------------------------------------------------------------------------------- / // The\kyway \\ / skyway@novia.net Issue #39 July 4th, 1996 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (c) 1996 Bastards of Young (BOY/BetaOmegaYamma) Productions list manager: Matthew Tomich (matt@novia.net) technical consultant and thanks to: Bob Fulkerson of Novia Networking ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SKYWAY SUBSCRIPTION/LISTSERVER INFORMATION Send all listserver commands in the body of a letter to "majordomo@novia.net" To subscribe to the //Skyway\\: subscribe skyway To unsubscribe from the //Skyway\\: unsubscribe skyway THE //SKYWAY\\ WEB PAGE Check here for back issues, lyrics, discography, and other files. http://www.novia.net/~matt/sky/skyway.html ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Send submissions to: skyway@novia.net ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0. Campin'! (M@) I. Heya! A. Mark Reiter B. Eric Neffke C. Dag Hjermann D. Dana Roark E. Robert Sweeney F. Tom Finnigan G. Tom Schaedler H. Taejoo Jang Lee I. Marc Horton J. Yokota Yashuhiko K. Maureen II. Westerberg stuff (but not concert reviews) A. _Eventually_ reviews 1. Dreampop (Brendon Macaraeg) 2. The Washington Post (Andrew Smythe) 3. Rockin' On (Mutsuko Nagai) B. Interviews 1. Beat (Dag Hjermann) 2. Raygun (Chuck) C. What YOUSE gots to say 1. Mr. Downward 2. Waylon Smith 3. Anonymous D. Pranks 1. Bobby Kennedy! (Marlena) III. Tommy Stinson and Perfect A. Portland OR (Matthew Nahorniak) IV. Comment to y'all! (Laura White) V. This interview deserves its own category (Peebrain) VI. Wanted (bootlegs/info on old Minneapolis bands) A. Kent Graham B. Peebrain C. Andrew Hicken VII. WESTERBERG CONCERT REVIEWS! [Warning: these contain set lists and other spoiled surprises!] A. June 22, Columbia MO (David Lucash) B. St. Louis MO (Joe Thebeau) C. June 27, Atlanta GA (Greg Hallidy) D. June 28 (Elizabeth Stuck) E. June 30, Memphis TN (Chris Ratliff) F. The equipment low-down (Bill Ruef) _____________________________________________________________________________ 0. THE REPLACEMENTS NEVER WROTE A SONG ABOUT CAMP SO WHAT CAN I SAY Hey, this is gonna be brief. I'm at camp, I don't get much in the way of serious free time but I pounded out this issue of the Skyway at the expense of some the grammar/punctuation/justification editing that normally goes into an issue. I didn't have any time to scan alt.music.replacements so the articles from there that show up here are solely thanks to the work once again of Duncan DeGraffenreid. (The concert reviews are in the back in case you don't want to ruin any setlist surprises.) Also, I'm connecting to this service via the wonders of long distance, so my replies to letters have been punctually short. When I get back to the urban environment, my letters o' thanks and get-to-know-yahs will be more verbose! Check out the tablature transcription to "Unsatisfied" by Jose Moreno at http://www.novia.net/~matt/sky/skyway.html! HEY! I'm shooting to be at the Boston Westerberg show on July 29th. (I just got wind from Kathy that there's a Providence RI show two days earlier on the 27th.) Write in...maybe Kathy'll be organizing some shindig get-together in Boston prior to the show! Today is July 4th...Westerberg is playing Grant Park in Chicago on the 5 year anniversary of the 'Mats last show...can't wait to hear alllll about it! Off to go skinny dipping... Matt! _____________________________________________________________________________ I. ALOHA! Date: Mon, 3 Jun 1996 14:37:31 -0400 (EDT) From: Mark C Reiter Subject: Yet another 'Mats junkie tells all Skyway, I'll be really brief with my 'Mats story, it's very similar to just about everyone's here. My friend Brian and I were on a road trip in late '89. He brought a copy of Let It Be and snuck it into my tape deck between my playings of pre-"Alternative" dreck. The tape happened to be cued to "Black Diamond" and all I could think was, "damn, this sucks." I shot Brian a glance and rolled my eyes and he just laughed. By the time the tape cycled back to "I Will Dare", I was hooked. So, a flurry of CD purchases followed and my obsession with Minneapolis' finest began. I saw the boys twice, once as headliners on the All Shook Down tour and again as an opening act for Elvis Costello. When 14 Songs came out and Paul toured, he stopped at University of Maryland. After the show, I hung out by the bus just to catch a glimpse and maybe give my thanks. He emerged from the hall and several people made grabs for the cigarette in his mouth and pulled at his jacket. I don't think I've ever seen a more profound look of fear and confusion on someone's face. He was terrified by the over-zealous attention. Still, he emerged from the bus about 15 minutes later to sign autographs and chat. I was dead last in the line and as I approached him, I couldn't find any words. All the emotion, energy and inspiration that Paul's music had fueled in me caught up with me as I stood facing him. I tried to get out some kind of coherent sentence... nope. Seeing my difficulty (how couldn't he? I looked like an idiot) he extended his hand and said "What's your name?" "Mark" "Mark, I'm Paul." (long pause) "I just wanted to say thanks and...." (unable to finish sentence) "Cool enough... Cool enough." ...and he looked at me like he got it, like he knew what it was like to be a teen-ager facing your rock hero and falling to pieces. There's, of course, no way he remembers me, but during that brief encounter I was convinced that beyond the rock star bullshit and the huge gulf between performer and audience was a genuine artist. I felt like I got out of "The Ledge", "Sixteen Blue", "Left of the Dial" and on and on exactly what I was supposed to. Does that make any sense? Anyway, other stuff I like...who cares? Wait... I WOULD like bootlegs. If anybody would be willing to sell or trade or whatever I would be extremely happy. -- Mark Date: Thu, 6 Jun 1996 00:06:45 -0400 (EDT) From: Eric R Neffke Subject: hi! I'm new here... Hi, I'm Eric... usually, I'm not the type who writes rambling e-mail messages, but I just want to introduce myself here. I haven't really been a Mats fan for as long as most... I became a fan after I was completely blown away by the two Westerberg tracks on the Singles soundtrack... soon after that I purchased 'Tim' and a Mats fan was born. Other than that there's not much to tell. One thing that the Mats (Paul in particular) did for me is give me the confidence to try my own hand in musical composition and performance (in other words, I started writing songs after I bought 'Tim') and recently, I've been given the chance to be co-frontperson and bass player for a band here in my hometown of Buffalo, NY (and no, I'm not proud to be a Buffalo resident). So anyway, sorry for rambling. Thanks for putting up with me. Eric N. Date: Thu, 13 Jun 1996 21:55:21 +0100 From: Dag Hjermann Hello Matt & everybody out there - thanks a lot for a great fanzine. My name is Dag and I live in Oslo, Norway. It's a long way from here to Minneapolis, and until recently my only contact with the group has been through their records. So I became a fan solely because of their music, not because of their reputation, which I have been completely (and luckily) ignorant of... I didn't even have an idea that they were called the Mats, for that matter. I bought "PleasedTMM" when it was released and I really liked it, but I was no fan until I got hold of "Sorry, Ma", "Stink", "Hoot", "Let It Be" and "Tim" on a trip to London. At about the same time, a friend of mine introduced me to Husker Du. From then on, Replacements and Husker Du were really important parts of my life. They were kind of my guiding spirits. I really needed that sometimes, especially around 1988-89 (when I was around 22). Although I only had their records, I think I had a closer relationship to the Replacements and Husker than to anyone in my surroundings. (This would sound silly to most people, but I know that a lot of you Skyway people understand it.) It wasn't only the lyrics that was special - it was the whole sound. For instance "Color Me Impressed" - I've never got much sense out of the lyrics, but the entire sound of those 3 (?) minutes is (to me) just an outburst of feeling, energy, or whatever it is. And "Here Comes A Regular" always made me cry - quite embarrassing. Well. I've no live histories to tell about the Mats - don't think they ever visited Oslo. But Paul did last year and I had really a good time. He played quite a lot of old Mats songs too (which I like best), some of them quite unexpectedly, like "Waitress in the Sky" and "Seen Your Video". Not a whole lot of Mats fans around here. There were someone who scribbled the lyrics of "Bastards of Young" on the toilet wall in the University. I answered on the same wall (even wrote my full name and phone number), but the guy (I presume it was a guy, it was in the men's room) never answered. Then there was a guy behind the counter in some record store in London - when he heard I was interested in the Replacements, he gave me two tapes with other Minneapolis groups, and refused to take money for it... One of those bands were really good - think they were called "The Holy Cows" or something...? Unfortunately I borrowed it to a friend many years ago, and the idiot lost it. [Possibly "The Cows"? Don't invite them to your house. They'll break your lamps and put Barry White on your stereo. -- M@] Other favourite music? I hardly buy music anymore, so I listen almost only to "oldies" like Tom Waits, Ramones, REM around 1985-1990, Neil Young, The Beat Farmers, The Rainmakers (big stars in Norway), etc. And (of course) Grant Hart and Bob Mould's post-Husker records - each of them have had great solo concerts in Oslo. By they way, I feel that Grant's role in Husker (and as "grandfather of grunge") is badly underrated (that doesn't mean that Mould has been overrated). Right now I've got a bit of a kick on the best sixties-punk band I know of, Thee Headcoats (Billy Childish' former band, Thee Mighty Caesars, were not bad either). And then there are a couple of quite good Norwegian groups, e.g. the former Jokke and Valentinerne, who had a bit of early-Mats-feeling when they existed. And some real old music (Hank Williams Sr. etc.). Again: thanks for a great fanzine. It's the only mailing list I subscribe to, and the only I need. Dag Hjermann hjermann@math.uio.no ------------------------------------------------------------ Dag Hjermann Div. of Zoology, Department of Biology, Univ. of Oslo, P.O. Box 1050 Blindern, 0316 Oslo, Norway Telephone: (+047) 22 85 45 83 (fax: 22 85 46 05, att: Hjermann) ------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 21 Jun 96 04:03:08 UT From: "Dana Roark" Subject: Hey, us Mats fans gotta stick together... Also, I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Dana, I'm a 25 year old chick from Baltimore (although I did live in the south for a time--people are so much friendlier down there!) and I have been a full-on Mats fan since 1986. They are one of my all-time favorite bands and one of the most unfairly ignored. But I guess I don't need to start on THAT issue--why preach to the converted. Or something. A cute Mats story to share from recent experience--I had to go to the dentist the other day. As my face began to slide off due to novacaine and there was a huge spit suction thingie in my mouth, the song "Mountain of Love" began to play on the light crap music station. This was obviously my cue to teach everyone a lesson, so as the...um....thing that sucks was taken out of my mouth, I had just enough time to belt out the last bits of "Waitress in the Sky" (starting with "...kiss my ass") to an incredibly stunned audience who probably thought I'd had more than just the novacaine. (I should probably also note here that that had to be one of the sloppist renditions of the song ever--novacaine is a real bitch for your singing!!) Oh, yeah--I also have some interesting Mats stuff in my collection, inc. an interview with Paul on vinyl that dates back to PTMM. I'd really be interested in trading tapes (some of my shit was stolen in a rather unfortunate incident, which I won't bore you with just now, but it did leave my collection rather impaired), and buying copies of bootlegs,etc. Just let me know... Well, I probably should get going now, as I do have to go to hell tomorrow. Well, O.K., work, but sometimes, there's really not that much of a difference. Long Live the Almighty Replacements, Dana Date: Sat, 22 Jun 1996 12:06:00 -0400 From: Robert Sweeney Subject: I'm New Here! Hello everyone. My name is Patrick Sweeney, I'm 16, and I love the 'Mats. My favorite song is either Answering Machine or Alex Chilton. Answering Machine is probably the greatest song I've ever heard, it really strikes a nerve. It looks like I'm going to be a touring musician for the rest of _this_ life and I can just picture me on the phone trying to contact my girl after a long time on the road. Of course, I never saw the 'Mats live because, well, I was too young, nor did I even really know about them. No one I know here even likes the 'Mats, so I can't really talk about them with anyone. later Patrick "We owe you nothing, you have no control!" - Fugazi Date: Wed, 26 Jun 1996 06:34:26 -0700 From: crazfing@ix.netcom.com (TOM FRANCIS FINNIGAN) To: skyway-owner@oasis.novia.net.you.are.doing.a.great.job.with.Skyway, keep.it.up. After other people's stories about Paul and the boys, I thought I would relay one as well. On the 14 Songs tour, I waited around after the show at the Whiskey A-Go-Go (Los Angeles) sitting in front of the storied old building, watching all the runaways and hookers. This was Sunset blvd, so let your imagination roam wild, well I am a big guy and was jumping around during all of Paul's show so, when the show was over I just sat down and waited. Paul's bus was in the front, so I knew that he would have to come up front to the bus. I just wanted to meet the man that had given me so many good times. Well, the show let out about 11:30 and at about 12:45 he came out, I had a copy of the 14 Stories book, I handed it him to him and ask him to autograph it, I shook his hand and said thank you for the great lyrics and the better times, he signed his name I walked away. Being a 34 year old man at the time I can tell you that the I am not a person who feels that people deserve to have their autograph asked for. But Paul Westerberg and Jerry Garcia are people that have changed my life, and I at least got to meet Paul. Thanks for growing up Paul, to hell with the people who want Pleased to Meet You, Part 2. crazfing@ixx.netcom.com Date: Thu, 27 Jun 1996 12:39:59 -0400 From: tom.schaedler@amp.com (Thomas Schaedler) Subject: replacements (what else?) Hey how is everybody? I just found the Skyway while looking for Westerberg tour dates. I'm Tom, age 25, and I work as an electrical engineer for AMP Inc. in Harrisburg PA, my hometown. I was first exposed to the Mats when a friend's older brother went away to Pittsburgh for college when I was a freshman in high school. Because Harrisburg is a cultual backwater, before this we were limited to U2 and the Thompson Twins (this was circa 1985). But my friends older brother proved to be our musical savior. He would make us tapes that exposed us to the wonders of bands like The Jam, Husker Du and the Replacements. I think the first Mats song I heard was Bastards of Young and the lyrics blew me away. I sung it to my parents at dinner that night, they were less than impressed (big surprise). But I was undeterred. I went out and bought Tim soon after and loved it. It's probably still my fave. For some reason, probably financial, I didn't buy the rest of the albums at this time. I did pick up Don't Tell a Soul and All Shook Down when they came out later in high school. I only saw the 'Mats once, on their last tour, at the Metropol in Pittsburgh (where I will hopefully see Paul in August) and it was by far the best show I have ever seen. The Connells opened so it was one of those rare occasions where the opening band was very good. But nothing could have prepared me for the Mats. They played just about every song you would want to hear. I was about a foul shot from the stage (except for during Bastards of Young, we got up to the stage then). I left completely in a rapturous daze from the sheer unaldulteradted beauty of the show I saw, I am sure nothing is ever going to top it. Sometime after college I rediscovered the Mats. I would have to agree with a number of the letters I have read, The Mats mean so much more to me now that I am out of school, in my twenties and working for a living. Maybe in my teens I just couldn't appreciate the briliance of wahat the Replacements were doing. The Ledge is one of the most powerful songs I have ever heard, and yet they also were able to do fun whimsical songs like Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out. My other musical tastes are your standard Mats fan fare. The Jam may be my all time favorite band on days when the Mats aren't. Other bands I dig are Pavement, Husker Du, The Smiths, American Music Club (Eitzel writes some amazing lyrics), Bettie Serveert, Superchunk (I saw Chunk and Bettie Serveert together in Philly, great night), and Velocity Girl. A band I would highly recommend is The Karl Hendricks Trio. They are from Pittsburgh and do some great loud guitar driven tunes. Their most recent album is on Merge, 'For a while it was Funny' so you may be able to find it. Their earlier stuff which is better is hard to find off the East Coast. But if you ever see 'A Gesture of Kindness and 10 other snappy Toe Tappers' BUY IT! You won't be Unsatisfied. My other interests are reading, movies, soccer and college hoop. I'm a Villanova grad and live for Nova hoops. Anyway enough about me, I hope all of this made sense. If anyone wants to write me and talk about anything I'm at tom.schaedler@amp.com Date: Thu, 27 Jun 1996 15:50:43 -0400 (EDT) From: Taejoo Jang Lee Subject: My Fave Mats story I have been on this list for about four years. I never wrote, even though that seems to be the tradition here, so instead I'll write now. I first got into the Mats when I was a skinny pimply 7th grader, in the year of 1986. I thought they were so rebellious, singing songs like Kids Don't Follow, and Fuck School and so forth. I started modeling my attire after Chris Mars, grunge eleven years earlier, wearing layers of plaid, and old jeans and chucks. I remember wishing that I was thirteen 6 years ago when Minor Threat were out, and the Mats were just beginning. I had only seen them in concert a single solitary time, in 1991 @ Lisner Auditorium in DC. My favorite Mats story has nothing to do with a Mats concert, but a Velocity Girl concert. Me and five friends went to a concert in American University. None of us had any idea of how to get there, so we ended up parking a mile-and-a-half away from the place. Anyways, walking there was easy. They way back was a little more difficult. We headed off in the wrong direction toward my car, and ended up walking through suburban D.C. until something like 3 in the morning. I was with my good friend Huy-Khanh who loves the Mats too. Me and him sang Mats songs all through the night, following our arguing compatriots, hopelessly navigating us around. We tried to stop this one woman in her car to get directions, but we, a motley crew of deadly college students, scared her off. That night was incredible. It was amazing how many of their songs I knew by heart. We must have sang and laughed for over an hour. It was a night I'll never forget, not because of the Velocity Girl show, but because of the Replacements having such great songs. Thanks for reading. TJ, a student at the glorious University of Maryland at College Park. Date: Thu, 27 Jun 1996 14:43:35 -0700 (PDT) From: Marc Horton Greetings all... Been on the list for awhile, but haven't actually introduced myself. I'm an English major at San Francisco State U., and as such, will soon join the ranks of the eminently unemployable when I graduate in a couple of years. Alas, what I consider to be one of the greatest tragedies of my life, is the fact that I think I was too young, being 22 now, to catch the entire Replacements wave. I came across "All Shook Down" shortly after they broke up, and though I remember seeing "I'll Be You" on MTV, their swan song, and what seems to be everyone's least favorite 'Mats album, was my first proper introduction to the band. Glitzy production and internal politics aside, however, the album still moves me, sounding as one critic put it, like "the soundtrack to a nervous breakdown." Just up my alley, and the naked, ragged emotion of Paul's voice in songs like "Sadly Beautiful" and "Nobody" was so _there_, enough to push me to discover the rest of their albums. I was supposed to see Paul on the 14 Songs tour, but he cancelled his show at the Warfield Theatre here in San Francisco. I look forward to catching him this time around, though. Although I never saw the 'Mats, it seems most everyone who was around then that did came away with some legendary story or another. My best friend Teresa saw them in '87 at NYU, and she recalls sitting practically onstage next to the speakers, watching the show and seeing this one poor girl, obviously taken with Tommy, calling out to him between (and during) each song, trying desperately to get close to the stage. With Tommy gesturing to her to keep trying to get closer, she finally made it near the end of their set, and when Tommy motioned for her (in his charming, boyish, innocent way) to climb up onstage, she got over her hysteria enough to make an effort, and as she reached, halfway onto the stage, for Tommy to help her up, he came over and kicked her back into the crowd...Aaah, the stuff of legend. It just now dawned on me that someone should be putting together all these tales in a book. There is a book that someone did that compiled all of these stories that Smiths fans tell about how particular songs fit into their own experiences. I'm sure we could pull it off. Anyway, I don't have any real rare stuff as I'm not a tape collector, but I did come across this great tribute CD while in Athens, GA, visiting relatives, of all these local bands doing 'Mats songs to benefit an animal shelter. Some of the bands: A Mercy Union, the Germans, Baby Fishmouth, and a bunch of others. It's worth having, in my ever-so-humble opinion, and I'm game to tape it for anyone out there who's interested. Yours, Marc Horton / "Everything is beautiful, but babe, mhorton@viking.dvc.edu / not you or me..."--M.Eitzel Date: Mon, 01 Jul 1996 12:07:20 +0000 From: yokovyama Subject: from japan Dear //Skyway\\, Around me, there are very few who know and like Replacements. Even in whole Japan, maybe the number is not so much, I think. But, we Replacements fans have been loved them and know well how great they are. When sitting in my room alone, feeling the dawn coming not to be able to sleep and drunk softly, I want to listen to Replacements songs. Aimless, no place to go and nothing to believe, but the songs are beautiful. See you. Yokota Yasuhiko Yokohama, Japan. From: Maureen407@aol.com Date: Tue, 2 Jul 1996 13:07:31 -0400 People talk about how the Mats influenced them and about how particular songs changed their lives, or got them through rough times. We're older now (I'm 38) and still look to Paul to move us. When he doesn't, criticism flows. But the power is still there. 4 months ago I fell in love with a wonderful guy who successfully hid the severity of his alcoholism from me for a whole year at work, and for the first months of our relationship. With "Eventually" coming out I spent a lot of time turning him into a fan, and we were looking forward to the tour. He knew about the Mats history and Paul's own troubles with the bottle. Last week he binged out, and I packed up and left him, as I had promised I would do. The next day my dad had a biopsy that was cancer. That night my guy asked to go to detox, and we did, singing Mats tunes all the way there. In between I worked 12 hour shifts in an ER, and got very little sleep. They released my friend after a poor detox with no follow up, so I spent the last two days helping him get admitted to a very tough but effective residential program. Scary week. Last night I had tickets to see Paul. A girlfriend went with me. The place was empty (Ohio, you know), and we sat about 100 yards away. There were only two people there anyway, me and Paul. He played his ass off, ripped through the Mats catalog, had great singalongs, and saved my life. Who cares if he writes a bit of tripe now and then? His song have meaning and power that persist for us all. _____________________________________________________________________________ II. WESTERBERG STUFF Date: Sat, 01 Jun 1996 16:17:41 -0400 From: Brendon Macaraeg Subject: Eventually LP review Hi Matt: FWIW: here's my review of "Eventually" from my web zine Dreampop. Have fun at camp! ===================================================== If you're looking for the recklessness of the Replacement's 1981 magnum opus "Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash," forget it. You're not going to get that sloppiness from Westerberg's latest outing, Eventually (perhaps titled since Westerberg gave Pearl Jam producer Brendan O'Brien the boot and the LP took three years to make). Why some Mats fans insist on living in the past is incomprehensible. Paul's moved on. Why haven't they? Overall, this is a much stronger LP than 1993's 14 Songs, from the melancholy opener "These Are The Days" ("these are the days no one sees/they run together for company/I am the day no one needs/there will never come another one like me") to the hushed "Hide 'N Seekin'." Throughout the new LP, Westerberg finds a nice balance between aggression and reflectiveness ("These Are the Days," "Love Untold," "Mamma Daddy Did," "Once Around the Weekend"). On the other hand, the rockers like "Ain't Got Me" and "You've Had It With You" just don't ring true. In the studio, Westerberg just can't rock out anymore without sounding like he's aping the glory days of the Mats. Live these songs might come across well (in 1993 when I saw him at Roseland here in NYC, some less-than- impressive tunes from 14 Songs absolutely kicked!), but on the stereo they sound tired and full of cliches. On a positive note, Eventually closes with two beautiful ballads, "Good Day," supposedly written for/about Mats guitarist Bob Stinson who died from his destructive alcohol and drug abuse, and "Time Flies Tomorrow" (I love some of the visual imagery in the lyrics: "With eyes like two hubcaps/at the bottom of river....") Technically, the production is probably the best I've heard from a Mats or Westerberg recording: the stereo imaging is very impressive and the mix has everything at just the right volume and has some interesting quirks--the stray guitar lick popping out on the left or right, or the acoustic guitar tracks riding just underneath the bass and drums. While it may be true that Westerberg is turning into the Tom Petty of the post-punk 80's generation of songwriters, the groove he's found suits him just fine. Eventually probably won't be remembered as a classic LP, but it contains some gems making it worth revisiting for several listens. ===================================================== Brendon Macaraeg http://www.itp.tsoa.nyu.edu/~brendonm Finger macaragb@acf2.nyu.edu for my PGP Public Key From: DROIDWH4@aol.com Date: Mon, 3 Jun 1996 15:55:32 -0400 Subject: Washington Post "Eventually" Review, 22 May 1996 The following is a not-so-glowing review of "Eventually", which appeared in the 22 May 1996 Washington Post. The writer first reviews Bob Mould's new album, and then segues into the P.W. review. Paul Westerberg: While Bob Mould can do it (sort of), Paul Westerberg is a classic example of a singer-songwriter who needs a band, if only as a goad. Since the breakup of the Replacements, the rowdy Minneapolis quartet he led throughout the '80s, Westerberg has been something of an underachiever. The new "Eventually" (Reprise) is only his second solo album, and it's as uneven as its three-year-old predecessor, "14 Songs." Maybe it's the fussy production (mostly by Westerberg) that took all that time; if so, he shouldn't have bothered. Livelier than "14 Songs," this disc includes several tracks that are vigorous enough to overpower their overdone arrangements, notably "These Are The Days," "Century," "Ain't Got Me," and "You've Had It With You," the most Replacements-like tune. Most of these songs, though, contain at least one too many eclectic accents: the early '70s Rod Stewart mandolin-wind picking of "These Are The Days," the vintage Jimmy Webb string arrangement of "Good Day," the Archie Bell and the Drells intro of "Trumpet Clip," (which features former Replacement bassist Tommy Stinson on trombone). Westerberg can be heard cracking up on the latter, but such spontaneity is at a premium on this album. "Eventually" is certainly not a garage-band effort, but Westerberg doesn't seem to know what to do with (or about) maturity. Where the Replacements once proclaimed their childishness, their former leader now takes a stand for childishness: "Decided not to raise some mixed-up kid/Just like my mama daddy did." That song ends with Westerberg providing an easy-listening vocal counterpoint to his own up-front rasp, which is just one of the album's many deft but affected touches. The grown-up Westerberg proves himself a master of the recording studio, but his music-making is like his contemplation of adulthood--both could use some outside perspective. Submitted with the permission of nadadamnsoul. Andrew Smythe droidwh4@aol.com Date: Tue, 4 Jun 1996 22:35:18 +0900 From: piyopiyo@ing.alacarte.co.jp (Mutsuko Nagai) Subject: GREAT REVIEW!!!! This is from "ROCKIN' ON" which is the most popular magazine in Japan! The lady who wrote she is a friend of mine in London.She is the greatest critic and has written many great articles of the MATS and Paul for Japanese Magazine. This review was translated by herself. Her English is very very well as a native speaker. Hopefully I would become as like her in someday. First of all---for anyone who is not familiar with the concept of "Jimi-Shibu", it's a relatively new and fashionable (well,at least in certain quarter in Japan!) term to adress the artists who keep on creating tastfully sober, low-key works in today's commercial world of rock music. Now, is this new album from Paul Westerberg THE Jimi-Shibu album of the month, as my Japanese collegues try to call it? No, it can't be merely that. We waited for more than three years,didn't we. In fact it felt longer. But this is the guy who called his first solo album according to the number of the songs on it, vanished into the thin air, suddenly reappeared and say,"so, eventually". With his quintessentially American country/folk/rock'n'roll feel very much intact, "Eventually"has moments here and there to tell his recent effort in taking care of the details. The quality and characteristics of each song are enhanced to their maximum possibilities by sometimes meticulous, sometimes beautifully simple arrangements. So eventually---where has he arrived? The album starts with him singing "these are the days no one sees/I am the days no one needs", going on to say that it's even good just to be alive. We can't but help remembering that Westerberg as well has just tried to find some way to be friendly with the life, dealing with his own dark side. The word happiness, the second it's mentioned, loses its essense. What we get here is tiny crusts of relief, like a picture of a cat squinting at the sunshine coming in from the window. We only know that everyone wants a little bit of relief, if one dares to live through on tomorrow. I would love to see him play live now. How would the man, who was sweating the sexiest sweats in the world during the last tour with the Replacements, stand on stage these days? How would Westerberg sing these songs, especially the ones on the latter half of the album? How these poingnant, melancholic emotions, sounding as if they simply visited him while touching the keyboards or picking his guitar, would fill the air there? Erica Yamashita (I have read many reviews in Japanese music magazines. In Japan nobody had written negative revirews so far. I think that Paul should play in Japan as soon as possible. Many fans have waited for him for long long time. I think it must be super! I can't wait to see him in my town!) Love, Mutsuko Date: Thu, 13 Jun 1996 21:55:21 +0100 From: Dag Hjermann At last, an interview with Paul Westerberg in Beat, one of the two major Norwegian music magazines, during his (and Boris Yeltsin's!) visit to Oslo. Paul's album got very good reviews in both magazines. Beware that everything is translated twice (From English to Norwegian by the author, and back to English by me). Excuse my helpless English. Comments in brackets are mine. ETERNAL CULT STATUS (author: Tor Marthinussen) Paul Westerberg is considered to be the best kept secret of rock. Nothing irritates Westerberg fans more than press publicity about their secret hero. But in the name of the enlightenment of the people, here is the story about Paul Westerberg. He looks shamelessly well, Paul Westerberg, where he is sitting in a soffa in Grand Hotel, Oslo, wearing a stylish suit, with dark glasses on his nose and a cigar between his teeth in a broad grin. The former alcoholic and rock rebel is in our country to meet the press for assembly-line-interviews, and on the street the nation's youth has lined up. But they are not waiting outside Grand to get a glimpse of Westerberg. They don't even have an idea that he's there, and it is highly unlikely that they would have cared if they knew. For the youth is wearing uniforms, and they are waiting for the boss of our big neighbour in the East [Boris Yeltsin] to visit the King in 1 Drammen Rd. It is typical that Westerberg's visit drowns in other people's glamour and fanfares. Typical because similar things have happened throughout his career as a musician. Even though official state visits have not been the common thing to throw shadows. This is the man who went through most of the eighties as the leading man of the (later) legendary Replacements, with the brand "the saviour of rock" burnt into his forehead. His role in rock was interpreted, appraised, discussed and praised. And now he's sitting here, ready for a new bout of questions. Ready for another try to reach out to the masses. You could cry for less. But Westerberg only grins, sips the mineral water, takes a deep breath from his cigar and wipes an imaginary grain of dust away from his suit. Bitter? Not Westerberg. Not anymore. "I really feel that I'm in a fine position," he says between two inhalations. "It's exciting to go on making my own music as I want to make it - without having to think too much about sale figures and what is tactical at every moment. I can that now, and I like that. Of course I notice that many of the current bands play "our" - The Replacements' - music, but if I ever were bitter, that's gone now. I am definitively not bitter today." The Replacements' last record was released in 1990. Since then, Westerberg has released the album "14 Songs" to excellent reviews in 1993, and he is now ready with the sequel "Eventually" (rewarded six out of six points in the review in last Beat). What does he think is the big difference between the two records? ""14 Songs" was as the title says, simply fourteen songs recorded on a record. It was not a considered thing, not a complete idea behind the record. Now it is. Now I have tried to make a whole record from the twenty songs I had before the recording started." - And you have carried that through? "At least partly. But it took a bit of time and some confrontations," he grins. - Do you mean that you fired the producer and took over the wheel yourself? "Yes, but it sounds so dramatic when you put it that way. It wasn't, really. We just didn't go very well together, Brendan O'Brian and me. We heard different things in the music, and I couldn't relate to that. I am seldom confident with being nice, and I think I am wht you will call stubborn. Especially when it comes to what my records shall sound like." - How do you really want them to sound? "Before I start recording I always hear inside my head how it shall sound like. But it never turns out that way," Westerberg laughs and waves his cigar in direction of the ashtray. "I can't sing, so it always sounds better inside my head. But what I really want, my goal if you like, is to tell the truth, to appeal and to be myself at the same time. But it's hard. Very hard." - It is said that there has been made a video for the first single of the record. Not quite like you, is it? "No, you can safely say that. I don't like cameras. I simply feel uncomfortable when I am filmed, but they talked me into it this time. I rather wanted them to use still photos of me, but hey, they didn't agree on that." - Many people consider you among rock's poets. Have you ever wanted to do other things, writing short stories, for instance...? "No, absolutely not. I am a kind of ignorant bastard that really can't write at all. I don't know anything about writing, and I guess that whatever I tried to write would turn out very dry and boring. I stick to the tunes. Then I get away with the little I know." - One of your earlier bandmates from the Replacements, Tommy Stinson, plays on your new record. You haven't thought about getting the old band together and give it another try. "Nope! I was the Replacements, dammit. I was happy to get rid of the other blokes," he grins. "And the breakup was definitive, and would have come anyway. The other guys wanted to get into the floodlight with their stuff, and there was no room for them there. Because I was there, and I did not want to get in the background. But to be honest: if we really should get together again, that must have been after everybody had forgotten about us. No-one should tell us how we should be or sound. It must have been like it used to be: us against the rest of the world!" Westerberg straightens his sunglasses and lights himself another cigar. Outside the window the Norwegian youth in their uniforms have gone back to their barracks. Boris and Harald [the Norwegian king] has shaken hands and life goes on as usual, without hysterical teenage girls or some other fuss on Karl Johan [Oslo's main street], and Beat sneak in a last question: - You have written a bit about suicide, and you have behaved quite self-destructive through your career. What is the reason for that? "I think quite a lot about death," Westerberg says, and he is serious both in his voice and in the eyes that meet mine above the rim of his sunglasses. "I'm not drawn towards suicide, if that's what you mean. It is better to say that I am afraid of dying...but when I think of it, I am afraid of living, too." [Photo of Paul sitting on a table in an elegant hotel lounge, wearing an elegant black suit with a bow-tie(!), smiling.] For once, Westerberg is in center. Alone. On a table. [Photo of Paul looking towards the ceiling.] Paul Westerberg looks towards the unreachable peaks of the hit lists. I'm sorry I haven't Beat's review of Eventually, but it was really good. Talking about "masterpiece" and so on. Dag Hjermann hjermann@math.uio.no ------------------------------------------------------------ Dag Hjermann Div. of Zoology, Department of Biology, Univ. of Oslo, P.O. Box 1050 Blindern, 0316 Oslo, Norway Telephone: (+047) 22 85 45 83 (fax: 22 85 46 05, att: Hjermann) ------------------------------------------------------------- From: Matsfann@aol.com Date: Thu, 13 Jun 1996 04:00:27 -0400 Just read a double interview with Paul and Cleveland Indians pitcher Jack McDowell in the latest issue of RAYGUN. In essence, both interviewed each other and surprisingly, Paul seems to know a lot about baseball. However, his bitterness was most apparent and he seems really bitter about a lot of things. Anyway, you should definitely find the RAYGUN issue with SOUNDGARDEN on the cover with the interview. Chuck From: downward@prolog.net Subject: Paul is maturing and still makes good music Date: Mon, 03 Jun 1996 06:55:38 GMT I am new to this list but not to the Replacements. I am a little pissed off at all the negativity towards "Eventually". What do you expect of a 36 year old guy, divorced, sober, solo from a band he was in for a long time, and probably alot more problems. Paul seems to be a face value type of guy and I admire that. He doesn't pretend to be anything that he is not and he makes music for himself, not to sell records or pick up chicks with. Paul is probably one of the better songwriters around today and is changing with his age, if you dont like the changes then maybe you should be listening to the ramones or the rolling stones who have not changed their sound in 15 years. "The last of a dying breed" Date: Wed, 5 Jun 1996 16:24:43 -0500 (CDT) From: Waylon Smithers Subject: Hating Paul Westerberg I just read through part of the new Skyway, and once again I got mad. I'm sick of everybody, including so called Replacements fans, complaining about Paul W. now that he doesn't make albums like he did ten years ago. Like Xre's letter in the last issue: "Paul's proven it twice now with his solo-albums. Consider this: "14 Songs" was so scattered an effort while "Eventually" was so organized and wimpy one. Is this the same Mats front-man who screamed his heart out while playing Answering Machine? Is Paul trying to get himself into the easy-listening crowd? God forbid!" This is the same notion that tons of people have. I for one almost like Paul more now than before because he is doing what he wants and he's not afraid to piss off a lot of so called fans who would give two shits if Paul walked in front of a bus as long as they could get one more let it be out of him. I think he is one the greatest living lyricists and the fact that the band behind him has changed doesn't change what's coming out of his mouth. For fans of a band that had so much integrity, it's amazing to see them complain that Paul doesn't "rock" enough. I think I'll go listen to "Eventually". Date: Sat, 1 Jun 1996 13:13:29 -0500 From: (anonymous) Subject: Eventually review/synopsis/reaction/diatribe/essay When I was twenty, I drank (and hard) because I enjoyed the instant access to "freedom." Exit me stage left, enter chemical stage right. In the last couple of years, I find myself emotionally unable to enjoy (or not hate) that exiting anymore. I don't like to be drunk (this change, btw, is not shared by all my peers yet, leaving me feeling left of the bar). Rather, I like the beer (or wine, or whiskey) that I used to guzzle. I like a sip and conversation. I like the huskiness of a good Irish slosh. I like thinking about it and being present in the beauty of what I once found escape in. Gee. Now for the obvious tie back to Paul. No, it's not fine sipping wine, but it is unique, thoughtful, and (god forgive me) tasty in ways that most other music is not. Paul is deconstructing music and reassembling it in a fashion similar to Pavement (honestly a brilliant band) without the conscious eggheadedness. The stupid goofy parts are in both (hidden more (better?) in Pavement), but are ultimately reconstructions of cliches--a favorite past times of most writers (James Joyce, etc). The crapfest over had it with you is almost to fucking obvious for words. It's ironic, kids. Lyrically and sonically, it's out of place on the album. This happened with the better part of Bob Dylans _great_ albums. Grossly misunderstood because he couldn't stay in his sales bin. Long and short. _Tim_ and _PTMM_ got me drunk, but don't always hold up to slower consumption. _Eventually_ does. (_Let It Be_ is not of this earth. Paul would have to find the zone in a large way to make that secure of a statement. I can't touch it without being wonderfully drunk.) _Eventually_ is a refined album that'll take people too long to figure out because it sounds like the surface. It hasn't left my CD player yet. From: Matsfann@aol.com Date: Thu, 13 Jun 1996 04:00:27 -0400 Just read a double interview with Paul and Cleveland Indians pitcher Jack McDowell in the latest issue of RAYGUN. In essence, both interviewed each other and surprisingly, Paul seems to know a lot about baseball. However, his bitterness was most apparent and he seems really bitter about a lot of things. Anyway, you should definitely find the RAYGUN issue with SOUNDGARDEN on the cover with the interview. Chuck From: MarlenaLS@aol.com Date: Thu, 13 Jun 1996 14:49:28 -0400 Subject: Addicted to Noise Article Hey Matt, Kind of a funny article that was in ATN's Music News Of The World today, sans photo. (Reading articles that talk about the set list make it difficult to wait for an NYC show!). I'm sure hearing the reviews on the Skyway list will make it even harder. Cheers, Marlena ------------------ Remember the assassination of Robert Kennedy? Paul Westerberg sure does. Addicted To Noise staff writer Gil Kaufman reports: Convinced that the soft-focus pictures and ballads about dear-departed friends and getting older on ex-Replacements leader Paul Westerberg's latest album, Eventually, mean the former angry young man has gone soft? Not to worry. Last week Westerberg flashed a bit of the arch humor that made the Replacements the most unpredictable band of their era. Westerberg and a friend made their way into L.A's Ambassador Hotel, where Robert Kennedy was assassinated on June 6, 1968 and, with Westerberg in Kennedy's role, re-created the gruesome scene. Why? Why not? A source told us they just did it because they thought it would be "sick and funny." Feeling lucky punk? You should. The photo is available exclusively on ATN. When he's not indulging his twisted sense of humor, Westerberg has been rehearsing for his summer tour with his new touring band, which he's dubbed Paul Westerberg and His Paid Companions--including New Power Generation drummer and huge Replacements fan, Michael Bland, recently revived power popper Tommy Keene on guitar and bassist Ken Chastain--and a source tells us to expect a veritable career retrospective. The show will include old favorites like "Nevermind," "Alex Chilton," "Little Mascara" and "I Will Dare," as well as songs from the new album. From: MarlenaLS@aol.com Date: Thu, 13 Jun 1996 14:49:28 -0400 Subject: Addicted to Noise Article Kind of a funny article that was in ATN's Music News Of The World today, sans photo. (Reading articles that talk about the set list make it difficult to wait for an NYC show!). I'm sure hearing the reviews on the Skyway list will make it even harder. Cheers, Marlena ------------------ Remember the assassination of Robert Kennedy? Paul Westerberg sure does. Addicted To Noise staff writer Gil Kaufman reports: Convinced that the soft-focus pictures and ballads about dear-departed friends and getting older on ex-Replacements leader Paul Westerberg's latest album, Eventually, mean the former angry young man has gone soft? Not to worry. Last week Westerberg flashed a bit of the arch humor that made the Replacements the most unpredictable band of their era. Westerberg and a friend made their way into L.A's Ambassador Hotel, where Robert Kennedy was assassinated on June 6, 1968 and, with Westerberg in Kennedy's role, re-created the gruesome scene. Why? Why not? A source told us they just did it because they thought it would be "sick and funny." Feeling lucky punk? You should. The photo is available exclusively on ATN. When he's not indulging his twisted sense of humor, Westerberg has been rehearsing for his summer tour with his new touring band, which he's dubbed Paul Westerberg and His Paid Companions--including New Power Generation drummer and huge Replacements fan, Michael Bland, recently revived power popper Tommy Keene on guitar and bassist Ken Chastain--and a source tells us to expect a veritable career retrospective. The show will include old favorites like "Nevermind," "Alex Chilton," "Little Mascara" and "I Will Dare," as well as songs from the new album. _____________________________________________________________________________ III. PERFECT From: nahornma@ENGR.ORST.EDU (Matthew Nahorniak) Newsgroups: alt.music.replacements Subject: Perfect in Portland Date: 7 Jun 1996 18:40:34 GMT Hey all, I got to see Perfect in Portland last night (along with a few other Mats' newsgroupies). Great show. They really seemed to be having a great time, and the new stuff sounds great (a lot of it was even new since New Years). Whoa, that's three "greats" in two sentences. Maybe it's time for another adjective; or maybe at least an adverb to supplement it - how about "really great"? Yeah, that's better. I think I'll quit my job and be a critic for a living. Also, Tommy offered a blow job to anyone who bought a T-shirt. I opted for the free Perfect sticker instead.... He also said that when they came back in August he was gonna play in nothing but his socks (it was pretty hot in the club). The EP is due out July 9th. According to the drummer ("Gersch" I think - and a heck of a nice guy he is) they're going to include "Crocodile Rock" as a surprise bonus track. Apparently they recorded it live for some radio promo (I think for REV 105 in the twin cities). After the EP they're planning to hook up with a major label again - apparently they're being courted by quite a few, which was certainly nice to hear. - Matt _____________________________________________________________________________ IV. WARM FUZZY CORNER Date: Sat, 8 Jun 1996 00:45:45 +0100 From: loraaw@gwis.com (lora) Subject: Cool readers Just a quick note to say I'm really warmed by the closeness of the folks who read The Skyway. I've been swamped with e-mail since 'me rambling on about myself' ran in this issue - everything from people inviting me to join them at shows to a possible job offer. What a great group of people! I write for 16,000 people every week and I'm lucky if one positive person calls or writes a letter. I guess sharing a passion draws people together. Isn't that the strangest thing? Thanks again, Laura White _____________________________________________________________________________ V. NO COMMENT NECESSARY From: Peebrane@aol.com Date: Thu, 4 Jun 1996 12:19:43 -0400 Subject: I MET THE MATS ["Asshole of the Decade" award winner] Ahem. I met the Mats back on Feb 5th '86, when I was 18 and merely an amateur drinker. The Mats were in town to play a gig at George Washington University in D.C. I called the campus on a whim to see if I could get backstage for an article I was writing for the community college newspaper I worked at in MD. Obviously they said yes, or I wouldn't be writing this. So me and two buddies of mine got fucked up and went to the show. We were led to a conference room that contained Paul, Chris, Bob and assorted roadies and hangers-on. Though I was to painfully realize later, there were also other writers in there already interviewing Paul. Like the assholes we're often accused of being, we burst in that room like we were The Shit. I sat down next to Paul and started right in. Completely interrupted somebody else's interview. I tried to scribble some notes, but the paper was kinda fuzzy. I got back to sign an autograph "Gary Boner." He said "Do you REALLY want me to sign it like this?" I asked him lotsa questions and got short, concise responses. Here's most of it: [This infamous interview showed up in Willpower #5 or #6 and The Underground.] Me: So what was the wink for when you played on Saturday Night Live? PW: Well, Al Franken was standing in front of me with a clipboard in his arms folded, so I winked at him. Me: Why did you say 'fucker' on national television [same show]? PW: So Bob [Stinson] wouldn't play the wrong lead. He's always fucking that song up with the wrong lead. Me: Does Bob play better in a dress or in baggy pants? PW: Oh, in a dress. That's when his true personality comes to the forefront. Me: A dee-jay on WHFS, a local progressive station in Annapolis, said that "Kiss Me On The Bus" has a double meaning, that 'bus' in German means 'ass' or something like that. Any truth to that? PW: (rolls his eyes) No, no "Kiss Me On The Bus" doesn't mean anything but what it is - a typical teenage bullshit love song. That's it. Me: Yeah, you sang the wrong lyrics to it on Saturday Night Live. PW: Yeah, you caught that. I blew it. Me: You know, "Waitress in the Sky" is stolen directly from a Johnny Rivers song. PW: Yeah, it's also taken from a T. Rex song. Not too many people caught that, either. When I was writing it, I thought 'Fuck, what does this sound like?' So it's a mixture of those two songs. Me: How is Bob's guitar [he threw it on the ground at the end of the SNL gig]? PW: Oh, it's in a couple pieces. Me: Where is it now? PW: We sold it. Me: Are you going to go out on tour? PW: Well, we're touring now, aren't we? Me: Yeah, but I haven't heard much about it. PW: Well, we're going to play a few East Coast gigs, and then we'll be home on Monday. Then we'll probably play out West for a while. After that, we're never touring again. Me: Are you going to play any Bay City Rollers tonight? PW: It depends on how we feel and how the show goes. We never make any plans in advance. It's stupid. Unnamed interviewer: Do you ever have a set planned out? PW: Never. Me: So what's it like to be on a major label (Sire)? PW: Somebody already asked me that, ask him. Me: Okay, so what was it like to be on Twin-Tone? PW: It was fun. They were nice people. We didn't make any money, but they were nice people. Me: So you're making more money with Sire? PW: Yeah, a little bit. Me: Who's Tim? PW: It's your average American Joe Nobody. It's no one in particular. Me: Who's Gary (as in "Gary's Got a Boner"?) PW: Nobody. Gary was just the stupidest, most fucked up name we could think of for that song. What's your name? Me: It's Paul. Pretty stupid, huh? PW: No, I just thought it would be Gary. Me: Your latest album sounds kind of slick. In fact, I played it for a friend of mine and he thought it sounded like the Del Fuegos. Was there a conscious effort to do that? PW: Well, we had to try hard not to sound like Del Fuegos, so we lowered the drum sound a lot. And we really couldn't make up our minds whether to sound slick on this album. On some songs we did sound slick, on others we tried not to. We were pretty wishy-washy about it. We just didn't want it to sound like our other albums. I lit his cigarettes and he gave me a beer. He saw that I had "The Replacements" scribbled on my Chucks along with a handful of other bands and accused me of writing it on my shoe in the hallway outside. My buddies gave him a demo of their band which I'm sure he trashed soon after. Then everybody but the band was herded out of the room. Before I left, I shook Paul's hand and tried to think of something original to say, so that he wouldn't think I was just some jackass. "You're the coolest guy I've ever met" just wouldn't do -- it was too conventional, trite, boring. "You're the coolest guy I've ever smelled" was my drunken, 18-year-old, how-you-gonna- keep-em-on-the-farm-now-that-they're-seen-Paree alternative, I SWEAR TO GOD. We sat in the hall as every writerslashphotographer got back in one at a time to interview Paul and take photos. They wouldn't let us back in. I asked asked why, and this chick from GWU with the right half of her head shaved told me I was unprofessional and was basically just some dumb asshole. Gee, thanks. We waited some more anyway, and Paul eventually wandered out. I got up and followed him, asking if I could come back in. 'Nah, my manager doesn't want to let you guys back in, sorry.' I followed him into the bathroom, still pestering him. "C'mon, lemme back in. I'll give ya a dollar." Then we both stepped up to the urinals, me still pleading, him still refusing, both of us taking a piss. I didn't get back in. My buddies and I wandered to the auditoriumslashbasketball court and waited for the opening act to get off. Then somebody said they saw Bob up near the stage. So, like a complete ass, I walked up to the taped-off area he was in and shouted to him. For some reason, I thought if I could get on his good side, maybe he'd let me backstage so I could finish my interview. Maybe that's why, when Bob looked up, I brushed my nose with my finger. Regardless, he came runnin' like Pepe LePew after that chick skunk. We started walking around the court through the crowd, him asking me if I had any blow; me trying to figure out how the fuck I was gonna get outta this one. The only drugs I had were Excedrins. So we walked around 'til I found one of my friends, and I said to him: "Do you have any more coke or DID WE DO IT ALL UP IN THE CAR???" He looked at Bob, looked at me, and replied, "I think WE DID IT ALL UP IN THE CAR, PAUL." So Bob said he'd come back after the show to see if we were able to rustle up any more. The show was more professional than I expected; I mean, they actually played songs all the way through, even though they played more of K-Tel's greatest hits than Mats' tunes. And hey, after hearing "Shit Hits the Fans" and seeing 'em on SNL not two weeks before, what would YOU expect? Yeah, I'd give my right arm for a tape of that show now, but it seemed like it kinda dragged. So me and one of my friends wandered around tearing down every Mats poster advertising the gig. At the end of the show I was handing them out to people when Bob wandered up. Sorry Bob, couldn't find any more coke. And so concludes my Meeting With The Mats. What can I say, Matt? There's nothing like meeting your heroes and acting like a COMPLETE ASSHOLE, no sirree. Mr. Faux Paus, P.Brain. _____________________________________________________________________________ VII. WANTED Date: Mon, 24 Jun 1996 14:10:47 -0400 Subject: Mats' Tape Wanted From: Kent_Graham@wcj.com (Kent Graham) WANTED: Audio or video tape of the Mats' performance at the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor, MI for the Tim tour (summer of '86, I'm pretty sure). Can offer a copy of Let It Be signed by all the boys or cold hard cash. E-mail me at Kent_Graham@wcj.com Thanks! Kent From: Peebrane@aol.com Date: Thu, 4 Jul 1996 12:36:59 -0400 Was perusing the FAQ and I noticed some boots: 2-5-86 the "unknown location" which you should know by now [George Washington University, D.C.; see previous post] 6-21-86 the Ritz NYC 7-29-87 the Bayou DC; I heard about this show like the day before. It was sold out, but we went anyway. The line was so fucking long we went barhopping instead. Like to hear what I missed. 11-18-87 Lisner Aud DC; had 4th row for this one. I also saw a listing for a Merriweather Post gig on 6-16-91. I saw them open for Petty there in June or July '89. Think that's available? One mo thing: the story I heard re: Heathers was that the screenwriter was a huge Mats fan and therefore "Westerberg High" and the line "Color me impressed" by JD. I don't doubt Winona was a fan. P.Brain Date: Wed, 12 Jun 1996 02:16:59 -0500 (CDT) From: nervous and weird (Andrew V Hicken) Subject: the draghounds this is not really replacements-related except in the most tangential way: does anybody remember a band from minnesota called the draghounds? does anyone have their brilliant album _angel_boots_? is anyone deeply and tragically (since they broke up and never got much recognition) in love with it? anybody want to trade ideas as to what the heck the singer is saying on their songs? if so, please email me (hicken@ac.grin.edu). thanks. you can go back to the mats now. --andy hicken [While people are at it, does anybody remember a Twin Cities band called The Pigeonholes or somebody that had a great song, "Cross Around Your Neck"? - M@] _____________________________________________________________________________ VIII. WESTERBERG CONCERT REVIEWS! (Warning: spoilers!) Date: Mon, 24 Jun 1996 10:47:36 -0600 (CST) From: "F.David Lucash" Subject: 6.24.1996 just a short message to report how incredible the paul westerberg show was june 22 in columbia, missouri. thermadore was mildy entertaining, but they didn't really have a chance considering my excitement in seeing paul after three long years. the show was great, paul ran out onto the stage of the blue note bouncing with the excitement of a four year old at showbiz pizza. he opened with waiting for somebody and from there banged out brilliant song after brilliant song. songs from let it be, tim, don't tell a soul, and all shook down as well as his solo albums. i will dare was fantastic, he forgot the words so he kicked the microphone over so the audience could sing. tonight is the show in st. louis and i cannot wait to see him again. i am evening contemplating seeing him in memphis wednesday. does anyone know who is playing in his band now? they were really great musicians, alot of energy but not show offs. i may be wrong but the drummer looked very much like prince's old drummer. see you at the shows From: joet@dra.com (Joe Thebeau) Newsgroups: alt.music.replacements Subject: Westy Hits St. Louis or Paul and the Keene 'Mats Review Date: 25 Jun 1996 15:09:29 GMT Disclaimer: This review doesn't contain a set list, but it does mention some of the songs played. Paul played here in St. Louis, last night. There looked to be about 500-700 people in Mississippi Nights sort of tolerating Thermadore, the opening act. They look and sound, to me, like they used to be a metal band before all this 'alternative' music started. A few haircuts and telecasters and boom, you're alternative. I may be wrong, but the songs were below average, and it seemed that the singer would rather have been doing jumps off the drum riser than trying to play the role of the troubadour. But, he kept himself calm for their forty minute set. My feeling is that almost anyone can fake their way through a roots rock, country sound, if they really want to, and these guys want to, for some reason. Anyway, on to the show. About another hundred or so people squeezed in before Paul hit the stage. It was a good crowd, too. There weren't any moshers, thank God. You might say, 'Why would anyone mosh to Westerberg,' but believe me I've seen the goons pound each other during wimpier shows than this. Instead, last night was a 'mostly real fans' night. People were singing along with all the songs, old and new, and aside from a few Hootie types crashing the front row toward the end, everyone was really well behaved. The most cheering came for older 'Mats classics, but some of the new songs drew some shouting, as well. Paul hardly said anything in between songs because the audience was screaming and clapping way too loud for him to get through. He started to say something a couple of times, but the applause was so loud that he just smirked, nodded his approval/ thanks, and started the next song. I didn't write out the set list. I just can't bring myself to do that during a show that I've payed money to see. I'd rather just enjoy it. Suffice to say that there was a good mix of material that mostly included the new album and, believe it or not, quite a few Replacements songs. As many people have reported, Paul & Co. were dressed in suits (except for the drummer). (Side Note: Does anyone know what kind of guitar that Paul is using? That seafoam green with silver tortoise shell pickguard is too cool!) Tommy Keene (sic) played really well, if not a bit too well. A bit more slop and a little less concentration might have been more fun. I could see Paul trying to make eye contact with him so that they might have a 'moment' or something. It might have been cool if Tommy had joined him in more back vocals, too. Instead, that was left to the bass dude, who appeared to be a record company gunslinger. Sure, he was quite competent and Paul dressed him up nice, but he lacked attitude. In fact, he was kinda jockish looking and PW sort of teased him during songs that he was trying too hard. He didn't say anything, directly, but it was implied. The drummer fucking rocked. His shit doesn't stink. Period. 'Nuff said. Westerberg was nails. His singing was good, but not too good. He allowed himself to toy with melodies and guitar parts, alike. He's definitely not one of those 'just like the record' guys. He was very gracious to the audience, sometimes taunting us for requests that he knew he wasn't going to do. He also layed down on his back in the middle of a song for about half a verse. (This was an inside joke with the St. Louis fans, because the last time the Replacements played in St. Louis, Paul did the entire show on his back. No one knows if it was because he was loaded or in back pain or both, but everyone got a laugh out of his re-enactment.) Paul is laughing alot, these days, onstage. He seems to be having a great time. A couple of notes about The New Paul: 1. The new songs, lyrically, seemed to make a little more sense when performed live. Lines about rabbits in the yard seemed to actually have a little bit of a self-depracating cynicism to them when delivered through Westy's smirk. Duck, maybe the live show will help you and me get used to this record. I'm close. If Bryan Adams put out "Eventually," we might all be talking about how great he was becoming. 2. It's nice to see Paul getting proper recognition for writing some of the best songs of the last ten years. Any naysayers who doubt the integrity of a new group playing the 'Mats catalog should re-think their position. The clean Paul, in my book, is a greater performer than ever and the songs are certainly not diminished by his interest in performing them well. By the end of the show Paul and the band had shed their jackets and were ruining some perfectly nice shirts with sweat. My wife had to borrow my shirt sleeve after Paul played "Skyway." He only sang about two lines of the song, because the audience was singing so loudly, he let them take the lead. It might sound sappy, or Tom Petty ("you're gonna put me out of a job"), but it was pretty moving to hear that many people singing a song that I considered to be so intimate and personal. When Tommy played the opening guitar notes of "Can't Hardly Wait" the audience roared above the band and when they left the stage, it was obvious they'd be coming back for more. The encore should be left a surprise, though, so I won't tell you what it was. The band left the stage again, and the audience stayed and cheered and shouted and stomped for a good fifteen minutes before the house lights came on. I guess Paul doesn't go for the American Gladiator, Bon Jovi, if-you-shout-loud-enough I'll come back thing, though, for there was no second encore. We hung around awhile anyway, though, because on the 14 Songs tour, the house lights came up, people started leaving and then Paul came back and did "Alex Chilton" to a half-full (or half-empty) room. That was not to be, tonight, though. I'd have to say that although I never actually saw a Replacements show, this had to be close to as good, if not better, musically, at least. I hope that Paul can keep his solo career going. The only thing I'm worried about is that, here in St. Louis, people do "Eventually" catch on to things that are good and then make them into something bad, just by being there. While most of the audience were diehards, near the end of the show, several Hootie looking losers started trying to wedge their way toward the front. You know the types. The ones that have some [white] ball hat on backward and some plaid shirt on and whose best friend has a shaved head and way, way, way too much cologne on his Tommy Hilfiger shirt. (no offense intended to anyone who might fit said description) My only concern is that Paul's kinder, gentler new stuff will bring more of these folks down front and my days of viewing him up-close may be over (did I mention we were right in front of the stage?). I really enjoyed last night's show and I hope it isn't the last we see of Paul Westerberg. Later, JoeT ***************************************************************************** Some small part of me still believes that you can put a fire out if you throw the gas fast enough. The views expressed in this posting are those of the author, not DRA, Inc. ***************************************************************************** Date: Sat, 29 Jun 1996 21:30:45 -0400 From: Greg Hallidy Subject: Atlanta show Needless to say the Westerberg show at the Roxy last night was an adrenalin- drenched bonanza of rock n' roll. One of the greatest highlights was when Paul's lead player's guitar amp went out just as Paul started playing "Left of the Dial". You could see a tech working frantically to get it fixed, and I was trying not to pay attention since that is (one of) my all-time favorite Replacements songs. Finally, when I was about to write the lead player off, they hustled a Marshall head out onto the stage and he was able to crank up just in time for that killer break down. Some other highlites were "On the Bus", "Swingin' Party", "Color Me Impressed" and of course "Skyway". The last encore was "I Can't Hardly Wait" and "I.O.U." After the show Paul was just walking around behind the Roxy signing autographs and shaking hands. I don't think he realized the level of intensity his fans feel toward him, as he finally had to be practically rescued as a mob developed. It was pretty cool. I taped the show on a little recorder, and it came out ok. I am, however, interested to know if there is a better tape anywhere out there. Paul: "Wipe that shit off your face, Bob." Bob: "Man, that shit _is_ my face." Have fun at camp! GREG From: estuck@atl.mindspring.com (Elizabeth S.) Newsgroups: alt.music.replacements Subject: Friday night setlist Date: Sun, 30 Jun 1996 20:41:10 GMT Here's the setlist, with guitar details for the guys... Waiting For Somebody on the green Ibanez World Class Fad (the whole first verse and chorus were flat as a pancake!) Valentine Once Around the Weekend These Are the Days switched to a late-model Rickenbacker hollow-body Kiss Me On the Bus Ain't Got Me back to the green Ibanez Century They're Blind Achin' To Be change to a black Strat (I think, I always mix these up in certain years) MamaDaddy Did change to a black Gibson acoustic with pearl detailing Black Eyed Susan Skyway Merry Go Round blond Les Paul Jr Angels Walk (Bland's bells were *much* more tasteful than the recorded ones) Silver Naked Ladies Love Untold Back to the Rick, he looked at the soundboard and said "This is for Brendan" Stain Your Blood Back to the green Ibanez Color Me Impressed "OK, we'll do a few more and then go floss our teeth" Alex Chilton on a different Ibanez, pinky-maroon with bright silver pickguard Left of the Dial with the usual 'sweet GA breezes' effect Swinging Party on the Gibson acoustic Daydream Believer on the pink Ibanez Can't Hardly Wait I.O.U., on yet a third Ibanez, this one jet black with a silver glitter pickguard for a second encore It is my honest opinion that whatever Paul is paying Michael Bland, it is NOT ENOUGH. I cannot remember the last time I have seen a drummer so good who added so much to songs without overwhelming them. It's a pleasure to see anyone this good play material that is not their own with such obvious enjoyment. The man just flat out loves to play, and he's very good at it. He's the best drummer I've seen anywhere in as long as I can remember. Prince's loss is Paul's gain here; whatever was the purple one thinking of when he let this one get away? In fact, this is a very good band all around, IMO. Tommy Keene's professionalism serves him well; he had persistent equipment problems toward the end of the set but continued like a trooper. The bassist, whose name I unfortunately cannot recall, enhances the new and does not detract from the old, which must be the real challenge for anyone playing this combination of material. This was quite obviously a big show for Paul, as well. They came out to the recorded strains of "You've Got a Lot of Living To Do", which was a nice touch for anyone who takes the stage in black tie with a wing collar and HushPuppies. I'd like to write about this at length, but time is short on my end. It's enough for now to say that this was a very good show for both the band and the crowd. I saw many people in the audience singing along with more than one of the new songs, a sure sign of heavy home rotation. And the local professionals were impressed with the show as well. This was a big one for Paul, and he came through with flying colors, IMO. E From: Chris Michael Ratliff Date: Mon, 1 Jul 1996 18:14:59 I saw Paul in Memphis last night and he fucking rocked! My first time seeing him and it was better than I expected. The new songs sounded great, and he played alot of 'mats tunes, especially from Pleased to Meet Me(it was Memphis after all). Paul looked really cool and his band did a great job. During the enore they did "Daydream Believer", Ha! Chris Ratliff From: bruef@waun.tdsnet.com Newsgroups: alt.music.replacements Subject: IC show equipment report Date: Sat, 22 Jun 96 07:49:01 PDT I was going to put this stuff in my original show report, but forgot. Just as well as most people probably don't give a shit. But for the musicians and other people who care about such stuff, here's what I can recall of the equipment the band used. Paul played through a Soldano head (same as last tour I believe) with a Marshall 4X12 cabinet. Last time out he also had a Marshall head (I'm not sure if he used both or one was a back-up) but this time I didn't see one. For guitars he switched around between several. The one he used most had a body pretty similar to the old Fender Jazzmasters, but the neck was different so I don't know what it was. He also used a Ricky 6 string, an acoustic that I assume was the "Trini Lopez Model" he spoke of in a recent interview. I'm pretty sure it was a Gibson. He finally broke out his trusty Les Paul Junior near the end of the show. Tommy Keene switched guitars around a lot too but mainly stuck w/a Strat. I'm pretty sure he was using a medium sized Fender combo amp (sorry, I didn't make as many mental notes of his gear. I'm sure you can understand that I was there to see Paul, and not his "Paid Companions". The bass player, whose name I can't remember, especially since Paul introduce him as being from Paris and gave him an un-pronoucable name, was using the old standby set up: older P-Bass through and an old Ampeg rig. Sorry drummers, I didn't note what kind of set Michael Bland had. I can tell you it was a little bigger then Josh used on the last tour - either a 5 or 6 piece (I couldn't see how many floor toms he had). Hopefully someone will get some video at some point during the tour. (Hey Chicago fans! Bring your camcorders to Grant Park on the 4th!!) Then we'll have a bit more detail. Sorry but I wasn't close enough to see anyone's FX pedals. Thus concludes what the majority of the group will undoubtedly agree is the most boring post ever placed on a.m.r. Thank you very much. Please no applause - just send money. _____________________________________________________________________________ fin. (The obligatory standard signature has been suspended while I'm at camp.) "A friend is somebody who doesn't think you did a permanent job when you make a fool out of yourself." -- (I can't remember who said that but Mark Timmins has a great one for next time.)