Modern Lovers
Jonathan Richman's nasal little kid's voice and playful innocence turned out to be a perfect detour for the still-young punk movement in the mid-'70s. This 12-song, 1976 album, actually a collection of demos from earlier in the decade, opens with the ultimate Boston driving anthem, "Roadrunner." In addition to its fun, straightforward guitar-and-keyboard songs, such as the anti-drug "She Cracked," the loopy "Pablo Picasso" and the rocking-secretary "Government Center," the album is notable for historical reasons. David Robinson was the Lovers' drummer before he joined the Cars, Jerry Harrison was keyboardist before he joined Talking Heads, and ex-Velvet Underground violist John Cale produced half the tracks.Steve Knopper