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Post by Placemat on May 7, 2008 20:53:58 GMT -5
... pushed aside by me in favor of trading mats boots shows through alt.music.replacements. Tom I remember those days. Back when we used to trade cassettes. I have a box full of them as mementos. Mats boots rock. Can't wait to see what PJ comes up with for the live box.  You know, while I'm dying to hear any/all of PJ's gems... Since there's already talk about including "Shit..." as a bonus disc, & that's a boot, & Paul took the boot avenue with the DVD footage, maybe they should consider the same approach for the live box. Some really memorable boots have surfaced over the years. P.S. Skip, Skip, Skip-A-Roo. I also change the TV channel. |
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Post by wiser's deluxe on May 8, 2008 8:57:18 GMT -5
I have always wondered what old school mats fans thought of Paul's first couple solo records. I could see how fans would think "Ok Paul's gonna bring back the spirit of the 'Mats." Even though those are great records, they are very poppy and i was just wondering what the initial reaction was. i distinctly remember when each of Paul's first two solos came out and what i was doing, because both came out as such a surprise. you have to remember, this was at a time when there was not a world wide web, and many of us 'Mats fans were scattered to the winds, wondering "what the fulk now?" and the breakup was particularly disappointing because i had just saw what i still regard one of the best concerts of my life -- the 'Mats playing a killer and sober set at Vancouver's 86th Street (first of two shows was the best) -- which left me wanting more, more, more, even though the band was falling apart and the end seemed nigh. but that's another story. "14 Songs" struck me with an immediate smile because it seemed so unexpected, so hearing anything new was a strong start, and i thought Paul delivered with the first three songs. i wore out that cassette -- wasn't buying cd's yet -- during a weekend trip to victoria, b.c., cranking the sucker first on my walkman and then in my tape deck, while wondering who this teacher from vancouver just might be. "World Class Fad" might be among the closest he's come to echoing The Replacements' sound during his solo career; a stick in the eye anthem. later, i was particularly drawn to "Black Eyed Susan" and "Things," the latter, which i thought was Paul at his heart-on-his-lamentable-sleeve best: "Things I'm bound to tell you, like that dress looks great on you. I could use some breathing room, but I'm still in love with you. ... You'll be a song I sing, a thing I'll give away." Killer. "Eventually," also proved to be a surprise. was on a working road trip in Denver when, on an offday, I was touring the mountains outside of town when suddenly the radio dj announced he's racked the new single from Westerberg's latest release. i cranked the volume and happily listened to this poppy song: "Love Untold." it proved to be a perfect spring afternoon, and fitting for me driving down a bunch of rocky mountain streets looking to stop at the first record store i passed. this album was my then future-(and still very current)-wife's introduction to the 'Mats, and her favorite, which reflects her pop-song leanings. (and no, i don't hold that against her, especially after i got her into listening to Mr. Johnny Cash.) i never had the expectation that Paul was going to bring back the 'Mats sound, because that was far too unfair, though i was a little disappointed after first few dozen spins of "Suicaine." still not sure i get that. if anything, the first solo albums reinforced how strong of a songwriter Paul was and, sadly, how special the 'Mats as a group were, because what they did together was far bigger and gripping and more fascinating and magical than their parts. as for the issue of skipping: i do recall fast-forwarding a lot through the, dare i say, far too precious "Sadly Beautiful" in order to get to "Someone Take the Wheel." |
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Post by Stegman on May 12, 2008 12:53:14 GMT -5
The nice thing about 14 Songs and the subsequent tour was that that lp was closer to the later mats albums than Eventually. Great LP!!!!!The Neighborhoods backed Paul on tour and they Rocked Don't mean to nitpick, Tom, but it was just one guy from the Neighborhoods [Dave Minehan] backing PW in that band [on guitar]. The bass player was Darren Hill, who I believe is now PW's manager, and the drummer was Josh Freese. There were a tasty band, however [although I seem to remember reading some stuff indicating PW had some problems with them - giving them shit onstage or getting pissed off at them for messing up etc.]. As someone else posted here recently, the SNL performance with that outfit was the balls. |
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Post by Lieworth T. Elling III on May 12, 2008 15:27:56 GMT -5
as an old school mats fan, i loved the last mats tour, cuz paul and tommy had to play it straight, as foley and dunlap were complete nonentities. the shows i saw on that tour kicked all kinds of ass, with paul finally busting out here comes a regular on a semi regular basis, and rocking the shit out of the uptempo asd numbers.
14 songs i loved right away, especially the "home recorded" numbers like black eyed susan and even here we are, and fucking first glimmer, which was an immediate knockout. i even loved the hell out of silver naked ladies, which i know most people despised. only song on 14 songs i truly never got into was dice behind your shades. trying too hard, overworked lyrics, and lame melody.
that first tour was ok, but kinda weird cuz it seemed like paul was basically replacing the replacements without adding a different twist, and darrin's stage presence was a brutal black hole.
eventually, i loved not quite as much as 14 songs. definitely more hit and miss, though the hits were as strong as ever, there were definitely more straight out clunkers than i'd ever heard before on a paul related album.
but that eventually tour, holy shit, the show i saw in nyc was a flat out masterpiece. the band was incredible, paul all dressed up in a suit, it was all about the business of laying out 20-25 incredible songs, and showing everyone there that paul was a fucking singing and songwriting and guitar playing genius. it was a beautifully professional show, a career retrospective of the kind you never thought paul would be interested in doing. but he did.
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Post by FreeRider on May 13, 2008 10:07:05 GMT -5
as an old school mats fan...14 songs i loved right away.... i even loved the hell out of silver naked ladies, which i know most people despised.... That's funny, I've always liked Silver Naked Ladies and thought it had a real bluesy kind of alcohol fueled vibe about to it. Especially with the druken chant of "S'allright" to fade out the song. |
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Post by Kathy on May 13, 2008 12:19:14 GMT -5
as an old school mats fan...14 songs i loved right away.... i even loved the hell out of silver naked ladies, which i know most people despised.... That's funny, I've always liked Silver Naked Ladies and thought it had a real bluesy kind of alcohol fueled vibe about to it. Especially with the druken chant of "S'allright" to fade out the song. I liked "Silver Naked Ladies" too, for what it is, and "down Love" as well. But "Sit Yer Butt Down"....oof. Infidel! |
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Post by Lieworth T. Elling III on May 13, 2008 14:20:11 GMT -5
see kathy, i love "someone i once knew" and sit your butt down never bothered me in the least, it's a phrase i've heard used in real life many many times, whereas "roll the dice behind your shades" is something i've never heard at any time other than that song, and it seems like a painfully strained attempt at getting an idea or image across that doesn't have much going for it anyway.
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ujraht
Dances With Posts
Posts: 58
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Post by ujraht on May 13, 2008 17:31:39 GMT -5
Don't mean to nitpick, Tom, but it was just one guy from the Neighborhoods [Dave Minehan] backing PW in that band [on guitar]. The bass player was Darren Hill, who I believe is now PW's manager, and the drummer was Josh Freese.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< no problemo on the correction, and thanks!!!!!!!!!!!>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>. tom
There were a tasty band, however [although I seem to remember reading some stuff indicating PW had some problems with them - giving them shit onstage or getting pissed off at them for messing up etc.]. As someone else posted here recently, the SNL performance with that outfit was the balls.
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