The Modern Lovers (remastered, incl. bonus tracks)

"Compiled of demos the band recorded with John Cale in 1973, this is one of the greatest proto-punk albums ever, capturing an angst-ridden adolescent geekiness which is married to stripped-down, minimalistic rock & roll derived from the art punk of the Velvet Underground. As he says in the classic 2-chord anthem "Roadrunner," Richman is in love with the modern world and rock & roll. He's still a teenager at heart, which means he's not only in love with girls he can't have, but also radios, suburbs, and fast food, and it also means he'll crack jokes like "Pablo Picasso was never called an asshole...not like you." "Pablo Picasso" is the classic sneer, but "She Cracked" and "I'm Straight" are just as nasty. That combination of musical simplicity, driving rock & roll, and gawky emotional confessions makes this one of the most startling proto-punk records - it strips rock & roll to its core and establishes the rock tradition of the geeky, awkward social outcast venting his frustrations." (S.T. Erlewine, Allmusic)