Post by nowwesayitoutloud on Nov 1, 2006 20:47:14 GMT -5
Pulse of the Twin Cities has an enthusiastic review.
'Round the Dial: Westerberg heads to the woods
Wednesday 01 November @ 12:48:10
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “(Punk rock) is Bob Dylan to me; My story could be his songs, I’m his soldier-child.” – D. Boon (From “History Lesson, Pt. 2”)
SONG OF THE WEEK: “Fallen Down” – Epic Soundtracks
Hiya, music hounds. I’m making up for my recent broken promises this week and actually running a couple of CD reviews rather than rant on and on in my usual abrasive style. I’m sure most of you are thrilled—me, I’m sippin’ a Hot Toddy and watchin’ the first snowfall of the year cover the frosty Alaskan soil up here overlooking Kachemak Bay, so I don’t mind spending a fuzzy afternoon with some great new(er) releases. Hope ya’ll enjoy ‘em as much as I have ...
“Open Season” Soundtrack
Featuring The Songs Of Paul Westerberg
2006
Lost Highway
Yep, it’s another animated kiddie movie with a soundtrack written by a beloved cult figure icon (think Randy Newman minus the Lexus), but this time the robots in Hollywood have actually hired a guy whose songs have never even approximated the steadfast pabulum formula they’ve established over the past 20 years or so. At least Newman had a “Short People” behind him.
That being said, this film (featuring the instantly-recognizable voices of a bevy of current Hollywood faves) actually DOES have a great, positive message for not only children, but anybody who gives a damn if our planet survives intact as it is beyond the next 40 or 50 years. The premise is animals learning to cope with the inevitable (and foul) spread of humanity onto their natural stomping grounds and the adventures that ensue when the various characters make their (all-too-human) decisions and declare their loyalties.
And truly, for once the songs on a soundtrack album (children’s film or otherwise) FINALLY match the ambiance, the subject matter, and the advertised feel of the movie itself while at the same time standing alone as simply wonderful modern pop/rock songwriting. It’s also cool to see Paul bring back “Good Day,” a song he wrote a few years ago that for some reason always reminded me of Bob Stinson and will now (once I see the movie) probably resonate with Bambi-esque poignance. But at least a whole new audience gets another chance to hear a great Paul tune.
But hell, I haven’t even seen the flick yet. I’m just thrilled as all get-out to have a fresh collection of songs (though I guess Paul wrote about 30 new ones, and only a handful of those made the final release here) from one of my favorite hometown songwriters to help ease the pain of the oncoming winter doldrums.
Anyhow, some of the finer tunes on this collection (nary a stinker in the batch—though from what I’ve heard, Paul went through hell in Hollywood with said robots over everything from the content of his lyrics to the sound of his voice—at one point, they even had PETE YORN re-sing one of the cuts for no apparent reason I can tell, as both versions are on this CD) match anything Mr. W’s done since the late ’90s, and are definitely on the whole a cheerier batch of ditties than he’s whipped up in ages.
“Meet Me In The Meadow” is a rollicking, romantic, up-tempo romp through the fields of Paul’s personal rock ’n’ roll forest (the fact that he just spent half a decade or so with his son, Johnny, shines through on virtually EVERY track here), replete with those catchy, snappy lines Paul’s so famous for and a sweeping, epic feel that makes it a perfect soundtrack cut as well as a nifty jukebox or mix CD track.
“Love You In The Fall” is so timely it’s not funny (good job, wonks!), and reminds me of one of the more soul-stirring tracks from Paul’s post-14 Songs period; “I Belong” (this is the cut those wonks had Pete Yorn re-cut, a needless exercise in studio pomposity if you ask me, but then Paul himself, in THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, no less, said about this entire project that it was like doing, “... community service after my last arrest,” so there ya go) is a beautiful, sad and memorable ballad; “Any Better Than This” bumps and bounces right outta the gate, Paul tossing out his tried-and-true smart-ass lines like, “I’m a knight in shining arm-chair ...” and “Right To Arm Bears” is as silly, danceable and downright infectiously catchy as it sounds.
“All About Me” could’ve been an outtake from any of Paul’s recent albums, but the fact that the lyrics are pointed straight at the film and its various (one would assume loveable) characters makes it particularly hard-hitting, while the gutsy, choked-up “Whisper Me Luck” is one of those tracks that makes this songwriter’s work stand out above almost anybody his age in (or close to) his career-stage as I can imagine—Paul’s a cranky, sometimes dorky curmudgeon, but he can still pull them ol’ heart-strings like a puppet master, and I for one think this kiddie movie soundtrack is as good or better than either Folker or Come Feel Me Tremble.
I should mention that there are a couple interesting cuts here from Deathray, kinda nerdy but fun keyboard-driven rockers called “I Wanna Lose Control (Uh Oh)” and “Wild As I Wanna Be,” both of which I found interesting enough to spin loudly at my weekly pub DJ gig, as well as a regular studio version of the Talking Heads’ classic “Wild Wild Life” and the aforementioned Pete Yorn’s (I don’t dislike Pete, but having him re-cut a song Paul already does on this album is kinda like sticking his version of The Ramones’ “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend” on a mix CD right next to the original—what the hell’s the point?) re-take on “I Belong,” but this album unquestionably belongs to Mr. Westerberg, and I’m satisfied he’s fully back on track with his career and writing better songs every time out.
That’s sayin’ a lot from a guy who still plays “Here Comes A Regular” once a week JUST BECAUSE I LIKE TO FEEL SAD. Good job, Paul. I not only whisper ya luck in the next phase of your career, but unabashedly SHOUT for it. You fucking deserve it, my friend. Fans and the curious can check it out at losthighwayrecords.com.
If you have local music news/gigs/events/CDs you’d like to see mentioned in this space, or you’d just like to put some yabba dabba in my doo, send replies to: Tmygunn77764@yahoo.com. ||
'Round the Dial: Westerberg heads to the woods
Wednesday 01 November @ 12:48:10
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “(Punk rock) is Bob Dylan to me; My story could be his songs, I’m his soldier-child.” – D. Boon (From “History Lesson, Pt. 2”)
SONG OF THE WEEK: “Fallen Down” – Epic Soundtracks
Hiya, music hounds. I’m making up for my recent broken promises this week and actually running a couple of CD reviews rather than rant on and on in my usual abrasive style. I’m sure most of you are thrilled—me, I’m sippin’ a Hot Toddy and watchin’ the first snowfall of the year cover the frosty Alaskan soil up here overlooking Kachemak Bay, so I don’t mind spending a fuzzy afternoon with some great new(er) releases. Hope ya’ll enjoy ‘em as much as I have ...
“Open Season” Soundtrack
Featuring The Songs Of Paul Westerberg
2006
Lost Highway
Yep, it’s another animated kiddie movie with a soundtrack written by a beloved cult figure icon (think Randy Newman minus the Lexus), but this time the robots in Hollywood have actually hired a guy whose songs have never even approximated the steadfast pabulum formula they’ve established over the past 20 years or so. At least Newman had a “Short People” behind him.
That being said, this film (featuring the instantly-recognizable voices of a bevy of current Hollywood faves) actually DOES have a great, positive message for not only children, but anybody who gives a damn if our planet survives intact as it is beyond the next 40 or 50 years. The premise is animals learning to cope with the inevitable (and foul) spread of humanity onto their natural stomping grounds and the adventures that ensue when the various characters make their (all-too-human) decisions and declare their loyalties.
And truly, for once the songs on a soundtrack album (children’s film or otherwise) FINALLY match the ambiance, the subject matter, and the advertised feel of the movie itself while at the same time standing alone as simply wonderful modern pop/rock songwriting. It’s also cool to see Paul bring back “Good Day,” a song he wrote a few years ago that for some reason always reminded me of Bob Stinson and will now (once I see the movie) probably resonate with Bambi-esque poignance. But at least a whole new audience gets another chance to hear a great Paul tune.
But hell, I haven’t even seen the flick yet. I’m just thrilled as all get-out to have a fresh collection of songs (though I guess Paul wrote about 30 new ones, and only a handful of those made the final release here) from one of my favorite hometown songwriters to help ease the pain of the oncoming winter doldrums.
Anyhow, some of the finer tunes on this collection (nary a stinker in the batch—though from what I’ve heard, Paul went through hell in Hollywood with said robots over everything from the content of his lyrics to the sound of his voice—at one point, they even had PETE YORN re-sing one of the cuts for no apparent reason I can tell, as both versions are on this CD) match anything Mr. W’s done since the late ’90s, and are definitely on the whole a cheerier batch of ditties than he’s whipped up in ages.
“Meet Me In The Meadow” is a rollicking, romantic, up-tempo romp through the fields of Paul’s personal rock ’n’ roll forest (the fact that he just spent half a decade or so with his son, Johnny, shines through on virtually EVERY track here), replete with those catchy, snappy lines Paul’s so famous for and a sweeping, epic feel that makes it a perfect soundtrack cut as well as a nifty jukebox or mix CD track.
“Love You In The Fall” is so timely it’s not funny (good job, wonks!), and reminds me of one of the more soul-stirring tracks from Paul’s post-14 Songs period; “I Belong” (this is the cut those wonks had Pete Yorn re-cut, a needless exercise in studio pomposity if you ask me, but then Paul himself, in THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, no less, said about this entire project that it was like doing, “... community service after my last arrest,” so there ya go) is a beautiful, sad and memorable ballad; “Any Better Than This” bumps and bounces right outta the gate, Paul tossing out his tried-and-true smart-ass lines like, “I’m a knight in shining arm-chair ...” and “Right To Arm Bears” is as silly, danceable and downright infectiously catchy as it sounds.
“All About Me” could’ve been an outtake from any of Paul’s recent albums, but the fact that the lyrics are pointed straight at the film and its various (one would assume loveable) characters makes it particularly hard-hitting, while the gutsy, choked-up “Whisper Me Luck” is one of those tracks that makes this songwriter’s work stand out above almost anybody his age in (or close to) his career-stage as I can imagine—Paul’s a cranky, sometimes dorky curmudgeon, but he can still pull them ol’ heart-strings like a puppet master, and I for one think this kiddie movie soundtrack is as good or better than either Folker or Come Feel Me Tremble.
I should mention that there are a couple interesting cuts here from Deathray, kinda nerdy but fun keyboard-driven rockers called “I Wanna Lose Control (Uh Oh)” and “Wild As I Wanna Be,” both of which I found interesting enough to spin loudly at my weekly pub DJ gig, as well as a regular studio version of the Talking Heads’ classic “Wild Wild Life” and the aforementioned Pete Yorn’s (I don’t dislike Pete, but having him re-cut a song Paul already does on this album is kinda like sticking his version of The Ramones’ “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend” on a mix CD right next to the original—what the hell’s the point?) re-take on “I Belong,” but this album unquestionably belongs to Mr. Westerberg, and I’m satisfied he’s fully back on track with his career and writing better songs every time out.
That’s sayin’ a lot from a guy who still plays “Here Comes A Regular” once a week JUST BECAUSE I LIKE TO FEEL SAD. Good job, Paul. I not only whisper ya luck in the next phase of your career, but unabashedly SHOUT for it. You fucking deserve it, my friend. Fans and the curious can check it out at losthighwayrecords.com.
If you have local music news/gigs/events/CDs you’d like to see mentioned in this space, or you’d just like to put some yabba dabba in my doo, send replies to: Tmygunn77764@yahoo.com. ||