If I Were a Richman: a Tribute to the Music of Jonathan Richman by Various Artists

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Modern Rock | Folk Rock

14 tracks | 47 minutes

Released Jun 2003
on Wampus Multimedia

Click for a 30-second preview. All tracks are 192kbps high fidelity sound quality. Protected WMA $0.77 or unprotected MP3 $0.88.

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sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 03:02 Someone I Care About (Fee Foe 5) lyrics BUY MP3 03:02 Someone I Care About (Fee Foe 5) lyrics "GIFT MP3" 03:02 Someone I Care About (Fee Foe 5)

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 04:48 Pablo Picasso (Arms of Kismet) lyrics BUY MP3 04:48 Pablo Picasso (Arms of Kismet) lyrics "GIFT MP3" 04:48 Pablo Picasso (Arms of Kismet)

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 02:15 Government Center (The Underhills) lyrics BUY MP3 02:15 Government Center (The Underhills) lyrics "GIFT MP3" 02:15 Government Center (The Underhills)

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 02:58 When Harpo Played His Harp (The Crowd Scene) lyrics BUY MP3 02:58 When Harpo Played His Harp (The Crowd Scene) lyrics "GIFT MP3" 02:58 When Harpo Played His Harp (The Crowd Scene)

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 03:47 Ice Cream Man (H.A.R.M.) lyrics BUY MP3 03:47 Ice Cream Man (H.A.R.M.) lyrics "GIFT MP3" 03:47 Ice Cream Man (H.A.R.M.)

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 03:08 I'm a Little Airplane (Beeky) lyrics BUY MP3 03:08 I'm a Little Airplane (Beeky) lyrics "GIFT MP3" 03:08 I'm a Little Airplane (Beeky)

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 04:47 Hey There Little Insect (Geoff P. Russell's Inhibition Exhibitio lyrics BUY MP3 04:47 Hey There Little Insect (Geoff P. Russell's Inhibition Exhibitio lyrics "GIFT MP3" 04:47 Hey There Little Insect (Geoff P. Russell's Inhibition Exhibitio

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 02:06 Buzz Buzz Buzz (Frumious Snacktime) lyrics BUY MP3 02:06 Buzz Buzz Buzz (Frumious Snacktime) lyrics "GIFT MP3" 02:06 Buzz Buzz Buzz (Frumious Snacktime)

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 03:05 I'm Straight (Space Robot Scientists) lyrics BUY MP3 03:05 I'm Straight (Space Robot Scientists) lyrics "GIFT MP3" 03:05 I'm Straight (Space Robot Scientists)

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 03:43 Modern World (Early Lines) lyrics BUY MP3 03:43 Modern World (Early Lines) lyrics "GIFT MP3" 03:43 Modern World (Early Lines)

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 03:04 She Cracked (The Young Adults) lyrics BUY MP3 03:04 She Cracked (The Young Adults) lyrics "GIFT MP3" 03:04 She Cracked (The Young Adults)

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 03:03 Dignified and Old (Microwave Orphans) lyrics BUY MP3 03:03 Dignified and Old (Microwave Orphans) lyrics "GIFT MP3" 03:03 Dignified and Old (Microwave Orphans)

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 03:22 Lonely Financial Zone (Kowtow Popof) lyrics BUY MP3 03:22 Lonely Financial Zone (Kowtow Popof) lyrics "GIFT MP3" 03:22 Lonely Financial Zone (Kowtow Popof)

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 04:36 Twilight in Boston (Wampeters) lyrics BUY MP3 04:36 Twilight in Boston (Wampeters) lyrics "GIFT MP3" 04:36 Twilight in Boston (Wampeters)

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A wildly entertaining ride through the repertoire of one of rock's most original and eclectic songwriters.

Editorial review

The If I Were a Richman CD tribute to Jonathan Richman & the Modern Lovers from the passionate Wampus Multimedia label features 14 tracks by bands you've probably never heard about. That's half the fun for those enamored of Richman's innovative attitude: reverent renditions that honor the underground minstrel's legacy...but fail to add to it. Fee Foe 5 blast through a quick "Someone I Care About" to begin the festivities, while Arms of Kismet do a keyboard-less Doors take on "Pablo Picasso." Where the inclusion of a John Cale cover of this tune originally produced for record by that legend would have given the CD some visibility for the marquee, there's no denying Arms of Kismet do a fine job breathing some eeriness and mystery into a song overplayed in the netherworld where these compositions thrive. It is probably the best track here, because it gives that chestnut a new perspective. The Underhills don't fare as well with "Government Center"; their color-by-the-numbers version doesn't reflect Richman's tongue-in-cheek charm. The same goes for the Crowd Scene's "When Harpo Played His Harp" and H.A.R.M.'s "Ice Cream Man." During "Ice Cream Man" there's a typical David Cassidy attempt at playing lead guitar (hear the ex-Partridge Family member fall flat on his The Higher They Climb the Harder They Fall LP to get the drift), and the joke is lost in the translation. Why someone with a high I.Q. like Jonathan Richman would hide his Einstein intuition under an Alfred E. Newman from Mad Magazine cloak is an eternal rock & roll question. Beeky's "I'm a Little Airplane" has the opportunity to answer that question, but doesn't. By playing the nursery-school game Richman perpetrated on his fandom, the laugh is on the groups that stay faithful to his insolence. Blasting "Sister Ray" chords under this sandbox silliness is the jolt the material cries out for. Geoff P. Russell's Inhibition Exposition give evidence here why they will remain in obscurity; "Hey There Little Insect" sounds like Jeff Goldblum in a science-fiction experiment gone bad, singing this while he's turning into The Fly. It's demented enough, but then again, so is the Modern Lovers' original. It gets very interesting about three and a half minutes in, but by the time the final minute hits that interest has waned. Now had the entire take worked itself around this rendition's conclusion -- boy -- it would have been so special. While James Taylor was able to craft "Fire and Rain" from his stay in a mental institution (a situation recalling other notable Boston acts that will not be mentioned here), Frumious Snacktime come off like they've already been committed to the straitjacket while involved with the one cover on this collection, Byrd/Gray's "Buzz Buzz Buzz." And speaking of "straight," Space Robot Scientists totally miss the point of that once obscure Modern Lovers gem, "I'm Straight." Richman had stolen Alice Cooper's E minor and C chord progression from "I'm 18" in some weird sexual identity crisis disguised as the fact that Jo Jo didn't do drugs. The shuffle here doesn't reflect the angst...or the confusion. Early Lines (not an early version of Boston's mainstream band the Lines) whip through "Modern World" with limited success. It's not that this compilation isn't fun -- taking on such exotic material can't help but be -- but without an additional catch (say, having bands from the New England region give their perspective or employing other cult figures like Andy Pratt, Willie Alexander, and/or Doug Yule to put their stamp on a colleague's adventures), there's little reason other than curiosity to spin this more than a few times. The Young Adults don't add to "She Cracked" and, like some of the other groups, do their best to imitate Richman. Now had Wampus re-formed Aimee Mann's the Young Snakes, there would be great interest in hearing how she, an underground superstar, would interpret another underground superstar. Microwave Orphans, Kowtow Popof, and Wampeters do well on their respective re-creations of "Dignified and Old," "Lonely Financial Zone," and "Twilight in Boston," better than many on this disc, but something is missing. As Jonathan Richman's career sustained itself off the classic blast generated by the first album, something more was needed to make this effort special. Interesting? Yes. Essential? Well...let's say adequate. ~ Joe Viglione, All Music Guide

Bio / Background

Jonathan Richman's career as singer, songwriter, and all-around mischief-maker now spans more than thirty years. Like Lou Reed & the Velvet Underground before him, Richman has inspired countless music fans around the world to take off their headphones and strap on guitars. From his Velvet-inflected early days with the original Modern Lovers, through numerous iterations of the Lovers, to his latter-day solo career, Richman's work has mixed an arresting sense of innocence with a deep sensitivity to human emotion.

Also available from Wampus:

o After Hours: a Tribute to the Music of Lou Reed

o Glass Flesh 2: a Tribute to Robyn Hitchcock

o Hurry Home Early: the Songs of Warren Zevon

www.wampus.com