldn't be much of a surprise, but it is a wee bit startling to hear the guy who wrote "Ice Cream Man" and "Chewing Gun Wrapper" finally sounding like a full-fledged adult with the advent of the 21st century. Released in 2004, Not So Much to Be Loved as to Love documents the thoughts and feelings of Jonathan Richman at the age of 53, which finds him as playful as ever but exploring some unexpected avenues -- confronting political matters as he sings to free Mumia Abu-Jamal, embracing the French and Spanish tongues, celebrating the art of Vincent Van Gogh and Salvador Dali (both with greater sophistication than he displayed in his famous tune about Picasso), and in his own subtle way confronting the specter of age and the weight of his past. Richman is still a musician who revels in simplicity, with many of the cuts featuring just Jonathan and his longtime percussionist, Tommy Larkins, but the Latin accents in his melodies (and guitar playing) speak of a more sophisticated aural palette than he displayed in the '70s and '80s, and the occasional wind accents from Ralph Carney add depth and texture that are welcome indeed. Not So Much to Be Loved as to Love is immediately recognizable as a Jonathan Richman album -- all these years later, it's still true that no one else sounds quite like him -- but the subtle shifts in his style and lyrical stance serve as evidence that he hasn't been running in place, and this is an engaging and passionate collection of songs from a man who has never failed to sing directly from his heart. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
'Her Mystery Not of High Heels and Eye Shadow'
Release Date 10/9/2001
Tracks 14
Label Vapor
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What The Critics Say
Jonathan Richman's 19th album doesn't sport the raw passion of his debut with the Modern Lovers, nor does it showcase his vastly underestimated songwriting skills as superbly as prior solo albums like I, Jonathan and You Must Ask The Heart. It's just another exploration of the lovable troubadour's longstanding obsessions: the places he's been ("Springtime in New York," "Give Paris One More Chance"), the pitfalls of love ("Couples Must Fight," "I Took a Chance on Her"), the Spanish language (the last four songs, including a remake of the classic "Vampire Girl" en Español). For fans, that should be enough, though even the diehards will have to admit that this is one of his slighter efforts. Two of the 14 tracks on this 32-minute album are instrumentals and an additional four are in Spanish. Moreover, the lyrics to several songs ("Me and Her Got a Good Thing Goin' Baby," "My Love for Her Ain't Sad") are even more simplistic and repetitious than usual. That said, Richman never fails to charm. The title track is pure magic; its moonstruck words and gently swinging sound, even its cumbersome title, posit an alternative universe in which rock & roll only became more innocent and naïve after the '50s. "Springtime in New York," despite its sunny optimism, is clear-eyed and astute in its observations ("On First Avenue, a couple is breaking up/Eviction too/They must be shaken up/But I love springtime in New York/I do"). And the loopy enthusiasm of "Give Paris One More Chance" beats every tourist bureau jingle ever concocted ("Because the home of Piaf and Charles Aznavour/Has done something right and shall do something more"). Richman and his longtime drummer, Tommy Larkins, are joined here by Tom Waits associates Stephen Hodges (percussion) and Ralph Carney (woodwinds), as well as a pianist and string section, giving the album a warm, inviting feel. While far from a masterpiece, in its own way Her Mystery Not of High Heels and Eye Shadow is a portrait of the artist staying true to his unique and uncompromising vision. ~ Daniel Browne, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Ric Ocasek steps in to produce a lush-sounding record for Jonathan Richman, employing quirky keyboards, percussive effects and background vocalists. "Nineteen in Naples" is one of his typical, naive travelogues: "When I was 19, I went across the pond and I found myself in the demimonde." But his charming nasal voice seems to have all but disappeared; it's been replaced with a sort of arty croon, as on the title cut and the dour "Affection." Yet it suits the song treatments, which sound similar to mid-period Talking Heads (!). Still, on "The Night Is Still Young," the "old" Jonathan Richman makes an appearance with one of his trademark shuffles. ~ Denise Sullivan, All Music Guide
'Live at the Long Branch & More'
Release Date 8/25/1998
Tracks 17
Label Last Call
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What The Critics Say
While the proto-punk genius of the Modern Lovers' first records is well known, not so publicized is their short-lived tenure as a live band. The live treatment has mixed results on the Modern Lovers' repertoire; Jonathan Richman has two types of songs: the fast-and-furious rockers ("She Cracked"), which benefit greatly from the live setting, and the slow-burning love songs ("Hospital"), which are not as well suited. Also, the sound quality leaves something to be desired; at times Live at the Long Branch sounds like a bad bootleg rather than a soundboard recording. But despite these detractions, the band does perform great renditions of all their would-be hits. "Roadrunner," "Girlfriend," and "Pablo Picasso" are all represented here, along with a dead-on cover of the Velvet Underground's "Foggy Notion," which threatens to trump the original. Though it has its weaknesses, this is a mostly solid record that makes a perfect belated apology from the rock gods for all those Jonathan Richman solo records. ~ Ari Wiznitzer, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Surrender to Jonathan was Richman's return to a major label, and he constructed the album as a showcase of his finest, or at least most notorious, songs of the early '90s. "Egyptian Reggae" and "I Was Dancing in the Lesbian Bar" are hauled out of the woodwork and given moderately polished reworkings by Andy Paley. Even with the slicker sound, Jonathan remains Jonathan, and no amount of studio polish can erase the fact that his goofball, naive pop is better-suited for small clubs than records. There are a couple of worthy additions to his set list, "Not Just a 'Plus One' on the Guest List Anymore" and "Surrender," but Surrender to Jonathan remains a marginal effort. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'You Must Ask the Heart'
Release Date 1/1/1995
Tracks 13
Label Rounder
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What The Critics Say
The ambitious You Must Ask the Heart is Richman's most consistent effort in years; produced with clarity by Brennan Totten, the album is a neat summation of the singer's recent history, ranging in tone from the pensive ("To Hide a Little Thought") to the silly ("Vampire Girl") and spanning in style from country (the title track) to Spanish ("Amorcito Corazon"). Offsetting his own material with a handful of superb covers -- including Tom Waits' "The Heart of Saturday Night" and Sam Cooke's "Nothing Can Change This Love" -- Richman sings with remarkable energy and honesty; even after dozens of records, his joyful spirit remains undimmed. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
'Jonathan, Te Vas a Emocionar!'
Release Date 1/1/1994
Tracks 15
Label Rounder
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What The Critics Say
Although Richman's vocals have intermittently slipped into foreign tongues for years, Jonathan, Te Vas a Emocionar! is still a surprise: entirely sung in Spanish, the record is a charmer, transcending the language barrier with ease. Along with a few new originals and a handful of traditional Mexican tunes, the album primarily consists of loose Spanish reworkings of Richman favorites -- I, Jonathan's "You Can't Talk to the Dude" becomes "No Te Oye," for example, while Having a Party's "Just for Fun" becomes "No Mas por Fun" and Jonathan Goes Country's "Reno" becomes, well, "Reno"; whatever the language, however, Richman remains his earnest, wistful self -- none of his personality gets lost in the translation. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
As basic and bare-bones as its title, Jonathan Richman is a solo effort modeled after Richman's live show, spotlighting only his voice, guitar and percussive foot stomping. An eclectic mixture of originals and covers (occasionally sung in either French or Spanish), the record's simplicity is its charm; the high point, "I Eat With Gusto, Damn! You Bet," is a spoken-word paean to the joys of bad table manners. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
A lo-fi effort cut in a California basement, I, Jonathan returns Richman to the full band setting and manic diversity that recent conceptual efforts have forsaken. Sloppy and wild, the album is a blast from start to finish; among its many concerns are skydiving ("Tandem Jump"), sea life (the surf instrumental "Grunion Run"), nightclubbing ("I Was Dancing in a Lesbian Bar"), and hero worship ("Velvet Underground"). ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
