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Rating: It was 1977, Sex Pistols and Clash released their first LPs, bringing music back to the rebellion and wild violence of rock'n'roll, giving rise to the punk movement.
It was 1977 and Jonathan Richman irrevocably distanced himself from that movement, which he had unwittingly initiated with his debut album, a departure already glimpsed with the release of his second work (from 1976) that led him to a more essential and dynamic form of rock'n'roll, more linked to C. Berry than to the Velvet Underground (the inspiration of the first LP).
Thus, Richman forever turned his back on fame and published Rock'N'Roll With The Modern Lovers, which over time would turn out to be one of the most "cult" works in the history of music. A brilliant record that critics of the time described as "the album recorded in the bathroom" or as "rock'n'roll for children under five".
In fact, the songs are all recorded in one take in a large empty room with the help of a single microphone, to achieve the low-fi effect sought by the author. This way, Richman created his very personal Rock'n'Roll, which is certainly not violent or wild, but paradoxically even more rebellious than punk, as it is solitary, unpredictable, and unlabelable.
The songs on the album are all legendary: the Chinese folk hymn The Sweeping Wind, the traditional South American Folk Song, Egyptian Reggae, Ice Cream Man, Roller Coaster By The Sea, the children's song The Wheels Of The Bus, the crooked gospel Angels Watching Over Me, the overwhelming Dodge Veg-O-Matic.
Rock'n'Roll with The Modern Lovers is a work that possesses incredible expressive power and even today remains fresh, fun, and not at all dated.
An indispensable album in any respectable collection.
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