Post by Kathy on Mar 7, 2016 16:06:52 GMT -5
Lots of info - here's just a few things to mull over...
Paul Westerberg: Throwing Out the Past
Paul Westerberg: Throwing Out the Past
“Lemme play you some stuff we’ve been working on,” Westerberg says before queueing up “Sad Go Round,” a rollicking, soon-to-be released I Don’t Cares tune. Paul closes his eyes and listens intently, his head cocked slightly to the side like a puppy. Halfway through the song he stands and plucks absent-mindedly on the piano. “The bane of my existence is the utter confusion that reigns down here,” grumbles Westerberg. “I couldn’t find a certain song if I had to. It’s literally me going through old tapes, putting them on, and seeing what the f**k is on there. Nothing’s labeled.”
Paul makes me a cranberry juice with a splash of mineral water. I ask about his health, mentioning that he appears to be drinking in a January 2016 Vanyaland video interview. “I’m not drinking now, but being on the road with that band and that pressure, it reared its head. If you ever fool yourself into moderation as an option, it prolongs it but it doesn’t cure it. I was like, ‘I’ll have two glasses of wine.’ Then it turned into every night and suddenly my head is a little foggy and I’m not thinking as straight as I used to. It creeps up on ya.”
I decide I want to play a game, similar to the Replacements free-association segment featured in the 2003 Westerberg tour documentary, Come Feel Me Tremble. “Great, I love games,” he says, clapping his hands. “It’s free association,” I say. “I’m gonna name a solo record and you say the first thing that pops into your head. Cool? Here we go.”
14 Songs (1993): “Overly written songs with huge expectations.”
Eventually (1996): “‘These Are the Days’ should have been a hit.”
Suicaine Gratification (1999): “I think my best. The saddest and the best.”
Stereo/Mono (2002): “A lot of songs to digest. I couldn’t reproduce it if you put a gun to my head. I did so many weird, wrong things, and ran the mixes through amps and s**t. I had no idea what I was doing but it turned out really good. ‘Let’s Not Belong Together’ is a great lost song.”
Come Feel Me Tremble (2003) “I can’t even think what’s on it. Is that the one with ‘Soldier of Misfortune’ and that s**t? ‘My Daydream’ is a good song.”
Folker (2004): “Every one of these records makes me think of someone. I thought ‘Jingle’ was kinda good. I can’t remember any of the other songs because they’re s**t. I’ve learned that there’s a reason you don’t remember the ones you’ve forgotten.”
Open Season OST (2006): “Money. I had to pay the f**king rent on the house. People think I’m rich but I owe more money than anybody realizes. You take Hollywood’s money and you eat Hollywood’s s**t. They ain’t called me back since.”
49:00 (2008): “If I drop dead tomorrow, that’s my masterpiece. I’m so tempted to [make a record like that one] again, but I can’t go through it again. It was absolute insanity and I was so frightened when I made it that people would think I was schizophrenic.”
14 Songs (1993): “Overly written songs with huge expectations.”
Eventually (1996): “‘These Are the Days’ should have been a hit.”
Suicaine Gratification (1999): “I think my best. The saddest and the best.”
Stereo/Mono (2002): “A lot of songs to digest. I couldn’t reproduce it if you put a gun to my head. I did so many weird, wrong things, and ran the mixes through amps and s**t. I had no idea what I was doing but it turned out really good. ‘Let’s Not Belong Together’ is a great lost song.”
Come Feel Me Tremble (2003) “I can’t even think what’s on it. Is that the one with ‘Soldier of Misfortune’ and that s**t? ‘My Daydream’ is a good song.”
Folker (2004): “Every one of these records makes me think of someone. I thought ‘Jingle’ was kinda good. I can’t remember any of the other songs because they’re s**t. I’ve learned that there’s a reason you don’t remember the ones you’ve forgotten.”
Open Season OST (2006): “Money. I had to pay the f**king rent on the house. People think I’m rich but I owe more money than anybody realizes. You take Hollywood’s money and you eat Hollywood’s s**t. They ain’t called me back since.”
49:00 (2008): “If I drop dead tomorrow, that’s my masterpiece. I’m so tempted to [make a record like that one] again, but I can’t go through it again. It was absolute insanity and I was so frightened when I made it that people would think I was schizophrenic.”