ty
Tenderfoot
Posts: 5
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Post by ty on Mar 31, 2012 2:56:05 GMT -5
I'm new to the entire message board deal, so sorry this isn't how it's supposed to go....
I've been big into Ryan Adams (until he turned to shit in 2006), the Jayhawks, and most recently a band called Richmond Fontaine (check them out) for a while now. So my question is this. Would anyone else out there absolutely LOVE to hear a Paul Westerber "country" album? His latest stuff seems to be a lot more "earthy" (if you will) than say his stuff with the Mats, or his earlier solo records, and to me it just seems like it'd fit perfectly. His guitar playing and his voice would fit perfectly backed by a peddle steele. And he could do it all from his basement here in Edina if he likes. He's already toyed with this idea I think. Think of a song like "23 Years Ago", "These Days", "Anyways Alright" or "Kentucky Riser" (or whatever it's called) with a mellow country twang to them (and a peddle steele backing). Goddamn! That would be awesome!
P.S. Love ya Slim. It's times like this.....
P.S.S. I saw Ryan Adams in concert in 2005 (before he started being terrible) and he was talking smack. He said he could wright a better song than Paul anyday....... I doubt it. Prove me right Mr. Westerberg!
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ty
Tenderfoot
Posts: 5
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Post by ty on Mar 31, 2012 3:02:41 GMT -5
I mean, he did a blues album...... why not a country album?
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Post by TomT on Mar 31, 2012 7:40:19 GMT -5
If Only You Were Lonely is one great country tune and Achin' To Be is absolute gold so yeah, I think I'd love to hear an album with a country feel to it.
Problem is, unless YOU are Paul just putting a feeler out there I don't think it would happen unless the man himself wants to do it. I love to see him turn heads in Nashville though.
Are you Paul?
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Post by eve8apple2 on Mar 31, 2012 15:30:57 GMT -5
P.S.S. I saw Ryan Adams in concert in 2005 (before he started being terrible) and he was talking smack. He said he could wright a better song than Paul anyday....... I doubt it. Prove me right Mr. Westerberg! By you saying 'prove me right' means that you think that Paul has not demonstrated that he is better than Ryan yet. I don't think he has either. I love them both but these days, my vote would go to Ryan. Lucky for us that we can enjoy both writers and are not forced to choose between them! Paul has written some treasures but for every one he has written, Ryan has written five that are superior. Musically, Paul kicks Ryan's ass though, in my opinion. A song with Ryan's lyrics and Paul's music would be great! |
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Post by TomT on Mar 31, 2012 16:49:22 GMT -5
Paul has written some treasures but for every one he has written, Ryan has written five that are superior. Musically, Paul kicks Ryan's ass though, in my opinion. A song with Ryan's lyrics and Paul's music would be great! If you're talking about Paul's whole career I think there might be some differing opinions. It's all subjective though. |
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ty
Tenderfoot
Posts: 5
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Post by ty on Mar 31, 2012 19:02:40 GMT -5
HAHA. No TomT, I am not. Just a wishful thinker. It seems like a great logical match to me, that's all. Oh yeah, and you're right, "If Only You Were Lonely" is a great tune!
Eve, it doesn't really mean anything. Just messing around a little. I love both RA & PW. In regards to Adams' though, I pretty much dislike everything after "29" (which was just OK). Yet I absolutely love everything he did up until then. Hmm.
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Post by thepogo on Apr 1, 2012 8:37:03 GMT -5
Westerberg hands down, even he has become a recluse in the music world.
Nothing wrong with liking RA but there is no comparison.
Some Whiskeytown songs are cool but Im no fan of RA's babble
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Squaw
Star Scout
You're the only one that you are screwin' when you put down what you don't understand~ Kristofferson
Posts: 544
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Post by Squaw on Apr 1, 2012 9:01:52 GMT -5
Welcome ty! A country album would be great. I'm a fan of both Ryan and Paul as well. I wouldn't want to give up either of them. As to who is better, I don't think there is a right or wrong answer, it just depends on what you want to hear at the time.
Popular opinion would favor Ryan, as would music sales. But I think the fact that Paul had roughly a 20 year head start may give him the edge. Though he wasn't a John Lennon, Keith Richards, etc., he was a trailblazer. Ryan has some amazing stuff but he hasn't really invented anything, if inventing is even the right word.
I like both artist's entire catalog, even the stuff that wasn't meant to be particularly great!
I can't choose between Sylvia Plath or Crackle & Drag, for example. Both are brilliant in their own way but two completely different approaches of the same subject. But I believe Ryan done his song first, unless Paul sat on his for a long time. Like Eve said, lucky we don't have to choose!
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Post by GtrPlyr on Apr 1, 2012 13:00:12 GMT -5
I do love the P.W. country-ish stuff. I'd definitely go for a country album if he ever did one, though I think he's at his best when he doesn't stick to one genre or sound for a whole record.
I haven't listened to much Ryan Adams over the past 6-7 years--though my girlfriend still buys his stuff so I have in the car every so often--but was a fan of Whiskeytown and some of the early R.A. records. Not sure who'd win in a songwriting showdown, both have written some great songs, but as far as who is the more "unique" and influential talent my vote goes to P.W. easily. Ryan's a very talented guy, but to my ear he's more of a pastiche of his influences whereas Paul has more of an individual voice/sound in my eyes. And has Ryan ever done anything as interesting artistically as "49:00?"
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Post by timx1386 on Apr 1, 2012 19:02:46 GMT -5
+1 for Paul. They're not even in the same league. I can't explain it simply. Ryan Adams doesn't do it for me. Paul's music is like sparks/my heart like gasoline.
I'd probably love a PW 'country ish' record... only if he loved making it. It might be bummer if he was contracted into doing one or something, like if he went to some studio with a bunch of studio musicians and a producer polished it up for the masses.
I'd love it if he came out with another basement recorded 7" single with a (simple) piano / vocal heartfelt track on one side and a kinda rock and roll (think hillbilly junk) b-side (with paul drumming. I love pauls drums)
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Post by dee on Apr 2, 2012 5:45:57 GMT -5
Like The Rolling Stones before him,Paul is good at writing country flavored songs.I'm still amazed that someone as young as Paul could write a song as perfect as If Only You Were Lonely.If someone does it now it's still impressive,but they would have a wealth of affected alt country music to draw inspiration from.
If Only You Were Lonely could be a send up of a country song,but the fact that it is sincere and sad and funny and universal and cute kind of makes it appealing and cool in a way that gives it a twist and sort of strips away the connotations of "country" and could inspire a non country singer songwriter or music lover to expand their musical palett to include country music.The Replacements were great at shedding a light on all kinds of music with their cover songs as well.
The outlaws like Johnny Cash and Waylon took on the country establishment and were great,but If Only You Were Lonely wasn't an outlaw song and was a different take on country from what they did.Maybe it challenged the punk establishment instead.
Paul has enough country tinged material that he could record an album of those songs and give them even more of a country treatment.Call it Run For The Country.
or
Release a new album of new country soaked songs like the ones he's done
or
Do a Paul Goes Country album and make a Glen Campbell/Roger Miller type album
or
Pull a Bon Jovi and go Pop Country
or
Give the rock and roll treatment to country songs like he did with Streets Of Laredo
or
Make an album that does a combination of all of those things.
Ryan Adams used to use his talent to serve his songs,but for a stretch there it seemed he used the songs to serve his talent.Still good,but for some it was maybe a little off putting.Atleast he got healthy and happy in the process.He kind of went from jerky to quirky.Though you could argue that Paul isn't using his talent to the fullest to serve his songs.
If you sell Paul short and give Ryan too much credit then maybe he's in the same league as Paul,but I'll take Let It Be over Heartbreaker,Tim over Strangers Almanac,Pleased To Meet Me over Gold,Don't Tell A Soul over Rock N Roll,Sorry Ma over Cold Roses,All Shook Down over Demolition,Stereo/Mono over Love is Hell,14 Songs over Easy Tiger,49:00 over 3/4, Come Feel Me Tremble over 29,Hootenanny over Faithless Street,Eventually over Pneumonia,Folker over Jacksonville City Nights,Dead Man Shake over Cardinology,Suicaine Gratifaction over Ashes and Fire,Open Season over Follow The Lights,GrandpaBoy EP over Class Mythology,Stink over Orion.That about covers it.Not to say all those Ryan Adams albums aren't great either.And it's silly to compare music,but I just did it anyway!
Hopefully Deer Tick gives them both a kick in the pants!
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Squaw
Star Scout
You're the only one that you are screwin' when you put down what you don't understand~ Kristofferson
Posts: 544
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Post by Squaw on Apr 2, 2012 6:30:32 GMT -5
dee!
You get my vote for best post of the year! From here on out I will now respond to the Adams v. Westerberg question by saying, “What dee said on April 2, 2012!”
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Post by dee on Apr 2, 2012 8:28:50 GMT -5
Squaw!
Thanks for reading it! Your avatar is perfect!
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Post by FreeRider on Apr 2, 2012 9:32:38 GMT -5
So people liked the country-ish "$100 Groom"? off of Folker?
It's funny, but I never heard much of RA's material and so I'm not in a position to judge if I'd like his stuff, but also what drives me is that I'm just not interested in pursuing RA's catalog. It kind of goes back to "how can you like him better than me, how can you like him, after all it's just me".
I remember seeing Bill Moyers talk and interviews with Joseph Campbell on PBS about the power of myth and mythology, what we can learn from it. Campbell said that if that our modern day artists are our shamans, the seers, we could learn about life from them. They tell us about our lives. He said if there's one artist that resonates with you, that somehow touches you deeply, then follow that person's work. Find everything you can and absorb what that person has to say.
To some degree, I've done that with a few artists. Paul is one of them. I get something from him that I don't get from a lot of artists. That doesn't mean everyone else is bad or anything. I try not to be closed minded about stuff and try to appreciate other genres, even if it's not my thing. But I'm just not interested in pursuing RA if I've already found something as compelling as Paul's work. Maybe I'm missing out on something, maybe not.
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Post by melbmatsfan on Apr 2, 2012 10:40:04 GMT -5
Yeah I feel the same way FreeRider. A friend of mine is really into the Gaslight Anthem and tries to steer me on to them with Mats comparisons etc all the time. Why would I be interested when I can go listen to the real deal instead?
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Post by dee on Apr 2, 2012 16:57:40 GMT -5
I think I'm going to make a mix of Paul Westerberg country songs and call it Minneapolis Skyline.Maybe $100 Groom will sound better between Achin' To Be and Visitors Day!
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Post by brianlux on Apr 2, 2012 21:31:03 GMT -5
I'd definitely welcome a PW country album. It would knock the sox off most of the "new country" radio stuff my wife listens to now and then by a long shot! I'm not sure those stations would play PW's form of country but if they did, that would be cool.
p.s. I guess it would be too obvious if I mention that I would welcome ANY PW album- haha!! But seriously...
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Post by thepogo on Apr 2, 2012 22:31:14 GMT -5
I've been saying this for years. If you want to compare Paul to someone, try Hayes Carll.
Texas Americana Country. Do yourself a favor and look HC up.
PS I'm a huge PW Fan & he's my favorite songwriter
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Squaw
Star Scout
You're the only one that you are screwin' when you put down what you don't understand~ Kristofferson
Posts: 544
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Post by Squaw on Apr 3, 2012 15:00:16 GMT -5
Squaw! Thanks for reading it! Your avatar is perfect! You're welcome! Maybe I should change my avatar? Nah, I kinda like it. I talked to Ryan and he had little to say about the subject except...  |
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Post by dee on Apr 5, 2012 0:08:57 GMT -5
Nice one Squaw!
He probably picked up the guitar a minute later,strummed a chord,and Lucky Now came out.
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