The Replacements: Classic or Dud?

are we counting all shook down as a solo album?

He's not counting it as such, I don't think.

But yeah, you are right.

I couldn't tell you what particular songs I like on that one, but the production is good and I can listen to it from beginning to end without the urge to skip or stop.

i don't think i've ever successfully listened to that one straight through. and i've tried. i like the song with johnette napolitano.

Zellar had some pretty serious chemical issues for awhile and he blew a lot of Zamboni money on them. He ends up playing a lot of strange, small, regional joints these days (and honestly he's phoned in a few too many shows if you ask me.). It's kinda too bad, because much of his solo work is excellent.

i wouldn't worry about him. i don't think anyone who doesn't live in Minnesota can understand how popular they are w/a certain set of people who went to college in the 90s in this state, last year they did 5 nights in a row at First Avenue at $20 a pop and sold it all out. They have a show at First Ave coming up, just added a second show because of high ticket demand...some of the places you might see on their website like O'Gara's in St Paul or the Red Carpet in St. Cloud are decent sized rooms and the Gear Daddies have been playing to loyal MN outstate fanbase for years, they draws hundreds and ticket prices will always be around $20...I know for a fact they still get $20,000-$25,000 a show and up regularly

honestly they aren't THAT much less popular in the overall state of MN (esp if you consider how much they meant to Southern MN and outstate being from Austin not Minneapolis) than the Replacement, even if their national profile is zilch.

Let's Go Scare Al is as good a country rock album as there is IMO.

like just for example to most ppl wtf is the "Crookston Sports Center"? http://www.geardaddies.com/shows/

i just looked it up and it seats 1,200 and tickets are going for $20 + fees

I like the first Chris Mars album. It's got
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGa1FF_2Gsw

Re: Mars solo, and Tommy solo, etc., it is kind of funny how easily they recorded albums that essentially could pass for the Replacements.

popular creeps is such a great song

it's funny, local DJ Mary Lucia (who is Paul Westerberg's sister IRL) used to have a local music show she called "Popular Creeps"

What is generally considered to be the best Paul Westerberg solo record?

stereo? i'm one of the people who'd argue for suicaine gratifaction though. or 49:00

14 Songs

^^

I'm a Mono/Stereo fan

popular creeps is such a great song

dead ringer for mid-'80s ray davies/kinks

fcc OTM. I've been trying to figure out what/who that song reminded me of for so long.

Stereo/Mono, though ASD fans should probably go straight to 14 songs.
and I adore all the Grandpaboy, self-released stuff like 49:00.

first Chris Mars solo record is great! I wish I'd kept that CD. Bash and Pop is okay, the lead single ("Loose Ends"?) is the best thing on it

i don't think anyone who doesn't live in Minnesota can understand how popular they are w/a certain set of people who went to college in the 90s in this state

I can because I went to undergrad late 80s early 90s. I get the Zellar thing and am a massive fan. Saw the Gear Daddies dozens of times, but have only seen them a few times in the past five years. I know Zellar keeps on trucking and am super happy for him.

Popular Creeps was directed at Westerberg, it was Mars' way of calling him a sellout I guess.

One of the bands that Bobby played in post-Mats was called the Bleeding Hearts and there is a demo of them floating around. They were not that good.

there's some static taxi stuff on youtube, this one is pretty cool!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swTCKb0TSJo

haha this one is at a now defucnt kinda yuppie-ish italian place in uptown called Figlio's

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UB9t9aCv3h0

I can because I went to undergrad late 80s early 90s. I get the Zellar thing and am a massive fan. Saw the Gear Daddies dozens of times, but have only seen them a few times in the past five years. I know Zellar keeps on trucking and am super happy for him.

ah yeah, it is weird tho i suppose every city has their own local favorites that never quite broke nationally

but yeah in 2015, the five night stand would have drawn close to 10,000 ppl all told to First Ave in a week, that's pretty impressive for a band that's only known as a one joke song band nationally

what is this???

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fi5pPxHIqCo

Sonny Vincent! Benefits coming up around town for him soon, I think his kids/grandkids were in a house explosion/fire.

https://www.gofundme.com/xnvynbcc

snarkiest Paul interview comment from old days: "They've ALL been solo records"

― son of a lewd monk (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, September 23, 2014 3:33 PM

i don't think anyone who doesn't live in Minnesota can understand how popular they are w/a certain set of people who went to college in the 90s in this state, last year they did 5 nights in a row at First Avenue at $20 a pop and sold it all out.

I resent this remark, there's people from northern Iowa who totally get the Gear Daddies

haha that's where I'm from

i don't think anyone who doesn't live in Minnesota can understand how popular they are w/a certain set of people who went to college in the 90s in this state, last year they did 5 nights in a row at First Avenue at $20 a pop and sold it all out.
I resent this remark, there's people from northern Iowa who totally get the Gear Daddies

― tremendous crime wave and killing wave (Joan Crawford Loves Chachi), Wednesday, March 9, 2016 1:45 PM (33 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

haha the 7 miles that separated my town from the border of Iowa have some of the highest per capita narcissism of small differences in the world

or the narcissism of no differences

If Paul Westerberg ran for governor of MN based on a promise that he would erect a 40 foot wall around the state and promised to keep Minnesota for Minnesotans he would win in a landslide.

When he took the oath of office he could even "forget" the words and it would be so charming cuz he's so talented and smart but doesn't anything seriously. Also, he is an underdog.

His vice governor could be Craig Finn and he could finish all of Westerberg's speeches and they'd always wear Twins hats.

And we could get on this board and talk about how they were both our guys before they were your guys.

At what point did Chris Mars stop giving interviews? He's not talked to in the new book, is he?

I would play black ops and release this photo days before the election.

http://i.imgur.com/hdVCHrY.jpg

xpost Washington Post interview w/ Mehr:

You talked to Paul and Tommy but what about Chris Mars? In the book, you recount how his relationship with the others soured to the point Paul openly antagonizes him. Did Mars talk to you?

I had done an interview from him in 2008 when I was doing a story on the Replacements. Chris had moved on from the Replacements. He had almost moved on when he was in the band. He was the most reluctant to go back.

Why would he be so reluctant?

He genuinely does have a hard and fast rule in talking about the Replacements. He’s trying to put a distance between his band life and art career. And I think there is some lingering animus. He was basically fired and was probably not well treated in the last couple of years within the group.

I would play black ops and release this photo days before the election.

i would counter that the only replacement who appears to be on or near the iowa side of the border is tommy (assuming the sign is properly placed exactly on the border, as all "welcome to" signs should). and he went there only to discard either a cigarette butt or some snot.

I always forget this is out there:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axN4jeuKEiY

Okay, listened to some Paul solo material and my reaction was: overall I enjoyed the singing, the guitar tone and the snappy drumming on whatever I happened to hear, the songwriting was fine if not outstanding, and maybe if I listened some more it would grow on me, but not sure what in fact there is to make me listen again except renewed curiosity after having read the book.

Westerberg's solo material sounds sad, as in, this quiet snowfall of melancholy buries the often good tunes.

by the way I bought the bio. Hooray.

Enjoy.

Westerberg's solo material sounds sad, as in, this quiet snowfall of melancholy buries the often good tunes.

So maybe I should scroll back up thread again to see prior discussion /zingtouch but for those who vastly prefer Twin/Tone material, is Tim the acme because of the slower stuff like "Unsatisfied" and " Sixteen Blue" or is it a little bit of a drop off because of, I dunno, corny Peter Buck solo?

Aargh I meant to type Let It Be, not Tim. I need to go to sleep.

I'll be home when I'm sleeping.

let it be was the first mats album i heard and a life-changing album for me. still my sentimental fave for a million reasons, but not because of "unsatisfied," which i find kind of annoying, but "androgynous" is a great slow one and "favorite thing" is a great fast one and there's a seeming effortlessness to the whole thing that i've always found endearing and magical. the songwriting peaks here too, i think.

but there are days when i prefer the hopped-up carelesscore of sorry ma or the careening rock and roll sloppiness of hootenanny, which are both great four-musketeer us-against-the-world rock band albums to my ears. "customer" are "lovelines" are as good as they ever got. as is "god damn job." as is "i.o.u." for that matter. it's not as if they immediately started sucking when they dumped bob. they just changed.

Objectively I would agree with every word of your excellent post. And yet

I was wondering yesterday how anyone would feel about the band if they had broken up after "Let It Be." I'd argue that it's the iconic stuff on the next two major label albums that have accounted for the band's longevity (as such). If the group had called it quits earlier do you think people would talk about the Replacements the same way, or maybe the way they talk about cultier fare like Mission of Burma, or the Feelies, or even the Descendants or something? Maybe they'd be on par with the Minutemen in terms of reputation?

Tim has "Bastards of Young" and "Here Comes a Regular" which are the 2 songs that really almost self consciously turn the Replacements into a myth