I, Jonathan
I, Jonathan | ||||
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Studio album by Jonathan Richman | ||||
Released | 1992 | |||
Recorded | 1991 | |||
Genre |
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Length | 38:23 | |||
Label | Rounder ROUND 9036 | |||
Producer | Brennan Totten | |||
Jonathan Richman chronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
Pitchfork | 8.7/10[3] |
I, Jonathan is the fourth solo album by Jonathan Richman, released by the Rounder Records label in 1992. As the founder of influential proto-punk band The Modern Lovers, Richman had striven to convey authentic emotions and storytelling with his music. I, Jonathan continued this aesthetic with simple and sparse rock and roll arrangements, and straightforward lyrics about everyday topics, such as music, parties, summer, and dancing. It is widely-regarded as one of his best works, and is considered an influential album in the lo-fi genre.
Songs on the album addressed topics such as backyard parties ("Parties in the U.S.A"), memories of neighborhoods in which Richman had lived ("Rooming House on Venice Beach" and "Twilight in Boston") and his admiration of his primary musical inspiration, the Velvet Underground ("Velvet Underground"). The latter song includes a brief interlude of the Velvet Underground song, "Sister Ray".[4]
The album helped increase Richman's cultural profile, which would include a 1993 appearance on Late Night with Conan O'Brien during which Richman performed one of the album's songs, "I Was Dancing in the Lesbian Bar."[3]
The album was recorded through the summer of 1991 "in John 'Guitar' Girton's cozy frayed carpet of a basement studio" in the "summer swelter" of Grass Valley, California.
The album was originally released on Cassette and Compact Disc, but was released by Craft Recordings on vinyl for the first time in 2020.
Track listing
All songs were written by Jonathan Richman unless otherwise noted.
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Parties in the U.S.A." | 4:42 |
2. | "Tandem Jump" | 2:10 |
3. | "You Can't Talk to the Dude" | 2:49 |
4. | "Velvet Underground" (Richman, Lou Reed) | 3:23 |
5. | "I Was Dancing in the Lesbian Bar" | 3:40 |
6. | "Rooming House on Venice Beach" | 5:04 |
7. | "That Summer Feeling" | 6:02 |
8. | "Grunion Run" | 2:31 |
9. | "A Higher Power" | 3:02 |
10. | "Twilight in Boston" | 4:08 |
Total length: | 37:31 |
Personnel
- Jonathan Richman - vocals, guitars, bass ("Velvet Underground")
- Ned Claflin - vocals, tremolo guitar and 2nd guitar on "Grunion Run"
- Tom Nelson - vocals
- Scot Woodland - vocals, congas
- Josef Marc - bass, drums ("I Was Dancing In The Lesbian Bar"), guitar ("Twilight in Boston")
- Steve Nobels - percussion, backing singing
- Jason Wilkinson - percussion, drums ("Parties in the USA"), backing singing
- John Rinkor - percussion, bass ("Parties in the USA"), backing singing
- Mike Buckmaster - percussion, backing singing
- Willie Robertson - percussion, backing singing
- Andy Paley - drums ("Grunion Run")
- Brennan Totten - drums ("A Higher Power")
- Jim Washburn - bass ("That Summer Feeling", "Twilight in Boston" and "Grunion Run")
- John Girton - guitar ("That Summer Feeling")
- Brennan Totten - producer
- John Girton - engineer
References
- ^ a b Ankeny, Jason. "Jonathan Richman - I, Jonathan Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. Retrieved April 28, 2018.
- ^ "The 25 Best Indie Pop Albums of the '90s". Pitchfork. October 27, 2022. Retrieved December 25, 2022.
- ^ a b Hogan, Marc (April 22, 2018). "Jonathan Richman: I, Richman Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
- ^ Hann, Michael (January 22, 2014). "10 of the best: Jonathan Richman". The Guardian. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
- v
- t
- e
- The Modern Lovers (1976)
- The Original Modern Lovers (1981)
The Modern Lovers
- Jonathan Richman and The Modern Lovers (1976)
- Rock 'n' Roll with the Modern Lovers (1977)
- Back in Your Life (1979)
- Jonathan Sings! (1983)
- Rockin' and Romance (1985)
- It's Time for Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers (1986)
- Modern Lovers 88 (1987)
- Jonathan Richman (1989)
- Jonathan Goes Country (1990)
- Having a Party with Jonathan Richman (1991)
- I, Jonathan (1992)
- ¡Jonathan, Te Vas a Emocionar! (1994)
- You Must Ask the Heart (1995)
- Surrender to Jonathan! (1996)
- Her Mystery Not of High Heels and Eye Shadow (2001)
- I'm So Confused (1998)
- Not So Much to Be Loved as to Love (2004)
- Revolution Summer (2007)
- Because Her Beauty Is Raw and Wild (2008)
- ¿A qué venimos sino a caer? (2008)
- O Moon, Queen of Night on Earth (2010)
- Ishkode! Ishkode! (2016)
- SA! (2018)
- Want to Visit My Inner House? (2021)
- "Roadrunner"
- "Pablo Picasso"
- "Lover Please"
- David Robinson
- Jerry Harrison
- Beth Harrington
- There's Something About Mary