Origins of What A Day for a Night

[justlikemartinsaid]

I was listening to CFMT tonight and realized that parts of this song remind me of 2 other songs: Footsteps from Stereo/Mono and the beginning of Substitute (the Who). Funny, I never thought of Paul as much of a Townsend fan. Am I off base on this correlation?

[FreeRider]

I believe I read somewhere that Paul liked The Who. I thought I read in an interview that when he was feeling cranky and down during the CFMT tour, he'd play the Stones or The Who's "Live At Leeds" in his hotel room and feel better. It was something to the effect of it got him revved up and out of his funk and the music made him feel like kicking over a chair or something....

Also, there was a movie by French director Francois Truffaut titled, " Day for Night", if that means anything.

[snipes]

Paul and the boys used to cover Substitute quite a bit back in the early days...Live at Leeds would make anyone want to brake shit...best live rock album ever...

[FreeRider]

Hey Snipes,

yeah, "Live at Leeds" is pretty amazing. Keith Moon just sounded incredible, the guy was putting in drum fills that hadn't even been thought of on the spur of the moment. Yeah man, that album gets me fired up too....altho' I don't have any chairs I want to smash up!

[GtrPlyr]

I would venture a guess, that Pete Townsend, and definitely Keith Richards, influenced Paul's rhythm playing.

Paul, Keith, and Pete, are probably three of the best rhythm guitar players in rock and roll ever...


I remember Don Was saying something like "Paul is one of the best rhythm players I've ever seen," when he was interviewed during the Suicaine sessions.

[ElegantMule]

He definitely developed his "signature" early - I can hear it on all the solo records as well as some of the rockers on the later Mats records.

[snipes]

The Who and The Replacements are my two favorite bands ,one is the greatest live band ever and one is ,well,was,not that great...go figure,but its all about the songs man,the songs...Pete is widely reguarded as the greatest RHYTHM guitarist ever(his solos did really suck sometimes and if he was drunk...forget it)but he was the most exciting to watch,check out the Kids are alright dvd to see Pete in his prime...Paul,to me, was always more of a singer songwriter than a "gutair hero"...btw,Ive noticed a lot of Who fans are Replacement fans and visa versa...not really suprized though,both have incredible songwriters...

[ontheceiling]

Funny you should ask this question, Paul recently implied in an interview(Uncut?) that this was one of the songs he co-wrote with Carol King back around '93...

[FreeRider]

Hi Elegant,

I agree, Paul definitely developed his sound early. I remember hearing him on some radio interview where he said that what he thought was missing in today's music was that certain "grit and swagger" that was in the music he listened to growing up. By that, I guess he meant hitting that groove, getting that drive. And that's all a function of rhythm. In an interview with

Snipes, you're also right when you say, it's about the SONGS. PW even said as much in an interview. As for Townshend, some of his solos (when sober) actually were like Zen. He isn't great technically, but it was his sense of melody in his solos that I liked, not this fretboard gymnastics and not saying anything. Kinda like Neil Young---Neil isn't a great technical guitar player, but he lets his heart goes straight to his fingers. When Neil is on, it's like achieving satori and everyone is enlightened by it....

[Brad]

I'm not sure where this song came from but I am sure it has become one of my favorite Westerberg songs ever. I have played it a thousand times and I still love it.

[duckfoot]

I think Paul and Pete are both great guitar players. Pete Townsend was the reason I wanted to play the guitar. All that power in a simple bar chord, the windmill motion, the acrobatics onstage....wow! As for Pete not being a stellar lead guitarist, well, you try to rip off a big lead with 13 guage strings. If you beat the heck out of your guitar, you better have the heaviest strings. Bending those things cuts your fingers up. Paul was the perfect contrast to Bob. Bob was a wild lead guitarist and Paul anchored him so he could come back after he took off. That was one of the things that hooked me on the Mats.

[FreeRider]

Duckfoot,

I agree with ya. But Pete Townshend wasn't your CONVENTIONAL lead guitar player---running up and down the scales and all that wanking off crap---but he really said something very melodically in a few notes. Which is actually harder to do! I heard that Pete used to cut his hands all the time whenever he did those windmills cuz he really thrashed the hell out of it.

I never got to see the Mats or The Who, but I can tell that PW just wants to drive the songs, really hit that groove, create that energy.

(BTW, from a previous thread, you mentioned that Weasel from the old WHFS was on 94.7; you're right, a friend of mine said he heard him on there too. Pretty lame...)

[duckfoot]

I agree with you Rider. I never meant to say Pete was trying to be Eddie Van Halen. He sure does power songs like "A Bargain", "Slip Kid", "The Seeker" and "Won't Get Fooled Again" and he can make you feel it on "Behind Blue Eyes"(BTW, who is the band doing the bad cover of it? Get the words right!) If any of you have seen "The Kids Are Alright" DVD (I used to have the VHS many years ago) the live versions of "Baba O'Riely" and "Won't Get Fooled Again" really show just how powerful The Who was with the original lineup.

Yeah, Weasel on the Arrow is disturbing.

[zook]

Limp Bizcuit or Biscuit or Bisquick or however it's spelled does the awful cover of Behind Blue Eyes. However, the good thing is that it might finally cause the death of the band and perhaps make Fred Durst go away for good. Talk about your bad choices for first radio singles.

[FreeRider]

zook said:

Limp Bizcuit or Biscuit or Bisquick or however it's spelled does the awful cover of Behind Blue Eyes. However, the good thing is that it might finally cause the death of the band and perhaps make Fred Durst go away for good. Talk about your bad choices for first radio singles.

Fred Durst should be lashed about the head and neck until he drops to his pitiful knees and slumps over in an unconscious state. It'd be a just reward for all the drivel he's churned out that has been allowed to pollute the airwaves....then, small, curious, school children should be allowed to probe at his lifeless form with sharp, pointed, sticks in an effort to arouse him.

ok, ok...i need valium. where's the damn valium!