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Post by chinotto on Mar 10, 2016 0:21:52 GMT -5
Folker is my favorite. I know, I know. I'm the only one. Wouldn't it be boring if we all had the same opinion? I really love it too. And I really don't like Self Defense/think SG is his weakest album. That interview hurt. |
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Schecky
Star Scout
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Post by Schecky on Mar 10, 2016 2:21:35 GMT -5
Folker is my favorite. I know, I know. I'm the only one. Wouldn't it be boring if we all had the same opinion? I really love it too. And I really don't like Self Defense/think SG is his weakest album. That interview hurt. I'm good with Folker, but I hated it first. Still don't love Self Defense. |
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Post by wiser's deluxe on Mar 10, 2016 17:42:08 GMT -5
Interview and story as a whole essentially put me in Paul's home. Wonderful job on that front. The puffing on cigarettes. The excitement of, "hey, let's go downstairs," provided great insight.
So did what Paul said, because it's not often he says much at all. He seemed happy.
1) Yes, 49:00 is his masterpiece. I'm sure it was an awful hard thing to do.
2) Folker's Folker, but there are some good songs on it. Gunshy, as someone noted, is a strong one.
3) The bond he's maintained with Tommy, and the realization that well, the Mats days can't ever well be recaptured or well, "replaced."
4) And really, looking back, save for Stereo/Mono, his orthodox solo releases haven't been as strong as what he's put out since he went the guerilla route. Well, maybe that's not accurate, but tying in 49:00 and Wild Stab, there's certainly a larger and more distinct of Mats-like desperation and drive on them than say 14 Songs and Eventually.
The real take from all of this, is it certainly appears that Paul has found his footing. And maybe the past few tours have helped him, getting back on stage, working the old routine, seeing and/or hearing that the old songs still matter, and allowing him to finally look ahead.
Hatfield's arrival on the scene can't be understated.
Us fans, just might be in store for a lot more something good to come.
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Post by mudbacktodirt on Mar 10, 2016 22:54:28 GMT -5
I liked the article. Nice to see his guard lowered a little. Between that and the book, it's fun to learn more and get a little closer.
I saw him up close at an in-store show in 2002 and would have guessed he was two or three inches taller than the 5-7 they say in the article. I bet he has no shortage of offers for rides now too. I'd drive him around and help him run errands if I lived anywhere nearby.
My recollection is that he really talked up Eventually and Folker when they came out and they wound up being among my least favorite. When it comes to Paul Westerberg's music, it seems like Paul and I used to disagree on favorites (although I generally agree with what he said in the new Spin article so maybe that has changed with time).
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Post by anarkissed on Mar 10, 2016 23:21:57 GMT -5
SG kicks ass...(O.K., I overstated it)..."Folker" sucks...(O.K., I overstated it)...I sometimes listen to SG (Though I skip over songs)...I think I listened to "Folker" twice...(Though when I made "Paul Westerberg" playlists on Spotify, some songs made the cut)...But I pretty much put everything from "S/M" and "CFMT" in there...
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Post by thematsarealive on Mar 11, 2016 22:49:37 GMT -5
I've got to stand up for Folker as well. Yes, the playing is sloppy, some songs are half-written, its obvious he was drinking heavily on some takes (23 Years Ago comes to mind), the songs are too long, it has too many slow, directionless songs, etc...
But overall all those reasons are why I like it. I may not revisit it as much as Mono or 49:00 but I think artistically it is one of those albums that's warts and all make it what it is and add to the differentiation. I like the confessional aspect of the album.
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Post by hudson99 on Mar 12, 2016 11:45:57 GMT -5
Any album with clever lyrics such as this will always be close to my heart:
I’m a dog that’s broken from my leash
And I’ll be hopin’
To be laying in your pretty flower bedroom
I just have to
Miracles always happen when they have to
And as it happens
I expect one tonight in your flower bedroom
Come on
Plus, I love the Faces spirit of "Folk Star", and many angry evenings culminated with me singing "How Can You Like Him" at full volume.
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Post by leftofthedial09 on Mar 12, 2016 12:41:24 GMT -5
Folker was the perfect balance between basement tapes and studio polish. Not my favorite album (that goes to Stereo / Mono). But come on Paul, there some hits on there. "My Dad", "As Far as a I Know" (should have been a top 10 single), "Looking Up in Heaven".
Sad that Paul is so critical of his own work he denounces most of it.
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Freddy
First Class Scout
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Post by Freddy on Mar 12, 2016 14:29:08 GMT -5
I decided to give SG another try last year through a set of good headphones. I took "Actor" off of it....that is one of the very few (maybe the only one) songs by Paul I just can't bring myself to go through. I liked the album much better. More rich and lively than I had remembered and I thought the writing was pretty damned good.
I still like "Mono" the best of all his post-Mats albums. That album just feels so right from beginning to end.
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Post by wiser's deluxe on Mar 12, 2016 23:11:32 GMT -5
Folker was the perfect balance between basement tapes and studio polish. Not my favorite album (that goes to Stereo / Mono). But come on Paul, there some hits on there. "My Dad", "As Far as a I Know" (should have been a top 10 single), "Looking Up in Heaven". Sad that Paul is so critical of his own work he denounces most of it. Sad? It's not different than any artist releasing their work and quickly seeing all the warts in the immediate aftermath. It comes with the business. There's no sadness to it. It's just the reality of it all. |
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patty
Second Class Scout
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Post by patty on Mar 13, 2016 3:42:30 GMT -5
He just associates Folker with a bad time in his life
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Post by curmudgeonman on Mar 22, 2016 23:57:40 GMT -5
I found this quote quite amusing: “The band texted each other today! Tommy texted me one word and I texted three. We make each other laugh, Tommy and I.”I could have sworn Westerberg was a luddite, a hater of email, computers, the internet, etc. Maybe texting is cool with him.  |
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Post by leftofthedial09 on Mar 23, 2016 20:46:43 GMT -5
I found this quote quite amusing: “The band texted each other today! Tommy texted me one word and I texted three. We make each other laugh, Tommy and I.”I could have sworn Westerberg was a luddite, a hater of email, computers, the internet, etc. Maybe texting is cool with him. Thats what I thought too. |
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Post by Otto Jr. on Mar 23, 2016 22:42:17 GMT -5
Maybe it's just me but I don't really consider texting to be part of the whole internet/computer thing.
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Post by thematsarealive on Mar 24, 2016 18:17:32 GMT -5
Another interesting takeaway from this article is that the Replacements have not broken up.
I think right now I'd prefer more new music, but I would like to enjoy another live performance soon. Mats or Paul/Tommy solo. Another album wouldn't hurt.
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