There's nothing, I tell you, NOTHING, I love as much as I love hearing about people's first Jonathan concert. Maybe that's because I remember mine so well, and how I had been waiting ten years or so to see him, and how I almost threw up because I was so nervous and excited. Glamourous, I know, but it was one of the best nights of my life.

So I really loved the review from Mademoiselle Robot, about her first time at a Jonathan Richman concert. Also, she put into words the way I feel at every Jonathan concert I have ever been to:

I can't quite describe the intensity of this experience for me without sounding like a complete nut job, but I couldn't write about it earlier because I had to digest this almost religious experience. See? Nut job. I am not religious, but I imagine that's what it would feel like. For the first time in ages, I found myself inspired and with space to think, despite

being entirely taken by the concert. This is what happens when you encounter a truly wonderful storyt

eller, I suppose - his stories take you places in your own mind that you didn't even know existed.

Doesn't that sum it up in a really cool way? Is it just me? Okay, maybe it's just me and her, but I totally identify with what she's saying here. And I find it so cool. The rest of her experience is here.

Does anyone have stories/thoughts about their first time seeing Jonathan? When was it? Was it everything you ever wanted?

Picture is from Pammadda, who has an incredible series of pictures from a concert in Paris here.

BBC 6 Music Interview - 8th October 2010

A few days ago Jonathan was interviewed by Cerys Mathews on 6 Music (BBC Radio). No live in the studio songs this time but quite an interesting interview, something like 15 minutes long.

To hear it use the following link:-

6 Music Interview

There's Something about Lost Weekend

Lost Weekend video has an awesome clip of the Jonathan film critique/performance I posted about a few days ago. We get more of Jonathan's ideas an perhaps the movie could have been improved, his thoughts on beautiful women, and also an incredible new snippet of the "There's Something About Mary" song.

Here it is: Lost Weekend

O Moon, Queen of the Night On Earth

Yes! New Jonathan Richman Album! and... only about a month away!!!

Set to release November 9, 2010, O Moon, Queen of the Night On Earth, will be released in both CD, and Vinyl formats.

Song List:

1. Oh Moon, Queen of Night on Earth
2. These Bodies That Came To Cavort
3. If You Want to Leave Our Party Just Go
4. I Was The One She Came For
5. Sa Voix M'Atisse
6. We'll Be The Noise, We'll Be the Scandal
7. The Sea Was Calling Me Home
8. Winter Afternoon By BU in Boston
9. The Bitter Herb
10. Sa Voix M'Attise (reprise)
11. My Affected Accent
12. Even Though I Know I Am The Wind and The Sun, I?
13. The Sea Was Calling Me Home (reprise)
14. It Was Time For Me To Be With Her

Some observations:
- I'm guessing the album cover is painted by JR himself, and judging by some of the song titles it looks to be in line with a theme.
- "The Sea Was Calling Me Home" was originally listed as a sort of hidden track on "Not So Much To Be Loved As To Love", so I'm very curious as to how it will sound on this album.
- I asked him in February 2010 how the new album was going and he gave a signal like there was a long way to go, so I'm guessing (key word: guessing) that most of these songs were recorded very recently.
- I have live versions of several of these songs on icecoldnugrape.com if you want a preview. My personal opinion: The new songs are SUPERB! These Bodies is an fairly upbeat reflective piece about how we drag our bodies everywhere and don't listen to what they try to tell us. "I was the one she came for" I believe is what some had been calling "Hurricane When She Came", and sounds like it's about how his Wife teaches him new things all the time, and betters him as a person. "The Bitter Herb" reflects on how sometimes in life you must do painful things and chew a piece of the bitter herb. This is a favorite of a friend of mine, and he opened my eyes to the beauty of this songs a few days ago. If you've seen him live recently, there's a good chance that you've heard the song "My Affected Accent" and it's a highlight of the show.

O Moon, Queen of Night on Earth

November 9, 2010