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Post by PeterCetera on Sept 14, 2004 21:35:16 GMT -5
I think I rambled this morning about how much I hated this album.
I think I am sick.
Im cranking this right now and really enjoying it.
What is wrong with me.
I should keep my mouth shut 'tlll I know better.
I apologize to all for my rambling.
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Post by PeterCetera on Sept 14, 2004 21:36:45 GMT -5
Also, Entertainment Weekly had good things to say about it.. B + was the grade. It was a short review alongside Villagehead Gorilla Boy or whatever its called. I havent heard it. They gave that a B -.
Perhaps someone has the EW review on here already but I couldnt find it on their site to post.
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Post by WsBigBrownBeaver on Sept 14, 2004 22:13:27 GMT -5
It's not Scottish, therefore it's crap....
Growing slowly on me.... very slowly.... like that fungus between my toes. I can manage an "OK" on a few songs, but some are seriously painful. His voice sucks now... all whiney and out of tune.... and that monotonous drum beat.... turn it off!!
What pisses me off is how he bragged like it was his greatest record in a long time. I'll take "Meet Me down the Alley" or "What a day for a night" over any song on this album. He's an idiot for not putting on "Everything Goes Wrong"..... He set expectations too high... Even Suicane had "Lookin out Forever"... far better than where he's Lookin now....
Man Without Ties, Without voice, without studio.... pretty soon Man Without blindly loyal fanbase....
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Doug
First Class Scout
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Post by Doug on Sept 15, 2004 2:40:01 GMT -5
if you're the person formerly known as "doug in melbourne" well, i've got to correct you. folker is most certainly available here in melbourne. i bought 2 copies last thursday - 2 days after it's u.s. release date. ring greville records. they'll get it on import for you. and heaps quicker and cheaper than amazon -$35aus. so what are you waiting for. make the call and hope on the folker. Thanks. I was hoping to save a few bucks at JB. I may get Steve Earle this week and save Paul for a week or two later. |
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Post by PeterCetera on Sept 15, 2004 5:31:47 GMT -5
I will probably end up chopping this CD up and putting a few songs off of Come Feel Me on a mix. I hate to have to do that to a Westie album but Im not sure if it holds up straight through. What a Day for a Night and Alley could replace the really stinky songs on this album. What am I getting at? I dont know. I cant believe Im even listening to this album still. I swear, I played it like 200 times and couldnt find anything I liked other than the really obvious tunes. I have found that if it is cranked on a good stereo, the album takes on new life. In my car ( a weaker stereo) it just doent have much life.
Sometimes things take a long time to grow. I remember thinking Answering Machine was a sloppy mess and of course, now its one of the most unique and moving tunes I know of.
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Post by loraaw on Sept 15, 2004 10:24:58 GMT -5
Ok, I've been listening to it a week now and STILL don't like a single song. The vocals and lyrics turn me off and the songs seem to run together.
Perhaps I'm being a little hard on the guy, but I agree with the previous poster that Paul asked for this by giving Folker so much pre-release hype. I'm surprised by all the positive reviews from music journalists. I want to hear what they're hearing, but just can't.
And to lend some validity to my fandome - I LOVE Suicaine. I even like several songs off "that awful blues CD." I've gone to the Church of Paul Worship for decades now. I even like Tommy's "Gorilla Head" thing.
I have no musical training and wouldn't know a bad drum solo if the stick broke and hit me in the head. But I do know what I like and don't like. And what I don't like is my favorite artist literally giving up, figuring the same fans will continue to buy cheaply made albums and collecting the paycheck.
I think the stories of him trying to sell his "jingle" and writing movie soundtracks totally back up that he's simply trying to support his family, earning a paycheck with music, the only thing he knows. And I can respect him not wanting to leave the house, staying with his son, etc. Sure, he has every right to do that; but I also have every right to give up and refuse to buy any more of his basement tapes. I don't need an album every year. I'd settle for a more professional release every three years.
And you guys also have every right to jump on me now.
(I still haven't lost my faith in live Paul, however, and will shell out my $20-whatever bucks for a live show just about anywhere in the U.S. at this point).
-Laura
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Smorgasberg
Star Scout
It has to be the shoes, money!
Posts: 527
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Post by Smorgasberg on Sept 15, 2004 11:41:12 GMT -5
You know, Paul has always talked up his releases before they came out. I remember him saying about "Eventually," ,"If you don't like it now, just wait ten years and you will." But I do think expectations around Folker are biting him in the butt.
I think its a combination of things. One, he's gotten very prolific, and I know that made me think, well, he's getting tuned up for some kind of masterpiece (and let's face it, most everybody here thinks he's got one in him). Second, the songs that came out early, Lookin' Up and As Far as I Know, were very catchy and poppy, so there was reason to think this album might be a more accessible one. And then, finally, Paul's comments did get me pretty excited about the record. I think he was honest about it being very personal and all, but somehow, I translated his enthusiasm into a stated intention to give this album a big push. Again, its not what he said so much as what this hopeful fan made out of what he said.
The net result, in my opinion, is that he's made a record that's very much like Stereo, and that's just not what we were expecting. So he's getting backlash, even though the album, like the last few basement records, has some very good moments.
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Post by Leftofthedial on Sept 15, 2004 11:53:44 GMT -5
Man, what a bunch of whiners!!! This album is easily the best thing Westerberg has done since 'Pleased To Meet Me'. When he was in the studio all during the 90s everybody was like 'whah I miss the Mats, these songs are too polished', now that he is in the basement you're all like 'I wish he'd make another Suicane' but when SG was out you hated it!!! As Paul so aptly stated on 'Now I Wonder' 'you're damned if you do, you're damned if you don't'. F*ck all this bitching, I'm loving 'Folker' and have had it on constant play for over a week. Paul don't owe me shit either, the man has put out better music than anyone else from his generation. I'll follow him wherever he wants to go.
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Post by kgp on Sept 15, 2004 12:07:20 GMT -5
This is mainly addressed to the naysayers, but anyone feel free chime in.
*Do you think that instead of 'Paul's releasing a bunch of cheaply made albums because he knowns his core fanbase will buy them', maybe he truly believes that every song is worthy? Not every artist, most actually, is a good judge of their work and Paul doesn't have anyone telling him 'no' anymore. he almost didn't put 'Bookmark' (in my opinion the best song on the album) on Suicaine except at Don Was's insistance. I'm a fan of the warts and all approach (warts, rashes, gratuitous vomit), and by no means think he should go back to multi-million dollar studios, but sometimes he could use a second pair of ears.
*If Folker was a Granpaboy record with a crayoned, duct taped cover, not a proper Paul Westerberg album, would your expectations be a little different? As much as I loved Dead Man Shake (and I do, I swear) I really expected it to be awful. Was your expectations this time, beacause he talked it up in the press and because 'ok, Paul's goofed around enough, now he's going to make a real record.' higher than they were for the last few albums?
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Post by Placemat on Sept 15, 2004 12:45:44 GMT -5
I'll chime in with my two cents...
I should start by saying I DO like Folker. I don't think it's Paul's best, but then it's not his worst either.
Concerning the production, I'm still digging the low-tec do-it-yourself approach. Since Stereo, Mono & CFMT (fantastic albums) were all recorded in the same manner; I don't believe a more polished sound would improve the record any.
However, I do think an extra set of ears wouldn't hurt. Self-editing for any artist is tough & another perspective couldn't hurt. Besides Paul could just tell whomever to fuck off if he disagreed.
For me the biggest (& only) let down is the lyrics. Excluding "My Dad", I find the lyrics to be sub par (Westerberg wise) at best. In fact some lines are real duds.
Then again "Gun Shy" is my favorite & lyrically it's nonsensical at best. So WTF do I know.
In the end, I'm happy to have some new material to digest & look forward to the next record.
BUT, I am hoping for some more rockers in the next go around.
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Harry
Star Scout
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Post by Harry on Sept 15, 2004 12:56:38 GMT -5
Bookmark.....ugh
Harbinger of the future basement years.
A performace worthy of that kid Marcus doing Killing Me Softly in the (great) movie "About A Boy"
But I agree he needs at least a 2nd set of ears, probably several more sets. I say this from ignorance re: Folker because I haven't heard it yet, except for "AS Far As I know"...which I LOVE...but something tells me from the banter on here that I'm not going to dig the rest quite as much......
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Post by troublkepnyerhedup on Sept 15, 2004 13:05:53 GMT -5
Then again "Gun Shy" is my favorite & lyrically it's nonsensical at best. Maybe "Gun Shy" is Folker's "I Am A Walrus." I dig the lyrics and they just might mean something. Anyone with ideas, please post on the Gun Shy thread in the Lyrics folder of this message board. |
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Post by Placemat on Sept 15, 2004 13:07:04 GMT -5
I say this from ignorance re: Folker because I haven't heard it yet, except for "AS Far As I know"...which I LOVE...but something tells me from the banter on here that I'm not going to dig the rest quite as much...... Welcome aboard Har! & Never say never. Pick it up & judge for yourself. 3-4 tracks ain't half bad. & Oh yeah, spot on regarding "Bookmark"! |
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Post by Placemat on Sept 15, 2004 13:12:19 GMT -5
Maybe "Gun Shy" is Folker's "I Am A Walrus." I dig the lyrics. I think they even mean something. Just not sure what yet. I liked your roadside flea market idea. Love the image of a middle age guy pacing around in his cage snarling at the shoppers. Please let me know the meaning once you figure it out. |
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Post by paulie on Sept 15, 2004 14:11:18 GMT -5
this thread should be dead. its as ridiculous to call Folker his best as it is to call it awful. Folker is a collection of one takes, four track, experimentation that was an exercise in Pauls new lo fi recording style. if this was Grandpaboy it would certainly be GBs best work yet.
if this was released as some underground hard to find Paul c.d. it would be hailed as the second coming. and if ya really don't like it i'll start up a collection so you can get your money back.(as long as you use the refund to get a clue). ouch
p.s. kathy don't blast me for this post i just cant take anymore people dissing pauls hard work
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Post by HillBillyJunk on Sept 15, 2004 14:13:03 GMT -5
i personaly think it very well could be his best...
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Post by Kathy on Sept 15, 2004 14:26:41 GMT -5
Man, what a bunch of whiners!!! This album is easily the best thing Westerberg has done since 'Pleased To Meet Me'. When he was in the studio all during the 90s everybody was like 'whah I miss the Mats, these songs are too polished', now that he is in the basement you're all like 'I wish he'd make another Suicane' but when SG was out you hated it!!! As Paul so aptly stated on 'Now I Wonder' 'you're damned if you do, you're damned if you don't'. F*ck all this bitching, I'm loving 'Folker' and have had it on constant play for over a week. Paul don't owe me shit either, the man has put out better music than anyone else from his generation. I'll follow him wherever he wants to go. You need to take that down a notch...I know that 99.9% of web message boards discussions are basically "You're stupid if you don't agree with me" (aka "What a bunch of whiners!") but I'd like to aim a bit higher than that here. Love the cd, hate the cd, just keep it less about what's wrong with people who don't agree with you and more about what you like/don't like about the CD. Please. |
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Harry
Star Scout
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Post by Harry on Sept 15, 2004 14:50:21 GMT -5
experimentation that was an exercise in Pauls new lo fi recording style. ... p.s. kathy don't blast me for this post i just cant take anymore people dissing pauls hard work Don't be sick of it, dude. Again, I haven't hear it yet. But it's undeniable that hopes, if not expectations, HAVE been raised in advance of this disc. You call it an "experiment" in his "new" lo-fi recording style. This actually makes it the 5th straight disc in his you-say-low-fi-I-say-half-assed, tossed-off recording style. It's not dissing his "hard work"....it's holding his feet to the fire and wishing he "would" work hard. It used to take him 3 years to come up with a disc that had half GREAT tunes and half filler. It was worth the wait. |
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Post by Leftofthedial on Sept 15, 2004 15:35:54 GMT -5
Sorry about my rant Kathy  . I got wound up is all. It won't happen again. Peace |
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Post by Kathy on Sept 15, 2004 16:06:51 GMT -5
Sorry about my rant Kathy . I got wound up is all. It won't happen again. Peace np, I just want to make sure people feel comfortable giving their constructive opinion if they don't like the new stuff...people don't have to love everything Paul does in order to post here. They can though  |
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. I got wound up is all. It won't happen again. Peace