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(Otherwise the following may look like somebody fell asleep on their keyboard.) ______________________________________________________________________________ // // The \\kyway \\ // skyway@novia.net Issue #70 November 3rd, 1999 ______________________________________________________________________________ (c) 1999 Bastards of Young (BOY/BetaOmegaYamma) Productions list manager: Matthew Tomich (matt@novia.net) always thanks to: Bob Fulkerson ______________________________________________________________________________ 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. NOBODY (m@.) I. NKOTB (Ian Underwood, Tom Tirabasso, Kurt Hargis, Layne Murphy, Michael Torno, Katherine Sherman, Danielle Bernato, Trevor Zimmer.) II. 'MATS AND POST-'MATS (Edwin Lukas, Cathy Witalka, Matt Tomich.) III. LIKE E-BAY BUT YOU DON'T NEED A CREDIT CARD (Chris Riedel, Derek Olson, Charles Regalia, Jaime Moreau, TR, Ralph Bryant.) __________________________________________________________________________ 0. NOBODY Saturday, October 23, 1999 I've spent the last twelve days driving around half the country in a Ford 150 conversion van and playing rock music in basements, clubs, bars, and living rooms with Sorry About Dresden. It's a surreal life of extremes between long stretches of waiting (driving through Iowa, waiting for the club to open, enduring some band's cover of a Sarah McLachlan song and supercilious comments about being courted by a major label) punctuated by moments of confusing intensity (reuniting with long unseen friends, playing at the famous and Replacements-significant 7th St. Entry, saying goodbye to long unseen friends, playing a packed hometown show, losing the van's brakes on I-80.) Sometimes there's huge crowds of people who cheer and will come up and say that you made their day or year; or sometimes they stare blankly and don't have a clue what the hell you're trying to do; and sometimes nobody shows up at all. Some days when you want to call the boss and tell him to cross you off the payroll cause you're not coming back. And then there's days you can't wait to get back home to your own bed, streets you know your way around, and a washing machine. Last night while playing in Kansas City I met up with a girlfriend from college. I hadn't seen her in three years, but she was in town on fall break from law school and stopped by the show for 15 minutes to say hi with her beaux. The poor guy seemed very confused by the whole rock band/rock club/hung over-and-pierced 19 year olds scene. Whatever discomfort I was feeling trying to find anything relevant to say, this guy looked much more uncomfortable glimpsing an entire subculture outside of Old Navy and Notre Dame. To top off the synchronicity of it all, that night my other girlfriend from college got married somewhere in Oregon. You don't care, but you sort of do, but today you're in a new time zone at a new club in a new town, so today, right now, for the moment, who gives a f___. Besides, I can't even find my way to a pay phone. It's too late to turn back, here we go. - Matt __________________________________________________________________________ I. NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK Date: Tue, 28 Sep 1999 23:16:39 +1000 From: Ian Underwood G'Day all Been wanting to write into the Skyway for years, but I waited 'till the 'Mats tribute album that me and a few mates organised had surfaced...so consider this free publicity as well as how 'that' band inspired me to write songs and start a record label... First of I'm writing from sunny Sydney, Australia, but I first heard the of the Mats in 1985 in Perth, Western Australia (the most isolated capital city in the world). I stumbled across an American copy of Rolling Stone featuring a review of 'Let It Be'. They sounded like my kinda band, but I was more struck by the line from Androgynous they quoted about 'He may be a father, but he sure ain't a dad'. I stood their in the university bookshop and got goosebumps...truely. I filed the 'Mats away under investigate, and when Tim was released I saved up and went into the record store and bought it with a big bag of silver coins. Sometime later I had all the records and they were my favourite band ever. I was already playing in a band called the Kryptonics who started out life as Hoodoo Gurus wannabees, but like the Beatles when they heard Dylan, hearing Paul's songs made me wanna write songs that touched people and spoke about what was happening to me. Not sure if succeeded straight away....but I'm still trying! The Kryptonics made a couple of 7"s and a few mini albums and split up after an ill-fated relocation to Sydney, along the way we crossed Australia 11 times, got arrested twice and saw more of Australia than most people I know. We went nowhere fast, but there's a French web site with a few pages on us, so that's something. We also did a mean cover of Little Mascara, that people would come up and say was the best song I'd ever written...I couldn't ever take the credit for it tho'. 6 years or so later, a drunken conversation in a pub in Sydney started a quest to put out an Aussie tribute to the Mats. You see they never toured here, and I've only ever met 5 people in the flesh who ever saw them play live, (and 2 of them were American musos on tour here). They gathered fans simply on the strength of their records and a handful of live reviews found in imported music rags. But they had an impact...don't doubt it. To me, the Mats had the same fucked up, don't give shit attitude that my favourite Aussie bands have. The population's so small here that a band never gets the opportunity to make a living out of music, so they don't even try most of time. They just get pissed and bloody well give it all they got on stage. I can see the similarities, and if the Mats had toured here in the late eighties, they would have found a host of like minded bands ready to drink them under the table or collapse trying. Anyway, the tribute's fucking great, it's varied and passionate and rocks as hard as it can, and I'd be very surprised if anyone here wasn't impressed by a handful of Aussie bands that they've never heard off. There's a web site all about it...it's got liner notes, band bios, MP3 files and other shit, point yr brower here and be surprised! http://www.ar.com.au/~hac/replacements/ My new band's on the album (of course) doing 'Left of the Dial', we're called the 'Challenger 7' and have an album being released in about 2 months pretty much everywhere on Japan's premier garage rock label, 1+2 Records...check it out, it's very Wilco meets the MC5. Anyway, thanks for the advertising space and take it easy. Ian Underwood From: "Tom Tirabasso" Subject: I'm In Love....With That Song Date: Tue, 28 Sep 1999 20:16:41 -0500 Just want to give a big kudos to Australia for the excellent work on the tribute CD. After several listens I can attest that it is money well spent. The high points for me (there are plenty) would be Brad Shepherd with Alex Chilton. Let's get this one some air play! Sadly Beautiful by Love Me is very cool. I swear that is Eartha Kitt on vocals. I think the band that comes closest to the Mats early all out thrash style is the Blood Sucking Freaks with Taking A Ride. This one rocks. Skyway goes country and is still magical. Can't Hardly Wait, Left of the Dial, and On The Bus sound absolutely great. I really liked the creativity of the rocking Here Comes A Regular and Replacements First Single mix (I'm in Trouble and If Only You Were Lonely) is a lot of fun. I dig the groove by the John Reed Club with Seen Your Video and there is one song that I think surpasses the original (for me anyway) and that is Rock N Roll Ghost by DM3. Real nice work here. The one thing I noticed is how good of a vocalist Paul was. The guy had a passion that is hard to match. The only low points for me were the songs that really didn't stray from the original and had a kareoke feel to them like Color me Impressed, Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out, Favorite Thing, and especially I Will Dare. The vocals on this one can go in the trash as far as I'm concerned. To me they sound like a pose and the one thing the Mats never did was pose. Paul always sang from the heart. All in all I say go and get it. Tom Tirabasso From: "Kurt Hargis" Subject: Thanks to Chris Mundy Date: Mon, 13 Sep 1999 21:08:50 -0500 I bought All Shook Down because of the Rolling Stone review. The critic started with "America's best rock band...". Mighty bold statement I thought. So one night I just bought the CD. On the first listen I thought it was very good, but I only really listened to the music. The second time, at the end of "Nobody" when Paul sings "I used to be a nobody/ Not anymore" I knew my life had changed. I was hearing something that I never heard before. I worked my way back through the 'Mats catalogue. I think I listened to the Replacements everyday for my first 2 years of college. Now, I teach junior high. Whenever I can work the Replacements into my lessons I do so. Who knows, maybe one of them will be in a record store late at night and finding themselves purchasing a Mats album and having their lives changed. From: Filmclip@aol.com Date: Tue, 14 Sep 1999 16:23:40 EDT Subject: Aussie tribute cd etc. Greetings from Los Angeles. I'm a 42 year old PTA mom who's been listening to the Mats for many moons. I always chuckle when I read submission to the list that say, "in 1987, when I was in junior high" but I commend all of you guys for your good taste. I am listening, as I write this, to I'M IN LOVE WITH THAT SONG -- 23 Australian Bands Pay Tribute to the Genius of the Replacements. It really gives new depth and dimension to a lot of my old faves and enhances my appreciation. My husband ordered it from the label's website directly. It arrived in about three days! www.ozemail.com.au/-kebab/antfarm (e-mail tomboy@ar.com.au ) It was about thirty dollars (I think) but worth every penny. I've gone through musical phases of listening to about 80% Mats and assorted other stuff to just being totally eclectic and listening all over the map. I'd been pretty much just listening to the hip music shows on our local public radio station and hadn't really sought any music out for a couple of years. But, having 6 and 3 year old boys to transport with me I got tired of the struggle between my alternative station and the wicked radio Disney. My car has a cassette player that I'd never used, but one day, on a whim, I dug out a variety of old tapes hoping to find some crowd pleaser to spare me from the evil mouse...and of the assortment, my 3 year old hit on ALL SHOOK DOWN. I know, this is not the Mats finest hour, but it was the only cassette of them I owned. Anyway, it was a huge hit and led me to pick up a few other cassettes and videos from E-Bay. The kids are hooked now. They know every cut on every album (am I still allowed to say "album?" When they first came out, you know they were all "albums") and every word to every song (although I told them it's "Baskets of Young" and the song is about the NBA) and I usually fast forward through Gary's Got a Boner because I just don't want to take that on. Their father, a major REM fan, says it's getting on his nerves and is surprised that this phase has lasted even longer than Pokemon or Power Rangers...the three year old has a particular thing about Chris Mars (and is getting the solo cds for his 4th birthday!) and is now the youngest student enrolled in percussion lessons. And the teacher says he's a real talent. So much for law school... I enjoy this list a lot, especially because it attracts such a broad age range and it heartens me that you whippersnappers are listening to something other than Ricky Martin or Snoop Dog. Cheers! Layne Murphy From: "Michael Torno" Date: Fri, 17 Sep 1999 21:00:42 -0400 I'm Michael T. and I as I sit here and write this I am now listening to "Within Your Reach" which I recognize as the track WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE HIT from the "Say Anything" soundtrack. Anyway I dig this page and visit it on a regular basis. I have fond memories of having seen the Replacements for tours during 1987, 1989, and 1991 and staunchly defending the band after they were integrated as a part of the roster at the Sire/Reprise conglomerate against skaterats sporting bandanas and torn jeans (I wonder how many of them still wear mohawks and listen to Crass, GBH, The Exploited, and the Dead Kennedy's). I'm trying to get in touch with as many of those in cyberspace who have an admiration for the Replacements so that we could collectively urge the former surviving members of this band to reunite. My God has it been fifteen years since I was introduced to this band its output and subsequent transformations? One of the only elements that was worth salvaging throughout adolescence was music provided by alternative based college radio stations and it was this Minneapolis quartet that reached the artistic upper crust within this environment. The Smiths, Depeche Mode, and the Cure were for sheep whose preference were for Anglophiles basking in wimp rock. The Violent Femmes as well were tailored in similiar respect although they hailed from the West Coast and were "punk" for those who couldn't properly define the genre. R.E.M. gave us and themselves folk flavored pop in addition to inflections of neo-psychedelic-and were great-yet as Westerberg himself stated in an interview with "Spin" during 1991 they "aren't rock and roll". I'm still proud to have bought and listened to such full length releases as "Tim" and "Let It Be" and I wonder how many of my contemporaries can make the same boast for "Theatre of Pain" and "No Jacket Required". Date: Fri, 15 Oct 1999 13:14:59 -0500 From: "Katherine Lenore Sherman" Well, I just subscribed, after a considerable (and considerably absurd) period of deliberation, so I suppose I'd better introduce myself. I'm Kat, I live and go to college in St. Paul, Minnesota, and have been wandering the skyways all my life. I'm only about 20 now, so during the times when it would have been possible for me to wander over to Minneapolis and catch a Replacements show I was, unfortunately, in grade school and oblivious. I'm sure that, somehow, I should have gone anyway. Anyway, the first Replacements song I ever heard was "Lovelines," which was on a mix tape my boyfriend (who DID go to Replacements concerts while he was in high school back in the 80s) made for me while I was on a trip in Kenya. I was interested, but it wasn't really my style; most of my life, I've been a folkie. Then I heard Skyway on another mix tape, and I was intrigued, but not enough to ask him for a loan of his CDs. Well, I work in a costume shop, and one day, all alone in the shop, I was looking through the collection of tapes we keep for emergencies, and saw a dub of this album called Don't Tell a Soul, which said it was by the Replacements. So I put it in. I was hooked by the time "Talent Show" ended. (Although it took me a while to figure out that the last song on the tape -- "We're the Replacements," was actually by They Might Be Giants. Oh, well.) I couldn't stop listening. I bought Don't Tell a Soul and Tim, and am working on the rest of the collection now, as I have money and time. And I've gotten "Kiss Me On The Bus" stuck in my roomate's head as well as my own. I suppose I really don't have to describe why I love the Replacements to anyone on this list. It's a lot of things, for a lot of reasons. This is the music I should have been listening to all along, and I wish I'd known about so much earlier. (Okay, that's more than long enough.) Kat From: "Danielle Bernato" Subject: the mats and me Date: Tue, 19 Oct 1999 10:37:32 EDT as is customary, i'm dropping you a line to tell you how and why i fell in love with the replacements. the replacements are the only thing that survived a four year long relationship that painlessly ended over a year ago. if nothing else, i'm convinced that my ex was brought into my life to enlighten me to the existence of this magnificent band that created the most beautiful rock and roll ever. i'm 26 years of age. musically, i was raised on a steady diet of broadway showtunes and earthy 70's chicks, both of which I am thankful for. therefore, it makes sense that the replacements appeal to me. it's really interesting to me how people from all walks of life and musical preferences find their passion quenched by the mats' music. does that make sense? the first album i ever listened to, and many mats' purists may cringe here, was 'Don't Tell a Soul.' i still love that album, although my favorites are 'Pleased to Meet Me', 'Tim', and 'Hootenanny.' "Within' Your Reach" is a great tune, but my favorite of all time is "Unsatisfied." it just gets ya in that place that only Replacements' tunes can reach. and it articulates feelings for me that i can't articulate, like good music should from time to time. i could go on forever but i'll save that stuff for the list exchange. thanks for listening. i look forward to participating. your new friend in the skyway, d. From: "Trevor Zimmer" Date: Wed, 03 Nov 1999 12:58:30 PST It's hard to find a good Replacements bootleg in South America. I have been working and living in Peru for the past year and the lack of quality music really gets to me sometimes. I was born and raised in Regina, Saskatchewan. It has a climate not unlike Minneapolis, but the musical climate was altogether different. I was lucky to inherit my brother's music tastes. I was listening to Velvet Underground and Suicide when everyone else was wearing baseball shirts from Quiet Riot and Ozzy. Everytime I snuck into his room to borrow something there was this album cover of some pretty Happy Go Lucky guys on a roof or something. I started with Let it Be and then onto Sorry Ma.... and Stink as they suited my sensibilities at the time. I soon got into other Twin Cities diehards like Husker Du and Soul Asylum, which I listen to until this day. I moved to Toronto to go to university, but I think it was really just to see bands. (In Regina I once had to drive 8 hours to Calgary to see Iggy and The Pretenders). I lived in Toronto for 4 years and saw everything possible, including one of the last Hu Du shows, but no Replacements. They were supposed to open for Tom Petty at some theme park, but I don't know if it ever happened, I'm sure someone out there probably has this info. I am happy to have found this group, as I am tired of exalting The 'Mats to people who have no clue nor interest. I have spent 4 years of my life travelling all over the world. I have listened to Tim in Taiwan while jogging and Pleased to Meet Me while plowing up the Inca Trail, singing the words out loud of course. People often ask me what I am singing; what music could make me so happy. We know don't we? The horns, the guitars, the lyrics that reek of all that is bitter and sweet in life. His little groan in "Alex Chilton" gives me chills down my back. Songs worth knowing the words to. Thanks to Skyway for putting the lyrics on the web, so people like me can still get down to the Rockingest band ever. My dream gig: The Replacements Husker Du The Undertones If any of you make it down to South America, look me up: trev_zimmer@hotmail.com Trevor Zimmer __________________________________________________________________________ II. REGARDING THE SOURCE MATERIAL From: "Lukas, Edwin (E.J.)" Subject: FW: Mats Box Set Date: Fri, 24 Sep 1999 10:22:41 -0400 I sent an e-mail to Paul Stark at Twin/Tone inquiring about the status of the Replacements retrospective from that period. As you can see from his reply, the good news is that Peter Jesperson is "working on it." The bad news is that it's a least a year away from release. I thought it was really considerate that he responded so promptly. There has to be some some of PW development soon. It's gotta be the film release, studio work, once-off performance, or retirement, but something has to happen. Doesn't it? -----Original Message----- From: Paul Stark [mailto:pstark@tt.net] Sent: Friday, September 24, 1999 9:25 AM To: Lukas, Edwin (E.J.) Subject: Re: > Any developments regarding a Replacements retrospective from the >Twin Tone years? Thank you! Peter is working on it...it's still a year away (at least)..Paul Paul Stark Twin/Tone Records 2217 Nicollet Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55404 612-874-2400 (fax) 612-874-2430 http://www.twintone.com Date: Mon, 20 Sep 1999 16:37:24 -0500 From: Cathy Witalka Subject: City Pages 20th anniversary issue City Pages is a Minneapolis weekly - they recently put out a 20th anniversary issue with various tidbits from times past. There were a couple Replacements items I thought I'd pass along: "The Replacements are working in a Minneapolis venue that will remain unnamed. About four songs into their set, the owner informs them to either 'turn down the volume or get off the stage.' Paul surprises the owner by quickly initiating a rather pertinent financial discussion. The miffed owner promptly storms away. Paul replies by turning up his amp while the band launches into 'Shut Up,' replacing the title chorus with 'fuck you' while the owner watches. After the song, the band leaves the stage, vowing never to return." P.D. Larson, February 18, 1981. "May....The month in 1980 when a 19-year-old kid by the name of Paul Westerberg came into Oarfolk and dropped off a tape of his band for [Peter] Jesperson, who was DJing at the Longhorn Bar and managing Oarfolk... 'He came back into the store a time or two and asked if I'd listened to it, and I said I hadn't gotten around to it yet...And one day when I was feeling particularly guilty, I took a pile of tapes back in the office with a boombox and was just putting them in one after the other while I was doing paperwork, and the 'Mats tape came on. 'Raised in the City' was the first song...[f]or me it was as magical as anything'll ever get. I didn't even get through the first song before I stopped the tape and called three of my best buddies and said, 'Get down here right now. Either I'm nuts or this is the coolest thing.' I called Paul back and I go, 'Were you thinking of a single or an album?' And he goes, 'I was just trying to get a job opening for somebody at the Longhorn. Do you think this is worth recording?' And I was like, 'Absolutely.' Jim Walsh, July 14 1993 "They don't give a wee particle of fecal matter. They dismiss people and situations with profound concepts like 'fuck,' 'goddamn,' and 'shut up.'...They're the Replacements - they stand against the few, the stupid...The 18-song album represents the recorded debut of this young Twin Cities band...'Johnny's Gonnna Die'...conjures up grim prophecies concerning ex-New York Dolls guitarist Johnny Thunders, saying, 'Johnny always takes more than he needs...Johnny always needs more than he's got.' You get the sense, though, that the band members themselves are aware that they are not immune to their own tale of excess and that the song could become a self-fulfilling prophecy." Jimi Nervous, September 10, 1981 "There are many useless schools of thought for what motivates the Replacements to commit all these supposed acts of self-defeat. The Class Clown Theory is self-explanatory. The Drunken Fuck-up Theory is now rooted in past history turned pop mythology. Too melodramatic is the Freudian Theory...that the 'Mats want or need to fail and their self sabotage is poetic. 'I can't explain what we do,' Westerberg offers. 'We find it difficult to suppress it if we feel like doing something.'" Eric Lindbom, October 16,1985 "While out to see former Rockpile guitarist Billy Bremner, Westerberg was introduced to George Wendt (Norm on TV's Cheers), who was out back of the club blowing a j with 'one of the Turtles, Flo or Eddie-whichever one has white hair.' Upon sighting him, George exclaimed, 'It's my idol, Westerberg.' The duo went on to have a grand old time and Paul says George is an awful lot like Norm, a real regular guy. Apparently, Wendt had at least some 'Mats albums and asked if 'Here Comes a Regular' was about him." Michael Welch, September 21, 1988 "Since peaking in 1984-85 with Let it Be and Tim, the group's albums have grown progressively weaker...Although Westerberg's affected adolescent world view has grown wearisome - how many loner songs does a loner really need? - I'm convinced he could still get it across if it had the hooks, humor, and passion of his best material. But where he was once crazily self-assured yet reckless, he's now obsessively self-conscious and calculating...Which means we're stuck with a harder truth to swallow: that Westerberg has peaked as a songwriter. Harder still might be the realization that he didn't just throw his talent away, but that it threw him away." Burl Gilyard, October 3, 1990 "Last week it seemed that everyone had a Bob Stinson story to tell. Some of the snapshots were happier than others: Bob with his little boy. Bob with his guitar. Bob giving a big, no-holds barred hug to a suffering friend. But in most of the stories, the suffering friend was Bob Stinson. Like the party he'd gone to back in 1991 or 1992. Bob was in the bathroom getting ready to shoot up. A friend of his had brought a camera that night, and the man started snapping pictures of Stinson cooking a fix, injecting himself, breaking off the tip of his rig. Oliver Stone's movie about the Doors had come out not long before, and the friend had a thought. 'I said, 'Bob, do a Jim Morrison for me.' And he got in the bathtub and put his head way back and his arms up on the side of the bathtub and I snapped his picture.' It seemed like a funny idea at the time. Lots of people, friends and perhaps especially strangers, did that sort of thing all the time. Coax Bob to get fucked up, to do something stupid, to be a wild man. Buy him beers, give him drugs if you had them. It was the least a person could do for Bob Stinson From The Replacements. Sitting in a bar a couple of days after Stinson's funeral, the man who got Bob to play the Lizard King hung his head over his drink. 'His fans killed him, man. I really think they did.' For Bob Stinson, part of the peril was that his fans in many cases became his friends." Joseph Hart, March 1, 1995 "Like it or not, a reigning cultural ideal in this country says that you learn and grow old gracefully. However, if there's a secondary American dream besides that of prosperity and propriety, it's that of influencing culture and/or changing history - which Stinson did, subtly, but surely." Jim Meyer, March 1, 1995 From: Matt Tomich Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 18:33:54 -0500 Copyright Impression | Feb. 22, 1999 Design copyright Jusme Design and Core Concepts http://www.ironminds.com/impression/archives/1999/022299/westerberg.html GROWING UP IS HARD TO DO Paul Westerberg Suicaine Gratifaction Capitol by Wendy Hermanson I have a weird artifact hidden in my desk drawer: a crusty cigar butt, stuck to the bottom of an office coffee mug in a pool of dried tobacco residue. The thing reeks and is frankly pretty disgusting. My co-workers like to taunt me about it, but I still refuse to toss it. It's no ordinary half-disintegrated stogie, you see: It was once in Paul Westerberg's mouth, and therefore holds more significance than even the infamous weed wielded by Clinton. I am technically an adult now, and I'm not supposed to act like this. (Neither, to be fair, was Westerberg, who was puffing away at the cigar in question in an ostensibly nonsmoking studio.) My twerpy behavior is compounded since I work as a music critic and any form of fawning over rock stars is considered the highest exponent of gauche. But there's always been something about Westerberg that makes my good, sensible sorority-girl knees go to jelly. I'm not the only one prone to this syndrome either: another girl in my office, just as blond and Catholic as I am, managed to snag a used Kleenex the King of Alt-Rock left behind on a chair. Hey, Winona Ryder once allegedly stalked the guy before resigning herself to cut-rate Minneapolis rawker Dave Pirner of Soul Asylum. Can you blame us ordinary girls for acting a bit ridiculous? Most Westerberg fans, regardless of sex, seem to express a touch of this nuttiness, mostly because they aren't able to separate the 39-year-old solo artist from his former role as mastermind of '80s seminal alternative rock band the Replacements. The 'Mats were bewitching as much as they were groundbreaking, largely because of sheer indifference on their part. They branded themselves the original standard for alt-rock by doing the one thing virtually every modern rocker has tried to do and failed since: they gave not a shit without seeming pretentious about it. In addition, Westerberg, a rumpled, imperfect, prolific and scarily articulate songwriter, managed somehow to convey the raw heart beating underneath the proud, rather stupid exterior of the classic loner/stoner; the so-intangible element that makes cheerleaders inexplicably fall for the flannel-clad weirdo smoking under the bleachers. There's a reason that rock critics can't resist resorting to half-baked poetry when talking about him. He's God to a certain sect of the music world. Women dive for his effluvium and treasure it in dark corners of office drawers. This particular spell that Westerberg wove throughout his tenure with the 'Mats quickly became a double-edged sword when he branched out into a solo career. Steadfast fans bought his first record (the Salinger-esque 14 Songs) and even forgave him for contributing to uber-yup soundtracks for the film Singles and (worse) the TV show Friends. (Admittedly, the track for said show, "Stain Yer Blood," was pure, brilliant power-'Mats material.) But confusion set in with sophomore solo release Eventually. Although tinged with moments of genius ("These Are The Days," the haunting, spare "Hide N' Seekin'"), the record was, well, more sober than most fans wanted. Westerberg himself was literally sober, after witnessing the alcohol-related death of former bandmate Bob Stinson. The music community seemed unwilling to admit that Westerberg was growing up, even going so far as to speculate that booze was the particular muse in question and perhaps he should take up the bottle again. Never in rock's history have fans been so unwilling to allow a particular cult figure to mature. Westerberg actually didn't age all that gracefully, to be honest. Formerly the not particularly attractive but tremendously appealing poster boy for flannels and Converse, he affected an unflattering 360-degree new mode of tinted, round glasses, suits, and bow ties, and began speaking with increasing acridity in the press regarding his legendary status. This would be all fine and well and perfectly his domain to do so, except for the inconsistency of the fact that he still belted out Replacements chestnuts in his solo concerts. The fans wanted it (an innocuous looking guy with tucked-in dress shirt standing next to me at a show on the Eventually tour accidentally socked me in the ear, overexcited by a rendition of "I.O.U."), and he grudgingly gave it to them. Miserly generosity -- an oxymoron that actually sounds a lot like one of Westerberg's own lyrical twists -- didn't save his record deal, though. He got dropped by Reprise Records (who incidentally and quite happily put out All For Nothing/Nothing For All, a 'Mats greatest-hits set, around the same time), fell into depression, lurked around his Minneapolis home, had a baby with blessedly un-Winona-ish local rock chick Laurie Lindeen, and, apparently, ditched the bow ties. In short, he started acting more like what the general public expected of Paul Westerberg -- although it's unclear whether or not he may have voted for Jesse Ventura. Almost by design, he got picked up by major label Capitol for his third solo album. Fans began to hold their breath in anticipation of the record. I myself, and I'm sure a few others, merely waited without comment, either to ourselves or to others. Much like fellow Minneapolis vet The Artist Formerly Known As Prince, it appeared that Westerberg's track record so far suggested his newfound sense of experimentation was doomed to collapse under the weight of his youthful genius. And, to a degree, it has. Suicaine Gratifaction, scheduled for release on Tuesday, is a work of a man who has fought mightily to preserve his right to grow beyond the role of tormented drunk -- yet, interestingly, there is an element of tossing hands in the air regarding the whole matter. Most of these songs, according to Westerberg, were composed on piano instead of guitar (shades of "Androgynous"?) and all have a tinge of weariness to them -- as well as more than a hint of nostalgia, proving, as many have already stated, that this particular star might as well not even try to get away from his past. Opening tracks "It's A Wonderful Lie" and "Self Defense" have the tone of eternal heartbreaker "Here Comes A Regular," although it goes without saying that the latter is far superior. "Lookin' Out Forever," the record's rocker, lifts its guitar from Pleased To Meet Me's "The Ledge." "Final Hurrah" sounds like yet another outtake from Tim. This is not the first time Westerberg's solo work has leaned toward the 'Mat-side of things -- "My Century," from Eventually, could have fit on Hootenany with a layer of grittier production -- but Suicaine is his best effort yet at blending his roots with his future. There are disappointments, and heavy ones at that, though. Westerberg's voice is clearer, less raspy, even a shade higher in tone than his previous work, which adds an almost eerie patina to the disc. This is, after all, a musician whose very imperfections spotlighted his genius; one who could howl "I'm so unsatisfied" ad nauseum and create a coming-of-age classic. Certain songs drag on the record -- and I do mean drag: "Best Thing That Never Happened" should have, well, never happened and neither should have "Born For Me." Odd and not-quite-there experimentations -- the retro-sounding keyboard on "Tears Rolling Up Our Sleeves," for example -- fit right up there with the aforementioned Prince's latter-day jams that, musically, are sound but will never have a true niche with old fans. I've had a few peers tell me flat out that they hate this disc, that Westerberg's washed up and should hang it up accordingly, that he's living off of the thing he hates most, his legend. I merely feel a little sad regarding my (admitted) idol. The day I saw him and managed to steal his cigar butt, he was being filmed in a bluescreen studio, smoking where he shouldn't be smoking, rumpled, still oozing his rarified attitude. Put a roof under him and he could have been the hunched figure in sneakers on Let It Be -- still. My sadness regarding the man is the curse of his legendary status; the actuality that it is impossible for this particular individual to escape or even just reinvent himself, which is something most of us ordinary folk take for granted. There are those men who would probably consider it a gift to be almost 40 and still have the power to make women feel like misunderstood cheerleaders, to have a coolness that time cannot erase. What they don't realize and would probably have to meet Westerberg to understand is that even the bearer of even the most potent magic is capable of outgrowing it through his own boredom or dissatisfaction. From: "Lukas, Edwin (E.J.)" Subject: Mats survey Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 11:35:57 -0400 [The following is E.J.'s answers to the 'Mats survey that Ric Dube made for The Skyway in 1993. The responses were so numerous that Ric couldn't find a way to reasonably compile the mounds of information, and I ended up using some of the entries as submissions for the Skyway. There's several web-page survey programs out, and when I get a chance, I'm going to try to figure out how to put an updated version of this survey up on the web page... - m@.] *Section One* 1) Rank order the Replacements albums in terms of how much you like them. Make the first one the one you like most. Tim, Let It Be, Hootenany, All Shook Down, PTMM, Stink, Sorry Ma, Don't Tell A Soul 2) What are your five favorite Replacements songs? Present them in order, if you can. (i.e. the first one you name is your absolute favorite.) Nobody, Answering Machine, Here Comes A Regular, Skyway, One Wink At A Time 3) What are some Replacements songs you don't like? Just about all of Don't Tell A Soul 4) What is your favorite Replacements album cover? Let It Be 5) What was your first Replacements album? Tim, Fall 85, U Penn, Speakman Hall, Room 420 (!) 6) How many times did you see the Replacements play live? 3 7) What is your favorite Replacements song to hear live? Answering Machine; Metro in Chicago on Paul's 14 Songs tour; unbridled emotion. Night Club Jitters blew me away for some reason on the All Shook Down Tour; Detroit, Spring of 91. If Only You Were Lonely is alot of fun. Hitchin a Ride was cool. 8) What Replacements song do you find most disappointing when played live. (If you want, name a particular date of such a travesty.) 9) Of the band's bottomless pit of cover songs, which is your favorite? When You Were Mine, Hitchin A Ride 10) Are there any of the band's cover songs that strike you as particularly odd? *Section Two* 11) What Replacements videos have you seen (not simply that you know exist)? After each video you mention, give it an evaluation, as follows: 1 didn't like it at all 2 didn't like it much 3 liked it and disliked it equally 4 liked it some 5 liked it quite a bit. Hamburg Germany, 1991 - 3 A few Paul concert videos (First Avenue in Mpls; probably the Eventually tour; 3+) *Section Three* 12) For each of the following reasons, which guitarist did you like better -- Slim Dunlap or Bob Stinson? guitar playing ability SLIM guitar playing style SLIM personality More BOB, but I like SLIM, too stage performance BOB recording performance SLIM overall effect on band BOB *Section Four* Answer the following eight questions using the following scale: 1 strongly disagree 2 somewhat disagree 3 neither agree nor disagree 4 somewhat agree 5 strongly agree 13) (This question is now outdated.) 14) We've seen the best material Paul Westerberg is capable of. Nine years ago, I would have answered 1; now, I must answer 4. 15) I believe that the tension in the band contributed to the quality of the music. 2 16) I believe that it was mainly creative problems that broke up the band. 1 17) I believe that it was mainly ego problems that broke up the band. 1 18) If the band had stayed on an independent label, they wouldn't have broken up. 4 (Very tough call; but it may have avoided Bob's downfall, the Tom Petty fiasco, and Chris Mars' discontent.) 19) There will be a Replacements reunion at some point. 1 20) The SPIN piece on Bob was exploitative. 2 21) The SPIN piece on Bob was truthful. (circa early 1993) 5 *Section Five* The following two questions are open ended. Fill in the ( ) part with whatever you feel. Answer the question as many times as you like. (The more, the better!) 22) The thing I like most about the Replacements is: The honesty; the sincerity; the humor; the loyalty of other Mats fans 23) The thing that annoys me most about (some Replacements related thing) is: That the band was writing and recorded the best tunes of their era, and yet they refused to play the gamne in order to succeed. That they cared so little about the group that they refused to prioritize their vocation over partying. The inexcuseable sloppiness and carelessness at some gigs (beyond the typical sloppiness. Bob's refusal to get help. Tommy's inability to step up and really be a co-contributor to Paul in the mid- to later days. Chris Mars' cop out, quitter bullshit (thinking about his stuff is making me emote a little). Paul's failure to find Josh Freese earlier. Pauls' decison to write and record All Shook Down without the input of Tommy, Slim and Chris. *Section Six* 24) If you were to ask Paul Westerberg three questions, what might they be? Are you happy with life today? Do you envision ever collaborating with other artists again (besides the Carole Kings and Shawn Colvins of the world), in a band-type format? What can your fans do to convince you to perform live periodically? 25) If you were to take Tommy Stinson to dinner, what would you and he eat? 26) (This question is now outdated.) *Section Seven* For each of the following, rate on 1 - 10 scale (ten is best). Consider your favorite Replacments album a perfect 10 (just for the sake of argument) and use that as a comparative device. 27) Chris Mars' Horseshoes and Hand Grenades 5 28) Chris Mars' 75% Less Fat 4 29) Soundtrack to "Singles" (the two songs by Paul Westerberg) 6 30) Paul Westerberg's 14 Songs 6 31) Bash N Pop's Friday Night is Killing Me 7 32) Bob "Slim" Dunlap's The Old New Me 8 *Section Eight* 33) Name your four favorite bands. If the Replacements are not included in this lot, don't feel bad or nothin'. Mats, Wilco, Los Lobos, Jack Logan 34a) What is your age? 32 34b) What is your sex? M 34c) From what region of the US, or from what country are you? Michigan 35) For how long have you been listening to the Replacements? 15 years 36a) What musical instruments do you play? guitar 36b) If so, are you in a band? No 36c) If so, are you Replacements influenced? 36d) Does your band cover any Replacments stuff? It will one day 36e) Have you transcribed chords for any Replacements songs? 36f) Would you like to see Replacements chords and lyrics included in the //Skyway\\? 37a) Do you collect tapes of unofficial Replacments material? Yes 37b) How much audio tape do you have in this collection (approximately, in hours)? 30 37c) How much video tape do you have in this collection (approximately, in hours)? 10 37d) Would you like information on tape collecting and trading to be included in future issues of the //Skyway\\? YES, YES, YES 38) How did you find out about the //Skyway\\? 39) What questions would you add to this survey? Who's better: Chris Mars or Josh Freese? Is Tommy better on bass or guitar? Is Tommy better in a supporting role or leading Perfect/Bash? What do you really think about Tommy in GNR? What's more offensive: Tommy in GNR or Suicaine Gratifaction? Will Paul ever rock/tour/get A&R support? From: "Bazinet, Christene" Subject: Mats Date: Tue, 14 Sep 1999 13:23:22 -0500 I was watching the movie Tommy Boy over Labor Day on vacation in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and in the scene where David Spade is driving Chris Farley home from the airport (I think it was this scene), the song in the background was SILVER NAKED LADIES by ole' PW. Christene Skyway member via ChristeneBazinet@yahoo.com __________________________________________________________________________ III. BUY/SELL/TRADE/HOCK From: "Chris Riedel" Subject: A Warning about Greg Verdusco Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 16:17:51 -0400 This guy has sold Mats items at Ebay in the past. His e-mail address was Lugosibaby@aol.com. Well he just ripped me off $40. I had done business with him previously and it went OK. I've been fighting this one since June 30, and now his e-mail account no longer exists. So beware this prick, he's no damn good. Chris Date: Wed, 29 Sep 1999 21:23:56 -0500 From: Derek@Hillsboro.net (Derek Olson) I just wanted to see if anyone out there has a copy of the Hoboken, N.J. 2/4/86 2-CDR set that was mentioned last issue. I'd really love to trade for a copy on CDR. I have a few 'Mats CDRs, lots of tapes (remember those?!), and some video to trade in addition to many other bands on CDR. Let me know what you've got, and I'll send you my trade list. I'd especially like to hear from anyone that has 'Mats tapes that they've transferred to CDR. I'd like to trade/buy pictures or good quality scans of any pictures of Paul on stage from the 1996 tour. Anyone? Thanks!! Derek Olson From: cregalia@webtv.net (Charles Regalia) Date: Tue, 5 Oct 1999 12:05:48 -0400 (EDT) yes please sign me up for your lovely zene. also i'm interested in tracking down some live 'mats bootlegs. 12/07/84 the rat, boston,ma 06/18/86 the channel, boston, ma 11/18/87 lisner aud. wash. d.c. (my first 'mats show) 04/0?/89 univ. of md., college park, md 04/06/89 warner theatre wash. d. c. (favorite show of ALL time) 02/22/91 orpheum theatre boston, ma 02/23/91 orpheum theatre boston, ma thank you so much. chris Date: Sat, 25 Sep 1999 18:03:07 -0400 From: Jaime Moreau Subject: Shit Hits The Fans I have a couple bootleg copies of the Mats live recording, Shit Hits the Fans, on CD that I picked up from someone... the copies are great, and as far as I can tell, true to the recording, complete with the part where "someone" playing back the recording (a Mat supposedly) accidently hit record instead of play and you can hear them talking... Well, just thought I'd share in my find, if you would like to know more about getting a copy, please email me! Jaime From: "Ralph Bryant" Date: Mon, 25 Oct 1999 20:27:10 -0500 I am interested in trading for shows I do not have and am equipped with a CD burner. Here is my list: Stop Encouraging Us (6/24/83) Pop Shop, Cleveland, OH (2/2/84) Live at the Lingerie (10/26/84) CBGB's (12/9/84) Boink! (rarities) Shit Hits the Fans (11/11/84) Simply Unacceptable (7/1/85) Putting on the Ritz (NY, 1987) How Did the Vomit Get Up on the Ceiling (rarities) Replacements with Mr. Liquor (6/10/89) Shit, Shower, and Shave (Various '89) It Ain't Over Til the Fat Roadies Play (7/4/91) Goodbye Bozos (1989, 7/4/91) The Replacements Stink, but they're fun to listen to live! (7/1/91) Trackin' Up the North (rarities) I've had a great response from those readers of the last issue, so if you are interested, please email me! pwig@revealed.net fin. _______________________________________________________________________________ The //Skyway\\: The Replacements Mailing List (digest only) http://www.theskyway.com _______________________________________________________________________________ "For some reason a glaze passes over people's faces when you say 'Canada'.. Maybe we should invade North Dakota or something." - Sandra Gotlieb, wife of the Canadian ambassador to the U.S.