Search - Jonathan Richman, Modern Lovers :: Back in Your Life

They will play this for me in Heaven

Derry Cooke | NewZealand | 06/06/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you're too cynical for Jonathon, you're too cynical! This is real music for the inner kid. Not the pastel-newage-therapy 'inner child', but the actual inner kid, the one you might have thought you'd left behind! Honest, warm and real vibes WAY full of heart. Not too proud to make snot jokes, nor too tough to dialogue with a mosquito. This is one of my favourite Jonathon albums, right up there with the first Modern Lovers album and the (apparently) unavailable "Jonathon Sings" and "Rockin' and Romance". I've been fortunate enough to see JR twice in concert and the man is a solid gold entertainer. No one else will ever make this music:1. Abdul and Cleopatra: best lyric: 'how I wonder where she's at-ra'. Genius.2. (She's Gonna) Respect Me: A cute yet unromantic song about being true to oneself and honest with the one you love. Sample:'Hi-yo, hi-yo silver, she's gonna, someday she's gonna... respect me!'3. Lover Please: An instrumental covered in the inimitable Richman style.4. Affection: One from the heart. This album's deepest cut.5. Buzz Buzz Buzz: A silly sorbet cover version to cleanse the palate after listening to track 4. Delicious, light, complete.6. Back in Your Life: Gonzo Jonathon torch song7. Party in the Woods Tonight: The silliness deepens!. Try not to grin.8. My Love Is a Flower(Just beginning to Bloom): The silliness builds and somehow deepens. Marilyn Manson would never have the balls to sing *this*. Sublime love song.9. I'm Nature's Mosquito: The silliness collapses in on itself. Parental advisory: you may wet your pants *or* your eyes.10. Emaline: This one is another cover version. Jonathon makes it his own.11. Lydia: Another cover. A groovy romp through the flowery meadow of infatuation!12. I Hear You Calling Me: Another cover- NOT that that is a bad thing. (Jonathon really MEETS the songs he covers. You still get Jonathon!) This song pushes the limits of poignancy, but the raw and artless production never quite lets it tip over into the maudlin or kitsch.I haven't kept up with his later albums, so I can't say this is his best, but it is definitely one of my all time favourites!"

7 of Jonathan Richman's greatest songs

Chris bct | San Diego, CA USA | 02/26/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Ok, I'll admit it. I haven't heard this cd. However, I do own the lp (yes, vinyl). I haven't heard the 4 bonus trax although I know Astral Plane from the first Modern Lovers album. Jonathan does have a full rock band behind him on this album. It's fairly gentle rock music, not hard rockin', not as hard as the famous first album (J.R. and the Modern Lovers).



Here's those great 7 songs: 1. Abdul & Cleopatra is Jonathan at his story telling best doing what he often does, telling a love story. He's begun his sorta silly, innocent period of the later 70's and it works on these 7 songs, no question. I don't remember 2. (She's Gonna) Respect Me or 3. Lover Please. However, 4. Affection might be my favorite song by him ever. It's long, maybe 5 minutes. It tells us that affection is a key part of existance in a very beautiful way. I've never heard a song like it. He can get indulgent sometimes but on this song he totally gets it right. Very emotional really.



5. Buzz Buzz Buzz is another pretty silly song. However, it's Jonathan at his most innocent and that's saying something. Real sweet.



6. Back In Your Life is another song that sticks to the ribs. Actually, this album, overall, is stronger than I remembered. These 7 songs definitely make it worth owning.



7. Party In The Woods Tonight. I rememeber it but don't remember being particularly impressed with it. I do have a memory of it bein' a nice song.



8. My Love Is A Flower (Just Beginning To Bloom). Here's another one that really quite unforgetable. This line is part of a very gentle love song that doesn't stray to the 'too indulgent/too silly' region that he can sometimes go to.



9. I'm Nature's Mosquito. Here's song number six that makes this album worth owning. It's all about the little mosquito as only Jonathan can do it. Nice song. Fun. Almost too silly.

10. Emaline. I don't remember this song at all.

11. Lydia. Now here's a substantial song. A real love song about Lydia. It's more swingin' than most of the others on this album with nice harmonies. Very memorable.



12. I Hear You Calling Me. Now I remember this song. Quite nice really. Very listenable. Soft, gentle, loving.



13. Oh Carol (B-Side) (Bonus Track). Never heard this song.

14. Astral Plane (Live B-Side) (Bonus Track). I don't know how this live version sounds. The studio version is part of that great first Modern Lovers 1972 album.



15. Hospital (Live B-Side) (Bonus Track). Don't know this song either or the last one. chrisbct@hotmail.com

"

Didn't know this was available

Stacey Olson | San Ramon, CA USA | 09/10/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A very important record to me in my unemployed post-college days. I am really glad to find it. I sold this album in a garage sale so I could buy new CDs. Now, I really want to play this for my five year old son. Very few previous-owned albums inspire me to re-purchase them.I met Jonathan in New Orleans while I was walking my dog and I told him the song "Natures Little Mosquio' was one of the most important songs in the world (to me). He kind of shrugged and paid more attention to my dog, but it was an important moment for me, anyway..."