It's Time For

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It's Time For
Studio album by
Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers
Released1986
Recorded1985
Genre Rock
Label Upside
Producer Andy Paley
Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers chronology
Rockin' and Romance
(1985)		It's Time For
(1986)		 Modern Lovers 88
(1987)

It's Time For is an album by the American band Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers, released in 1986. [1] [2] It coincided with a Rhino Records rerelease campaign for the band's previous albums. [3] They supported it with North American and UK tours. [4] [5]

Contents

Production

Recorded in 1985, the album was produced by Andy Paley. [6] [7] Asa Brebner returned to play guitar during the recording sessions, which also included contributions from the singer Barrence Whitfield. [8] [9] Richman wanted a large crowd of friends in the studio, so that he could play off their reactions to the music; he also played saxophone on some of the tracks. [6] [10] "Corner Store" is about the decline of smaller retail businesses due to the encroachment of big box stores and malls. [7] "Shirin and Fahrad" is a recounting of the Persian romantic tragedy. [11] "Yo Jo Jo" is an instrumental. [12] "Double Chocolate Malted" is a how-to on preparing the perfect malted. [13]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
All Music Guide to Rock Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [8]
The Boston Phoenix Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [9]
Robert Christgau B− [14]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [15]
The Great Rock Discography 5/10 [16]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [17]
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette A− [18]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [19]
Spin Alternative Record Guide 5/10 [20]

The Chicago Tribune noted that Richman "has raised arrested development and emotional naivete to an art form". [21] The Philadelphia Inquirer called the album "a first-rate rock record, one whose simplicity and spirit harks back to old rockabilly records of the '50s." [7] The Chicago Sun-Times said that "Richman is a singer-songwriter who takes chances without calculation, one who creates sentiment by understatement." [22]

The Derby Evening Telegraph labeled It's Time For "the sound of a true eccentric, if not a seriously deranged crackpot". [23] The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette concluded, "The album has a spontaneity that is disarming." [18] The St. Petersburg Times considered the songs "simple folks styles spiked with elements of '50s doo-wop and '60s surf." [24] Robert Christgau noted the "arch nostalgia of this moderately gifted neoprimitive egomaniac". [14]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."It's You" 
2."Let's Take a Trip" 
3."This Love of Mine" 
4."Neon Sign" 
5."Double Chocolate Malted" 
6."Just About Seventeen" 
7."Corner Store" 
8."The Desert" 
9."Yo Jo Jo" 
10."When I Dance" 
11."Shirin and Fahrad" 
12."Ancient Long Ago" 

References

  1. ↑ Luhrssen, David; Larson, Michael (2025). Encyclopedia of Punk Rock and New Wave 1975–1985. Bloomsbury Academic. p. 282.
  2. ↑ The Rough Guide to Rock (3rd ed.). Rough Guides. 2003. p. 874.
  3. ↑ Gingold, Dave (October 24, 1986). "The roadrunner". Spotlight. Santa Cruz Sentinel. p. 14.
  4. ↑ Takiff, Jonathan (October 23, 1987). "Around Town". Features Friday. Philadelphia Daily News. p. 47.
  5. ↑ "Pop". Bolton Evening News. March 15, 1986. p. 9.
  6. 1 2 Mitchell, Tim (1999). There's Something about Jonathan: Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers. Peter Owen Publishers. p. 147.
  7. 1 2 3 Tucker, Ken (June 29, 1986). "Who Is Jonathan Richman?". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. H3.
  8. 1 2 All Music Guide to Rock (3rd ed.). Backbeat Books. 2002. p. 942.
  9. 1 2 Guterman, Jimmy (November 18, 1986). "Off the record". The Boston Phoenix. Vol. XV, no. 46. p. 32.
  10. ↑ Lloyd, Robert (May 29, 1986). "The Critical List". LA Weekly. Vol. 8, no. 26. p. 40.
  11. ↑ Barton, David (June 22, 1986). "Richman does it wrong, but results are so right". Encore. The Sacramento Bee. p. 10.
  12. ↑ The Trouser Press Record Guide (4th ed.). Collier Books. 1991. p. 554.
  13. ↑ Hallman, Richard (October 2, 1986). "Richman's unique style attracts, alienates fans". The Atlanta Constitution. p. 2B.
  14. 1 2 "Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers". Robert Christgau. Retrieved December 21, 2025.
  15. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 7. MUZE. p. 15.
  16. ↑ Strong, Martin C. (2004). The Great Rock Discography (7th ed.). Canongate. p. 1284.
  17. ↑ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide (2nd ed.). Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 942.
  18. 1 2 Mervis, Scott (May 30, 1986). "Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers – It's Time For". Weekend. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 16.
  19. ↑ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 589.
  20. ↑ Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. 1995. p. 257.
  21. ↑ Van Matre, Lynn (June 12, 1986). "For the record...". Tempo. Chicago Tribune. p. 3.
  22. ↑ Hoekstra, Dave (February 27, 1987). "Rock's reigning joker is still wild". Weekend Plus. Chicago Sun-Times. p. 7.
  23. ↑ Wells, Martin (May 24, 1986). "Pop". Derby Evening Telegraph. p. 17.
  24. ↑ Okamoto, David (June 1, 1986). "Popular". St. Petersburg Times. p. 2E.
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