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””’I, Jonathan””’ is the fourth solo album by [[Jonathan Richman]], released by the [[Rounder Records]] [[record label|label]] in 1992. As the founder of influential [[proto-punk]] band [[the Modern Lovers]], Richman had striven to convey authentic emotions and storytelling with his music. ”I, Jonathan” continued this aesthetic with simple and sparse rock and roll arrangements, and straightforward lyrics about everyday topics, such as music, parties, summer, and dancing. It is widely-regarded as one of his best works, and is considered an influential album in the [[Lo-fi music|lo-fi]] genre.
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””’I, Jonathan””’ is the fourth solo album by [[Jonathan Richman]], released by the [[Rounder Records]] [[record label|label]] in 1992. As the founder of influential [[proto-punk]] band [[the Modern Lovers]], Richman had striven to convey authentic emotions and storytelling with his music. ”I, Jonathan” continued this aesthetic with simple and sparse rock and roll arrangements, and straightforward lyrics about everyday topics, such as music, parties, summer, and dancing. It is widely-regarded as one of his best works, and is considered an influential album in the [[Lo-fi music|lo-fi]] genre.
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Songs on the album addressed topics such as backyard parties (“Parties in the U.S.A
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Songs on the album addressed topics such as backyard parties (“Parties in the U.S.A), memories of neighborhoods in which Richman had lived (“Rooming House on Venice Beach” and “Twilight in Boston”) and his admiration of his primary musical inspiration, the [[The Velvet Underground|Velvet Underground]] (“Velvet Underground”). The latter song includes a brief interlude of the Velvet Underground song, “[[Sister Ray]]”.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2014/jan/22/10-of-the-best-jonathan-richman|title=10 of the best: Jonathan Richman|last=Hann|first=Michael|date=January 22, 2014|website=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=April 29, 2018}}</ref> Also notable is a revisited and somewhat longer version of “That Summer Feeling,” which was first recorded on 1983’s ”[[Jonathan Sings!]]”
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The album helped increase Richman’s cultural profile, which would include a 1993 appearance on ”[[Late Night with Conan O’Brien]]” during which Richman performed one of the album’s songs, “I Was Dancing in the Lesbian Bar.”<ref name=”Pitchfork” />
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The album helped increase Richman’s cultural profile, which would include a 1993 appearance on ”[[Late Night with Conan O’Brien]]” during which Richman performed one of the album’s songs, “I Was Dancing in the Lesbian Bar.”<ref name=”Pitchfork” />
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I, Jonathan
