http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4547&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rssIf "Roadrunner" were the only song the Modern Lovers ever recorded, they would still go down in history as one of the most important bands of the pre-punk era. Boston-bred loner Jonathan Richman's brainchild was one of the very the first bands (of the many thousands) directly influenced by the Velvet Underground. "Roadrunner" itself is a jubilant, unspeakably perfect swipe of VU's "Sister Ray" and, as the story goes, Richman was such a huge fan of the band that he used to sleep on the couch of their recording studio. The rest of the <I>The Modern Lovers</I>, is a triumph of simple pre-punk that, thanks to Richman's almost childlike innocence, continually subverts the nihilism of punk and replaces it with a level of honesty that at times makes the listener uncomfortable. Richman's unabashed loneliness, his willingness to express his total isolation, and, most importantly, his desire for inclusion goes beyond creating a "sensitive guy" persona. What comes out is a bizarro honesty that calls into question how in touch with reality Richman really is. People just don't say the corny things he says without coming off looking like a fake, but Richman does, and always has. This founding incarnation of the Modern Lovers didn't last long, mainly because the music Richman wanted to make was far less aggressive than the jagged pre-punk of that band. Still the music they recorded stands as a blueprint for countless bands, in much the same way that the first VU albums do. - Mike McGuirkPunk Pioneersen720Tue, 8 Dec 2009 18:28:05 -0800 http://static.realone.com/rotw/images/logo_rhapsody_113x22.gif http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4547&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss If "Roadrunner" were the only song the Modern Lovers ever recorded, they would still go down in history as one of the most important bands of the pre-punk era. Boston-bred loner Jonathan Richman's brainchild was one of the very the first bands (of the many thousands) directly influenced by the Velvet Underground. "Roadrunner" itself is a jubilant, unspeakably perfect swipe of VU's "Sister Ray" and, as the story goes, Richman was such a huge fan of the band that he used to sleep on the couch of their recording studio. The rest of the <I>The Modern Lovers</I>, is a triumph of simple pre-punk that, thanks to Richman's almost childlike innocence, continually subverts the nihilism of punk and replaces it with a level of honesty that at times makes the listener uncomfortable. Richman's unabashed loneliness, his willingness to express his total isolation, and, most importantly, his desire for inclusion goes beyond creating a "sensitive guy" persona. What comes out is a bizarro honesty that calls into question how in touch with reality Richman really is. People just don't say the corny things he says without coming off looking like a fake, but Richman does, and always has. This founding incarnation of the Modern Lovers didn't last long, mainly because the music Richman wanted to make was far less aggressive than the jagged pre-punk of that band. Still the music they recorded stands as a blueprint for countless bands, in much the same way that the first VU albums do. - Mike McGuirk http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2734875&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss Punk Pioneers Tue, 2 Aug 1994 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by The Modern Lovers on Rhapsody Online 2734875 tra.2734875 The Modern Lovers art.4547 0.99 Precise Modern Lovers Order alb.173500 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/6/2/2/4/514226_170x170.jpg 1994-08-02 00:00:00.0 1994-08-02 00:00:00.0 true Roadrunner tra.2734875 295000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2734875&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2734875&variant=data&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2734868&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss Punk Pioneers Tue, 2 Aug 1994 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by The Modern Lovers on Rhapsody Online 2734868 tra.2734868 The Modern Lovers art.4547 0.99 Precise Modern Lovers Order alb.173500 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/6/2/2/4/514226_170x170.jpg 1994-08-02 00:00:00.0 1994-08-02 00:00:00.0 true Pablo Picasso tra.2734868 306000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2734868&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2734868&variant=data&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.15174772&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss Punk Pioneers Sun, 1 Jun 2008 15:30:17 -0700 Top Tracks by The Modern Lovers on Rhapsody Online 15174772 tra.15174772 The Modern Lovers art.4547 0.99 Live At The Longbranch And More alb.15157399 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/6/6/5/0/1040566_170x170.jpg 2007-05-16 00:00:00.0 null true I'm Straight tra.15174772 306000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.15174772&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.15174772&variant=data&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2734867&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss Punk Pioneers Tue, 2 Aug 1994 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by The Modern Lovers on Rhapsody Online 2734867 tra.2734867 The Modern Lovers art.4547 0.99 Precise Modern Lovers Order alb.173500 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/6/2/2/4/514226_170x170.jpg 1994-08-02 00:00:00.0 1994-08-02 00:00:00.0 true Ride On Down The Highway tra.2734867 191000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2734867&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2734867&variant=data&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2734872&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss Punk Pioneers Tue, 2 Aug 1994 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by The Modern Lovers on Rhapsody Online 2734872 tra.2734872 The Modern Lovers art.4547 0.99 Precise Modern Lovers Order alb.173500 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/6/2/2/4/514226_170x170.jpg 1994-08-02 00:00:00.0 1994-08-02 00:00:00.0 true I'm Straight tra.2734872 388000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2734872&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2734872&variant=data&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2734869&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss Punk Pioneers Tue, 2 Aug 1994 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by The Modern Lovers on Rhapsody Online 2734869 tra.2734869 The Modern Lovers art.4547 0.99 Precise Modern Lovers Order alb.173500 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/6/2/2/4/514226_170x170.jpg 1994-08-02 00:00:00.0 1994-08-02 00:00:00.0 true A Plea Tor Tenderness tra.2734869 432000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2734869&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2734869&variant=data&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2734859&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss Punk Pioneers Tue, 2 Aug 1994 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by The Modern Lovers on Rhapsody Online 2734859 tra.2734859 The Modern Lovers art.4547 0.99 Precise Modern Lovers Order alb.173500 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/6/2/2/4/514226_170x170.jpg 1994-08-02 00:00:00.0 1994-08-02 00:00:00.0 true Someone I Care About tra.2734859 241000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2734859&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2734859&variant=data&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.15174764&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss Punk Pioneers Sun, 1 Jun 2008 15:30:17 -0700 Top Tracks by The Modern Lovers on Rhapsody Online 15174764 tra.15174764 The Modern Lovers art.4547 0.99 Live At The Longbranch And More alb.15157399 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/6/6/5/0/1040566_170x170.jpg 2007-05-16 00:00:00.0 null true Foggy Notion tra.15174764 196000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.15174764&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.15174764&variant=data&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.15174771&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss Punk Pioneers Sun, 2 Nov 2008 20:32:16 -0800 Top Tracks by The Modern Lovers on Rhapsody Online 15174771 tra.15174771 The Modern Lovers art.4547 0.99 Live At The Longbranch And More alb.15157399 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/6/6/5/0/1040566_170x170.jpg 2007-05-16 00:00:00.0 null true 96 Tears tra.15174771 165000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.15174771&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.15174771&variant=data&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.15174775&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss Punk Pioneers Sun, 2 Nov 2008 20:32:17 -0800 Top Tracks by The Modern Lovers on Rhapsody Online 15174775 tra.15174775 The Modern Lovers art.4547 0.99 Live At The Longbranch And More alb.15157399 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/6/6/5/0/1040566_170x170.jpg 2007-05-16 00:00:00.0 null true Roadrunner tra.15174775 289000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.15174775&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.15174775&variant=data&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.15174762&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss Punk Pioneers Sun, 1 Jun 2008 15:30:17 -0700 Top Tracks by The Modern Lovers on Rhapsody Online 15174762 tra.15174762 The Modern Lovers art.4547 0.99 Live At The Longbranch And More alb.15157399 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/6/6/5/0/1040566_170x170.jpg 2007-05-16 00:00:00.0 null true Hospital tra.15174762 384000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.15174762&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.15174762&variant=data&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.15174773&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss Punk Pioneers Sun, 1 Jun 2008 15:30:17 -0700 Top Tracks by The Modern Lovers on Rhapsody Online 15174773 tra.15174773 The Modern Lovers art.4547 0.99 Live At The Longbranch And More alb.15157399 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/6/6/5/0/1040566_170x170.jpg 2007-05-16 00:00:00.0 null true Wake Up Sleepyheads tra.15174773 167000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.15174773&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.15174773&variant=data&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.15174761&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss Punk Pioneers Sun, 1 Jun 2008 15:30:17 -0700 Top Tracks by The Modern Lovers on Rhapsody Online 15174761 tra.15174761 The Modern Lovers art.4547 0.99 Live At The Longbranch And More alb.15157399 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/6/6/5/0/1040566_170x170.jpg 2007-05-16 00:00:00.0 null true She Cracked tra.15174761 260000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.15174761&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.15174761&variant=data&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.15174767&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss Punk Pioneers Sun, 1 Jun 2008 15:30:17 -0700 Top Tracks by The Modern Lovers on Rhapsody Online 15174767 tra.15174767 The Modern Lovers art.4547 0.99 Live At The Longbranch And More alb.15157399 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/6/6/5/0/1040566_170x170.jpg 2007-05-16 00:00:00.0 null true A Plea For Tenderness tra.15174767 429000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.15174767&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.15174767&variant=data&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.15174768&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss Punk Pioneers Sun, 1 Jun 2008 15:30:17 -0700 Top Tracks by The Modern Lovers on Rhapsody Online 15174768 tra.15174768 The Modern Lovers art.4547 0.99 Live At The Longbranch And More alb.15157399 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/6/6/5/0/1040566_170x170.jpg 2007-05-16 00:00:00.0 null true Walk Up The Street tra.15174768 320000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.15174768&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.15174768&variant=data&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.15174769&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss Punk Pioneers Sun, 1 Jun 2008 15:30:17 -0700 Top Tracks by The Modern Lovers on Rhapsody Online 15174769 tra.15174769 The Modern Lovers art.4547 0.99 Live At The Longbranch And More alb.15157399 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/6/6/5/0/1040566_170x170.jpg 2007-05-16 00:00:00.0 null true Modern World tra.15174769 180000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.15174769&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.15174769&variant=data&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.15174765&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss Punk Pioneers Sun, 1 Jun 2008 15:30:17 -0700 Top Tracks by The Modern Lovers on Rhapsody Online 15174765 tra.15174765 The Modern Lovers art.4547 0.99 Live At The Longbranch And More alb.15157399 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/6/6/5/0/1040566_170x170.jpg 2007-05-16 00:00:00.0 null true Ride Down On The Highway tra.15174765 190000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.15174765&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.15174765&variant=data&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.15174766&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss Punk Pioneers Sun, 2 Nov 2008 20:32:16 -0800 Top Tracks by The Modern Lovers on Rhapsody Online 15174766 tra.15174766 The Modern Lovers art.4547 0.99 Live At The Longbranch And More alb.15157399 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/6/6/5/0/1040566_170x170.jpg 2007-05-16 00:00:00.0 null true Pablo Picasso tra.15174766 301000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.15174766&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.15174766&variant=data&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.15174774&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss Punk Pioneers Sun, 1 Jun 2008 15:30:17 -0700 Top Tracks by The Modern Lovers on Rhapsody Online 15174774 tra.15174774 The Modern Lovers art.4547 0.99 Live At The Longbranch And More alb.15157399 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/6/6/5/0/1040566_170x170.jpg 2007-05-16 00:00:00.0 null true Don't Let Our Youth Go To Waste tra.15174774 101000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.15174774&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.15174774&variant=data&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2734860&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss Punk Pioneers Tue, 2 Aug 1994 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by The Modern Lovers on Rhapsody Online 2734860 tra.2734860 The Modern Lovers art.4547 0.99 Precise Modern Lovers Order alb.173500 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/6/2/2/4/514226_170x170.jpg 1994-08-02 00:00:00.0 1994-08-02 00:00:00.0 true Dance With Me tra.2734860 356000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2734860&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2734860&variant=data&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2734861&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss Punk Pioneers Tue, 2 Aug 1994 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by The Modern Lovers on Rhapsody Online 2734861 tra.2734861 The Modern Lovers art.4547 0.99 Precise Modern Lovers Order alb.173500 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/6/2/2/4/514226_170x170.jpg 1994-08-02 00:00:00.0 1994-08-02 00:00:00.0 true She Cracked tra.2734861 258000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2734861&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2734861&variant=data&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2734862&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss Punk Pioneers Tue, 2 Aug 1994 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by The Modern Lovers on Rhapsody Online 2734862 tra.2734862 The Modern Lovers art.4547 0.99 Precise Modern Lovers Order alb.173500 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/6/2/2/4/514226_170x170.jpg 1994-08-02 00:00:00.0 1994-08-02 00:00:00.0 true Hospital tra.2734862 397000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2734862&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2734862&variant=data&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2734864&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss Punk Pioneers Tue, 2 Aug 1994 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by The Modern Lovers on Rhapsody Online 2734864 tra.2734864 The Modern Lovers art.4547 0.99 Precise Modern Lovers Order alb.173500 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/6/2/2/4/514226_170x170.jpg 1994-08-02 00:00:00.0 1994-08-02 00:00:00.0 true Dignified And Old tra.2734864 173000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2734864&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2734864&variant=data&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2734865&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss Punk Pioneers Tue, 2 Aug 1994 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by The Modern Lovers on Rhapsody Online 2734865 tra.2734865 The Modern Lovers art.4547 0.99 Precise Modern Lovers Order alb.173500 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/6/2/2/4/514226_170x170.jpg 1994-08-02 00:00:00.0 1994-08-02 00:00:00.0 true Girlfriend tra.2734865 249000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2734865&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2734865&variant=data&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2734866&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss Punk Pioneers Tue, 2 Aug 1994 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by The Modern Lovers on Rhapsody Online 2734866 tra.2734866 The Modern Lovers art.4547 0.99 Precise Modern Lovers Order alb.173500 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/6/2/2/4/514226_170x170.jpg 1994-08-02 00:00:00.0 1994-08-02 00:00:00.0 true Foggy Notion tra.2734866 185000 http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2734866&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://mp3.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.2734866&variant=data&rws=%2Fthe-modern-lovers%2Ftop-tracks.rss