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“They don’t write ’em like that anymore”

And they surely don’t.

Greg Kihn and his band were on Beserkley Records, famous up to this point for the initial Modern Lovers album, partially produced by John Cale, the group contained David Robinson, long before he had success drumming for the Cars, and Jerry Harrison, and this was 1976, before “Talking Heads 77” with “Psycho Killer” was released.

“The Modern Lovers” was a legendary punk album when the Ramones had no sales traction, only press, and we read the press incessantly, when if you were a little left of center you could still be noticed, being off the radar screen was not anathema, never mind being lost in the sea of songs of today.

And it’s not like you ever heard “The Modern Lovers” on the radio. You had to buy it to hear it. I read about the record, the band that had already broken up, so much that I finally laid down my cash.

And I was titillated and surprised.

Now when the history of punk is written, and in truth it’s been written time and again, mostly by acolytes, it should be noted that the two breakthrough icons of early punk, the progenitors, were both Jewish, Joey Ramone and Jonathan Richman. And that’s important, because their lyrics evidenced a Jewish sensibility, a sense of humor, the perspective of an outcast looking in. And despite being basic, the music possessed an intellectual quality absent from today’s hit parade. Where you were coming from, what you were saying, were very important. As was attitude. And no one but the critics and a few insiders got it. Believe me, even with their third album and “Rockaway Beach” almost no one was listening to the Ramones, and Richman went in such a wacky direction, an acoustic folk singer rendering his tunes around the summer campfire…

But when you dropped that needle on “The Modern Lovers”…

All the ink was about “Roadrunner,” the opening cut, but the essence of the album came at the end of the first side, with “Pablo Picasso.”

All I can tell you is, “Pablo Picasso was never called an a**hole.”

“Pablo Picasso” was a secret handshake, if you knew it you were on the inside, if you didn’t…you didn’t have a clue.

“The Modern Lovers” was a club. And it has continued to get praise over the decades, but in truth few people know it, and they should, but it’s hard to understand sans context. This was at the height of AOR, bands in spandex taking themselves seriously, meat and potatoes, and then came THIS?

I’ve seen Jonathan Richman many times. I thought his inclusion in “There’s Something About Mary” would break him wide, but that did not happen. Just like Graham Parker in “This Is 40.” However Parker had his moment, on Arista, even though the first two records on Mercury were the best.

So, why not?

Well, when you see Jonathan Richman, when you listen to the records you wonder if it’s a put-on. But it now appears that this is who he really is, just like another Jewish musician, Gene Simmons. But Richman looks inward, Simmons outward. But if you want to know which way the wind blows, you’d be better off listening to Richman.

All of which hipped me to Beserkley Records.

And I went to see the Rubinoos at the Whisky.

If it was on Beserkley, there was thinking involved. Matthew “King” Kaufman wasn’t only in it for the money, although you could hear the influences of Zappa in the records he released.

But no one expected Greg Kihn to be the breakthrough. For him and his band to be all over MTV. It would be like some influencer on Threads being as well-known as Taylor Swift, but unlike the stars of today, EVERYONE KNEW THE LYRICS TO JEOPARDY!

But that came later. And got a second life when Weird Al reconstructed it as “I Lost on Jeopardy,” one of the pinnacles of the comedic performer’s oeuvre.

And the thing about “Jeopardy” was that keyboard, a direct descendant of Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition.”

“Our love’s in jeopardy, baby”

Because she’s absent, can’t be found in those pre-cell phone days.

Once again, today the script has been flipped. If you’re a male on the hit parade you cannot show weakness, vulnerability, but that’s what made these records great. Greg Kihn wasn’t that far removed from you and me.

But “Jeopardy” came later, ’83, before that there was “The Breakup Song.”

It started with a guitar riff and sound which Bryan Adams would amplify into his breakthrough on “Run to You.” 

“We had broken up for good just an hour before”

A straight derivation from the sixties. As typical of Beserkley records. They were referential to that era when we’d all grown up, our formative years, especially those Top Forty singles we knew by heart.

They didn’t write ’em like that anymore, even in 1981, never mind today.

“We’ve been living together for a million years”

Unlike our parents we didn’t get married, we needed no piece of paper from the upstairs choir keeping us tied and true.

And when you break up, it does feel so strange out in the atmospheres. Not sure I’d heard that word in a song before or since.

So Greg Kihn and his band were not a typical MTV breakthrough, they’d put out albums previously, unheralded and unknown. But they were in the right place at the right time, and with exposure, they made it.

And then it was over. It always is. And then what do you do?

Some go back to college, some fall into drugs, others rob 7-11’s and…

Greg Kihn became a deejay. We knew this. But we didn’t hear him. Because radio was local, you may not remember that when Howard Stern was syndicated across the nation that was a huge breakthrough.

And now Greg Kihn is dead. As are two other members of his band. That’s what you check first these days, whether the members are even alive, never mind whether they get along and go on the road together.

Furthermore, they say Kihn had Alzheimer’s. I didn’t know. Maybe it was somewhere, maybe it was secret. But that long goodbye is such a bizarre way to go. You fade away and you don’t radiate.

And I’m not sure Kihn’s music will either. I mean it’s amazing what licensing can do for you, look at “My Sharona” and “Don’t Stop Believin’,” placements made them legendary.

And you can read the facts in the obituaries, but they won’t give you the feel.

Even at this late date, at the turn of the decade, from the seventies to the eighties, we still believed.

Music drove the culture. Forget Patti Smith, how many people listened to “The Modern Lovers” and started a band!

There was something to dig your teeth into. And it was all rooted in what had come before, rock and roll.

These songs had more than one chord, they had changes, choruses, and it was surprising that Greg Kihn was the Beserkley artist to strike lightning, but he did.

And for a while there, at the advent of the internet, everyone was around. You could look them up, eventually on Wikipedia, see where they’d been, maybe even follow them on Facebook.

But that era is ending. It’s the final chapter for our heroes, and then us.

And Greg Kihn was a hero. Do you know how hard it was to get a record deal, never mind have a hit, two? Nearly impossible. People didn’t sit at home with no skills and believe they’d become household names. Maybe you had fantasies, but you knew it was unrealistic.

But there were some who picked up the guitar after seeing the Beatles on “Ed Sullivan,” who played in high school bands, and then stuck with it. It wasn’t glamorous, they were falling behind while their brethren were building careers, never mind families, but this was the path they needed to go down, to stick to.

And the audience was ready for you. All those people who couldn’t follow the artistic path, they bought records, went to the club, music was the grease our world functioned on. The most nimble and influential art form.

And sure, we can all bow our heads in prayer when an icon dies, Freddie Mercury, Bowie, Glenn Frey… But they lived above us, we couldn’t reach them, they were gods.

But Greg Kihn was us just one step removed.

But it’s Greg Kihn and the rest of the two hit wonders, legendary album makers, non-stars, who not only fill out the canon, but our hearts.

It’s always weird when you find out about these passings. You power up your phone, you’re surfing the news, or you get an e-mail, and then your entire past is laid out in front of you.

And we think back and say…

They don’t write ’em like that anymore.

Definitely not.

Johnny Brower was the promoter of the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival which featured the debut of John Lennon’s Plastic Ono Band and is documented in the new movie “Revival69: The Concert That Rocked the World,” now playing on PBS. 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/johnny-brower/id1316200737?i=1000665440337

 

 

 

https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ff4fb19-54d4-41ae-ae7a-8a6f8d3dafa8/episodes/312c9cb8-b9a6-4ffd-ab79-c53b11b0fb10/the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-johnny-brower

I am a JSX fan!  Living close to their Concord/Napa hub (although Napa is a stretch), I fly to Burbank and OC.  I used to be the guy who got on as the doors were closing before 9/11, and now I can (almost) do it again!

Traveled with golf clubs on my last trip with no problems. Just another bag to them. No trip to the oversized luggage counter.

No jerks. Free drink. Spartan terminal, ok, but who’s waiting?

They gave me a cap on one trip and, when I wear it, people always comment they like JSX.

Hope they make it.

Steve Carlson

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I’ve been flying JSX to and from Vegas since 2017 when they were Jet Suite X. If you fly the major labels, arriving to BUR two hours early, you might as well just drive. And more than once they’ve allowed me to put a guitar or my video gear up front so I didn’t have to check it.

It’s more expensive and a bit more hassle, but as you’ve observed, the time factor can’t be beat.

Daniel Liston Keller

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Hi Bob, I been taking JSX for a few years now, Burbank to Walnut Creek to visit my son.  I park my car right out front and jump back in on return. No security lines, no shoes off or computer out of the bag, just hop on hop off. I love it.

Jack Douglas

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Could not agree more. Just wish they were in/flew to more markets. Every flight I have taken with them has been a fantastic experience.

Paige Mann

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I discovered JSX earlier this year and will never fly from Denver to LA on another airlines if I can help it. There were 13 people and two dogs on the plane on my first flight. Went from Broomfield municipal airport to Burbank. Avoided the lines and general hassle of both DIA and LAX.   Saved time and wasn’t worn out from the trip. Only wish they went to more destinations. Everyone should try it but also hope everyone doesn’t.

Mingo Sphere

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i’ve flown it a couple of times and LOVED it!

the waiting areas don’t bother me as i usually get to the gate just prior to boarding anyway!

in jsx’ case, i can pull up and walk on!!

oh, and many of the routes back east fly a similar sized jet anyway so, do i miss the extra peanuts, pretzels or soft drinks (and occasional meal)?….NO!

the only downside is that they don’t go enough places yet (they had one from nyc to nashville but recently cancelled it).

yes, definitely worth checking out……

Wayne Forte

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I Live in Palm Beach near the airport!

JSX is here and a blessing to those who fly!

Hoping this company thrives!

Have a Great Day!

Daniel Hartwell

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I generally try to fly Southwest when I can for the reasons you mention. But let me tell you, the amount of pre-boarders on a flight from Phoenix to Orlando….14 wheelchairs needed? It was a total ruse for grandma or grandpa to be pushed down the jetway so the entire family (I counted 6-9 additional people per wheelchair) could get on the plane with plenty of seating together for the upcoming Disney World vacation.

Thankfully it was just me flying for work but the tension was palpable between the families following the rules and those clearly taking advantage of the system.

Ellie Ovsenik

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So crazy you wrote this, I literally just got off my first JSX flight from Oakland to Burbank and will never travel any other way on the west coast.

Chris T.

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All true and an amazing travel hack. BUT, I wouldn’t say it’s the private jet experience. The seats are basically economy plus seats, not for instance Gulf Stream seats. That was a huge shock to me. Still worth it but I wish they would upgrade the seats. Dallas to Vegas was a little stiff.

Hope they can last!

Zach Leary

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My friend Debbie recently flew JSX where she brought her dog Jasper.

Both she and Jasper loved the experience.

Best,

Justin Pierce

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JSX seems to be working. We’ve used it for some of  our people between Burbank and Las Vegas.

Just before the pandemic, they announced pending Burbank-SLC, but then the pandemic and it didn’t happen, and still hasn’t.  I think they would sell every seat on every flight, it’s a relatively affluent crowd in SLC (Silicon Slopes and the nutritional supplement sector) and PC.  When I was looking at it, they offered United Mileage Plus mileage credit.  Not sure if they still do.

Their fares are generally equal to First Class on the other airlines.  Sometimes a bit less.

My Diners Club card comes with Primary Coverage for car insurance.

Toby Mamis

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Rocky Mount metro is only 20 miles from very busy Denver International.

If it was raining most likely you were on an instrument approach. Rules are if you’re not in position to make a safe landing you must “go missed” and navigate to specific altitude and location and try again. The holding fix points for any of the instrument approaches at Metro are anywhere from 12 to 20 miles away depending on the direction you approach from.
Either way, the holding fix points are a ways away and requires additional ATC coordination (with Denver) to navigate back home. I wouldn’t be surprised if the whole event took 20 minutes or more.

Pilot training for air transport is rigorous and repetitive. If you f*ck up in the simulator, you’re done. So when you’re young and sitting in either the left or right seat, your passion for taking the responsibility coupled with the love of flying goes to a very high level. Even with Autopilot, piloting requires staying ahead of the aircraft and not getting distracted.

The other heroes in the game are the traffic controllers.

Not sure if or how JSX will succeed. Cash flow is king in the airline business.

Best always,

Will Eggleston

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I have been flying JSX when it’s decently priced since it was called “Jet Suite X”. I say decently priced because depending on schedule it can be as little at $25 more than SW, or as much as  $800 more one way! I have a second home in Vegas. NJ primary home. When I need to get in and out of LA from Vegas it’s awesome to have JSX. They have a bunch of flights in and out of Vegas. Farthest I’ve taken them is TX to Vegas. On the longer routes the seating is a bit different. It’s worth paying $30 more to get exit row on longer flights. Tons of room! Recently they put on some flights to FL from a corporate airport right by my house in NJ. So far significantly more than Newark, but obviously massively easier. By the way JSX does also fly in and out of LAX. Burbank is by far way more flights. But they do have flights out of a hangar at LAX located by the FedEx planes off Imperial Highway. I’ve taken them and although way less days, times and routes, they are usually much cheaper than Burbank. JSX really won me over in customer service. Once I was delayed 90 minutes or so. Without asking for it the next day they put $100 credit on my account. No calling, haggling , waiting on hold. They just sent an email and did it. That’s something you would never get from a major airline! As you can see I love JSX. United is still my status based major airline (by the way JSX flying earns some miles on United if you give them your FF), but when I get JSX I usually go for it. One last thing to note. If you cancel or change a ticket on JSX they do have a $50 fee, not zero as most airlines have done (thankfully) since Covid.

PS: quick note on car rental. I am a Costco guy and many don’t know you can rent cars from them. Same major rental companies,  but you get Costco perks you usually pay more for and always the best prices. You can do it off the Travel tab on their site. It amazes me how many don’t know you can do that through Costco so thought I’d share.

Eddie Trunk

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you can fly jsx at LAX

Curtis Magleby

(Note: This is now true, you can fly from LAX to Las Vegas and Cabo San Lucas.)

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Yeah I have the amex card car insurance. It’s pretty bangin. Hope all is well.

Tim Lefebvre

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Good Lord Bob I wish you didn’t highlight JSX. It’s the best kept secret there is.

Gary Marella