Band: The Modern Lovers
Release: 1981
Label: Bomp! Records

Side One
1. “Road Runner #1” – A-
2. “She Cracked” – B+
3. “Astral Plain” – A
4. “Walk up the Street” – A

Side Two
1. “I Wanna Sleep In Your Arms” – A-
2. “Don’t Let Our Youth Go To Waste” – B+
3. “Dance With Me” – B
4. “Girlfren” – A+
5. “Road Runner #2” – A+

Comments: These recordings were made in the summer of 1972, before the punk rock explosion. Like the proto-punk of the Velvet Underground, Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers created pretty basic rock and roll — talk and roll, I’d call it. Mumbling, attempted singing, uncomplicated musical structures. “Road Runner” is no shrills Boston — mentioning Stop n Shop and Route 93 among other things. “Walk up the Street” speaks of waking up in the Back Bay. “Girlfren” has the MFA thrown in the mix. Flows so good. What a song, for real, though!  On this tune particularly, the guitars and tone in general call to mind a future Bomp! release — Black Lips! On the back cover, Richman states “if it wasn’t for Iggy and Lou Reed this record wouldn’t have existed.” Sounds about right. “Astral Plain” is more Iggy than anything. Perhaps though, if this record hadn’t existed many underground bands wouldn’t exist. In fact, the inspiration that this record had on future records probably spills over into the realm of Beat Happening and such.

Grade: A-