Showing posts with label paul westerberg. Show all posts
Showing posts with label paul westerberg. Show all posts
Monday, July 16, 2007
THE REPLACEMENTS - I WILL DARE - LIVE
"FROM THE YEAR... 1991?"
1991 NY (from comp. DVD "We don't wanna be on TV".
The video may have come out in 1991 but the band broke up before that. I know because in the early 90's I was seriously bummed out with all the moronic tuneless bullshit on the radio. There was an endless stream of tone deaf mutants mumbling lyrics on the airwaves. These guys all sounded like a cross between Abraham Lincoln and Leon Redbone.
ANYWAYS... This is REAL MUSIC. Paul Westerberg hit the nail on the head in this IRS Cutting Edge video when he boldly proclaims himself as a punk band. Even The Clash's more eclectic but offbeat sounds come off as hokey but definately punk. The punk sound doesn't have to have pounding, throbbing and boring beats to keep it afloat. The punk ethic demands that that first and foremost that its sound be heard. It doesn't matter so much if the meaning is necessarily understood.
Most times these bands are NOT understood. Westerberg himself claimed that his songs barely made any sense. This is what made listening to this band so interesting. There were times when these songs sort of defied logical explanation. But they sounded great.
In time, fans drifted off to create hordes of children, get burried in SUV payments and the lyrics of these brilliant minds faded in the dust. A lot of new fans came of course. But even though this band left an impression many bands didn't follow their lead. As a result we got a lot of predictable sounding drivel.
So these guys were encased in ice literally.
In a lot of ways these guys were very misunderstood. Under all that thrashy noise beat a real heart of powerful intention. They exited with a very quiet sound.
Ted Cantu posted this on July 16, 2007
Sunday, April 15, 2007
THE REPLACEMENTS - THE KIDS DIDN'T FOLLOW
"ALCOHOL IS GOOD FUEL - MA !!"
Where can I start?I have such a close knit history with this band I feel like I was one of them. I certainly put the hours in by listening to them and memorizing all of their... (okay there wasn't MANY albums) songs......BUT STILL... these guys are worthy.
They came out at the wrong time. I got to tell you. I was bored to tears listening to that whiney morass of a songwriter Stevie Knicks... and that poofy hairdoo wonderkind sidecar kickamajig Lindsey Buckingham. I certainly was not making macromae in my spare time and smoking dope. I was out there .. on the street... looking for the new sounds. To me.. THIS BAND WAS IT.
80's radio -- in general. .SUCKED.... I mean the early years in America. We had to scrap by with what would could grab. I didn't go for the big corporate dollar devil metal crap that was being pushed down our throats I wanted something REAL that I could use. The Replacements proved to be that vehicle for me as a youth.
They would never get into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame because they never sold enough records. They paved the way for harder bands like ... gasp... Nirvana... which in turn killed American radio with ball-less ballads that go down a dead end street.
On the FLIPSIDE... The Replacements were all about rebellion and causing up a ruckess. They were on a high note - literally. Sure there are some songs on their catalog that crank out a few tear drops but they are done artfully well. They carry a lot of soul in their droll.
.... Its good stuff.
Its fair to say that the media didn't kill music in the 2000's. The Internet did that. The corporations in the music biz could have done more however to help the MATS. There was a lot of reluctance to go around. Singer Westerberg hated making videos. The again... the videos they did make were worthy.
I remember seeing the new line up with Slim when they got drunk and shaved off their eyebrows. Man that was GOOD TELEVISION. I saw this on MTV in the 80's and they looked seriously goofy. Tommy actually spraypainted his boots bright red.
These songs take me back to a GOOD TIME in life. This includes driving a car thorugh a golf course -- jumping off buildings -- throwing tomatos out a nine story window -- homeade explosives -- stage diving -- and "hanging out the window".
I disagree with these guys being called A CULT band. They were not a CULT band. They were a ROCK AND ROLL BAND.. and a damn good one. They lacked a following because the mood of the industry was swayed with a lot of garbage from the SubPop label. Radio stations fell in line with what the corporate executives wanted. So consequently they never made the big play list. It had nothing to do with cultiness... they were MUSICIANS...... You could rely on them being good even when they were terrible.
Britney Spears and Lindsey Lohan and that new guy on Idol with the hair and the Big Teeth will probably get into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Seriously.
That is how things go in this ridiculous rock and roll circus.
posted by cantu
Where can I start?I have such a close knit history with this band I feel like I was one of them. I certainly put the hours in by listening to them and memorizing all of their... (okay there wasn't MANY albums) songs......BUT STILL... these guys are worthy.
They came out at the wrong time. I got to tell you. I was bored to tears listening to that whiney morass of a songwriter Stevie Knicks... and that poofy hairdoo wonderkind sidecar kickamajig Lindsey Buckingham. I certainly was not making macromae in my spare time and smoking dope. I was out there .. on the street... looking for the new sounds. To me.. THIS BAND WAS IT.
80's radio -- in general. .SUCKED.... I mean the early years in America. We had to scrap by with what would could grab. I didn't go for the big corporate dollar devil metal crap that was being pushed down our throats I wanted something REAL that I could use. The Replacements proved to be that vehicle for me as a youth.
They would never get into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame because they never sold enough records. They paved the way for harder bands like ... gasp... Nirvana... which in turn killed American radio with ball-less ballads that go down a dead end street.
On the FLIPSIDE... The Replacements were all about rebellion and causing up a ruckess. They were on a high note - literally. Sure there are some songs on their catalog that crank out a few tear drops but they are done artfully well. They carry a lot of soul in their droll.
.... Its good stuff.
Its fair to say that the media didn't kill music in the 2000's. The Internet did that. The corporations in the music biz could have done more however to help the MATS. There was a lot of reluctance to go around. Singer Westerberg hated making videos. The again... the videos they did make were worthy.
I remember seeing the new line up with Slim when they got drunk and shaved off their eyebrows. Man that was GOOD TELEVISION. I saw this on MTV in the 80's and they looked seriously goofy. Tommy actually spraypainted his boots bright red.
These songs take me back to a GOOD TIME in life. This includes driving a car thorugh a golf course -- jumping off buildings -- throwing tomatos out a nine story window -- homeade explosives -- stage diving -- and "hanging out the window".
I disagree with these guys being called A CULT band. They were not a CULT band. They were a ROCK AND ROLL BAND.. and a damn good one. They lacked a following because the mood of the industry was swayed with a lot of garbage from the SubPop label. Radio stations fell in line with what the corporate executives wanted. So consequently they never made the big play list. It had nothing to do with cultiness... they were MUSICIANS...... You could rely on them being good even when they were terrible.
Britney Spears and Lindsey Lohan and that new guy on Idol with the hair and the Big Teeth will probably get into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Seriously.
That is how things go in this ridiculous rock and roll circus.
posted by cantu
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