Alive & Kicking – Jonathan Richman

December 13 & 14, Tractor Tavern
By Chris McCann
from Nadamucho.com

In one of the songs on his newest album (Not So Much To Be Loved As To Love), Jonathan Richman sings, “He gave us the wine to taste, not to talk about it.” On one level the lyrics tell the story of a wine tasting, but they can also be read as a gloss of Richman’s three-decade career making music that begs for empathy, not analysis.

Listen to any of his albums and you realize this immediately - his plaintive, painfully sincere voice embraces in one song the difficult truths of a mature relationship (as in “Couples Must Fight” off of Her Mystery Not of High Heels and Eye Shadow) and in the next the joys of a peanut butter sandwich (“Love Me Like I Love” from I’m So Confused). Richman (or “Jojo” to his devoted fans) writes about what it’s like to live in this world and why it’s worth it.

Richman’s career started back in the early ‘70s when he animated the seminal Boston punk band The Modern Lovers with his disaffected, lonely songs about drug-addicted girlfriends and fractured relationships. However, as the years progressed, Jonathan in many ways regressed into a fascination with the childlike, as he penned songs like “Abominable Snowman in the Market” and “My Little Kookenhaken.”

In the late ‘80s and ‘90s, he continued his exploration of the vast and ever-shifting geography of his passions with a foray into country music, an album of songs entirely in Spanish, and dozens of tunes about everything from parenting to cappuccino bars. Since he moved to the Vapor label in the mid-90s, he’s made four strong, quirky albums that detail his enduring love affair with the world.

His newest album includes songs about Vincent Van Gogh (actually a re-recording of an older song found on the out-of-print Rockin’ & Romance album from The Modern Lovers), a protest song (“Abu Jamal”), and a typical Jonathan offering that celebrates the glory of newly mowed lawns and ozone (“The World Is Showing Its Hand”). On other tracks, he croons sweetly in both Italian and French, backed ably by bassist Greg “Curly” Keranen, who first played with Jonathan in the ‘70s, and touring partner Tommy Larkins on the drums.

But you must see Jonathan live to truly understand the source of his enduring popularity. He ambles out onto the stage and strums the first few, simple chords of a song about springtime in New York or rocking out at the Government Center. Then he stops and grins. Or tells a story. Or does an improvised jig while Larkins brushes the drums behind him. The songs don’t just come to life when he’s up there on stage - they positively dance.

Jonathan’s playing two shows at the Tractor this week, and as always, he’ll be pouring out his heart for all of us. Don’t think too much about it - just go taste the wine.

Note: Jonathan Richman plays the Tractor Tavern December 13 & 14.

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Thank you to to Adam for this.