Monday, August 17, 2020

Not So Much To Be Loved As To Love, Jonathan Richman / The Slider, T. Rex

Not So Much To Be Loved As To Love, Jonathan Richman, 2004, :38

★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

What do you get when you let Jonathan Richman do his own thing, unhindered, for decades? This album.  Twee, silly, heartfelt, maudlin, utterly indulgent through and through, same themes as ever.  Not that that's necessarily a bad thing.  Even a lesser Jonathan Richman song is honest, and fun, and life-loving.  There's a couple of French songs and couple of Italian songs on here, and, well, good for Jojo for trying new things.  There are a couple songs I might even save space for on a best of Richman: "Vincent Van Gogh," "My Baby Love Love Loves Me."

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The Slider, T. Rex, 1972, :44

★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

I'm perfectly aware that people consider this a five-star classic, but it just doesn't move me.  Too much guitar noodling and heavy riffs for my taste.  At least it doesn't take itself too seriously.  Fun lyrics.  Favorite tracks: "The Slider," "Ballrooms of Mars," "Chariot Choogle."

Apart From the Crowd, Great Buildings

Apart From the Crowd , Great Buildings, 1981, :40 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ Solid jangle-pop from a now largely-forgotten group featuring two guys who went ...