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Post by ClamsCasino on Jul 14, 2004 1:11:01 GMT -5
...The pantheon of great Westerberg/Mats songs that is.
Is it just me or shouldn't "Heyday" get more respect? Everything about it is great. For me it stands shoulder to shoulder with "Left of the Dial" and "Can't Hardly Wait" and all the universally accepted top tier songs.
And while we're at it, "Buck Hill" is more than just a silly little instrumental. It's a great song. Am I wrong?
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Post by troublkepnyerhedup on Jul 14, 2004 3:27:50 GMT -5
95% of the time you are right, this time included. "Filler" freaks rejoice ... we have found our champion!
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Post by Kathy on Jul 14, 2004 7:06:43 GMT -5
...The pantheon of great Westerberg/Mats songs that is. Is it just me or shouldn't "Heyday" get more respect? Everything about it is great. For me it stands shoulder to shoulder with "Left of the Dial" and "Can't Hardly Wait" and all the universally accepted top tier songs. I can't believe I'm saying it but I agree with Clams, "Heyday" is vastly under-appreciated. |
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Post by scoOter on Jul 14, 2004 8:06:32 GMT -5
coincidence! i am listening to heyday right now. before i opened this thread. hoot can do no wrong really... well, i have NEVER liked the title track. i know, i know, i suck.
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Post by landshark on Jul 14, 2004 8:33:46 GMT -5
yer preachin' to the converted. heyday rules! but please, a step or two below left of the dial.
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suicainekid
First Class Scout
What would you have me do?
Posts: 139
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Post by suicainekid on Jul 14, 2004 9:00:19 GMT -5
Why stop at 'Heyday'? Lets have a 'Hootenanny' love-fest!!!
A short time back TKYHU posted a poll asking between which albums in the Mats catalogue the biggest leap in quality came. For me, its definitely between Stink and Hootenanny - Hootenanny's the record where everything started to take shape and Paul's genius truly started to shine. But it hasn't always been that way for me - for years, it was my least favourite Mats album. Originally, I found it too sloppy, too throwaway and was rather annoyed that the whole record wasn't cut from the same cloth as 'Colour Me Impressed' and 'Within Your Reach' (which I loved from first listen). How I could be that stupid astounds me now. Part of it is probably the gob smacking diversity of that album - its so all over the place and takes in more styles and genres in a smidgen over half and hour than most bands achieve in entire careers.
At my age (30), I kind of find Stink and Sorry Ma need a couple of drinks for FULL appreciation in my opinion. But I have no such problems with Hootenanny and find my appreciation of it just grows with each passing year (even though there's still some fairly juvenile themes on there - see, for example, Red Light). It really is the fine wine of the Mat's catalogue. And one of the great things about it is its just chock full of road signs to the past ('Red Light') and future (Let It Be - 'Colour Me Impressed', ASD - 'Buck Hill' which has that cool lo-fi sound. And even solo Paul - 'Within You Reach')
Anyway, some random thoughts (any excuse for a list) on an accidental classic:
Hootenanny - How can something played so badly, sound so damn good? Contrast that with loads of more clinical bands that are probably technically first class and sound horrible. I mean, that guitar solo and the way the bass just bounces along with it - that floors me!!
Red Light - Kinda like the last blast of Sorry Ma/Stink era Mats. The guitar break is just so mean.
Colour Me Impressed - Definitely the moment where it all comes together for me and the Mats manage to combine everything that made them special into one song for the first time: the energy, the raw emotion, the melody and a delivery that floors you. Is the little whirly sound at the beginning a nod to Highway 61 Revisited?
Willpower - I can't remember if anyone mentioned this in the darkest song thread but BLIMEY - talk about a song that says so much by saying so little (the lyrics are, after all, pretty minimalist). Paul's vocal delivery in this song just says it all its so powerful. And, hang on, Red Light just finished what 3 minutes before this spooky, left field gem comes in - that can't be the same band can it? What, it is?? Get outta here!
Take Me Down To The Hospital - Love it just for the bit where the final 'eight of my lives' collides with the '1-2-3-4' yell.
Mr Whirly - Its like two songs for the price of one - BONUS!! Special mention to the totally wrecked way Paul delivers the first 'Mr Whirly, please don't call me' and then again when the 'C'mon, WWWWHHHHIIIIIRRRRLLLYYYYY' bit comes back. PROG ROCK - MATS STYLE.
Within Your Reach - Another major curve ball - this album is like a game in 'lets make the next song the total opposite of the last one' - and the most beautiful Paul song up until that point.
Buck Hill - 'yeeeaaaaaooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww'. As someone once said, this band was a walking jukebox.
Lovelines - I don't usually like geeky stuff, but this is just so infectious it laser scans itself onto your brain. Ouch.
You Lose - This song is such a juggernaut. Sure, its a little Stink derivative, but its angrier and nastier and packs one all mighty punch.
Heyday - Contains some of Paul's best lyrics up until that point: 'Going to the party though we weren't invited', 'Times ain't tough, just tedious', 'Geniuses act like idiots, idiots act like geniuses'. And Paul's laugh ('Heyday....ha,ha,ha,ha) slays me.
Treatment Bound - The first in the 'lets put a largely solo Paul number at the end or damn close to the end' series.
Such a beautiful car wreck.
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Post by Placemat on Jul 14, 2004 9:49:00 GMT -5
Why stop at 'Heyday'? Lets have a 'Hootenanny' love-fest!!! Hootenanny - How can something played so badly, sound so damn good? Contrast that with loads of more clinical bands that are probably technically first class and sound horrible. I mean, that guitar solo and the way the bass just bounces along with it - that floors me!! Red Light - Kinda like the last blast of Sorry Ma/Stink era Mats. The guitar break is just so mean. Colour Me Impressed - Definitely the moment where it all comes together for me and the Mats manage to combine everything that made them special into one song for the first time: the energy, the raw emotion, the melody and a delivery that floors you. Is the little whirly sound at the beginning a nod to Highway 61 Revisited? Willpower - I can't remember if anyone mentioned this in the darkest song thread but BLIMEY - talk about a song that says so much by saying so little (the lyrics are, after all, pretty minimalist). Paul's vocal delivery in this song just says it all its so powerful. And, hang on, Red Light just finished what 3 minutes before this spooky, left field gem comes in - that can't be the same band can it? What, it is?? Get outta here! Take Me Down To The Hospital - Love it just for the bit where the final 'eight of my lives' collides with the '1-2-3-4' yell. Mr Whirly - Its like two songs for the price of one - BONUS!! Special mention to the totally wrecked way Paul delivers the first 'Mr Whirly, please don't call me' and then again when the 'C'mon, WWWWHHHHIIIIIRRRRLLLYYYYY' bit comes back. PROG ROCK - MATS STYLE. Within Your Reach - Another major curve ball - this album is like a game in 'lets make the next song the total opposite of the last one' - and the most beautiful Paul song up until that point. Buck Hill - 'yeeeaaaaaooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww'. As someone once said, this band was a walking jukebox. Lovelines - I don't usually like geeky stuff, but this is just so infectious it laser scans itself onto your brain. Ouch. You Lose - This song is such a juggernaut. Sure, its a little Stink derivative, but its angrier and nastier and packs one all mighty punch. Heyday - Contains some of Paul's best lyrics up until that point: 'Going to the party though we weren't invited', 'Times ain't tough, just tedious', 'Geniuses act like idiots, idiots act like geniuses'. And Paul's laugh ('Heyday....ha,ha,ha,ha) slays me. Treatment Bound - The first in the 'lets put a largely solo Paul number at the end or damn close to the end' series. Such a beautiful car wreck. Well put! Now I gotta go put Hoot' on the record player.  |
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Post by scoOter on Jul 14, 2004 9:52:10 GMT -5
i just finished it! anyone want to ask why suicaine calls "run it" "red light"? i mean, i get it, but is your copy mislabeled, suicaine? is mine?
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suicainekid
First Class Scout
What would you have me do?
Posts: 139
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Post by suicainekid on Jul 14, 2004 10:43:39 GMT -5
i just finished it! anyone want to ask why suicaine calls "run it" "red light"? i mean, i get it, but is your copy mislabeled, suicaine? is mine? sorry Scoot - Freudian slip. I'm forever doing things like that. I called Gram Parsons $1000 wedding '$1,000,000 wedding' a few weeks back and am pretty sure I might have written 'Telling Me Lies' on a Don't Tell a Soul thread!! Am bad with names in real life too. |
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Post by scoOter on Jul 14, 2004 10:56:05 GMT -5
sorry Scoot - Freudian slip. I'm forever doing things like that. I called Gram Parsons $1000 wedding '$1,000,000 wedding' a few weeks back and am pretty sure I might have written 'Telling Me Lies' on a Don't Tell a Soul thread!! Am bad with names in real life too. damn! i thought that one of us had a rare copy of hoot! |
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Monkey
Beagle Scout
Ninja Republican
Everybody dance like there's ass in your pants
Posts: 2,438
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Post by Monkey on Jul 14, 2004 10:59:45 GMT -5
"Heyday" is a great song, my #1 or #2 song on the album along w/ "Color Me Impressed."
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Smorgasberg
Star Scout
It has to be the shoes, money!
Posts: 527
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Post by Smorgasberg on Jul 14, 2004 13:19:32 GMT -5
I really enjoyed the Suicaine post. Now that's a record review, friends. And, God love the English, "gob smacking" aka "lip smacking". We've got two languages for the price of one. It's no wonder our prez went straight to Tony Blair with his post 9/11 bad idea. I mean, it's the same shitty idea, but when Blair talked about it, it just seemed more clever.
Next time, Suicaine, see if you can call up the PM and say, "Willpower, Tony, Willpower!"
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Post by TomT on Jul 14, 2004 21:26:34 GMT -5
I always loved Heyday and especially live. Bob cooks on this one but Chris' drumming is what I find myself listening to. He's really got it goin' on towards the end.
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DDog
Star Scout
"Wherever you go, there you are..."
Posts: 395
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Post by DDog on Jul 15, 2004 22:46:33 GMT -5
I'd have to say Hootenany is probably my most played record of the twin tone catalog....I never grow tired of listening to it and Heyday is near the top of the track favs for me.
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Post by ClamsCasino on Jul 22, 2004 1:05:16 GMT -5
yer preachin' to the converted. I know, but it's either that or I get accused of being too negative. heyday rules! but please, a step or two below left of the dial. Yeah, that was probably exaggerating to make a point. But, man, how great would it be to hear Paul revisit Heyday for his upcoming tour? |
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