Post by kgp on Oct 22, 2006 16:56:00 GMT -5
End Times?
By Jeffrey Lee Puckett
The Courier-Journal
For some, the very existence of this record is a sign of end times. How could Paul Westerberg, the guy who turned the Replacements into an icon of tears-on-your-sleeve punk rock, be doing the soundtrack for "Open Season," an animated children's movie?
And while it does seem wrong for Westerberg to have anything to do with Ashton Kutcher (the voice of a "fast talking mule deer"), the music shows off all of Westerberg's typical strengths: It's loose, catchy and fun, with a big heart and more than a trace of the garage to keep things honest.
Several songs are as strong as anything Westerberg has done post-Replacements, even though you have to make occasional allowance for plot-related lyrics. "Love You in the Fall," "Meet Me in the Meadow" and "I Belong" are classic Westerberg, while "Right to Arm Bears" and "Any Better Than This" are the kind of charming throwaways he can do in his sleep.
You'll have to suffer through a couple of Deathray songs, one of which Westerberg wrote, but the inclusion of "Good Day," resurrected from Westerberg's 1996 album, "Eventually," is a huge bonus. Pete Yorn's reprise of "I Belong," featuring part of Westerberg's instrumental score, is also pretty sweet.
Westerberg has always been sort of a cartoon character, so maybe "Open Season" is a logical progression. More than that, however, it's just a good Paul Westerberg album, and those can never be dismissed.
By Jeffrey Lee Puckett
The Courier-Journal
For some, the very existence of this record is a sign of end times. How could Paul Westerberg, the guy who turned the Replacements into an icon of tears-on-your-sleeve punk rock, be doing the soundtrack for "Open Season," an animated children's movie?
And while it does seem wrong for Westerberg to have anything to do with Ashton Kutcher (the voice of a "fast talking mule deer"), the music shows off all of Westerberg's typical strengths: It's loose, catchy and fun, with a big heart and more than a trace of the garage to keep things honest.
Several songs are as strong as anything Westerberg has done post-Replacements, even though you have to make occasional allowance for plot-related lyrics. "Love You in the Fall," "Meet Me in the Meadow" and "I Belong" are classic Westerberg, while "Right to Arm Bears" and "Any Better Than This" are the kind of charming throwaways he can do in his sleep.
You'll have to suffer through a couple of Deathray songs, one of which Westerberg wrote, but the inclusion of "Good Day," resurrected from Westerberg's 1996 album, "Eventually," is a huge bonus. Pete Yorn's reprise of "I Belong," featuring part of Westerberg's instrumental score, is also pretty sweet.
Westerberg has always been sort of a cartoon character, so maybe "Open Season" is a logical progression. More than that, however, it's just a good Paul Westerberg album, and those can never be dismissed.