SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: JONATHAN RICHMAN – ONLY FROZEN SKY ANYWAY

JONATHAN RICHMAN
ONLY FROZEN SKY ANYWAY
BLUE ARROW RECORDS

Only Frozen Sky Anyway is Jonathan Richman’s 18th studio album, add in nine albums with The Modern Lovers and four live albums, one can see that Richman has been very busy since he made his debut in 1970. He hit his commercial peak with his music featured in the comedy There’s Something About Mary (1998), but one wonders if topping the charts was ever the motivating factor for Richman.  He has always done what he wants to do, which is a large part of his charm. As an artist he influenced generations of musicians and bands, and his band produced members that furthered the landscape of music (The Modern Lovers at one time featured Jerry Harrison who would join Talking Heads and future Cars member Dave Robinson).

Harrison has worked with Richman on several occasions and is one of three co-producers for Only Frozen Sky Anyway (along with Richman and his wife, Nicole Montalbano). Harrison provides keyboards, while Tommy Larkins is on drums In some ways, this is reminiscent of The Modern Lovers set-up, but that is where the similarity ends.

Only Frozen Sky Anyway is a remarkable album. Richman is one of the greatest songwriters of the last 50 years, and he does not always get the recognition he deserves. Only Frozen Sky Anyway should correct that oversight. “When I make my transition, I want everyone to know I only changed positions”, sings Richman in the opening song “I Was Just A Piece Of Frozen Sky Anyway”. Richman backed by a sparse backing band sets the stage for the album about change, loss, nostalgia, and mortality.

That doesn’t mean it is a depressing album and without fun. Far from it.  Richman turns the Bee Gees’ “Night Fever” into a Lou Reed song. “The Dog Star” is a great love song that is pure Richman, with great backing vocals. It is brilliant. And “O Guitar” is pure magic, again a love song based around the guitar. It is a tribute to an instrument that has loomed large in his career. His very distinct style.

And at times, he does touch the listener’s soul with his honesty and pure emotion. The last two songs, “The Wavelet” and the very short “I Am The Sky” are the perfect songs to end the album. Richman wraps the album with “I Am The Sky” and adds the word “frozen” to the line, “I am the frozen sky”, making the album circular.

Only Frozen Sky Anyway is a brilliant album in many ways. Musically, it is raw, yet very beautiful. It is sparse, and yet, he uses complicated arrangements and an unusual combination of instruments and lyrically it is a bittersweet look at life. Richman is an artist whose songs may appear to be simple, but are anything but. He has come up with an honest and expressive album with Only Frozen Sky Anyway.

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