------------------------------------------------------------------------------- / // The\kyway \\ / skyway@novia.net Issue #32 January 13, 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 To get a listing of //Skyway\\ files available: index skyway To get a description of available files: get skyway !readme To get a file: get skyway ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Send submissions to: skyway@novia.net ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- January 13th, 1996 ------------------ HOLD MY LIFE: Matt Tomich NEW PEOPLE TELLIN' THEIR STORIES: Wayne Bergman Kevin Parker JOE Robert Dobbin Dr. Michael Turturro Eric Herbert Kevin Kleinhans REVIEW OF THE "PERFECT" SHOW AT THE UPTOWN IN MINNEAPOLIS: Bill Ruef Matt Tomich Ty FUN WITH WESTERBERG'S OLD AMP: Bill Ruef THAT GOO GOO DOLLS SONG SOUNDS A LITTLE FAMILIAR...: Dave Murrow SHUT UP! PAUL ROCKS!: Dave Murrow (again!) 'MATS HISTORY LESSON (PART II): Dave (un mas vez!) IN DEFENSE OF _DON'T TELL A SOUL_: Bryan Shelly ALT.MUSIC.REPLACEMENTS MIRROR: fowarded by Duncan DeGraffenreid BOOTS!: Kevin Parker VIDEO TRIVIA: Big Earl Sellar 'MATS CHORDS WANTED: Larry Jarvis WEDNESDAY NIGHT 'MATS IRC CHANNEL: Elizabeth S. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ HOLD MY LIFE Well hey, geez...welcome back to the //Skyway\\! Sorry for all the delays. Since the last issue, I've been on a hell of an adventure, tromped up and down the Midwest, moved and revamped all of the downloadable files on the listserver, underwent an address change for the list, and started work on the Skyway web page. The most dramatic thing that occurred over the holidays is that during my drive back to Nebraska from North Carolina for the holidays, at approximately 6:30 in the p.m. EST on Tuesday, December 21st, 1995, the atmospheric temperature dropped below freezing, invisibly freezing the blacktop of West Virginia Highway 65, which was instrumental in mocking my attempt to round a curve, during which my now-totalled Toyota decided to head straight into a ditch, bounce out of it, and land in the yard of Mr. and Mrs. Peek of Frazier's Bottom, WV. After a night at a Days Inn, I spent Wednesday limping along to my aunt and uncle's house in Indianapolis, Indiana. I was crawling along at 40 mph, stopping every hour to check my tires to make sure that I wasn't going to have a blow-out as a result of my new custom-adjusted front end alignment. It took almost 12 hours to get from Huntingon, WV to Indianapolis. The next day, I hopped on a plane to Chicago, and from there drove to Omaha with some friends who were headin' that-away for the holidaze. The good part about all of this is that I'm luckily uninjured (unless the need frr a chiropractor shows up later.) I didn't smack the windshield or the steering wheel (at least not that I remember.) The funniest thing about the whole ordeal is when I got out of the car in the yard of Mr. Peek, who came rushing out with a flashlight to see what all the noise was about. The accent is impossible to fully reproduce in the written medium, but it was something akin to, "Ah Jo Anne, we'z gots an'uther 'un!" And sure enough, my car's placement was a mere foot and a half from the uptorn sod and mud of the month and a half old mark of another hapless driver's tires. "This happen'z 'ere all de tiiime. Lemmie caall 'dem up and getcha a wrecker dawun 'ere." Special thanks to my two psychic friends who tried to convince me not to go. Two days in Omaha, Nebraska and I was burdened with decisions: what the hell am I going to do with my life? I didn't have a car to get back to North Carolina, and when I did, what was I going to do? Graduating from college is like going to the video store: it's so easy when you think about what you're going to pick out when you get there, but once you actually do, you can't figure out what to get. So when a friend from college (Mike Bischoff) passed through town the day after Christmas, I couldn't resist heading up to Minneapolis to figure stuff out. And luckily, there, as I wrote to everybody before, I had the chance to see Tommy's new band. (I wrote about that later.) But anyways, now I'm in Omaha awaiting the check from the insurance company in exchange for the debris that once was my car. From there, I'll buy another and drive back to NC, where I'll try to figure out what to do with life. "Time for decision to be made..." You called it, Paul! Thanks to everybody who sent something in that's here in this issue. Without you, there wouldn't be an issue. And there wouldn't be the //Skyway\\. -- M@ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: Tue, 28 Nov 1995 15:52:45 -0600 (CST) From: Wayne Bergman Subject: greetings from new skyway subscriber Here I am, a new subscriber to The Skyway, and I must say I like what I see so far. My name is Wayne Bergman, and I currently live in Iowa City, Iowa. I recently graduated from law school but have not yet obtained employment. (The opening lines to "Bastards" hit home pretty hard.) I started listening to the Mats in high school; my first purchase was Hootenanny. I'm pretty familiar with with the Uptown area of Minneapolis where the Mats used to hang; in fact, I have a friend who lives right across from the famous Let It Be rooftop. (I'm sure many of you know where the house is, but for those who don't, it's on Bryant Avenue, just south of 22nd Street, on the east side of the street.) Anyway, that's all I have time to write now, but I'll be in touch! Date: Sun, 03 Dec 95 17:02:04 EST From: FA09000 Dear Matt, I'm sorry its taken me so long to write my introductory letter to the Skyway. I've been so busy with classes and everything else at school that I haven't been able to get around to it. So here it goes. I'm a 20 year old English major at a small liberal arts college in New York. When my school finally got on line in January of this year, I was hoping to be able to find some Mats web sites and other info. However, when I checked I couldn't find anything. I can't say that I was shocked because almost everyone I've ever met has no idea who the Mats are anyway. So when I finally got wind of the Skyway mailing list I decided to join. Needless to say, I have been very impressed with the list so far and I can't wait for future issues. The Replacements for me have always been the one band that I really could identify with. They wrote about things that I experienced growing up (boredom, restlessness, confusion, basically being unhappy with a lot of what I saw around me). They wrote songs from the heart and seemed to play every single one of them as if it might be the last one they ever did. They were a truly original and great rock band that was around as I was growing up. No matter how good bands like the Stones and The Who,etc might have been, they never had the same effect on me that the Mats did. I first heard them in 1987 when I heard "Alex Chilton". I saw the video on MTV and I remember thinking that it was a great song and wondering who the hell these guys were that would put out a video where all they did was sit on a couch ( I hadn't seen the Bastards video yet and it became my favorite). So I went out and bought PTMM and I was blown away by how good it was. I couldn't figure out how I had never heard of the band since they were so much better than all of the other garbage that was so popular at the time. After purchasing that record, I went out and started to collect their back catalog. I discovered records that were everything that great rock music should be: honest, heartfelt, and, most of all, great. The band wrote songs that encapsulated many of the feelings that I was beginning to experience. Of all the records, Let It Be is my favorite because it is the perfect mix of what they were ( raw, loose punks) and what they would become (a versitile band who wrote great compact rock songs). Every time I hear songs like I Will Dare, Unsatisfied, and Answering Machine I'm reminded of how much that record and the band themselves helped and help me to get through some tough times in my life. Some of the other bands that I like are Husker Du, Bob Dylan, Uncle Tupelo, REM, Operation Ivy, Pavement, Neil Young, Beatles, Stones, and a bunch of other punk stuff (Bad Religion, etc.) Like I said, my favorite Mats record is Let It Be (with Hootenanny, Tim, and PTMM close behind. My favorite tunes are Answering Machine, Here Comes A Regular, Color Me Impressed, Unsatisfied, Left of the Dial, and The Ledge. And that's about it. Thanks again for having the list and I'll try to drop another line soon. Kevin Parker P.S. I sent a list of my Mats boots etc to Skyway. If anyone wants to trade or is willing to send me a list of boots, I'll be happy to trade or send tapes and postage. If so, E-mail me a FA09@IONA.BITNET From: JF122065@aol.com Date: Sun, 10 Dec 1995 13:20:15 -0500 Subject: mats hi matt I'm joe, a big mats fan in L.A. i just went thru all of the mats web sites, and i'm really pleased that there is so much on them. I got into the mats in 1985, and was lucky enough to see them 10 times! i'm interested in getting live tapes. However, i don' t really have any live tapes to trade! My only old artifacts are a backstage pass from the all shook tour, and a framed poster from twin tone that came out as an ad for let it be!, its my most cherished posession, and it was the first thing i grabbed during our earthquake in 1994! please email me with info on live tapes keep up the good work! JOE Date: Mon, 11 Dec 1995 01:00:13 -0800 From: Robert Dobbin Subject: replacements I'm new around here so, at your (Matt Tomich) suggestion I'm introducing myself and giving the story of my acquaintance with the Replacements. As you'd suspect, I subscribe to the house orthodoxy that the Replacements were/are one of the greatest bands of all time, and something more. For my money they and X were the best bands of the 80's and both were way better than anything served up by the pathetic pop of the 90's. But I kvetch. I'm 36 and live in Berkeley. I've been a Replacements fan since 1984 when I bought Let It Be. I think I had seen a notice of it in the Village Voice. I really can't say I fell in love with it right away but before long I was playing it to pieces. I felt like I'd found a new friend. They played the Berkeley Square sometime in early '85, which is the first time I saw them. They came on at midnight. The show was not as wonderfully godawful as other Replacements shows I've heard described, but it will do. They weren't three sheets, and they didn't walk off the stage after five minutes, but there was a lot of horsing around. Bob's guitar wasn't working properly, which didn't help. But it didn't matter. I was struck by the way they looked. Paul was the most emaciated person I'd ever seen, while Bob looked like a linebacker. Tommy was, yes, a kid. Chris seemed to hang back from the shenanigans. Like the album, the band was more than the sum of its parts. They had gestalt. I only remember their completing two songs the whole evening. A girl requested 'Tommy gets his tonsils out' and Bob told her to go fuck herself. People were shouting out, 'Don't start anything you can't finish,' because they mainly discarded songs after a few bars. They played a Frank Sinatra medley. And some other kitchy covers, like John Denver's 'Rocky Mountain High'. I didn't stay till the end because my friend insisted on leaving, but I felt like I got my money's worth. I exchanged a few words with Bob in the bathroom before they went on. He struck me as being very funny, though we didn't say much. I was a little in awe of him and a little tongue-tied. In the following year or so I of course got hold of all the recordings I could, including some things I've since lost and would dearly like to recover, like their version of Twentieth Century Boy and 'When the Shit Hits the Fans.' Anyway, that was probably the period when I was most taken with the Replacements. I made quite a pest of myself foisting their stuff on other people, some of whom got it, some of whom didn't. To me it was mainly about the music, but they also conveyed a kind of spirit that I doted on. I think that if Holden Caulfied had a favorite band it would be the Replacements, if that's not too pretentious. When 'Tim' came out I was disappointed, as were others I knew. I still don't think much of it. All the colors and textures on Let It Be were missing, like the pedal steel, the piano, the twelve-string electric. And that's just the production. But I guess it didn't matter what I thought because suddenly they were The Next Big Thing. It was some sort of hip credential if you could say you knew them when. It was hard getting in to see them the next time they were here. I managed to see them once and they were on their best behavior. The mix was real good and they sounded great. A big cheer went up when they began I Will Dare and Paul rolled his eyes like he was playing on American Bandstand or something. Anyway they managed to piss away whatever good will they had acquired and they never did become as popular as they probably could have. As far as I was concerned the hayday of the band was over. It may seem like heresy to say it but I think kicking Bob out of the band was some sort of publicity stunt. They thrived on rumors of how dangerously they lived and they needed a casualty to show for it. It was all part of Paul's tragic vision of the band and the rock and roll life. So call him the scapegoat or the fall guy or whatever, but I don't think Bob was any more fucked up in 1986 or '87 than he had been in '81. He could still play. I won't bore anyone with my reviews of the three last albums. I don't think they're as good as the first three, but they have their moments. All Shook Down is a nice piece of work, even if it's the Replacements in name only. I saw them play only once more, in 1989, I believe, after Don't Tell a Soul came out. It was at the Warfield in San Francisco. It was a bigger venue than I'd seen them in before, and they maintained a level of professionalism, while being ironic about it. Paul made a point of saying that he was departing from the play-list to cover some Robyn Hitchcock. Wonder when they first began using play-lists. What I remember most about the evening was how impressive Tommy was as a performer. I wasn't surprised to read somewhere that Jim Dickinson, the producer of PTMM, focused on him in the recording sessions. He plays rock and roll as it was meant to be played. The same could be said for the rest of the band. That is how I remember them. From: AirIck Subject: Skyway inputski Date: Wed, 10 Jan 96 10:53:49 MST First time caller, long time listener Eric Herbert here. I'm old old old (32), so I'm wise. Right? Bought "Let It Be" when it first came out and loved it. Still was more into the 'punk' thing, so didn't declare them my fave band yet. Still liked Ramones, X, Clash and Dead Kennedys more. After "Tim" I started to really embrace them, and Tim continues to be IMO the best album. Went back and picked up all the older stuff. Then got "Pleased" and the hook was really set. Other misc trivia: Saw them four times, once in Denver, once in San Francisco, once in San Jose and caught the final show in Chicago. They were typically weak all 4 times. Two "Pleased" tour shows and one "Don't Tell a Soul". Each time it looked like they were miserable and wished they were somewhere else. Sat with Paul while he had coffee and cig after the SJ show. Didn't say much, he was mad at Chris (shocker). I said some idiot star-struck crap "you guys are the greatest". Piffle. Paul rolled his eyes. Looking back, it seems sad to have climbed on a great rollercoaster after the thrills were just about over. Even though most of the best songs were put out during my time, the Bob shows were already history. Wish I would have gone to the "Let It Be" show. I've always bloomed late for some reason. The Chicago show was sad, but a perfect ending for the band. They played a short set, sounded awful and dwindled off the stage like a bunch of guys giving up in disgust. I appreciated the "joke's over folks" attitude. I heard a rumor in-town that Chris married a girl I used to know. Anyone who knows the romantic history of Monsieur Mars please forward. Curious if it's true but pretty confidant it's false. [Chris's wife's name is Sally I believe. - M@] Went to a wedding in Boston back in 1990 or so. It was at this blue- blood country club and I didn't even know the bride or groom. Friend of a girlfriend and all that. Sitting around the reception table, counting the minutes and wishing we could leave, waiting for dinner. The waitperson comes around to pour the wine and this shaggy guy across the table (I pegged him for a DeadHead since I assumed EVERYONE on the East Coast was a loser DeadHead or a preppy snob) says to the waiter "I'll have Red Red Wine cuz tomorrow's Sunday". Waiter rolled his eyes "whatever" but I got the joke. Soul Brethren! We got loaded, talked about the Replacments and ignored our dates. Great wedding. I was at a record store in our po-dunky little town (Ft. Collins) and I just purchased an old vinyl soundtrack for "That Summer" that had the Only Ones original version of "Another Girl, Another Planet" on it. I had just heard "Inconcerated" and thought "what a great song! That Westerberg can really write the tunes". As I was flipping through the used Soundtracks I saw Richard Hell, Ramones, Elvis... and turned the jacket over to see who else was on it. When I saw "Another Girl" I realized that the mats' version was a cover. Freaky right? I got in the car to head off to work, thinking about the song and wondering what the original would sound like. Started the car and the loser "alternative" station here in town was right in the middle of a Westerberg interview. I had no idea he was there and he was right down the street! Really freaky right? Then the dopey dj says "Why don't you pick out a song?" and Paul says "Okay. Do you have some Only Ones?" Ultra ultra freaky. I thought it was the instant before my death or something. As Carl said in Repo Man: "Lattice of coincidence. Don't even TRY and understand it". My cat's name is Otto. Here are some posts from the Uncle Tupelo mailing list in case you didn't see them. Very funny: -------------------------- begin enc ------------------------------------ From: Jack Minor I saw the Replacements open for Tom Petty on the "Don't Sell Your Soul" tour at the Erwin Center, an oversized tuna can at UT Austin. The band started at 7:55, before the house lights even were fully down. They ripped through an earnest set of classic 'Mats tunes before things degenerated. During "Can't Hardly Wait", bassist Tommy bounded off the stage with his bass and sat in the still-empty front row, still playing. Paul asked "Are you lonely down there?" For the next number, Paul jumped down to join him, and the roadies brought the microphone down to him. They remained there for a few more songs, grinning up at Slim and the drummer who were unfazed. Eventually, some clueless Petty fans walked up to Westerburg holding out their ticket stubs and said "You're in our seats." Paul and Tommy climbed back on stage, played "I'll Be You," and a couple of songs from the latest album, then slunk back stage to the strains of "I Wanna Be Your Dog" until they ran out of guitar cable and unplugged themselves. No one applauded, but Tom Petty and members of his band were transfixed on the side of the stage. Tom Petty's next hit single "Into the great wide open" featured a ripped-off Westerburg lyric: .."a rebel without a clue." ****************************************************** From: "Shayla Thiel" It's a little off the subject and probably a little bold to be writing on my first day on the mailing list -- on my first day on any mailing list, but ... Regarding that Petty/'Mats show Dave was talking about, I interviewed Slim Dunlap last year about playing with the Replacements and his stories about the Petty tour were the greatest. He said -- off the record, of course -- that they were trying like crazy to get kicked off the tour as Petty's fans didn't exactly appreciate their music at that time. Often, he said, there would be one set of clapping hands at the back of the stadium after their set and boos a lot of the time. After attempting to go on drunker than usual and switching instruments more often than usual, they finally decided the ultimate way to piss off Petty was to piss off his wife. So they broke in to her bus (I thought he said this was in Memphis -- anyone at that one?), took all her clothes and wore them the entire show. Unfortunately, she thought it was hilarious and so did Petty. They had to finish the tour, but it was way past the beginning of the end by that time, he said. I guess that's my little way of defending them. I can't help it. Anyway. Slim turned out to be a great guy and it turned out to be a great article. Send you a copy someday if you like. --Shayla -------------------------- end enc ------------------------------------ |- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | |Eric Herbert - - - - - - - - Flagperson, Information Systems Road Crew | |eriche@hpgrla.gr.hp.com - - - Hewlett Packard Greeley Site | |- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | From: "Michael Turturro, M.D." Date: Fri, 15 Dec 1995 16:06:15 +0000 Subject: another new member I recently got on the internet and immediately did a search on the 'Mats. Finding this list was like discovering a buried treasure. I guess I'm supposed to tell how I got to be a 'mats fanatic now, or something... I came across the band in a kind of roundabout way. In the summer of '85 I was spending a couple of days with some old friends at the New Jersey shore. As in many shore towns, the have games of chance - put down a quarter and try to win a 5 cent stuffed animal, etc. They also have games in which you could win records (LP's and casesstes only then). I was walking by one of these stands and I heard the Let it Be version of "Black Diamond" blasting from the speakers. At the time it wasn't too cool to admit you liked Kiss, and I remember being struck about who would have the balls to cover it, and in such a loose fashion. I talked to the guy working the stand, who showed me the Let it Be tape and raved about it. I spent about 5 bucks or so trying unsuccessfully to win a copy and when that didn't work out, I went to the local record store and bought it. At first listen, I don't think I was bowled over - the slower stuff sounded good, but some of the faster stuff sounded like filler. Before long it grew on me. A few months later Tim came out and once I bought it I was hooked. It seemed to really rock and the production sounded so different than Let it Be. There were so few bands worth listening to at the time and it felt like these guys could make me believe in rock again. Soon after I picked up the rest of their catalog. My life was pretty shitty at the time, and Paul's songs of isolationism and indifference provided the perfect soundtrack. I blew the chance to see them at the Ritz in NYC in'86 because I couldn't get a ride down from where I was going to school in upstate NY. Too bad for me I missed my only chance to see Bob play. In the summer of '87 I moved to Pittsburgh (where I didn't know a soul) for a job. Pleased to Meet Me had just been out a few months and the local alternative station was plugging "Alex Chilton" and "Can't Hardly Wait" but no one seemed to be listening. Several months later the station went off the air, never to return. I finally caught the 'Mats live at a club called Graffiti that summer. They came back through in early '89 just after releasing Don't Tell a Soul, on the Petty tour later that year, and finally in early '91. I caught all of these shows, but the most memorable for me was the Petty show, since I got to meet them afterward. They came on drunk that night and played their tunes to a mostly a bunch of idiots who came to hear "The Waiting" and "Stop Dragging My Heart Around." At the end of their set Paul shouted "Party on the 14th floor." My girlfriend at the time, who I had turned into a 'Mats fanatic, thought we should go to the hotel up the street and find them. We left halfway through Petty's set and while walking to our car we saw Paul, Tommy and Slim stumbling toward their tour bus. They invited us on board, gave us a beer and then we met them at the hotel lobby bar. It amazed me how approachable these guys were. We all sat around, drank and talked about music for a while. We were closer in age to them than the typical fan, and I think it made us easier to relate to them. It's too bad the band never found the audience they deserved, especialy with all the bands they've influenced selling by the millions now. I suspect Paul has moved on to something else now, and his next album will probably only appeal to those of us who know better. Sorry for being lengthy, but maybe someone will relate to this. Date: Fri, 12 Jan 1996 12:44:33 -0600 (GMT-0600) From: KLEINHANS Subject: fan hard up for "the shit... Is there a kind, loving soul out there who can make a copy of "when the shit hits the fans" for me? Pretty please with sugar on top? If anyone is interested, i have some Afghan Whigs stuff (2nd gen. dubs of Big Top Halloween & time for a bavarian death march) and some R.E.M. boots. This is the first time I've written to Skyway ever. I know I should have dribbled out all of my mats experiences when I first signed up, but I didn't. I don't want to date myself (or others) here, but the first time I heard of the Mats I was in high school and remembered reading or hearing that eMpTyV wouldn't play the video for "The Ledge" because all they did was just sit around and look hungover when it was really this tragic song about teen suicide. (Speaking of Mats videos, did anyone see the Beavis & Butthead episode when they played "bastards of young"? It was pretty decent. "YEAH! YEAH! KICK IT! KICK IT!!!) Anyways, I really didn't actually listen to one of their records until 1992. Guess I kinda missed the party, eh? Oh, well. I guess that's why I like reading the first-hand accounts of debauchery and derision here on Skyway. The first album I got was Pleased to Meet Me (which, IMHO, is their best). All it took was the lyric "what are ya gonna do with your lives? NOTHING!" for the Mats to have a soft spot in my heart. Speaking of which, I am doing nothing. I recently moved to Bloomington, IN to be with my girlfriend who goes to IU. The town pretty much sucks in comparison to Madison or Minneapolis. Every once in a while, some good shows come to town, though. Wilco & Son Volt have and will play here, but that's about it. If anyone on this list is in or visiting Bloomington, look me up and maybe we can go out and tie a couple on. Kevin Kleinhans (a.k.a. "me" and "Fritz") ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: Wed, 10 Jan 96 22:31:31 PST From: bruef@waun.tdsnet.com Subject: Perfect Show Hey fellow Skywygians, On December 29 Tommy Stinson brought his band Perfect back home to Minneapolis for a performance at the famous (around here anyway) Uptown bar. Having caught Tommy's solo performance there in October at which he performed solo versions of several Perfect songs, I was looking forward to hearing full band arrangements of these tunes. Our party got to the Uptown in time to catch the last few songs of the opening band whose name I don't remember and don't particularly care to (nuff said). Perfect finally came on and put on a solid hour of pretty good stuff. I did recognize a lot of songs from the October solo show and enjoyed them quite a bit. The band performed nothing but new Perfect songs and a couple of covers including "Heartbeat It's a Lovebeat" (performed even faster then the Mats did it), and Elton John's "Crocodile Rock" (also done at warp factor 9). The new songs still hint a lot at the melody and hooks we've come to know and love from The Mats and Bash & Pop, but the new band brings a different element into the mix that didn't exactly grab me. I think the problem I had with it was these guys are generally just too good. IMHO, one of the things that made the Mats and B&P so great was the simplicity and accessability of their playing. No extensive mega-chops and showing off cluttering up the sound and getting in the way of the songs. This was the one problem I had with Perfect. They injected lots of little weird syncopated rhythms and flashy drumming that reminded me of post metal / post-grunge L.A. But I suppose everyone needs to grow and evolve. In any case, the songs are still very good and I look forward to hearing the album(s) rumoured to be forthcoming (Tommy mentioned nothing about being signed during the show). Some titles to watch for include "Me", "Turning Inside Out", "Get Some Rest", and "Makes Me Happy" (I'm guessing at some of these titles so they may not be entirely accurate). I was able to get a pretty decent tape of the show so send in those trading lists, or I'd be willing to do a few trades for blanks if you haven't got anything to trade. Just email me at bruef@waun.tdsnet.com. Date: Fri, 12 Jan 96 14:19:23 CST From: matt@novia.net (Matthew Tomich) Subject: Imperfect Perfect show at the Uptown Bar I didn't plan on being in Minneapolis over the holiday season, but there I was. And it just so happened that on December 29th, Tommy was playing at the Uptown Bar with his new band from Los Angeles, Perfect. I heard that he'd just been signed to his old manager Peter Jesperson's label, Medium Cool. Maybe he'd even moved back to the Twin Cities. Maybe in the light of his half-brother's death, he'd cleaned up his act and started trying to take care of his health. Maybe... I don't have the answer to these questions, but I got to see Tommy as about up close and personal as you can get at the Uptown. After paying $5 to get in (when the show was advertised as free) and sitting through an excrutiatingly mediocre opening band, Tommy finally hit the stage. Seriously, for the first time, he looked GOOD. He still looked a little thin, but he wasn't so pale, wasn't so pallid, didn't look so out of it. Even his characteristic hair had settled down from a hairsprayed squirrel nest mop to a stylistically unkept Rod "the Mod" Stewart-era, honest-to-God haircut. And man, he's a PERFORMER. He admitted, inbetween songs, "Shit, I don't know what to say...uhm..." but he looked collected, together, and completely comfortable up on stage and ready to go. Tommy definitely's got the stuff to be a frontman and looks even more comfortable than I've seen Westerberg at times. But...but...Jesus Christ, I don't know where he dug up the backing band. It looked like a bunch of generic West Coast studio-ready session guys complete with their look-of-the-day (the guitar player was copping the Flaming Lips, the bass player looked like he took fashion hints from that rock joint in the state of Washington, and the drummer...looked like...just some guy who'd been playing in studio bands forever.) The thing that I missed the most was that "all for one and one for all, friends forever and friends for life" vibe that you got from the old 'Mats or bands like Guided by Voices or Uncle Tupelo. These guys were so...generic. Glitz. L.A. Plastic. Replaceable. And the music was tolerable. It didn't kick my ass, even though I wanted it to so bad. As my friend Mike Bischoff summed it up, "There were moments where there were all the things that I love about Tommy and I'd go 'Yeah!', but then they'd slide right back into the mediocre." But I have to hand it to them that they were a *tight* sounding band. Very slick, very together, and not a noticeable musical error...a far cry from any Replacements show I've heard. But I would've gladly traded a thousand beautiful flubs for the sadly standard sounds that Perfect pumped out, so studio perfectly...and without any spark to start a fire. Maybe on subsequent listens, the songs will catch. The covers were energetic as all hell (he closed with "Crocodile Rock", which just seemed to echo the 70's Stewart hairstyle), and he seemed comfortable with the tunes. I'm anxious to hear the album. Sadly missing from the set though were any Bash & Pop tunes. A repeated audience request for "Satillite" was returned with a "Yeah, right." I still think that Tommy will find it someday, since I thought that Bash & Pop, which was essentially a solo album, held so much promise. But if I had walked into the bar that night and never turned my head to the stage, I wouldn't have thought that I was hearing the brat whose tunes I so dearly love. -- Matt Date: Fri, 05 Jan 96 09:01:55 EST From: TBRIGGS@mailgate.kpmg.com Subject: Re[2]: I'll be there.. Matt the Skyway man, Ya kinda a bummer we didn't bump into each other... Or maybe we did and didn't even know it... Well Matt I would like to write about the show, but personally I was pretty drunk, so I just remember loud crankin' muzik... I don't recall any particular songs that I could reconize, but it was a tasty show. I had never been to the Uptown Bar, so it was cool to see the bar and relate all the stories I have heard about the Mats being there. One cool thing I can mention, is my buddies and I were standing pretty close to the stage and bar, and there was a taller dude in front of us with blonde spiked up hair (like Tommy) and he knew Tommy... So at the begining of the show, this older lady was trying to get his attention, and sure enough he was talking to her breifly, and it came to be, that it was Tommy Stinson's mom!! So kinda wild, I did get a chance to be in the presence of Tommy's mom and one of his buddies. What a trip... But all in all it was a cool, loud, crankin' show, and I will return again to see Tommy or for that matter, any other former Mats memebers.. Peace, Ty ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: 31 Dec 95 03:43:48 EST From: Bill A Ruef <102144.3242@compuserve.com> Hey Matt, Remember I told you I was going to go looking for a guitar amp today ? Well me and Phil walked into this place on Lake St. that had a lot of used stuff, and there's this old beat up Marshall head back in the corner which is just what I was looking for (the newer ones are to metal-ly sounding). Well I go ask the salesman if I can try it out, and he says, "Sure, that's a great amp. It use to belong to Westerberg" I just about shit my pants !! I told Phil, "I don't care what it sounds like, this fucker's sold !". But I managed to talk myself out of it cause other then the fact that it was an older model, and it belonged to Westerberg, it didn't have much of anything I was looking for. It didn't have a gain knob or any kind of built in over drive, so I would have had to use a stomp box for distortion. And on top of that, it was 100 watts and was so incredibly fucking loud, I'd have never been able to use it! I'm still not sure if I made the a decision though. I got the saleman's name and the store's business card just in case I change my mind. In any case, I can now say I played through Westerberg's amp! See ya, Bill ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: David_Murrow@ahold.nl Date: Mon, 11 Dec 95 10:26:00 CET Subject: Paul Speaks! Hi everyone -- Found this bit on Paul from late November in the Courier-Journal. Funny thing is, I have no idea what city this paper is from. Shall I presume Minneapolis? David Murrow david.murrow@corp.ahold.nl **************************************************************** Copyright 1995 The Courier-Journal November 25,1995, Saturday - METRO Edition Bob Bahr Close, but no Replacement Do you think Johnny Rzeznik's lead vocals on the Goo-Goo-Dolls' single ''Name'' sound like Paul Westerberg's? So does Paul Westerberg. But he's not upset. ''Johnny sounds like me, and obviously I'm a big influence, but it doesn't hurt,'' Westerberg told Rolling Stone. ''I'm happy for him.'' ''I've met Keith Richards and Johnny Thunders and everybody I've blatantly stolen from,'' Westerberg said. ''They never treated me with anything but respect, and I would hope I could be the same way. If my career was over, I'd be bitter. But I don't feel it's over. I'm gonna do this until they cart my -- -- away.'' When Rolling Stone caught up with Westerberg, he had recorded 21 songs for his next album, tentatively slated for March. ***************************************************************** All my life, been waitin' for March.... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: David_Murrow@ahold.nl Date: Tue, 28 Nov 95 16:54:00 CET Subject: Video Valentine Verbiage Just finished reading SKYWAY ISSUE #31 (11/28/95). GREAT STUFF EVERYONE. Well done, Matt. But, Please, please, please Can we do this every two weeks instead of every month? With Paul's new CD coming in four months (and Tommy's Perfect hobbling along soon afterward), there WILL be more email activity. I sent my first missive to this list earlier this year, and have since scoured the back files for lyrics, bestoftxt and more. It's a tremendous resource. Dante Taylor was writing about Mats videos in the 11/28 Skyway. IF you check BESTOFTXT # 5 or 6 (forget which), there's a well-researched overview of Mats on video, as written for Taper's Quarterly by the Mats collector guru Charles Ford (is he still toiling for IBM?) But Dante also wrote "Too bad Paul only rocks live now" which I took to mean that he hasn't made videos since the Mats. UNTRUE! When 14 songs came out, MTV Europe carried a news piece with Paul at a video shoot for World Class Fad. Clip showed Paul singing the words in a (gasp!) flannel shirt, and interview talked about Paul's well-known disdain for videos. But with a glimmer in his eye, and a safety pin in his heart, he smiled at the end and said, "but I'm glad I'm getting to do this one." I took this as a sign of faith from Warners to fund such a vid for the CD. Since a decent video CAN run upwards of $50,000, maybe another consideration is that Paul's record Co. or Paul himself didn't want to spend the cash. Has anyone ever seen "World Class Fad" video, or does anyone have the rundown on post-Mats (read:Paul) video. Would love to hear about it. David Murrow david.murrow@corp.ahold.nl PS -- When the fuck will Twin Tone (or Paul?) capitalize on an obvious Replacements US fan base and put together a decent CD compilation, with rarities and whatnot? [Sorry the Beatles thing got me all stirred up again] Or are all the master tapes consigned to the bottom of the Mississippi (a true and lovely tale of in-house fighting!)?? [In fact, that's one of my New Year's Resolutions...now that I'm out of school, in the country, and living in one place, the issues should come out on a more timely basis. However, the reason that this one is so 'late' is because of the work regarding the address change. Also, there no longer are any "Best Of" the Skyway files. All they contained was information that wasn't time-related (ie. no tour date or release information)...which was most of the issue! Aside from that, I didn't feel like I could rightfully judge anybody else's submissions as being better than anybody else's...so all the back issues are available in lieu of a 'best of'. -- M@] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: David_Murrow@ahold.nl Date: Fri, 15 Dec 95 16:27:00 CET Subject: The Soul of Rock & Roll Here's the whole enchilada, for your reading pleasure, as of June 1992, reprinted with very little permission REPLACEMENTS LIVE! David Murrow david.murrow@corp.ahold.nl ***************************************************************** Copyright 1992 Gale Research Inc. All Rights Reserved Contemporary Musicians June, 1992; Issue Seven NAME: The Replacements PERSONAL: Band formed c. 1980 in Minneapolis, MN; members include Paul Westerberg (born c. 1961), guitar and vocals; Tommy Stinson (born c. 1967), bass and vocals; Bob Stinson, lead guitar and vocals (left band 1987); Chris Mars, drums; and Slim Dunlap (joined, 1987), lead guitar and vocals. Performed in Minneapolis area in 1980-81, recorded first LP in 1981. Signed by Sire Records 1986. Single "I'll Be You" reached Billboard Top 100 Singles Chart. OCCUPATION: Rock and roll band ADDRESSES: Record company-- Sire Records, 75 Rockefeller Plaza, 20th Floor, New York, NY 10019-6979. DISCOGRAPHY: Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash (contains "I Hate Music"), Twin/Tone, 1981. Stink (contains "Gimme Noise"), Twin/Tone, 1982. Hootenanny, Twin/Tone, 1983. Let it Be (contains "We're Coming Out," "Seen Your Video," "Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out," "Black Diamond," and "Androgynous"), Twin/Tone, 1984. The Shit Hits the Fans (contains "Radio Free Europe"), Twin/Tone, 1984 (cassette only). Tim (contains "Bastards of Young"), Sire, 1985. Please to Meet Me, Sire, 1987. Don't Tell a Soul (contains "I'll Be You"), Sire, 1989. All Shook Down, Sire, 1990. Contributors of "Cruella DeVille" to Stay Awake, A&M, 1988. SIDELITES: The Replacements' combination of songcraft and rock and roll energy made them one of the most admired alternative bands of the 1980s. Though the 'Mats, as they are also known, started out as a scruffy Midwestern punk-pop outfit, they soon matured into a formidable presence on rock's cutting edge. Singer-songwriter Paul Westerberg's passionate lyrics and powerful tunes, combined with the band's onstage intensity and humor, attracted the praise of critics and the devotion of a diverse group of fans. Yet by the end of the 1980s, the Replacements faced growing doubts about their coherence as a band; the group's future seemed as unpredictable as their legendary live shows. Their 1990 album All Shook Down, though a smash with critics, did little to settle the matter. The punk rock wave of the late seventies and early eighties, which began with American bands like the Ramones and such British groups as the Sex Pistols and the Clash, invigorated independent rock and roll on both sides of the Atlantic. As with any revival, certain cities played prominent roles in the new music scene. In England, for example, Manchester and Liverpool fostered a score of important postpunk bands. Among the towns with substantial music scenes in the United States were Athens, Georgia, which produced R.E.M., the B-52's, and others; Akron, Ohio, home of Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders as well as Devo; and Minneapolis, Minnesota, which brought together Husker Du, Prince and the Revolution, and the Replacements. The excitement of the Minneapolis scene in the early 1980s fueled the success of Westerberg and his band. The Replacements began as a teenaged garage band featuring Westerberg, bassist Tommy Stinson, who was then 12 years old, Tommy's brother Bob on guitar, and drummer Chris Mars. The band began opening for other punk bands and released its first record Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash for the Twin/Tone label in 1981. Rolling Stone' s Steve Pond called this debut effort and the 'Mats' 1982 EP Stink "fast and hard and mean, close to hardcore but a little too smart and sentimental." These early recordings were very much in the punk spirit, with slamming drums, basic guitar, and song titles like "I Hate Music" and "Gimme Noise." The band became notorious, however, as one of underground rock's most wildly unpredictable live acts. Group members were often drunk and peppered their sloppy renditions of original songs with campy cover versions of old country songs, heavy metal anthems, and TV themes. The country feel made its way into their 1983 LP, Hootenanny. While the band's overindulgence seemed to provide some inspiration and fun to their shows, it also led to serious problems. Bob Stinson's drinking in particular affected his performances, and Westerberg too had come to rely on alcohol. "I've been waking up for years looking in the mirror and thinking, 'I've got to put the bottle down,'" he recalled in a 1990 interview with Musician' s Bill Flanagan. "One day I looked in the mirror and said, 'If I was the bottle I'd put /me/ down.'" In 1984 the 'Mats released Let it Be, their most critically acclaimed independent album. Less of a punk record but still energetic and witty, the record made clear the Replacements' importance to the independent rock world. Steve Simmels of Stereo Review referred to Let it Be as "monumental." Westerberg noted in a 1989 Rolling Stone interview, "We had a big dose of attitude in the early days, and it's kinda hard to put attitude down on tape. But we tried for, like, three records. And kinda gave up the ghost on Let it Be, and let a little bit of music happen, too. And that was the right mixture." The mixture includes intense rockers like "We're Coming Out" and the furious "Seen Your Video," tongue-in-cheek tunes like "Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out" and a cover of "Black Diamond" by seventies rock idols Kiss, and such surprisingly tender songs as "Androgynous," a piano-and-vocal turn by Westerberg which shows the influence of sixties avant-rockers The Velvet Underground. Let it Be persuaded Sire Records to sign the Replacements. Twin/Tone's last 'Mats release was the 1984 live cassette The Shit Hits the Fans, which was actually a bootleg recording confiscated from a fan. The show immortalized on the tape was a raucous performance in Oklahoma that featured cover versions of Led Zeppelin tunes and R.E.M.'s "Radio Free Europe." Longtime 'Mats fans worried that a contract with a major label would soften the band's sound, but their 1985 release Tim calmed most of those fears. Simmels referred to the album as "a flat-out stunner. It is the most passionately felt piece of music to have emanated from an American garage since ... Let it Be ." High Fidelity called Tim "the richest, most complex record these American underdogs have made." And if the "mature songs" High Fidelity found on this effort suggested too much growing up, the band's video for the blistering single "Bastards of Young" was refreshingly adolescent: nothing but footage of a speaker in a teenager's room, throbbing to the song's relentless beat until the end, when a sneakered foot kicked it over. The video summed up much of the appeal of the band's attitude; their refusal to play the image-obsessed game of rock video looked like a genuine act of rebellion in the mid-eighties. In the meantime, however, Bob Stinson's drinking and behavior were so out of control that the band decided to kick him out. They recorded their next LP, Pleased to Meet Me, as a trio. Though it didn't create as powerful an impression as Tim, it further showcased Westerberg's songwriting. The band toured in 1987 to support the album with new guitarist Slim Dunlap. As Ira Robbins noted in Rolling Stone, "Set lists rather than inebriated whimsy guided the band's performances." The band also contributed its version of "Cruella DeVille," from the film 101 Dalmatians, to Stay Awake, the 1988 A&M compilation of songs from Walt Disney movies. The band's increased seriousness may have motivated Sire's decision to give a sincere promotional push to the group's 1989 album Don't Tell a Soul. The video for the single "I'll Be You," a song that suggests Westerberg's weariness of the punk rebel's role, appeared frequently on MTV and reached Billboard's Top 100 Singles chart. Though reviews of the album were mixed, the 'Mats had reached a new level of visibility on the rock scene, appearing on the covers of magazines as well as on TV screens. People's David Hiltbrand wrote that "Don't Tell a Soul is not as strong an album as its predecessor, Pleased to Meet Me. But for fans of the Replacements and of the rock and roll spirit, it's a treat." Robbins labeled Don't Tell a Soul "an audacious album that reclaims its valued independence by confounding audience expectations." Chuck Eddy of High Fidelity disagreed, calling the record "nondescript," and lacking in musical force and lyrical wit. Tommy Stinson remarked in a Newsweek interview, "We're gettin' older and our music is gettin' older. And our f---- ideas are gettin' older." This new "maturity" was bound to alienate some listeners, but the band and the label hoped to open the Replacements to a wider audience. Unfortunately, Don't Tell a Soul only sold around 300,000 copies. The next album, All Shook Down, was originally intended as a Paul Westerberg solo album. Released in 1990, it featured a number of acoustic songs as well as musicians from outside the band. Rumors circulated through the music world that the band was about to break up, even as this new album garnered enthusiastic reviews and considerable prestige. Chris Mundy's review in Rolling Stone called All Shook Down "the record the Replacements should have made" to impress the critics who lined up to praise Don't Tell a Soul. Despite the quieter tone of the record, Mundy noted, "songs are now presented with a hushed urgency that demands immediate attention." Even with this and similar accolades, the band's future was as uncertain as ever. Westerberg did a number of interviews in the unique position of promoting a band that might break up at any moment. Jeffrey Ressner reported in Rolling Stone that "the Replacements stand as a band on the verge. It could be the verge of success or it could be the verge of failure. More than anything else these days, it seems that the Replacements are teetering on the verge of a nervous breakdown." Westerberg's uncertainty about the band's destination and his newfound "maturity" hadn't changed his views about singing and songwriting. Lauded by Spin as "the soul of rock 'n' roll," he remarked in an interview with the magazine, "To me, the soul of rock 'n' roll is mistakes. Mistakes and making mistakes work for you.... The people who shy away from change and mistakes and play it safe have no business playing rock 'n' roll." SOURCES: High Fidelity, March 1986; May 1989. Musician, December 1990. Newsweek, June 19, 1989. People, February 27, 1989. Rolling Stone, February 9, 1989; June 1, 1989; December 14, 1989; October 4, 1990; October 18, 1990. Spin, August 1991. Stereo Review, February 1986. --Simon Glickman ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Nov 1995 23:24:23 -0500 (EST) From: Bryan Shelly Subject: Don't Tell A Soul Hey Matt-long time, no hear. What's going on? Anyway, I'm writing about "Don't Tell A Soul." For as long as I've been a 'Mats fan, other fans have told me to steer clear of it and that it was an inferior product. Unfortunately, I listened to them. I purchased every album except DTAS and proclaimed the 'Mats the best band in the cosmos. Still, I always wondered about DTAS. I refused to buy it, and for some reason I never even borrowed it. Boy, was I dumb. I finally got it yesterday for my birthday (along with the Beatles "Revolver" and Sonic Youth's "Washing Machine - how I love my parents!!) and I have yet to stop listening to it. I'm utterly in awe and dumbfounded by critics of the album. Now, I concede that DTAS is nearly a complete stylistic opposite of the early 'Mats we love; however, I think its a logical way to go after Pleased to Meet Me. As for the songs, I think that the whole album does suffer from Paul's apparent obsession with being a soft rock god. I would have loved to have heard the intro of "Talent Show" combined with the live version's intensity at all other parts. Come to think of it, the whole album is kind of lacking in adrenalin (the terrible production accounts for a lot of this - Matt Wallace should be shot). HOWEVER (didn't I start out trying to praise this album?), if you get past the production, DTAS is an excellant album. It may be missing the raunch, but Paul's ballad writing skills have never been more consistent throughout an entire album. "Talent Show" and "Achin to Be" are fantastic, and the token rocker ("Anywhere's Better Than Here") is fantastic. The entire album is remarkably solid throughout. It's an interesting testimonial to where Paul was at the time - listening to "Talent Show," it's obvious he thought that this album was going to push them over the top. A lesson for all 'Mats fans: every album is worth buying. Although DTAS probably ranks fifth on my list, it's still a phenomenal album. To anyone who's not a fan of it: don't judge it by the band's previous works - appreciate it on its own merits. Bryan ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ CULLED FROM ALT.MUSIC.REPLACEMENTS by Duncan DeGraffenreid (Thanks Duncan!) newsgroup: alt.music.replacements From: dante taylor Subject: Re: OMIGOD Paul's in Rolling Stone Date: Tue, 14 Nov 1995 19:28:06 GMT As for the album, Westerberg had already recorded an album with Brendan O'Brien that he canned because it sounded too much like the Mats. The track from the 'Friends' soundtrack ("Stain yer Blood") is taken from those sessions. Apparently, a boot of that album entitled '12 Songs You'll Never Hear' is soon to make the rounds...see your favorite bootleg guy. Funny that Paul'll reflect on Bob's death considering his attitude towards Stinson contributed to the portly rocker's ill health. I'm certainly not suggesting that Bob was without blame, but apparently Paul made it clear near the end that Stinson's presence in the band was only needed in a "sideshow freak" sort of way. From: Johnny Yen Newsgroups: alt.music.replacements Subject: Paul Westerberg is a way cool guy Date: 18 Nov 1995 18:50:05 GMT I hope no one minds a brief "Paul is a cool guy" story. Back in '84 or 85, the Replacements, the band of choice of our crowd, were playing Mabel's, in Champagne Illinois. My friend Jamie volunteered to drive (we were at Eastern Illinois University, about 50 miles away) Everyone but Jamie had tickets. When they got there, they found the show was sold out. Jamie was bummed, so he sat in the bar, and had a couple of beers before they kicked out everyone with no tickets. A guy walked up to the bar, ordered a beer and started chatting with Jamie, who told him about being bummed that he wouldn't be able to see the mats. The guy talked a few more minutes and left. Then the bouncers came by to get everyone w/o tickets out. Jamie got up to leave and a bouncer stopped him and said, "hey, you can stay. You're on the guest list." Jamie was puzzled, but happy. When the 'mats came on, Jamie found his answer. He had been talking to Paul Westerberg. (Obviously he'd never bothered to check out the covers of any of the albums we all played) From: pgreblo@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Paul Greblo) Newsgroups: alt.music.replacements Subject: U. Magazine Date: 19 Nov 1995 22:37:38 GMT My college newspaper get a monthly insert called U. Magazine filled with all kinds of useless articles for Joe College Student. This month's issue features an article called "The Magnificent Seven - The Top College Rock Albums Since the Dawn of Time (i.e., the 80s and 90s)". Of course, our favorite band is on the list with Let It Be. Here's the blurb the accompanies it: "The Replacements, when they hit their stride, were "the" classic American post-punk band. Their combination of sloppiness, heart, and balls-out punk bravado is best documented on Let It Be, which moves from delicate confessionals ("Unsatisfied") to crude in-jokes ("Gary's Got a Boner") with the kind of woozy grace you can only find in the hardest-drinking band in show business. The Mats (as they came to be known) never fully broke out of their underground status, which somehow makes them all the more legendary. Watch for frontman Paul Westerberg to grow into a dignified elder statesman of rock". Not a bad plug for the Mats. Maybe it'll inspires some pimply-faced 19-year olds to pick up a copy. Also making the list were R.E.M. ("Murmur"), Public Enemy ("It Takes a Nation..."), Camper Van Beethoven ("Key Lime Pie"), Throwing Muses ("Throwing Muses"), Husker Du ("Warehouse"), & Sonic Youth ("Daydream Nation"). Not bad company, though I could do w/o the Public Enemy. Just thought you all would want to know... Paul From: philmac@ix.netcom.com (Phil McRaven) Newsgroups: alt.music.replacements Subject: RFA (Replacements Fan Anon) Date: 22 Dec 1995 22:56:34 GMT Um, er, hello...my name is Phil (First name only) and I'm a pathetic placemat materialist (PPM, if you will). I buy pretty much anything related to the 'mats as I can. I even own 12" vinyl of them. Umm, I've seen them live a few times, I admit (sniff, sniff) I BOUGHT THE TICKETS, ALRIGHT, ARE YOU SATISFIED!!! I buy 'mats stuff, is that so wrong?!?! Um, I delivered the entire band when their mother's came into the delivery room. Um, I taught most of the members (Not SLIM) how to read and write, ok, ok, I couldn't bring myself to teach them math! I didn't think I was good enough at it, ok? I've enjoyed all of their albums at different times, equally. SO SHOOT ME! I've even bought their solo stuff...I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I've tried quitting listening to their albums, thrown 'em away, flushed 7"ers down the toilet, but I always go back and save them before they get taken away or go down the toilet pipe (Which can be messy). I've tried, LORD KNOWS I H-A-V-E TRIED!!! I JUST CAN'T!!! Money in my wallet=a store bought 'mats item. I've tried living without money but, it kinda' got hard, so I use money again, which has made my life a whole HELL of a lot easier. Thanks. My name is Phil (Quietly takes seat back in the circle and lights a cigarette, in honor of Paul, then remembers that Paul quit smoking, so he lights a cigarillo instead, just like Paul...) (The following was a "Peace thru Dramatization" segment and not meant to be taken seriously, or otherwise. In other words, lighten up...would ya'. You know, everyone's life sucks (basically) and if they find enjoyment by trading stories about what they've done, bought, or said, don't be negative about it, just go onto the next newsgroup...pleez!) PS- While I'm at it, on the '91 tour, I drove from St. Louis to Nashville, saw at club 328 (or something like that) drove back that same night, got into St. Louis around 6:00am, and my friend missed his biology final at 10:00...so, that's either dedication or stupidity (you really don't need to answer, I know which one it is...) From: daniebh3@wfu.edu (Brent Daniel) Newsgroups: alt.music.replacements Subject: Re: Replacements VS Uncle Tupelo Date: 23 Dec 1995 00:40:22 GMT [From an article about Wilco; a quote from Uncle Tupelo/Wilco member Jeff Tweedy:] "I never wanted to be a rock star," he said. "I just wanted to be a punk rocker. I wanted to tour around the country in a van like Black Flag or The Minutemen and play to 15 people a night. "Then I saw the Replacements right after they released their Hootenanny album. They were insanely great. Paul Westerberg fell off the stage during the first song. He got back up, went to the mike and said, 'I need a !@#$%^& job.' It was the greatest moment of my young life. "From that point on, my goal was to make music that was that cool, that was fun and that struck people the way that struck me." (from the winston-salem journal) Adam Keats (ez049256@boris.ucdavis.edu) wrote: : Wilco, on the other hand, I can heartily recommend--even unheard. I : think it's truer to the 'Mats than anything I've heard in a long time. Agreed. I didn't really notice the connection the first time I listened to Wilco (or when I was listening to UT before that). But, when I saw them in concert, it struck me how similar the two bands are. Don't go out and buy Wilco expecting to find a 'Mats album or anything - they're not really in the same league. Someone in this thread mentioned that Son Volt's songs really struck them. I agree that that is one of Jay's strengths as a songwriter. But, I think the lack of that quality is a big similarity between Wilco and the mats. Despite the fact that the Replacements are my favorite band, I don't think I've ever heard a Replacements song that really jumped out at me. (Well, maybe Answering Machine). Usually, the first time I heard a 'Mats song, it was like "well, this is pretty good. I could take it or leave it." Then, the second time, it was "wow." This still happens to me - I used to skip some 'Mats songs on CDs, but I now realize how great some of them are (Sixteen Blue, Little Mascara). It's pretty much the same way with Wilco. Nothing jumps out and grabs me at first, but eventually I realize how good the songs are. If anyone really wants to check out these bands on the basis of this thread, I would suggest starting with Uncle Tupelo 'Still Feel Gone' first. Those songs -do- jump out at you, and Jay still rocked at that point. Brent ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: Wed, 29 Nov 95 15:38:41 EST From: FA09000 Hello, I'm just writing in to say how much I enjoyed the new issue of Skyway. It's great to know that their are other Mats fans out there I saw that a lot of people were looking to trade boots. I'll post what I have but most of it is fairly common. If anyone sees one that they would like to trade for or get a copy of E-mail me at FA09@IONA.BITNET and I'll be happy to work something out with you. Also if anyone just wants to send me a list, I am always looking for new boots. Mats ---- Shit, Shower, Shave CD: Bristol, Conn., University of Wisconsin, and Mansfield, Mass. 1989. 90 min tape 7/4/91 Grant Park Chicago plus filler (1981 Zoogies: 7 songs including Customer, Shiftless When Idle, and Otto. 90 min tape) 11/8/84 G.S.Vigs Wisconsin aka In Heaven There Is No Beer. The quality is shaky but if you're a big fan it's listenable. 90 min tape 11/11/84 Replacements Inconcerated aka Shit Hits The Fans [Don't confuse this with the 1989 promo of six live songs called "Inconcerated"!] Video: Rotterdam 1991: excellent quality with a set that includes Customer, Androgynous, I Will Dare, The Ledge [and an incredible slow version of "Nevermind"] Westerberg ---------- 7/93 Whiskey A Go Go L.A. aka Lucky's Revenge. 90 min tape 8/93 Stone Pony N.J. aka Gravel Pit. 90 min tape Video: San Diego 7/93 90 min. Excellent show Also I have a copy of Paul's Dec 93 SNL appearence, and his Aug 93 appearance on 120 minutes that includes an interview and a performance of First Glimmer If anyone is interested, please E-mail me! Thanks Kevin Parker ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: Tue, 28 Nov 1995 18:02:08 -0700 (MST) From: Big Earl Sellar Subject: Hey whoa wait! (Vid talk!) Hey howdy! Man, this list really needs to come out more often...Great to read you all! I know that everyone's gonna mention this, but... Dante Taylor mentioned that the only video from PTMM was ALEX CHILTON. Um, I've got one for THE LEDGE, which I'm sure everyone's seen. So here's a good question: what kinda sub is Tommy eating in it? (I'll wager a veggie, because it's cheapest :) Later... EEEEEEE Big Earl Sellar - splitred@freenet.edmonton.ab.ca EE "Prisonyard stares and fleur-di-lis tatoos EEEE Cannibals are saving all their bones for soup EE Eating with my fingers and sucking hulls of ships EEEEEE My parasite don't deserve no better than this." - The Hip ***** REPEAL BILL C-7 NOW; GOVERN CANADA THROUGH OPEN DEBATE, NOT FOREIGN INFLUENCE; WHY FEAR A PLANT? ***** [Note: if you haven't seen either of these videos, or only one of them, they are actually both the same video! -- M@] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: Sat, 13 Jan 1996 23:19:15 -0500 From: Larry Jarvis Subject: Chords Hey Matt, Congrats on the release from college. I've been doing some dubbing for fellow members of the Exile On Fame Street tape and I was wondering if anybody out there has the chord progressions to "Seein' Her" , "Men Without Ties" and "Stain Yer Blood. Keep up the good work. Larry Jarvis -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: estuck@atl.mindspring.com (Elizabeth S.) Newsgroups: alt.music.replacements Subject: IRC users...win a free ticket to MATSWORLD Date: Fri, 22 Dec 1995 21:57:55 GMT Wednesday nights after 9:00 PM EST. on IRC! /join #mats -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- fin. (generic signature file below this line) --==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==-- Matthew Tomich The //Skyway\\: The Replacements Mailing List 2407 Chapel Hill Road ---------------------------------------------- Durham, NC 27707 To subscribe, send "subscribe skyway" in the (919)-419-0808 body of a letter to "majordomo@novia.net" --==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==-- "Always smiles and shakes my hand Like he's won a 100 grand Is this love or just revenge? Really hate your new boyfriend..." -- The Poster Children