Jonathan Richman: "Take Me to the Plaza" (2002) Review

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Jonathan Richman: "Take Me to the Plaza" (2002) ReviewOkay, so Jonathan Richman has already released a couple of live albums (not counting bootlegs): Precise Modern Lovers Order (Rounder, 1994) was a compilation of live recordings from 1971 and '73 by his short-lived proto-punk outfit the Modern Lovers, while Modern Lovers Live (Beserkley, 1977) showcased his late-'70s turn toward childlike lyrics and acoustic folk-rock. Parts of Having A Party (Rounder, 1991) were also recorded live; but while tracks like "Monologue About Bermuda," "Just For Fun," and "When I Say Wife" retained the stripped-down folk-rock sound, by that point Richman's lyrics were leaning away from the childlike whimsy of old, and toward more adult concerns such as self-reflection, commitment and the minutiae of married life. Having seen him in concert three times in the past two years, however, I don't think another live CD could have done him justice. Jonathan and/or his label, Vapor, must have sensed this, too: In December of 2002, he performed a show at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, which was filmed for the new concert DVD Take Me To The Plaza. For anyone who hasn't caught his live show lately, this is an excellent way to see what he's been up to; but for those who HAVE seen him play live in recent years, there aren't very many surprises. This is a fairly typical Jonathan Richman show as far as I'm concerned -- and that's NOT a bad thing. He seems a little tired, perhaps winding down from a long tour, but this DVD perfectly captures his unique combination of earnestness and showmanship.
A word of warning about the song selection, though: Seven of the 19 tunes ("Her Mystery Not of High Heels and Eye Shadow," "Springtime in New York," "Couples Must Fight," "Give Paris One More Chance," "My Love for Her Ain't Sad," "Yo Tengo Una Novia," "El Joven Se Estremece") are from his 2001 CD Her Mystery..., so how much you'll like this show may depend on how much you liked that particular album. Other tracks include "Pablo Picasso" and "Girlfriend" from his Modern Lovers days, "Let Her Go Into the Darkness," "I Was Dancing in the Lesbian Bar," and "The Night is Still Young"; "Nineteen in Naples" and "You Can't Talk to the Dude" are included as separate bonus tracks. Five new tunes -- the typical-JR love song "My Baby Love Love Loves Me," the life-affirming "I Love the World," the unusually topical "Not In My Name," the jaunty "Take Me to the Plaza," and my favorite, "The World is Showin' Me its Hand" -- bode well for his next studio album.
Jonathan is accompanied only by himself on guitar and Tommy Larkins on drums; that said, many of Richman's typical antics are present and accounted for. He occasionally takes off his guitar and dances to Tommy's drumbeat ("...Lesbian Bar," "My Baby...," "El Joven Se Estremece"); he alters lyrics ("Pablo Picasso," "Her Mystery..."); he adds hilarious spoken bits ("Let Her Go...," "You Can't Talk to the Dude"); he translates "El Joven..." into English as he performs it; and he even takes a request ("Nineteen in Naples"). Throughout, the visuals and camerawork simply showcase the cuddly cult figure in his element, without a lot of gimmicks, jump-cuts or fancy stuff.
The DVD includes two interviews with Jonathan as well. The first covers a lot of familiar ground for us fans -- such as his early influences, his meeting the Velvet Underground, the Modern Lovers LP (recorded 1971-73, released in '76), his strained relations with the Warner Bros. label in the '70s, his decision to go solo, and how his lonely adolescence inspired the song "Roadrunner" -- but is nevertheless interesting and amusing. The second interview is actually more fascinating, though, as Richman speaks frankly about how he's been misquoted in interviews over the years, and about how he's a bit embarrassed by his earlier records. Encore!Jonathan Richman: "Take Me to the Plaza" (2002) Overview

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