Jer
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Post by Jer on Jul 12, 2023 14:03:15 GMT -5
Great podcast interview with Chris Mars. Haven't heard this much from him in years, or ever? Way more Replacements content than I'd expect, and just great to hear this. audioboom.com/posts/8333601-chris-mars-is-hereDigging the new album - taking some time to really acclimate, but a nice one-two punch with this and Cowboys album this summer.
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Jer
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Post by Jer on May 2, 2023 17:50:38 GMT -5
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Jer
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Post by Jer on Apr 18, 2023 13:00:38 GMT -5
I doubt Richard Blade had any interest in The Mats, or anything from college radio during its heyday in the 80s, he seemed to gravitate to British New Wave. By the time I left L.A., I heard enough of Blade on KROQ, maybe half a year. I used to listen to the station when it had Frazier Smith and every now and then would listen to Rodney Bingenheimer, an interesting character to say the least, I saw him by himself in a tiny club where an unknown Goo Goo Dolls were playing for a Gavin Convention one year. I first heard the Ramones, Sex Pistols, Devo, in the late 70s on his radio show. Rodney B is still around but not on KROQ anymore. Every time I go to Canters Deli I see Rodney sitting in his booth.... Rodney has a great show on Little Steven's channel on SiriusXM. He plays tons of great old stuff and supports newer indie bands.
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Jer
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Post by Jer on Mar 23, 2023 19:22:14 GMT -5
I like the song quite a bit. Feels very comfortable and natural. Looking forward to this one!
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Jer
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Post by Jer on Mar 2, 2023 13:17:41 GMT -5
From the articles I read and interviews during his creative run and after his death, I think it is a mistake to think Cobain didn't want fame, it is actually quite the opposite. According to his manager Danny Goldberg, Cobain worked hard at it, had his hands in all aspects of the bands marketing; he designed their t-shirts, kept track of their sales and MTV plays, consulting in the choice of singles, involved in their bios, etc. etc. Very much unlike Westerberg, who didn't give a shit or didn't know how. His wife Courtney Love stated that Cobain indeed wanted to be a rock star. And his appearance on SNL was markedly different than The 'Mats; Cobain reportedly consulted with the producers to get permission to smash their instruments during their performance (The Replacements never would have done that). Even towards the end of his life, he wasn't terribly frightened of fame per se, he just wanted to change gears more towards what Michael Stipe did (no slouch in self-marketing), and have that kind of fame and career. His #1 problem was drug addiction, pure and simple, and lots of it. Like John Lydon/ Rotten stated, he could have stepped off the merry go round and taken a hiatus similar to Bob Dylan, Cat Stevens or Laura Nyro, but the drugs really did a number on his psyche, and he couldn't stop the runaway train. The guy definitely had mental issues, and coupled with heroin and valium, the man was prone to tremendous depression. I don't think Westerberg had Cobain in mind when he wrote World Class Fad, but it seems everyone else did.
All fair points, and well taken, thanks.
Kurt may have wanted to be a rock star in some respects, I don't doubt that, but my point was intended to be that he wasn't a wannabe chaser of fame and follower of tends (ie - World Class Fad). This is what I see when I hear that song - bands that trailed the grunge explosion around that time (`93) as cheap, watered down versions of that great first wave, which was led (in popularity at least) by Nirvana. Alternative music in general - whether you were emulating Nirvana or The Cure or whatever. There was money to be made and the fads/copycats were easy to spot, especially by a guy who influenced half of them and didn't have much to show for it except some knowledge.
Like Paul, he had this albatross of impossible expectations that made him miserable. It was compounded by the commercial and cultural success he had. He hated that part and what came with it - from the types of people who were now coming to his shows to the never-ending questions about drugs, Seattle, and grunge. I can't/won't make excuses for his drug addiction, which I totally agree was his #1 problem, but coping with that stress didn't help.
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Jer
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Post by Jer on Mar 1, 2023 16:10:26 GMT -5
I think those things are a stretch to tie to Kurt. It doesn't even make sense with the song - who wanted " it" less than Kurt Cobain? Dude hated being a star and was clearly miserable in the spotlight. Nirvana never did anything outside of their... integrity (for lack of a better word) in an attempt to chase the spotlight or some golden ring of fame. On the contrary, they did the opposite. FreeRider's thought about Paul looking in the mirror is more likely - after all The Replacements attempted (albeit, half-assed) to take that leap with DTAS and clearly let others dictate their direction with the mix and the Petty tour, and then tried (again, half-assed) to follow their trail of crumbs back with ASD. The narrative fits the song a lot better.
Still, I think there's a good chance we're reading way too much into it. It could just be a fleeting look at the endless stream of polished garbage on MTV in 1993 (the runoff from Nirvana, way more than Nirvana itself) and a jaded guy who's been there and back just throwing out a warning to not lose yourself in that quest to make it.
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Post by Jer on Feb 26, 2023 21:45:58 GMT -5
...Westerberg states that he knows for a fact that Cobain thought World Class Fad was written about him. Not as dramatic as Ryan Adam's feud with Westerberg, but it is quite possible that Cobain was pissed at Paul and decided to not deal with him, and not give him any press. And we all know Westerberg was no diplomat.
It's possible. We also know that Paul has a long history of speaking from the cuff, sometimes telling a story that is more interesting than true, and occasionally coming back later and completely contradicting himself. No shame in that, and it's not uncommon with people like Paul and Kurt. It keeps people (like us) on their toes.
The World Class Fad thing could have come to him from a trusted, mutual friend, or it could have been a fleeting thought he'd had that day, or something inbetween. Or maybe it was actually about Kurt and he was feeling guilty about it and didn't know how to process that emotion or feeling (ref: Trouble Boys, cover to cover). These topics are fun, but it's just folklore at this point, especially given Paul's flippancy. Maybe there's some truth in there, maybe a lot, maybe none.
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Post by Jer on Feb 23, 2023 13:50:28 GMT -5
What a great, unique perspective this guy has. Not only a superfan from the earliest days, but later in Paul’s band immediately afterwards (and eventually in an iteration of the band itself). Plus, he’s got the perspective of being the same age and coming up in the same circles and scenes, eventually surpassed by the cult of the Replacements. He’s also got the perspective of being a musician and a studio rat, “both sides of the glass” he said, so he’s got insight about how making records works, and what was done and why. The Goo Goo Dolls stuff... Just the perfect guy for that film. The inside perspective about stuff like how Paul felt about the records, or how when they didn’t have a green room on that 14 Songs tour, and they’d be on the bus before a show, they’d crank Purple Rain or Never Mind the Bullocks right before hitting the stage. I love stuff like that. I can almost imagine how those equally powerful but very different precursors affected the performances that followed. The Strummer story is pure gold! That documentary took a lot of hits. I know a film about a band without the participation, or even the music, of the band, is a tough sell, but the insight of people like this tell the story in a way the actual players never could. I got a lot of value out of it, and I think it’s as good a reference as any about what it was like.
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Post by Jer on Feb 6, 2023 8:51:13 GMT -5
A Tribe Called Quest was a fantastic hip hop group with a pretty positive message overall, and some of the samples they used were from pretty good bands. They didn’t talk about having a big dick, shooting the police, smacking women around (NOT their bitches or ho’s), and they could actually do an entire song and not say the word(s) ‘-’ or ‘nigga’. I believe there were only like 3 dudes in the ‘band’ and one of them—I think it’s Fife and NOT Q-Tip—is now unfortunately dead. They had some internal grumblings and weren’t all on the best of terms when they broke up. If they are inducting rap/hip hop acts into the RRHOF I’d much rather see artists like this as opposed to the “gangsta” rap genre. I've come to accept that rock and roll had a big influence on rap/hip-hop, and then rap/hip-hop has, in turn, had a big influence on rock and roll. There is a lot of crossover. While most if it really isn't "rock" by my own definition, the cross-pollination is difficult for me to deny, so I'm just rolling with it. Personal opinions (and my own admittedly limited exposure to the genre) aside, I don't think gangsta rap or any other sub-genre is any less worthy than another, but there are standouts and there are followers. And finally, of all the Seattle bands polluted under the ‘Grunge’ category, Soundgarden, in my humble opinion, was the best of the bunch. Pearl Jam turned into a bunch of posers and political advisers and are just way too hypocritical to be honored; I would imagine Nirvana is already in the Hall (prolly my least fav from Seattle); Mother Love Bone was relatively unknown compared to most Seattle grungers but they were fantastic Hard to deny Peal Jam their due. I'm not the biggest fan, and not usually inclined to carry their flag into battle, but they've had a huge mark on rock and roll in the last 30+ years. They worked as hard as anyone and rose from the over-saturated grunge scene they had a key role in defining to headline stadiums, champion lesser-known and under-appreciated bands that preceded them, and fight the mainstream ticketing infrastructure (though they eventually lost) at their own expense and loss to expose the scam that it is. Of all those bands, only PJ and Mudhoney perseveres today in more or less their previous incarnations. I know there's some venom in the background about PJ, but I find it a bit misguided. Curious (an open to perspective on) why you consider them posers and hypocritical. Objectively speaking, Nirvana is a no-brainer first ballot eligible pick. They changed the face of rock and roll, had a huge impact, and left a permanent mark. I see the White Stripes the same way, though their impact wasn't quite as big as Nirvana's. They check most or all of the boxes.
Soundgarden was great, deserves to be in, and deserves to follow Nirvana and Pear Jam. I think there are more deserving snubs today, but they'll have their day. Mother Love Bone, while a key part of the roots of the genre, would be a tough sell given who else isn't in, but as the hall digs deeper into less successful but more influential artists there could be a spot for them, Mudhoney, Big Star, Replacements, etc.
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Jer
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Post by Jer on Feb 2, 2023 16:44:46 GMT -5
Ugh don't get me started. Nothing against Ms. Elliot, she's awesome, but I don't think hip-hop artists should be getting in first ballot eligible when there are massive true rock and roll snubs still not in. JFC Van Halen and Black Sabbath weren't even indicted first ballot eligible. Can we get Jethro Tull, Thin Lizzy, The Runaways, Bad Company and Iron Maiden in first? Zevon is a great pic and overdue.
Maiden is way overdue. It would be unreal if they get in. They do not care. Sheryl Crow makes a lot of sense. White Stripes are a no-brainer. Joy Division makes sense, but the New Order tag on is unnecessary and creates more questions than it answers. I get why they're including hip hop and country and stuff, I can't fight it anymore, but the focus of my ire now is just the order things are happening. Their definition of Rock and Roll is a joke, created to serve their purposes. It cheapens their brand and costs credibility, but that ship sailed long ago. They should have categories like the R&R Hall for actual rock acts, then a sub-category for influencers that could include other genres. Do like 1, maybe 2 non-rock a year as influencers. If the rock pool starts to get thin, which won't happen for a long time, branch out more in that direction. The "Musical Excellence Award" that was used to get Judas Priest and Randy Rhoads in is an interesting back door that sort-of works, but also cheapens the honor for those inductees too. But let's be honest, who's voting for Randy Rhoads when George Michael is on the list?
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Post by Jer on Jan 28, 2023 20:54:03 GMT -5
Looks like Toronto is an official release... Yup, and so it is, or at least officially endorsed. Hope future releases aren't all reunion based (not that that would be terrible...just...), though I'd probably get the second LA show if it came out.
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Post by Jer on Jan 20, 2023 11:26:48 GMT -5
Looks like that guy deleted his comment? Well, let's hope it's true. For me it's their peak, and while I hold that album in the highest regards, in spite of the mix, and generally am not in favor of remixes, it would be a great thing to hear. After this and DTAS/DMP, I don't think anything else in their catalog would need a remix.
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Post by Jer on Jul 29, 2022 11:43:40 GMT -5
After listening to this, now I really wish they would release something from the 2015 run. This show is too polite. They sounded better once the rot started to set in. The classic Westerberg attitude isn't quite there with this being the first show back. Agree. First show in decades isn't the place to start with a live record. Milwaukee or the second Hollywood show were standouts of the reunion shows I heard. An official St. Paul LP-DVD would be about perfect.
That said, it's better than I expected. I still have all the same reservations about it, not getting the vinyl, but politics and ethics aside, it's an interesting, worthwhile document of the event.
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Post by Jer on Jul 10, 2022 19:54:13 GMT -5
More conflicting news coming in as Garage Land reports (in threads on Instagram posts) they'll be releasing the other 2 Riot Fest shows on vinyl too. No release date or other info, just that "it's a vinyl production issue right now." Confusing that there's no mention of Cobraside, and recent internet message board "off the record" but trusted-by-some sources cited future releases were nixed.
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Post by Jer on Jul 5, 2022 17:55:23 GMT -5
Very cool, interesting, well done. Thanks for sharing!
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Post by Jer on Jul 2, 2022 12:17:45 GMT -5
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Post by Jer on Jun 25, 2022 10:39:53 GMT -5
Tim has always sounded subpar; sonically, it was a piece of shit. Too much reverb, the drums and bass were not presented well in the mix, has a tinny, muddy sound throughout. Even when I first bought the album when it came out, I was disappointed with the sound. Out of all of their records, Tim absolutely deserves a remix, but by someone who knows what they're doing with good ears. Take the 16 or 24 track tapes and start from scratch. If this were the last re-release, I would be satisfied.
Agree with all of this (except I thought DTAS needed the remix more!). A remix of Tim would be awesome. It's the only other thing that needs a remix.
It's also been surprising what extras they're holding onto that no one knows about. Maybe there's another Tim-era show, or some outtakes or whatever.
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Post by Jer on Jun 23, 2022 17:12:32 GMT -5
So are we speculating that maybe the reason Paul isn't all on board to put out live albums and DVD's from the reunion era is because he just doesn't want to make money that will only pay back Warners? I think we're debunking the idea/justification that Paul is wealthy beyond all imagination and doesn't need the income generated by bootlegged releases.
Stay tuned for the next episode: I've been buying their albums for years. They owe ME!
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Post by Jer on Jun 21, 2022 9:00:51 GMT -5
If something is truly distasteful or hurtful (ie: transcends embarrassment and falls into actively repugnant) and someone expresses regret and growth from that, I would want that limited or treated more seriously. Interesting to me that you consider this your decision to make, your line to determine, when it's not your art/property/creation/actions being sold for money.
I would speculate that Paul isn't particularly proud of the reunion, and doesn't want it out there - his actions then and since indicate that to me, and I'm sure someone else may feel differently, and that might be a different discussion, but even if I felt the way you did about what would constitute something that deserves to be limited, this performance could fall under "regret" and might give me pause to support this release, if we were to look at it objectively. But...you also said:
I don't really consider myself very sympathetic to an artist's "wishes" or anything, I think people bend over backwards trying to be respectful when in reality it really and truly does not matter. It's just music, but it's also just music you know what I mean?
This is the core of our debate, I guess. I feel the opposite of this.
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Post by Jer on Jun 19, 2022 9:53:47 GMT -5
Guys. The source used for this LP was not circulating publicly to my knowledge, a soundboard source as per the user referenced above. Yes proper bootleggers get their hands on new sources from time to time, but in 2022 I'm more inclined to believe this was in some capacity at some point "official" via the band, Riot Fest, whoever-the-hell. This isn't a bootleg, it's a botched and low-key release that appears to have had internal drama associated with it. There are a lot of FM broadcast boots flooding the market, some European legal loophole, but this is nowhere near related to that and, like I said, I think it's far more likely this was slightly above unofficial and slightly below official for it to have been sourced from a new source and for it to have popped up on as many legitimate retailers as it did. Now, whether or not people want to spend their time getting angry about a 10 year old concert that maybe less than 10k people in the world are even interested in hearing is another question, but I'm just giving you my inferences here. (I was not around when this show happened, can anyone remember any sort of radio or web broadcast for it? Any SBD sources that could've been public? I only see two AUD sources in circulation, if someone knows otherwise I would love to know.) I think you're right about the source. I thought it was broadcast but I was wrong. My interest is peaked and I hope to get ears on it someday myself. But even if someone did get their hands on a pristine, mixed soundboard recording, that doesn't make it authorized. I don't think there is any grey area when it comes to something being official or not. It's a pretty clear and absolute line in my view. I also don't know this label at all, or that guy on that other board, or claim to have insider information myself. His statement was interesting for sure, but vague.
I do think it's a positive (and fun) civil discussions about the merits, ethics, and justifications for and against releases like this. Even if nobody's mind gets changed, we can all learn something. I'm not angry about it, I just want to know and share the facts, and there aren't many around this release, unfortunately. xx
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