No Me Quejo de Mi Estrella

Liner Note Author: David Menéndez.
Compiled as a gift for his fans living outside of the United States, perennial troubadour Jonathan Richman delivers a collection of his 2000s work on No Me Quejo de Mi Estrella. Featuring tracks from later albums like Her Mystery Not of High Heels and Eye Shadow and Not So Much to be Loved as to Love, the collection covers Jonathan's more contemplative work. While the singer/songwriter still possesses the sense of wonder that marked his earlier work after the dissolution of the original Modern Lovers, this era of his career feels, in a way, more fatherly. Songs like "You Can Have a Cellphone That's OK But Not Me" and "When We Refuse to Suffer" find the singer offering up his take on the world, as if he's trying to give advice to a new generation of wide-eyed modern lovers. While there are other collections out there that cover a wider swath of Richman's sprawling career, No Me Quejo de Mi Estrella is perfect for fans looking to catch up with what the the singer has been up to since the turn of the century. ~ Gregory Heaney