Jonathan Goes Country kicks off with “Since She Started to Ride,” a playful story about the protagonist’s wife disappearing from his life after she becomes obsessed with horse riding. Decades later, the album remains a north star in Richman’s discography, a brilliant illustration of his genius as a songwriter and interpreter of popular music’s rich history. Nevertheless, when Richman went in to record the follow-up to his self-titled debut, he doubled down on his experimentation, recording Jonathan Goes Country, a seemingly irony-tinged interpretation of modern country music imbued with far more sincerity than appeared on the surface. It has since become a cult classic among Richman devotees, but it was far from the art rock dopamine rush that made his band a beloved staple of the indie rock renaissance. The record was built around voice, guitar, and percussive foot stomping. His debut solo album, 1989’s Jonathan Richman, was radical in its experimentation, an almost tangible representation of Richman freeing himself from his past group. His band, Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers, had dissolved a few years prior. In 1990, Jonathan Richman was at a career crossroads.
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