Friday, November 19

Oh Moon, Oh Jonathan ...

Oh Jonathan, Prince Of Dorkness On Earth, why is this new album so short (36’), with two reprises of songs already on the album?

One might argue that they sound different, yes like take #1 is different from take #13. I have nothing against including more than one take of a song but look, the Stooges when they released the outtakes of Funhouse covered 6 CDs. We had hours of Iggy to listen to. Why is the spelling of the title of the French song faulty, when you sing rather fluently in French and have enough friends in France who could have helped you on that matter ? “sa voix m’Atisse” is just not meaning anything in French, (just like I did a misspelling in my first sentence where I meant to write Darkness). Did you really mean to involve Matisse the painter in this ? I don’t think so, because in the bi-lingual reprise you translate it by “her voice Stirs me up”, which would translate in “ sa voix m’attise”. A very nice poetic song by the way which, without prejudice from my side, is higher grade than the Italian one (“We’ll be the noise, we’ll be the scandal”, no kidding ! you’re too kind to be the scandal). Don’t take me wrong I like this mini album (without the reprises it lasts 32 minutes), and my two obvious first choices are “My affected accent” and “The sea was calling me home (Reprise)”.

As usually you are very skilled in the building up of your compositions and here it is operating like magic. “My affected accent” starts with chords and singing which reminded me of “Nineteen in Naples”, but just when I felt uncomfortable figuring out you were recycling old recipes came the bridge to another shore. The song evolves in that, oh so regretted by me, old Modern Lovers style,

Pic by Chester Simpson 1980

grooving rythms, let it go spirit and witty lyrics (“ I had a fake professorial rolling O, O, O, I talked about things I didn’t knOOw").

The other song sounds like your new way which Chimaerandi wrote so accurately about. The cello backing up on the reprise of “The sea was calling me home” is a brilliant idea to pull this sad song to the Velvet Underground dark playground . It is the song which I have programmed on replay.

Melancholy and disillusionment look like the main inspiration of many beautiful songs here, “Even though I know I am the wind and the sun”, “Bitter herb”. A song like “If you want to leave our party, just go” would never had been so gloomy ten years ago, and it really moved me. The production on “Winter afternoon by B.U. in Boston” does not do justice to that nostalgic Bostonian song, the metronomic drums are far too much in the forefront and cover Jonathan guitar playing and singing, another take could have been included to extend the length of this EP. Unpredictable Jonathan, thanks for these new songs.

Tuesday, November 16

Oh Moon, Queen of Night on Earth

Okay, I've had it long enough to put together a semi-cohesive review of sorts, if anyone is like, "DEAR GOD I MUST KNOW HOW CHIMAERANDI FEELS ABOUT THIS" I posted it to my Livejournal, and am going to link it up here. :) Enjoy my shameless self promotion:

So, a new Jonathan album. I was terrifically excited, excited enough that I couldn't wait for the album to come and downloaded it even though I have it coming. I am totally tragic, I know that. I have to admit I was a little nervy because I never fell in love with BHBIRAW. I appreciate it more now than I used to, but it's still largely not an album I listen to by itself. I shouldn't have worried, because this is by and large EXCELLENT. It's not going to replace Not So Much To Be Loved As To Love as my favorite (likely nothing will), but it is great. I have listened to it straight through a couple times, already. So I decided you all DEEPLY CARE about my impressions of the album

You can find the actual thing here. OH OH OH IMPORTANT!!! While the review is G, the rest of my journal may or may not be, so, at your own peril.

Thursday, November 4

More from 1 November 2010: Jonathan Richman and Tommy Larkins at Bowery Ballroom


'When We Refuse to Suffer/Not So Much to Be Loved as to Love' Uploaded by Thelma Blitz


'I Was Dancing in the Lesbian Bar' uploaded by clairedelune49

Scotty G, Jojoblog comments: "last night was my first Jonathan Richman concert. Took place at the Bowery Ballroom in New York. And it absolutely astonished me, in every way. Somebody once said about the artist Robert Rauschenberg, "He knows how to arrive fresh at the scene of the accident he is about to create." Jonathan Richman has that ability: to arrive fresh, to maintain an open connection with the song and with the audience, to mix feather-light humor with cavern-deep emotion, and to convey all this via the simplest, truest musical means--honestly, I have never experienced anything quite like it. My god, the man is a genius!" read more!

Also see sarah's great first-time story here with a photo

WOW!  01-11-10 was a very good day to be in NYC!  

Jonathan Richman on 'Late NIght with Jimmy Fallon'


'I Was Dancing in the Lesbian Bar'

From Monday, 1 November 2010: Jonathan Richman and Tommy Larkins also performed 'These Bodies Came to Cavort' from the new album O Moon, Queen of Night on Earth. You can watch it on the show by clicking here till 11/17, Jonathan appears at approximately 38:25.