Tommy
Posted by pzp | Filed under In Love With That Song
Great artists use their popular clout to bring issues and injustice to the public’s attention, to shed light on the problems and troubles that would otherwise go unnoticed. Few bands have been as devoted to this cause as The Replacements. Which brings us to their sorrowful ode to the failing 1980’s British health care system, Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out.
In the song, the character
Next week, we look at how twenty five years ago the Mats championed wrongly imprisoned Cable salesman Gary
Can’t Hardly Wait, A Retrospective: The Last
Posted by Wolfdog | Filed under Can't Hardly Wait, In Love With That Song, Media
After Pleased To Meet Me, Can’t Hardly Wait was pretty much unchanged when the Mats’ played it live. Their live act found a touch of stability as they played larger venues and did an opening stint for Tom Petty. The number of covers played drop significantly and the older Twin Tone songs started dropping off the setlist.
I assume one of the reasons they packed it in after playing the Taste Of Chicago in Grant Park that Fourth Of July weekend in 1991 was that it must have been getting stale for Paul and Tommy. But still, for the very last Can’t Hardly Wait, they cranked out a good ‘un.
In the Blogs: 30 Years of Minnesota Rock, Coming to Terms with Tommy Stinson, and other stuff
Posted by Jodi | Filed under In the Blogs
MN Speak offers up some videos chronicling 30 years of Minnesota rock including two pieces by the ‘Mats.
Things I Just Cant Come To Terms With: Tommy Stinson Edition: “Tommy’s been part of the non record releasing G&R lineup since 1998. If he makes it past 2010 Tommy will have spent more time in Guns and Roses than in the Replacements.” (Gah! I wonder how that’s gonna make those Tommy lovers feel.)
This one gets a mention only because I really, really love The Weakerthans, and this guy compares The Weakerthans to both The Dead Milkmen and The Replacements, and, well, it’s an apt description.
A Toast to Paul Westerberg, wherein Westernerds are compared to Dylan fans.
On “Sixteen Blue”: “the lyrics were nothing complicated but they seemed so confessional and seemed to strike on something that reached beyond one person’s experience that i believed every word.”
There is no next Bob Dylan, compares Paul Westerberg to Bob Dylan. Kind of.
Video Tuesday — Now with two times the purpose
Posted by Jodi | Filed under Seen Your Video
How is it possible, you are undoubtedly asking yourself, how could Video Tuesday now have two times the purpose? Is such a thing possible?
Yes, my friends, it is. This week’s video pilfered from YouTube is a clip of “If Only You Were Lonely” from Westerberg’s 2002 show at the Warsaw Room in Brooklyn.
And what’s the got to do with purpose? Probably nothing, but it is fitting seeing as this week’s Poll is about this very song! I know your mind is reeling.
Comments on the poll
Posted by ElegantMule | Filed under Uncategorized
Has it ever occurred to anyone that Westerberg was talking about his abilities to pick up chicks in “If Only You Were Lonely”? After all, he ALWAYS writes about video games, and he ALWAYS writes about masturbating (God knows), and he ALWAYS refers to his guitar playing in songs, so I realize its a tough call. Especially because he NEVER talks about CHICKS in songs.
16 down
Posted by pzp | Filed under Uncategorized
16 down - The best thing that never happened.
We should start a bookclub, really (and yes, believe it or not this is Paul Westerberg related)
Posted by Jodi | Filed under Books
I spent tonight reading Milan Kundera’s Ignorance (because I have to discuss it in bookclub [Wolfdogg is in the club] tomorrow) and catching up on some blog reading. Yes, it’s a sexy Saturday night in Minnesota.
During my online catchup, I stumbled upon Joshua Furst’s Book Notes essay about his novel The Sabotage Cafe.
Can I just say, based on the playlist Furst created for the novel, I think we should all read it? Of course I can say it. That was one of the dumbest sentences I’ve ever read. Anyway, the playlist includes five or so songs by The Replacements, Husker Du, Tom Waits, The Clash, and well shouldn’t we as Westernerds support any author with such good taste in music?
Hell yes we should. But more than that, Furst writes over at Largehearted Boy
The first thing you should know about The Sabotage Café is that it takes place in Minneapolis. Every scene in the book is affected by the mixture of stoic endurance and landlocked despair that makes the upper Midwest such a complicated, moody place.
So come on, let’s read it! Or I should say, I’m gonna read it, you should too so I can have someone to talk to about it.
I don’t know about youse guys, but I’ve already ordered the book (it doesn’t actually come out until Tuesday, August 28).
I think we should all read it and then we can come back here and discuss it. How much fun will that be? (I am being sincere here). We can consider it practice for The Replacements: All Over But the Shouting: An Oral History, which comes out in November.
Cool page of ‘Mats memorabilia
Posted by blasty | Filed under asides
Posters and various items of Replacements memorabilia from The Minnesota Historical Society website.
Can’t Hardly Wait, A Retrospective: Memphis
Posted by Wolfdog | Filed under Can't Hardly Wait, In Love With That Song, Media
This week contains a double shot of Can’t Hardly Wait. They are taken from the recording sessions for Pleased To Meet Me in Memphis produced by Jim Dickinson, producer of Big Star’s Third/Sister Lovers. The lyrics have changed, references to climbing a water tower, and the possiblity of jumping off (I can’t hardly wait…..’til it’s over) are gone replaced with the more hopefully anxious writing of a letter.
The first one here is the base track consisting of Paul Westerberg’s guitar and vocal, Tommy Stinson’s bass, Chris Mars’ drums, and Memphis Slim’s keyboard.
This second mix (released as a 7 inch single with Chris Mars’ Cool Water on the flipside) pulls out all the stops as Dickinson adds various guest stars. The Memphis Horns punctuate each line, Alex Chilton adds a shimmering rhythm guitar soaring over the mix, Dickinson’s teenage son, Luther (later of the North Mississippi All-Stars) adds electric guitar fills. The keyboards from the base track are either removed or buried under this wall of sound. Overall, a very Big Star-ish treatment. Many of these elements are pulled back on the album mix, leaving Westerberg’s guitar and the horns prominent.
It ain’t over until the Fat Roadie plays
Posted by Jodi | Filed under Concert you can download
Infonistacrat has the very last Replacements’ concert from the Taste of Chicago in 1991 available for you to download.
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