''Surrender to Jonathan!'' is an album by the American musician

Jonathan Richman Jonathan Michael Richman (born May 16, 1951) is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. In 1970, he founded the Modern Lovers, an influential proto-punk band. Since the mid-1970s, Richman has worked either solo or with low-key acoustic ...

, released in 1996. Richman was the first musician signed to

Neil Young Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, joining Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Richie Fu ...

's Vapor Records. Richman supported the album by touring with a full band.

Production

Recorded in Southern California, the album was produced by

Andy Paley Andrew Douglas Paley (born November 2, 1952) is an American songwriter, record producer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist who formed the Paley Brothers, a 1970s power pop duo, with his brother Jonathan Paley. Following their disbandment, A ...

. Richman recorded the album once he had enough songs, and during a break from his touring schedule; he does not record songs on a deadline. Some of the album's songs were inspired by Richman's divorce. Richman played an

Epiphone Epiphone is an American musical instrument brand that traces its roots to a musical instrument manufacturing business founded in 1873 by Anastasios Stathopoulos in Smyrna, Ottoman Empire, and moved to New York City in 1908. After taking over his f ...

Emperor guitar. Richman used organ and horns on "I Was Dancing in the Lesbian Bar" and "Not Just a 'Plus One' on the Guest List Anymore". "Egyptian Reggae" is a remake of an older Richman song.

Critical reception

The ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television a ...

'' deemed the album "typically blithe" and "a thoroughly swinging dose of tuneful good cheer." The ''

Vancouver Sun The ''Vancouver Sun'', also known as the ''Sun'', is a daily broadsheet newspaper based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The newspaper is currently published by the Pacific Newspaper Group, a division of Postmedia Network. Published s ...

'' opined that "Richman concocts more odd choruses from things most of us couldn't say aloud, let alone sing." The ''

Calgary Herald The ''Calgary Herald'' is a daily newspaper published in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Publication began in 1883 as ''The Calgary Herald, Mining and Ranche Advocate, and General Advertiser''. It is owned by the Postmedia Network. History ''The Ca ...

'' determined that Richman's "simple rock 'n' roll has become increasingly simplistic and his cute musings increasingly moronic." '' The Globe and Mail'' noted that Richman has "managed to reach ge45 without sounding a single cynical note in his life." ''

Stereo Review ''Sound & Vision'' is an American magazine, purchased by AVTech Media Ltd. (UK) in March 2018, covering home theater, audio, video and multimedia consumer products. Before 2000, it had been published for most of its history as ''Stereo Review'' ...

'' determined that the "songwriting here is more consistent than usual, bringing the usual half-classic/half-throwaway ratio up to at least 60/40." ''

Trouser Press ''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who Dave Schulps and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference ...

'' stated that "Surrender" "is one of the most touching songs Richman has ever written."

Track listing

References

{{Authority control Jonathan Richman albums 1996 albums