the // skyway \\ issue #74 (november 23, 2000) web page at www.theskyway.com send your submissions to skyway@novia.net list guy (say hi to) matt@novia.net subscription info: send in the body of a message to majordomo@novia.net to subscribe: 'subscribe skyway' to unsubscribe: 'unsubscribe skyway' always thanks to bob fulkerson __________________________________________________________________________ 0. Dose of Thunder (m@). I. This band has been over for almost ten years now and they're still the shit. (Jeff Wolf, Vic, Brady Hegberg, Mikke Heffron, Chris King, Peter, Phillip Bjorneberg, Peter Culos, Mitchell Larson, Graeme, Nick, Marty Humphreys, Matt) II. I listened to the Goo Goo Dolls and they name-dropped the Replacements and I checked them out (Jess, Saila, Christieee!!!) III. What's up with the Twin/Tone box set? (Michael Foster/Peter Jesperson) IV. What's up with Tommy Stinson? (Kyle Burk) V. Bands that love the 'Mats (Mick Chorba, John Anderson) VI. The 'Mats display in the EMP rock museum (Kerwin So) VII. Lookin' for 'Mats merch (Don Lindbergh/Jenny Cowell, Mo Conklin, Lara) VIII. Lookin' for tapes of shows or stuff like that (Paul Cox, Kevin, Morpheus, Lee, Jeffrey Lutz, Peter Bothum, Steve Bentley, Rebecca McBride) __________________________________________________________________________ 0. DOSE OF THUNDER I think this has been the longest time between Skyway issues since I spent a couple months without a computer in Costa Rica after graduation. The last issue back in May was right before I left for a cross-country tour with one band I'm in (for those who asked for tour stories, the run down is at http://www.novia.net/~matt/rock/news.html), and now I'm finally getting a chance to finish this issue while in the van on tour with the other, Sorry About Dresden. Thanks to everybody who wrote in to make sure that I was still alive or to see what the deal was, but it was nothing besides a lack of time on my part and a lack of news on the people that were The Replacements. Even if for the most part you're always doing what you love, like most people I know, my schedule's gotten pretty insane... When I'm not in the van heading off to play shows in some far-flung state every weekend or at band practice for one band or the other every weeknight, I'm trying to hold onto a full time job with a Swiss biotech company. Sometimes it's hard finding time to eat or sleep, much less answer e-mail or keep in touch or put together Skyway issues. But there's no shortage of the rock...I think I've seen 200 bands this year. Most people I know haven't heard of the bands we play with, these smaller bands that are the focus of so many kids' lives who are now at the age when many of us first saw the 'Mats. People who remember and rail for the heydays of 1985 or 1992 shouldn't miss seeing contemporary high-energy rock acts like The Get Up Kids (or their note-for-note cover of Beer For Breakfast, even the screw up at the end). So go see Marah and Jimmy Eat World and Bright Eyes and Cursive and The Faint and The '65 Film Show before they either break up or they get big and you need to stand in line at Ticketmaster to get your advanced ticket for your reserved seat (+ service charge.) As for the Replacements, well, as you can probably figure by now, nothing came of the reunion rumor. Slim is still playing solo shows in Minneapolis at the Turf Club, Chris Mars does his art thing, Tommy is still getting paid to rehearse with Guns n' Roses, and as far as I know, Paul is hanging out at home with his wife and kid. I asked this before and I got some people offering but nothing definitely...so I guess I'll ask again: does anybody want to revamp the Skyway web page? Again, I'm all about it, but between two bands and a full time job, there's never a chance to do it. Not necessarily looking for some fancy java stuff, just some nice layout and a labor of love. I'll hook you up in anyway I can. Let me know at matt@novia.net if you've go the time. You should be getting a message a couple days after this one with the details of the Skyway holiday tape trade. The deadline for everything is going to be December 14th this year because I'm leaving for Africa until the end of the year. That should be something. I'll write about how that turns out in the next issue. - m@. __________________________________________________________________________ I. PEOPLE WHO JUST WROTE IN TO THE LIST FOR THE FIRST TIME Date: Wed, 07 Jun 2000 00:49:47 -0500 From: Jeff Wolf Subject: replacements Hey there, my name is Jeff Wolf. I am a 31 year old Replacements fan from Wisconsin. I figured I had to email you. Of course I am a Replacements fan along with old Soul Asylum (anything before Grave Dancers). I went to school on Minneapolis in the early 90's and had a girlfriend who knew all the "who's who's" there. She lived with some of the Gear Daddies at some point. Unfortunately, unlike yourself, I really got into drinking back then!! So any of my stories aren't much of stories at all and all are dealing with Bobby Stinson. Bobby would stumble past my Garfield St. apartment on a regular basis, you'd just ask him how he was doin' and he'd be on his stumblin' way. There was one time my girlfriend and I met him for drinks at the CC Club on Lyndale Ave., and I had just seen the rerun of SNL that the Mats were on and I had to ask him about his attire on the show. . . .can't quite remember his exact response, something about being tricked or something like that. We did sit for a few hours and drink pretty heavily. Another time, I was at my friend's practice facility in Mpls. After watching a few hours of practice there is a knock at the door. In steps Bobby and a few of his bandmates, who practice in the same place. Bobby straps on a guitar and rips through 3-4 old Kiss songs with my high school buddies (seems they might do this frequently). So there I am drunk, sitting on a couch, with Bobby Stinson 2 feet from me, jammin' old Kiss tunes with my buds!! I was in the middle of a newscast at KTVO in Kirksville, when I got an urgent call that the caller demand I take. . .it was a tech school friend who told me Bobby finally did himself in. Very strange stuff. Anyway thought you might find this stuff interesting, I wasn't sending it to you to print, just thought it was ironic. Later Date: Fri, 9 Jun 2000 10:27:17 -0700 (PDT) From: Paul I'm Paul and I'm a Mats fan (there's a joke in there somewhere). Anyway, I've been a Mats fan about 15 years or so now, although I only just happened upon the Skyway the other day. I grew up in suburban Boston and southern New Hampshire. I now live in Alabama courtesy of graduate school. In between I lived in New Orleans, a Replacements town when I was in college (local bands at the time tended to be derivative of either the Mats or Husker Du). I first heard the Mats on a trip to Atlanta in early 1985. I went back to NH and high school with a mission to hear more Replacements but alas I found out that none of my friends had ever heard of them. The only way I could describe them at the time was to imagine crossing the Kinks with REM (an analogy doomed from the start because at the time REM was relatively unknown - at least in Londonderry, NH). It took another trip to Atlanta that summer for me to hear more of the Mats and since then I've been a fan. My favorite Replacements album is still *Tim*. *Left of the Dial* always reminds me what it was like to "discover" college radio in the mid-80s as a teenager and the musical world that was suddenly opened up for you when you did. Some of the other bands I like include: Husker Du, Sugar, REM, the Connells, the Kinks, Big Star, Let's Active, Too Much Joy, and the Pixies. Date: Tue, 04 Jul 2000 23:58:22 -0400 From: Fox Subject: The 'Mats, etc. Hello! My name is Vic, and I'm writing because I ran across the Skyway site recently, and have just now seen the part where first-time writers/subscribers are asked to write in (as you have probably assumed). How did I first come across the Replacements? Well, if the They Might Be Giants song doesn't count... I NEVER watch MTV. It's supposed to be MUSIC Television, but all they do is stoop to the lowest common denominator to hold onto their already hypnotized audience. So, even I was surprised when I found myself watching their '100 Greatest Videos of Such-and-Such Blah Blah Blah' because I figured they'd actually be showing some classic videos for once. And of course I was highly impressed by the song and the video for Bastards of Young. So, about two months ago, I stepped out to the record store, and picked up Tim (because it had Bastards of Young) and also Sorry Ma (because I'm an album cover fan and I REALLY liked the cover, but also because I liked the band!) Also, I have a 1982 book called something like the Rolling Stone Record Guide New Edition which gave Sorry Ma a rather confusing review. If you haven't seen it, I could copy down for ya if you want. Turns out I got into it a lot more than I thought I would. I recently borrowed All Shook Down from my uncle and just this weekend bought Stink (another great cover!) Favorite songs... probably (as of now) Takin a Ride, Shiftless When Idle, Stuck in the Middle, Bastards of Young, and Here Comes a Regular. My other favorite bands? Midnight Oil, Squeeze, The Clash, U2, Peter Gabriel, Cat Stevens, etc. etc. etc. Well, that's that. Please write back if you get the chance. -Vic Date: Wed, 05 Jul 2000 10:16:21 -0500 From: Brady Hegberg Subject: time for this one I've been reading back through all the old Skyways. It's been an amazing experience. I really feel like I know some of the people who have contributed (I mean aside from the ones I actually do know like my ex-roommate Cathy). I'd like to get ahold of any copies of old issues of "Willpower" and any good interviews people might have because I'm trying to write about the Mat's early history. None of the interviews I've found have been very in depth about that period. I'm in contact with people who were there but none of them seem to remember much about what happened. I asked a friend of mine who used to hang out at the Longhorn a lot if he remembered anything about how the Mats and the Huskers interacted. He said something like "Well I remember they got along pretty well but it's kind of a blur. We all drank a bit back then." If anyone happens to have any clear recollections I'd like to hear about them. Here's an old article from Spin - I don't think it's appeared here yet. I suspect, as with every article I've read, this writer misunderstood many of the things that he didn't get wrong. To start off, the only Minneapolis lake with islands on it is Lake of the Isles...which has bridges and ice fishing and so forth but doesn't have any speed boat racing. Also he says that the video for Bastards of Young shows the Replacement's feet tapping. I think that's a different video, the BoY vid only shows Paul's arm. These are just nitpicks but it also strikes me that the writer was not very even handed, even though he seems like someone who would care enough to try to be. Anyway I love the image of Bob stopping playing right in the middle of a concert to give his mom a kiss. That childishly devil-may-care yet loving attitude is the main thing I came away from this article with a feeling for. Brady P.S. Just for fun I created a sort of simple pictorial tour of Mats related sites in Minneapolis. The link is here: http://www2.bitstream.net/~bradyh/mats/matstour.html I'd love to hear from anyone who has comments, ideas or suggestions. One thing I'm looking for is an address for Blackberry Way Studios. Thanks, Brady ********************************************** "Hold My Life" from Spin magazine 1993 ********************************************** Nearly seven years after getting booted from the Replacements, Bob Stinson continues to fight his past and duck his future. Charles Aaron fishes for some answers. Sitting on a fallen tree on a small island in the middle of a frozen Minneapolis lake, Bob Stinson is a shaky defense for the rock life-style. Heineken propped up in the snow, thrift-store suit jacket pulled tight against the 10 degree cold, he blows his nose into the wind, belches, and shivers. An unrepentant alcoholic for more than ten years, Bob insisted that we buy a six-pack and do the interview out here, near where the speedboats race in the summer. "It's completely untouched by screw-ups," he marvels, blood-shot blue eyes squinting into a bright blue midday sky. Still best known as an ex-Replacements guitarist more than six years after being fired from the band he started in his mom's house, Bob is harshly defined by the past. Every other Replacement, including his replacement, guitarist Bob "Slim" Dunlap, and Bob's half-brother, bassist Tommy (who refused to be interviewed for this story), has released, or will soon release, an album this year. Dunlap, "The Old New Me"; Tommy, "Friday Night Is Killing Me". Bash & Pop's debut; ex-drummer Chris Mars, "75% Less Fat", his second solo album; and ex-singer-songwriter-Winona Ryder heartthrob Paul Westerberg (who also refused to be interviewed), "14 Songs", his first solo outing. Meanwhile, Bob, 33 and holding on, is an unemployed cook, divorced, killing time in the Bleeding Hearts, a youthfully Stones-y bar band, and living in a dorm-style apartment wallpapered with rock posters (Jimmy Page, Ace Frehley) and Madonna pin-ups. A pink dress, a relic of Replacements past, hangs on a broken mike stand. Long before Kurt Cobain's bankcard became an indie-rock talisman, the Replacements were self-destructively struggling with the postpunk myth of "selling out." While Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" video effectively fetishized the band and its fans' alienation, the Replacements refused to even show their faces for their first video, 1985's "Bastards of Young" (instead, the camera shot their feet, nervously tapping). The band flaunted its volatile dynamic. Bob, a burly, gentle Yes fan who favored thrift-store frocks nicked from Captain Sensible, played Shakes the Clown to Westerberg's half-assed Pagliacci, Grinning like a vagrant crashing an office party, he would petulantly refuse to play a solo, then spew out some grossly beautiful racket that was equal parts Kiss babyfood-metal, Robert Quine art-mangle, and pure-pop trash. Westerberg-an aloof fuck-up much like Bob-would inevitably smirk, look away, and cigarette-rasp a heart-wrenching, no-future-in-frontin' chorus. His best songs ("Shiftless When Idle," "Color Me Impressed," "Kids Don't Follow," "Unsatisfied") scripted the self-deprecating middle-class vulnerability of the '80s just as sharply as Dylan sketched the pretentious middle-class dreams of the '60s. Tommy, 11 when he joined, struck airborne rock poses and thumped punkily, flashing his I'm-too-young-to-know-better glance at college girls. Mars, a dead ringer for an ABC After School Special "loner," hunched over his drums, slight frame pounding away like somebody was chasing him. There was never much tawdry glamour with the Replacements; just raw nerves. But as boredom and fear of semi-fame crept up on the band, they more often sputtered through a schlock-block of stunted covers ("Detroit Rock City," "Smokin' in the Boys' Room," "Cat Scratch Fever," etc.) like janitors throwing a smoke bomb down the toilet. Night after night, they heckled themselves: It's a filthy job, but somebody's gotta screw it up. And Bob, the band's most recklessly troubled member, became a symbol of how rock dangles redemption, and then laughs in your face when it's snatched away. He is offhandedly brutal about his risks and disappointments. "You know, I'd really like to meet myself sometime. I'd probably beat the shit out of myself for letting opportunities go by," he says, adding, "I guess you could say I'm never pleased, or in Paul's words, I'm unsatisfied." More problematically, he rambles on about his life's almost-clownish misery. "It's like trying to commit suicide. The bigger the gun, the less likely you are to make it happen. I mean, I put a gun to my head, but I'm still alive. I don't have a problem with that." It's almost as if Bob's begging someone to tell him he's full of shit. "You know, he does play the tragic thing up," says longtime friend Terry Katzman, the Replacements original soundman and owner of Garage D'Or Records in Minneapolis. "He's a true rock'n'roll personality. He'll have little spells of lunacy...just stirring things up. That's part of what he's about. Still, I think he's a loving human being." Neither terribly famous nor tragic ("Though I've seen him look pretty tragic," Katzman chuckles), Bob has muddled through a variety of bands since the Replacements, but nothing's clicked. Although he constantly downplays the Replacements as "not that big of a deal," what he's obviously missing is the tightly tangled, fraternal bond of the band-a sense of family, no matter how dysfunctional-and Westerberg's uncanny ability to write songs that were as much about Bob as himself. Now Bob awkwardly seeks out that bond everywhere, in other bands, in bars, in interviews, by reading rock bios and quoting and comparing himself to rock stars, particularly fellow mama's boy John Lennon. In the Bleeding Hearts, he tries to fit in, but he's more of a sideshow than a sideman, and it's hard to watch him cede the spotlight to his roommate, 23-year-old singer-songwriter Mike Leonard, a charmingly clueless rock brat who tosses back his retro-rooster-cut hair, belts out lines like "I was 21 / You were 17 / I was in love / You know what I mean," then yells, "Take it, Bobby!" Bash & Pop's Friday night showcase with the Bleeding Hearts at the First Avenue & 7th Street Entry, a black-walled sunken rec-room of a club in downtown Minneapolis, was a minefield of emotions. And predictably, Bob stomped blindly, full speed ahead. During the opening set, when his mom, ex-wife Carleen, and sister Lonnie all walked in, Bob simply stopped playing. Waving crazily, resplendent in pinkish-orange hausfrau blouse and and burnt-orange pajama bottoms, he leaned over to give them a kiss. The rest of the band was bewildered as Bob scurried back and started screaming in Leonard's ear. Finally, as the song ended, Leonard understood and also gave Mrs. Stinson a kiss. However clumsily, Bob was trying to welcome Leonard into the family. Later, when Tommy and Bash & Pop tore into their single, "Loose Ends," Bob jumped up and down like an overgrown kid, hugging his mom from behind, and pumping his fist toward the stage. Like Tommy donning a dress in the video for the song, it was almost as touching as it was bizarre. The Stinson family definitely was "no Leave It to Beaver," as Bob puts it. Mom, Anita, was an alcoholic throughout his childhood. A longtime bartender at the Uptown, a popular rock-scene hangout within walking distance of Bob and Leonard's apartment, she's been sober for seven years. (A recent Uptown exchange: Bob: "Mom, I need a rum and coke." Mom: "Need?" Bob: "Okay, I want a rum and coke.") His father, an alcoholic who divorced Anita when Bob was two, has no contact with the family. Tommy's dad, his mother's longtime boyfriend, is dead. Neither son made it to high school. Bob was pulled out of ninth grade for being "incorrigible and self-destructive," and went through the entire juvenile system. "As a matter of fact, the last group home I was at was where I learned to drink, get good drugs, and play guitar, all at the same time," says Bob. When Bob returned to the family, Tommy became his personal project. "He was throwing stones through gas station windows and shit like that and my mom said 'Something's got to be done.'" So Bob bought his brother an amp and taught him how to play Yes's "Roundabout" and Peter Frampton's "Show Me the Way," and appointed him bass player of Dogbreath, his and Chris Mars's first band. "God, I was so impressed," says Bob. "I mean, I made him cry a couple of times, throwing bottles and speakers at him, but when he caught on, he surpassed me, I mean, his happiness, not his talent, of course." Eventually, Tommy left school, in the ninth grade also, to join the Replacements full-time. The Stinson brothers have coexisted uneasily-sometimes not communicating for a year at a time-since Bob was dumped from the Replacements in 1986, reportedly for excessive drug use and his unwillingness (or inability) to learn the more "mature" material being written by Westerberg. This past year, though, the relationship got its biggest jolt when Bob went into a coma and almost died after a neglected tooth infection spread into his nervous system. "Same thing that Jim Henson of the Muppets had!" he laughs devilishly. Tommy, preoccupied with recording the Bash & Pop album, never visited the hospital, instead sending his brother a copy of Stairway to Heaven: Led Zeppelin Uncensored. "Beside all the shots that got me high every three hours-the Demerol and blah blah blah-I'd have to say that the Led Zeppelin book helped me through more than anything," says Bob. "[Tommy] was doing his record, and he was, um, how can I put this nicely, I don't think he could come to terms with the fact that I was going to kick the bucket, and that scared the hell out of him, to be honest." Letting the Bleeding Hearts, relative unknowns, open the show for Bash & Pop at the Entry was a thinly disguised peace offering from Tommy to Bob. But some wounds never heal. And family and friends express uncannily similar frustrations with both siblings. "Tom is Tom," says Katzman. "I feel real sad for him and Bob that they haven't stayed in touch. I think Tom will be sorry for that someday. I feel like he's disassociated himself. He's moving to L.A., he's separated from his wife. But hey, give the guy a break. He was playing the bass with the Replacements when he was 11. Its remarkable he's still around." "You just can't change people," says Mars. "But it's interesting about Bob. He's very smart, he's just so different. He says stuff that other people think, but are afraid to say...I don't know if it's this rock-casualty thing. I think it's a personality thing, although something like the Replacements can really affect your personality." Expectations for the Replacements raged after 1984's Let It Be-a perfectly torn flannel shirt of '60s garage-pop, '70s blues-metal, and '80s hardcore. As did doubts about Bob. Westerberg told Musician in February 1989:"[Bob] believed the image we played with onstage. Bob thought that was the Replacements. He didn't understand, 'Oh, we gotta play some music, too. We gotta do something.'" Here was the readily embraced mythology: Bob was a balls-to-the-wall slob holding back the band's aesthetic development. But what Bob embodied, and what Westerberg would not admit (except in his songs), was a specifically postpunk burden of truth. Like it or not, the Replacements' brilliance became noosed up with their pathos. They rocked because they felt pathetic. But then they still felt pathetic, so Westerberg's aching ballads about stunted hopes were even more poignant. After Bob was gone, that dynamic was lost. "It was never the same after he left," says Mars. "I remember in Detroit, somebody got together like 1,000 cardboard cut-outs of Bob's face for the show and passed them around for everybody to put on, including Slim. It's like they were protesting, they wanted Bob back. That was a great night I missed him." "Yeah, we had our image, and then when I left, the Replacements were like a body without a face," says Bob with his usual bluntness. But Westerberg was spooked that the band was being pigeonholed as out-of-control boobs. So he contrived a reality for outsiders in which Bob was the out-of-control boob. Which wasn't too difficult, since Bob was drunk, high, or in a dress most of the time (the cover of 1985's The Shit Hits the Fan live cassette was a hilarious drawing by Mars of Bob as a barber, beer in one hand, clippers in the other, and a sign above the chair which read: "Asylum Cut $20... or lines"). But Westerberg's fatal contradiction was that he made the argument against Bob with a drink in his hand. "Bob became the scapegoat, for whatever reason," says Mars, who was fired from the band in 1990. "Of course, he could've gone too far and killed himself. But if you say, 'Could Bob have died?' then you have to ask if any of us could have died. Funny thing was, after Bob left, it got worse with Tommy and Paul, and it was to the point where I was afraid that they wouldn't wake up the next day." Supposedly, during the sessions for 1985's Tim, the band's major-label debut, the situation degenerated to the point that "Bob didn't have a clue," or so Westerberg told SPIN in April '89. "He didn't know the key of A from his left foot, so I'd sorta show him where to put his hands. 'Just kinda start there, Bob.'" After a European tour supporting "Tim" ended, Bob himself sensed the band was on the verge. "I remember he came to practice and said that he was sad, he didn't like himself for drinking, and just the state of the band," says Mars. "I think it was a plea to have some sort of camaraderie, to sit down and talk. You know, 'it's not only me who's fucked up, it's the band, it's the attitude.' But what can you do? We never talked about those things. It was almost sacred, this circus we had going." Later in'86, about six months after he and Carleen were married, a court order put Bob in St. Mary's Rehabilitation Center for alcohol abuse treatment. "Bob hit me when he saw me talking to a guy at a party," says Carleen. "I'd never been hit before, and Bob had never laid a hand on me, but he was afraid that somebody was going to take me away from him. So I called his mom, we're really close, and she said he'd been diagnosed as psychotic when he was 12, and that nobody had done anything about it. The court sent him away as a condition of us staying married. But once he got in there, he made the decision to stay, and it worked, at first." Shortly thereafter, Bob was playing on the stage at the Entry when the Replacements were doing five nights in a row. It turned out to be Bob's last gig with the band. "Paul came over with a bottle of champagne," Carleen says, "and he said to Bob, and I'll never forget this, he said, 'Either take a drink, motherfucker, or get off my stage.' It was the first time I'd seen Bob cry. He came home that night in tears, he didn't know what to do. He'd been completely dry for the 30-day program and the three weeks following. But after that night, Bob felt that no one liked him unless he was drunk." Two weeks later, on a Saturday morning, Bob was sweeping up the First Avenue disco, where he worked to make extra money. Westerberg, very drunk, called up and explained that he'd been getting lectured for months by record executives in New York who'd indicated that they were fed up with Bob's behavior. "I don't think I can play with you anymore," Westerberg finally blurted. Bob murmured okay and hung up. "After that, Bob started drinking again, and he's been drinking ever since, like he has some major death wish," says Carleen. "He sold all his guitars and amps, broke my guitar and bass [Carleen plays in a local band, My Uncle's Butt Trick]. We separated because we had a son by then and I didn't want Bob around him. It was just so frustrating. The constant abuse those guys in the Replacements were doing and then to try and clean up their image for the public and claim that they were a chemically free band now that Bob, their evil appendage, had been hacked off. Bob was not a wasted drunk when their relationship dissolved. In fact, it was the other way around.... He loved those guys so much that he actually trained Bob Dunlap, he taught him all his leads and all the songs. And how did they repay him? By trying to make him out to be some evil, codependent monster." But Bob Stinson's travails with the Replacements pale in comparison to a relationship he's never even had the chance to get wrong. And that's with his four-year-old son Joey, a blond, blueeyed Bob look-alike who was born without an immune system, and was not expected to live a week past delivery. Treated with an experimental drug used for AIDS and terminal cancer patients, Joey has never walked, only speaks a few words, and his medical costs run about $200,000 a year. His mental capacities, however, seem intact "if Joey lives and grows up, he's gonna be a real neat human," says Carleen. "He has a lot to teach the world. And all animosities aside, he has a lot to teach Bob, too." But unless he's sober, Bob's not allowed to see his son. When Joey was hospitalized recently for a staph infection, Bob stayed dry and visited. But as soon as Joey got better, his father went back to a steady diet of 16-ounce export malt-liquors. Nothing, not Joey's illness, nor the threat of his own death, seems to jar Bob out of his cliched rock casualty rut. As we trooped back across the frozen lake after our interview, Bob ducked under a bridge and slid out onto a section not covered with snow where he could see fish through the ice. I was afraid he was going to slip and fall butt-over-beer-bottles again, like he had earlier in the day on the sidewalk in front of his apartment, but he kept his balance, excitedly pointing toward a group of men seated in lawn chairs up ahead. "Do you know what they're doing?" I nodded. "Oh man, I love ice-fishing." Then, just as quickly as the fish darted under the ice, Bob's mind switched subjects. "Have you ever done heroin?" Before I could answer, he continued. "Ever use a needle?" I shook my head no. "You can really get some good, cheap stuff around here. I don't really do it, but if you wanted to we could get some and do it, you know, later, if you wanted." He almost sounded like he was asking me out on a date. And I didn't want to say no, because this was the first real gesture of well, I don't know, trust or friendship or something that Bob had extended. When I finally said no, I knew he felt like I was judging him. "You know, my mom's really worried about Tommy," said Bob, without prompting. "It bothers me that Tommy does drugs and it bothers him that I do drugs. But we still get along all right." Later, back in the hotel room, channel-surfing a sizable wave of depression, I suffered through Ugly Kid Joe's MTV version of "Cat's in the Cradle," the most maudlin father-son lament ever, and I thought of Bob, and felt like punching a hole in the wall. What the hell was he doing to himself and what was I doing here, pushing his buttons? What did we want from each other? I remember at one point Bob said that I seemed like more of a confused fan than a reporter, which was just about right, though I was more confused than anything else. But for the life of me, I can't figure out where that leaves him. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Je suis tellement délaissé que j'offre à n'importe quelle divine image des élans vers la perfection. I am so abandoned I lay my impulse toward perfection at the feet of any divine image. - Rimbaud Date: Wed, 19 Jul 2000 10:02:31 -0700 (PDT) From: mike heffron I'm Mike, how are you? I'm a union organizer who lives in Kansas City, though I was born in Utica, NY and lived in Ohio, Chicago, and Iowa. I'm 26, and I got into the Replacements when I was 15. I had just bought my first CD player, and wanted a CD to go with it. I had watched some program that had said "Don't Tell A Soul" was the best alternative album of the year, so being the individual I bought it no questions asked. I must admit, it never grabbed me, and ended up disappearing into a pile that I never found again. I rediscovered them a few years ago, after buying a used copy of Let It Be. I re-bought Don't Tell A Soul, and now like it quite a bit. I just bought Tim, and Pleased to Meet Me, wonderful stuff, of course. Some random facts about Mike, his life, and the 'Mats: My best friend's (Steph) boyfriend in high school played "Talent Show" at the school talent show. They did not win. I visited my friend in Chicago when I was 16. If I remember correctly, it was on that weekend the Replacements played their final show. Anyway, that was the trip where I decided I liked the Smiths. Don't ask... Mike Heffron From: "Chris King" Date: Mon, 24 Jul 2000 23:03:47 GMT Thanks for the Skyway. You might be interested in reading the story at http://www.skuntry.com/history.cfm It's a fanciful history of a little-known kind of music. Get down to 1987 in the timeline and you can read about my interview with Paul W. just before he sobered up (and my gig with Alex Chilton long after he did). Take care Chris King Date: Tue, 25 Jul 2000 12:02:55 EDT From: PHB03@aol.com Also new and really late to the Replacements' fandom. When the Mats were cool and in their prime, I was 10 (in 1985) and more into Michael Jackson and Huey Lewis. How was I to know? I bought "Sorry Ma" about five years ago just because it was in a bargain bin and I had heard all about the Mats. My nephew and I made fun of how horrible the album was when we first listened to it. I dusted off "Sorry Ma" about two years ago and was astonished at all that I had missed. Now, I actually take exception to the intro to this list that says most of the songs on the album are forgettable. I think it's a rambling shitkicker of an album, with bumbling punk-ass rockers coming at you from all sides. "Knock Your Door Down" and "Downtown" and "Something To Du" are just amazing, especially considering that the boys just tossed them off. Since that revelation, I've bought most of the albums. Thank you, Alex Chilton. Cause if I never fell in love with #1 Record, Third, and Radio City, I never would have followed where it all went...to Paul and Bob and Tommy and Chris. Thanks for letting me indulge. Peter Date: Fri, 28 Jul 2000 11:03:43 -0500 (CDT) From: pbjorneb@usd.edu (Phillip K Bjorneberg) I am actually doing an assignment for a class, which is to subscribe to a listserver. I have been a huge Replacements fan since the beginning. I can remember seeing the cover of "Sorry Ma..." in a great record store in Sioux Falls, SD and thinking it looked like something I wanted to check out. My brother had turned me on to "new music" and I was in the process of going wild. I saw the Replacements twice on their "Pleased to Meet Me" tour. In Chicago at the Riviera and in Sioux Falls at the Convention Center. Favorite songs are so numerous, but I think Answering Machine got the most drunken plays in college. Phil Date: Fri, 4 Aug 2000 09:40:47 -0400 From: Peter Culos Here's my long overdue subscription to "The Skyway".... I was introduced to the band, like many of you, via a tape a buddy of mine at Lebonon Valley College made for me. That was around 1986. I took it back to Susquehanna University with me and converted a bunch more fans. Four of us lived in an old house on an island in the Susquehanna river. It had a full attic which we transformed into a bar - complete with a real bar top, Keg-u-lator (constant tapped beer) and neon lights. We rigged 8 speakers to the stereo downstairs for a sound system. Many Susquehannians were introduced to the 'mats at our "attic" parties. All of them were pissant drunk. I think it was a suitable venue. I only saw the band about four times. The first was at the legendary "Stone Pony" in Asbury Park, NJ. They absolutely stunk - although the beer-spitting fight Paul started with the crowd was fun! The best show that I saw was in Kingston, NY about 1988. It was the most energetic concert I've ever been to. Paul fell off the stage at one point and sang two more songs from down in the orchestra pit. Classic stuff. To this day, if I've had a bad week, nothing gets me going on a Friday afternoon more than cranking The Replacements along with a beer. Wouldn't it be great to see those guys just one more time? Perhaps it's better that we don't. Memories are always better than reality. Pete Date: 4 Sep 2000 23:11:51 -0700 From: Mitchell Larson My name is Mitch Larson, and I am a senior at the University of Minnesota majoring in filmmaking. I got your address off the Skyway (a brilliant thing) and thought I would drop you a line. I have been a Mats fan since I was in 7th grade and have chosen many things in my life because of that fact. A few years ago, I was reading though some various liner notes and I noticed that many, many bands which are popular today (Rage Against the Machine, Counting Crows, etc.) thank the Mats in their albums. I also noticed that the vast majority of the public (and I go to school in the Mats hometown!!!) don't know who the hell they are. This incredible contradiction has stuck with me for years. How could a band as influential and cosmically perfect as the Replacements be unknown even in the town they are from? And something inside of me has to take some sort of step towards realizing my dream, which is to put together a Replacements documentary. I realize that this is probably pretty close to impossible, but something inside of me makes me want to try. The film that I want to make would not be anything like the tell-all biography shows that are around now. This would not be a "Behind the Music: The Replacements." It would have to be a film that captures every direction the Mats went. I think I would be very good at doing this sort of thing because A) I know the music extremely well, B) I am a good filmmaker, especially in an abstract format, and C) the film would have to be extremely low-budget because I have no money. I think that a film about the Replacements that isn't polished and glossy could be such an intensely IMPORTANT piece that I just needed to at least try. So I am writing to you for advice. I don't know how to contact anyone in the band. I don't have any idea where to start with any of this. I don't have the first clue what to do. So I am writing to see if you have any advice. I am a young filmmaker that is short on funds and resources, so if you have any advice that could help me towards what could be an incredible film, please let me know. My email is mr_furious@ragingbull.com Thank you so much for your help. And also, thank you for putting together a page that lets fans continue to be fans. Mitch From: "graeme" Subject: one night in manchester Date: Fri, 20 Oct 2000 21:02:07 +0100 hello its me found your site im just on the net so its the first thing i went for the mats its part of the dna thing maybe they are me red cells like you all there music is a constant friend even though i live on the other side from them i dont bother with full stop and stuff anyway ive been with them since a least when bob played they dont come to liverpool much there is quite a few of us we love them as well as many others but they hold special the last show all shook tour played in manchester over the road from the hacienda was a sad and once in a night the show was pure the manager was complaining as we wandered in that the band had been sound checking for an hour he said they were a bunch of pre madonnas we went sat down with slim the crowd about 200 paul smashed up his rickenbacker towards the end it was not a preconceived idea it was poetic it was no townsend he lay on the crowd and we carried him round he was our champion i shouted another girl he spewed it out thanks for it paul i hung around at the end tried to talk the bouncer into giving me the broken "R" on the empty stage he didnt understand i walked away thanks paul From: XNickFittX@aol.com Date: Tue, 10 Oct 2000 01:19:35 EDT Hi. My name is Nick. I'm in a Replacements influenced band (no, not the Goo Goo Dolls) called the Dimestore Haloes. We have other influences and stuff, but those aren't exactly relevant right now. Anyway, I stumbled across this list and figured "Why not?" Me- I'm 20, I work in a large clothing retailer and I first heard the Replacements when I was 12 or 13 on a college radio station in my home town. My first song was "Bastards of Young" and I was like "SHIT!" They're one of the few bands that totally swept me off my feet the first time I heard them in such a dramatic way... Nirvana... the Clash... the Who... the Smiths... the Replacements. The problem was that the DJ didn't say who it was and I was lost. One night I was up late watching "Beavis and Butthead" on MTV. This video came on and the song rocked and sounded vaguely familiar and it had a really cool video with some guy's leg on a couch. I realized that it was my song and I went out and bought "Tim". The rest, as they say, is history. Nick Date: Thu, 5 Oct 2000 22:42:39 -0600 (MDT) From: marty humphreys New Fan First day 'Don't tell a soul' 2nd listen better. Darlin' One yes They're Blind yes... between this afternoon's first listen, and tonight's selective second, there might be a sucking sound (huh?) towards liking this thing. Have to say, though, that Portland and Wake Up from 'All for Nothing', well, YES!! enjoy skyway stu homefries Date: Sun, 08 Oct 2000 02:37:46 EDT From: Savatage63@aol.com Well I thought I would introduce myself. I'm Matt, I'm 20 and I have just recently become a Mats fan. The funny thing is that I have known of them for awhile...however I didn't become a fan until this summer. When I was in high school I befriended this girl named Sarah. This was when I was a Junior in High School, so I guess that's '96. Well she forced one of their CD's on me...I think it was Hootenanny. Well I took it home and though it was absolute junk! See, I was (and still am) quite the metal-head. My life revolved around Iron Maiden, Ozzy Osbourne and Metallica. So hearing this CD I just though that these guys cant play! She ended up forcing me to hear everyone of the albums, and the last one she lent me was PTMM. Now this I though was pretty cool. It wasn't great but it seemed like something worth owning...but I never did buy it. Fast forward to 2000, I'm now a Junior in college getting a degree in music. Being a musician I surround myself with highly techinical music, weather it be Heavy Metal or Opera. Well this summer I was in a record store and ran across a copy of PTMM, and I thought what the hell? and purchased it. I took it home, popped it into my CD player and was blown away! I listened to it about 50 times over the next week! Now this was very strange! I'm one of those overly technical musicians and I cant listen to a band unless they are very good at their instruments. So I found it very odd that I was enjoying this CD sooo much. I'm not saying they can't play, but the ain't virtuosos either. I finally figured out why I loved it so much. Hearing PTMM made me feel the same way that I felt when I discovered Aerosmith when I was ten. Like it was for me then, Im not looking at this as a musician...I'm just a kid who is being blown away by some damn good rock and roll! The Replacements made me remember why I got into music in the first place, not to analyse the chord progressions, not to figure out the voice leadings, just to enjoy it. So then I started listening to the words and realized that these are some of the best damn lyrics I have EVER heard! So I bought Tim and All For Nothing. I'm now convinced that Paul is one of the best songwriters ever! So thanks to the Mats for making me remember why I love music! As soon as I have money I'm gonna buy the rest of the albums..... Matt Savatage63@aol.com __________________________________________________________________________ II. PEOPLE WHO GOT INTO THE 'MATS THROUGH THE GOO GOO DOLLS From: JessPeachi@aol.com Date: Mon, 19 Jun 2000 10:51:30 EDT Hi everyone, I'm a pretty newfound Replacements fan. My english teacher was actually the one who gave me some serious 'Mats 101. I read this interview with Goo Goo Dolls frontman John Rzeznik and he named "Left of the Dial" as one of his favorite Replacements song, and spelled out his utmost respect for Paul Westerberg and Co. Well I downloaded the song, just out of curiosity, and I fell in love with it. I know that sounds like a really stupid way to get into a band, but that's how I got hooked. Call me the typical teenybopper if you wish (I'm 15), but let's put it this way: I was tired of turning on the radio to hear Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, Limp Bizkit, and all the likes of crappy modern pop culture being shoved in my face. Something about the Replacements' just takes me away from all that and shows me that obscurity doesn't mask good music. It's only been a short while that I've been listening to the Replacements, but let me say this to compensate: It was a good short while. Peace, Jess ;) Date: Sat, 21 Oct 2000 09:06:12 -0700 (PDT) From: Saila "Oldén" So, I just joined this Thing that you've got going here... Looks nice, the page and all, lots of info etc. Okay, what should I say? There really isn't much to tell about me, since I'm an 18-year-old girl from Finland (yeah, the little land between Sweden and Russia), and I guess that's pretty much the reason why I subscribed. See, I wanted to talk to someone about the Mats, cos here in Finland people mostly listen to BSB or Spice Girls or some other stupid pop band with a stupid name and stupid songs and stupid lyrics and stupid tours and... Well, you get the idea, right? I've gotta admit that I "found" the Mats through a band called Goo Goo Dolls (you've probably heard about them, they're the "Iris" guys). Goos are enormous Mats fans and in almost every one of their interviews there's a line or two about the Mats. So I thought that maybe I should listen to them, see if they really are all that. So I borrowed the Don't Tell A Soul album from the local library and I almost cried when I first time heard Talent Show, Anywhere's Better Than Here and Darling One. I just KNEW that this was the kind of music I had always been looking for and that I would always love. Sounds silly, I know, but I just can't help it. Since then I've bought quite a few Mats albums, and my favourite songs are Talent Show, Answering Machine and Bastards Of Young (unbelievable lyrics in this one!!), just to mention few. I also own one of Paul Westerberg's solo albums, and I like that too, but the Mats will always be the Mats... And as for my other fave bands, I like Husker Du, Nirvana, Soul Asylum, The Smashing Pumpkins etc. Okay, I think that's enough info about me. If you didn't understand something (might be my English that still needs a bit work), just ask. And now I'd like to ask one question: What's the thing between Husker Du and the Mats, 'cos I've heard that they didn't like each other that much... Take care, bye, ---Saila Date: Sun, 03 Sep 2000 18:27:04 -0500 From: I Like The Rain Hey people...I just signed up to this list today, so, just saying hi and introducing myself. I'm 14 years old, so the 'Mats were formed 5 years before I was born. From looking at the back issues of Skyway, I think I'm one of the younger ones... I know what almost all of you are thinking right now, "ugh, 14 years old? How can she appreciate the 'Mats?" Well, pretty easily actually. Through the amazing and awesome Napster, I've gotten pretty familiar with them...I first heard about them through my all-time favorite band (they could be dethroned when my "all for nothing/nothing for all" cd comes in...) the Goo Goo Dolls...I know everything there is to know about these guys, including their influences, and one of them happened to be the 'Mats. So, I checked it out. The first song I ever heard and realized it was them was "If Only You Were Lonely," and I heard "Can't Hardly Wait" on the movie credits to Can't Hardly Wait, but I didn't know it was them. I knew before I listened to them that I would like them, because I knew if they influenced the Goo's, they HAD to be one of the best bands that ever existed...I was right, definitely one of the best bands that have ever existed, if not THE best. The lyrics are AMAZING, especially...well...all of them are amazing! I've been listening to Sadly Beautiful over and over again for about half an hour. Well I'm outta here...do I sound too grown up? peace, cactus, and 'Mats! Later! _____________ Christieee!! The Realm of G00 http://www.acmecity.com/rockmusic/garage/200 "If I could paint in harmony and colors were words I had sung, If I could climb way up in the sky where the stars are carefully hung, There are flowers in her backyard that resemble the spots of the sun, and there are times I look in her eyes and see the woman and God as one." -Robby Takac, Goo Goo Dolls, Hold Me Up! "You take the Skyway, High above the busy little one-way, In my stupid hat and gloves at night, I lie awake wonderin' if I'll sleep.." -The Replacements, "Skyway" __________________________________________________________________________ III. WHAT'S UP WITH THAT TWIN/TONE BOX SET? Date: Wed, 31 May 2000 09:46:15 -0500 From: Michael Foster Subject: FW: mats reunion This email is directly from Peter Jesperson. First is my question, second is his answer. Thanks Mike > From: Peter Jesperson > Sent: Wednesday, May 31, 2000 12:45 AM > Subject: Re: mat's reunion > > > Can you dispel the rumors? [re: 'Mats reunion] > Not true though I'm no one's spokesperson. > > > I have also heard that Capitol dropped Paul, is that true? > It was mutual. He didn't wanna be there and they weren't so hot on it > either. > > > Also where are you at on the compilation stuff? > Stalled. Busy with other things I'm sorry to say. Someday ... __________________________________________________________________________ IV. WHAT'S UP WITH TOMMY STINSON? From: "K. Burk" To: "Matthew Tomich" Subject: Guns N' Roses add two guitarists, plan summer tour Round 627... More non-news... with some apathy, Kyle http://www.livedaily.com/news/2104.html [pertinent news: MTV, citing "a source close to the band," reported that GNR drummer Josh Freese has left the band and that Bryan "Brain" Mantia of Primus has been playing drums for GN'R of late. Other reputed members of GN'R include bassist Tommy Stinson (formerly of the Replacements) and keyboardist Dizzy Reed. Rose--who owns the rights to the Guns N' Roses name--reportedly has been working on a new album for the better part of the last decade. A long list of producers and musicians has been connected to the album, but few have been involved in the project for long. The new incarnation of Guns N' Roses is scheduled to perform its first concert in seven years at the Brazilian Rock in Rio festival in January.] __________________________________________________________________________ V. BANDS THAT LOVE THE MATS (BESIDES THE GOO GOO DOLLS) From: "Mick Chorba" Subject: att. Replacements fans Date: Tue, 22 Aug 2000 16:00:48 -0400 Hey Mats' fans, I guess those rumors about the guys getting back together were just that... rumors. Oh well here's somethin' anyway... My name is Mick Chorba, I play in the band Dipsomaniacs and help run the indie label - FDR - out of NJ. Over the last year I've been compiling tracks for a tribute to the Replacements featuring power pop bands from all over the US. The CD is finally finished and will be released next week, entitled - Left of the Dial: a Pop Tribute to the Replacements. I'm really proud of the way the CD turned out. The rockers rawk and the ballads are so sadly beautiful. It's definitely less punk (musically) than some of the other tributes out there - instead we decided to focus on just how friggin' good their songs were. I mean forget about everythin' else that makes the Replacements totally cool and really the tunes stand alone and make the Mats one of the best American bands ever. Anyway, preachin' to the choir... If you think you'd be interested in something like this check out our web site where it can be ordered - www.facedown.net Long live the Mats! - Mick Chorba FDR (Face Down Records) PO Box 1733 Burlington, NJ 08016 www.facedown.net 609-239-9841 From: JohnFA2@aol.com Date: Mon, 22 May 2000 13:20:51 EDT Subject: Fwd: how i gave marah the shirt off my back if you're not already hooked into marah, read the following then RUSH to your nearest record store and buy their new album, "kids in philly." otherwise known as the album of the year : ) so, i went to see marah on saturday night at rehoboth beach, delaware. it was my first time seeing them play a full show (as opposed to an opening length set), and my expectations were high. needless to say, they didn't disappoint in their two-set, twenty-some odd song show. jesus, is this band good. they took this small bar, full of locals on a rainy weekend at the beach by storm, and by the end of the night they *owned* the room. i'd worn my replacements "pleased to meet me" shirt, hoping that it might prompt them play a cover (as i'd been given to understand that they did occasionally), and as soon as joe, the bassist, saw it he commented, "that's the band. i wouldn't be here now if not for them." without missing a beat, i asked if there was any chance to hear them play a 'mats song, and joe replied "we could probably do 'can't hardly wait,' would that be alright?" would that be alright? good lord, if i heard these guys play "can't hardly wait," i'd be in heaven. i assured joe that that would, indeed, be alright. dave saw the shirt a bit later on, pointed at it and gave me that knowing nod that all 'mats fans share when amongst their own. at that point, joe said "man, i really want that shirt...," so i told him "tell you what, you guys play 'can't hardly wait,' and the shirt is yours." a bit later on, (we'd gotten there really early), i headed upstairs where the guys were hanging out at the bar there and walked over to where mick and dave were seated, dave working on the setlist. i was looking at the setlist over his shoulder, and he turned around and looked at me, and i apologized for my rudeness. we all laughed, then dave said, "so, what do you want to hear?" i said, "well, i just saw the setlist, so i'm gonna go for the longshots," and requested "anything by the 'mats, 'why independent record stores fail,' 'fever,' and 'formula.'" he said to "fever," "that could be cool." after i'd rattled 'em off, he scribbled something on the setlist, but i didn't see what it was. we spoke for a few more minutes, mostly about austin and sxsw, then it was about time for them to hit the stage, so i headed back to our table downstairs. anyhow, the show ... as i already said, they hit the stage like a band possessed, determined to win over this crowd, and boy, did they ever. i don't know how many cd's and t-shirts they sold at the break (and after the show), but it was a lot. they had people dancing (it's a restaurant/bar, so tables covered most of the floor - not that it stopped quite a few people from dancing), they were gifted with a bra from one young lady, they had people dancing on tables .... dave himself played a solo after climbing on top of a table near the stage (shades of springsteen in clubs : ), and they generally blew the roof off the place. about midway through the second set, dave looked at me and said, "this one's for you ... i understand you've got a deal with joe for that shirt," and they tore into an absolutely blistering version of "can't hardly wait." paul himself would've been proud and, as for me, well i was floating. actually, i was dancing with this woman who had immediately headed over to our table after dave's intro, dedicating the song to me. pretty cool, that. her boyfriend didn't even seem to mind : ) as it turned out, that was the one request that i'd made that was played, and it was more than enough. of course, i fulfilled my end of the bargain, and gave joe the shirt afterwards, telling him to wear it in good health. thankfully, since it was cold and wet out, i'd worn another shirt over it, so i had something to change into. talked with everyone after the show, rapping with serge about bruce at length, and promising him some cd's from the tour. also found out that they'd just been added to the west coast leg of the jayhawks tour, and i told them that i had a friend who lived in san francisco, that she has one of the "pleased to meet me" shirts too, and that i felt certain she'd be willing to make the same deal i had if someone else wanted to call dibs on her shirt. serge called dibs, so lori, don't let any of the rest of 'em try and screw serge out of it : ) okay, i've gone on long enough here talking about my new favorite band. back to work. best, john p.s. one final note: goddamn, is "reservation girl" a killer song! p.p.s. so there i am, sitting at a sidewalk cafe at a lovely northern virginia strip mall (the elegantly named "countryside" in sterling) eating lunch with a friend ... and i hear the dulcet tones of the beginning of "can't hardly wait" ... and, what's this? do mine ears deceive me?? surely it can't be ... but yes, there's an oboe ... ladies and gentlemen, i give you the replacements, muzak-style! i about fell out of my chair. __________________________________________________________________________ VI. THE 'MATS IN THE EMP ROCK MUSEUM From: "Kerwin So" Date: Thu, 13 Jul 2000 17:44:46 -0700 EMP in Seattle is open, and it rocks. Literally. EMP is the Experience Music Project, the brainchild of Microsoft VP Paul Allen, an interactive museum dedicated to rock 'n' roll, its spirit and origins. I could write an entire article on how great it is (in fact I might), but it's sufficient to note that they have an absolute *shrine* to the Replacements, Husker Du, and the Minneapolis scene in general. My jaw dropped as I approached the Amerindie section of the Milestones gallery and heard the sweet strains of "I Will Dare" emanating from the TV that's constantly playing music and interview clips from prominent Mpls. bands. I busted my camera out and made my cousin wait an extra 20 minutes for me to emerge. (Incidentally, photography at EMP is not permitted. =) They even nabbed a release form signed by Tommy's mom, making Peter Jesperson his legal guardian! Here's but a sampling of what you can see there: http://members3.clubphoto.com/kerwin248315/EMP_and_the_Replacements_shrine/ Please sign the guestbook! And if any of you all are passing through Seattle this year, I most definitely recommend visiting EMP! It's clear that someone at the museum had a definite Mats agenda, but I ain't complaining. Just think of all the tourists absorbing all that great music and culture! It doesn't just stop at the Mats either, you have to check out the whole museum... it's enough to bring a tear of joy to yr eye. Oh yeah, and could someone please email me and let me know where in Mpls. I can find the house featured on the cover of "Let It Be"? Matt, this should be in the Skyway FAQ. peace out K __________________________________________________________________________ VII. LOOKING FOR MERCHANDISE Date: Mon, 04 Sep 2000 13:57:34 -0500 From: Don Lindbergh Subject: Grandpaboy Figured you'd seen this, but just in case. --Don From: Jenny Cowell Hey Grandpaboy fans, For those of you who don't have a turntable and wanted Paul Westerberg's alter-ego/side project, the Grandpaboy 7" single on CD - read on! The Grandpaboy 7" single "I Want My Money Back" b/w "Undone" is now available on a custom CD at http://www.imix.com - simply do a search for Grandpaboy and pick which tracks you want. (tracks are just .99 cents And you choose your own artwork; you can even have all 7 Grandpaboy tracks On it, or a combination of Grandpaboy and Laurie Lindeen tracks) Thanks, Monolyth Records ____________________________ Monolyth Record Group 839 Beacon St. Suite D Boston, MA 02215 http://www.monolyth.com ph: 617-437-0117 fx:617-437-6226 From: "Mo Conklin" Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2000 14:55:25 CDT Here's a question for you and all the other Skyway folx... For my birthday a couple years ago, my friends dug up an "invisible dog" (remember those?) with a nametag reading "The Replacements/All Shook Down". I assume it was a promo for the album, as they found it at an indie record store in Milwaukee (Atomic Records, for those of you in America's Dairyland). Has anyone else seen anything like this? Thanks. From: LaraLooooo@aol.com Date: Sat, 27 May 2000 04:36:40 EDT I've been thinking lately, and have decided that it really is a shame that of all the t-shirts in my wardrobe (hell, it's all I wear from June to September), I have not one Replacements T-shirt. Okay, well, I DID have one (Live and Drunk), but it was a size medium, made of a really flimsy, thin cotton, and white. For reasons including having put this white t-shirt in the wash with some red socks (you do the math), and the fact that I got this shirt when I was sixteen, and, well... I no longer have the figure I had when I was sixteen, needless to say, it is pretty much out of the question for me to wear it. Soooo... I have decided that I really do NEED to get myself some Replacements or Paul Westerberg t-shirts and stickers and patches and posters!!! Where the HELL do I get this stuff?!!! I live in Middle-Of-Nowhere Massachusetts, and I had a hard time getting a copy of 'Tim' on CD, nevermind trying to get cool t-shirts and posters and stickers and stuff. Is there some sort of Magical Replacements Genie to whom I can pray, and this stuff will magically appear? I would say that I would trade some stuff... but hell... all my stuff worth trading is too precious to me! I'd much rather buy it... I'm not attached to my money. Anyway... anyone who can tell me where I can buy 'Mats or Paul Westerberg-related merchandise... I will be forever in your debt! __________________________________________________________________________ VIII. LOOKING FOR RECORDINGS From: "Cox, Paul" Subject: Quick format question... Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2000 00:01:01 -0400 Did 'All Shook Down' receive a vinyl release? I've searched web dealers and eBay to no avail. I've even sent emails to both Sire and Reprise, but only got standard automated responses. Thanks for any information and/or assistance in locating a copy. Paul (not Westerberg) From: Kevin Newsgroups: alt.music.replacements Subject: "7 Days a Week" for free Date: Thu, 20 Jul 2000 17:45:50 +0000 [Hey, here's where to get loads of 'Mats MP3's!] "Less Than 'Nothing For All'", Pt. 1 (http://mp3.freediskspace.com/folders/64322 Password: "skyway") contains: "Twentieth Century Boy" a T-Rex cover from "I Will Dare" 12" "If Only You Were Lonely" b-side from "I'm In Trouble" 7" "Tossin" & Turnin'" b-side from "The Ledge" 12" German pressing (p.s. Bobby Lewis is the guy that made the song a hit way back in the 50's) "Hey, Good Lookin" A Hank Williams cover from "I Will Dare" b-side (p.s. recorded live in Madison, WI. The solo Bob plays is to a different song!) "Ought To Get Love" Paul original from "Don't Buy Or Sell: It's Crap" promo "Ace Of Spades" A Motorhead cover from "Barefoot & Pregnant" sampler "Nowhere Is My Home" A Mats original from "Boink!!" UK compilation "Route 66" A Bobby Troup cover from "The Ledge" 12" German pressing "Less Than 'Nothing For All'", pt. 2 (http://mp3.freediskspace.com/folders/104264 Password: "skyway") contains: "Cool Water" A Sons of the Pioneers cover from "Can't Hardly Wait" remix 7" "Kissing In Action" A Paul origional from "Don't Buy Or Sell: It's Crap" promo "Make Your Own Kind of Music" A Momma Cass cover from Japanese version of "Eventually" & flexi-disk from "The Bob" Non-AFN/NFA tracks from "Inconcerated: The Replacements Live" promo, recorded live @ Univ. of Wis., Milwaukee 06/89 "Answering Machine" "Anywhere's Better Than Here" "Here Comes A Regular" "Talent Show" (p.s. the "We won't say nuthin' bad on TV" bit is a reference to Paul outsmarting the censors at the "International Music Awards" show they appeared on) "3/4 Less 'Mats" (http://mp3.freediskspace.com/folders/106031 Password: "skyway") contains: "Let's Do It" A Cole Porter cover done w/ Joan Jett from the "Tank Girl" sndtk "Dice Behind Your Shades (Festicle Vers.)" Paul "Knockin' On Mine" b-side promo "Seein' Her" Paul "Knockin' On Mine" b-side promo "Men Without Ties" Paul "Knockin' On Mine" b-side promo "Stain Yer Blood" Paul origional from the "Friends" sndtk "Sunshine" A Jonathan Edwards cover from the "Friends" sndtk "Yap Yap" A Perfect (Tommy's new band) track from "Shuffle This" sampler "Makin' Me Sick" A Bash & Pop (Tommy's old band) track from the "Clerks" sndtk Perfect--"7 Days A Week" "http://mp3.freediskspace.com/index.asp" login name: tommystinson pass: perfect 01: "Better Days" 02: "Seven Days A Week" 03: "The Making Of An Asshole" 04: "Love/Hate" 05: "Turn It Up" "http://mp3.freediskspace.com/index.asp" login name: tommystinson2 pass: perfect 06: "Little Drum" 07: "Catch Them When They Land" 08: "This Thing I Call My Life" 09: "Undone" 10: "The Peg Song" 11: "Yap Yap" 'Mats-related rescources: "http://www.webworld.com/mp3" SS's ultra-cool Mats/UT/Wilco/Son Volt mp3 page. "http://www.citypages.com/cp20/lovelines/" the ads from the CityPages classifieds that inspired the song "Lovelines" "http://members.aol.com/vocalfoul/index.html" the Replacements Misheard Lyrics Page. "http://www.magicnet.net/~mikem/" This used to contain Mike Monello's totally righteous "Bob's Barber Shop" page, but he's been too busy producing "The Blair Witch Project" to update it. "http://www.monolyth.com/grandpa.htm" The site of Paul Weste... (oops, I mean Grandpaboy's) label . "http://www.hollywoodandvine.com/paulwesterberg" Capitol's Paul page. "http://www.requestmedia.com/replacing" I have no clue what this is supposed to be. "http://www.yapyap.com" Becky's website dedicated to Perfect, Tommy's new band. "http://www.tt.net/mcool/dunlap.html" Slim's page at Medium Cool Records. "http://tt.net/twintone/mats.html" Twin Tone's Replacements page. Pretty lame, but they do have some Mats live QuickTime movies on their site. "http://members.aol.com/paulspage/main.htm" Kathy's very thorough Paul/Mats page. She even has the "Please To Meet Paul Westerberg" promo interview in RealAudio format (it's in the "Discography" section). "http://www.onelist.com/community/FavoriteThing" A Replacements e-mail list. mp3-related resources: "http://help.mp3.com/help" A list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ for short) about mp3's "http://www.winamp.com" A popular Windows-based mp3 player "http://www.at-soft.net" Macast (formerly MacAMP), a popular Mac-based mp3 player "http://www.anime.net/~go/mpeckers.html" MPecker is a Mac-based mp3 encoder "http://www.musicmatch.com" MusicMatch is a Windows-based mp3 encoder Enjoy! Thaddeus Moonbeam (ThadMoonbeam@yahoo.com) Kevin (a.k.a. me) ******************************************************************* "The Rolling Stones are in Philadelphia tonight, but we're better...so fuck 'em!" --The Replacements, "Round & Round" ******************************************************************* From: "Morpheus" Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2000 22:41:44 -0400 I just signed up for this nifty little list yesterday. I had no idea so many people were around with such great taste in music. I have been a die-hard Mats fan for as long as I can remember. I am also into trading CDR's. Not a great mix considering they never let anyone bootleg. I think they would have gotten a lot bigger if they had let people openly tape shows. Look at Dave Matthews and the Dead or Phish. What can you do right? The first song I ever heard was "The Ledge". It sparked something and I found that almost every song that I heard after that got better and better. When I finally saw them in Philadelphia's Tower Theater, a great place to see a band you love because it was intimate and fairly good sound for a converted movie theater, they were nothing short of amazing. Raw as ever (I know this may not be a compliment to the boys - and if you're listening - coming from, it is a compliment) and giving me that feeling that shoots up when I hear the Replacements playing - happy and satisfied! Anyway, I am looking for some good quality Mats boots. Anyone holding should check out my site to see if we can set something up. List: http://members.fortunecity.com/morpheus15/List.htm Also, not on the list yet -jimmy page and the black crowes - 10.12.99 This was the "dress rehearsal", as Chris puts it on the disc, for the tour they are on now. What a show. It's soundboard quality. From: Lrbcoll@aol.com Date: Sun, 23 Jul 2000 20:39:55 EDT Subject: Help with Westerberg live CD I recently picked up a Westerberg live and can't seem to locate the date/venue for it. What I am most in need of is the date/venue for tracks # 1-14. I believe the show took place in 1996. Help if you can. Could you refer me to someone if you don't know? Thanks :) Lee P.S. BTW, the tracks #1-14 are a superb recording! It's either a soundboard or FM broadcast show. ======================================== Paul Westerberg 1996 1 Waiting For Somebody 2 World Class Fad 3 Valentine 4 Once Around The Weekend 5 These Are the Days 6 Kiss Me On The Bus 7 Ain't Got Me 8 Century 9 Mamadaddydid 10 Merry Go Round 11 Love Untold 12 Can't Hardly Wait 13 Daydream Believer 14 Alex Chilton (last song of this show) ================-================== # 15 and 16 unknown different source/venue? 15 ? 16 Another Girl, Another Planet == 17 ? == #18 & 19 sound like they were performed on TV 18 Knockin' On Mine (live) 19 Can't Hardly Wait (live) == 20 Love Untold (live) - different source/venue than #18 & 19 Date: Sun, 23 Jul 2000 18:29:19 -0700 (PDT) From: Jeffrey Lutz Just found your site, guess I never really looked that hard. Anyway, I'm looking to get a hold of live and demo tapes. I had about a dozen stolen from me a few years back, including the shit hits the fans, one from 7th street entry in '81, a couple more from '84 and a few from the Pleased To Meet Me tour. I don't have any of their stuff to trade so if you could help me out, I'll gladly supply blank tapes/discs, cash, SASE, whatever. Please let me know. Thanks, Jeff Lutz From: "Bentley, Steven" Subject: Gravel Pit Date: Tue, 25 Jul 2000 17:29:15 -0700 In the next issue of Skyway, can you please put a message in there that I am looking for a copy of the Westerberg disc "Gravel Pit" and was wondering if someone could burn me a CD-R. I would be happy to trade blanks and pay postage. My e-mail is Bentman@Hotmail.com Thanks, Bentley Date: Fri, 28 Jul 2000 10:56:51 EDT From: PHB03@aol.com All I want is one recording of a Bob Stinson-era show from the "Tim" tour or somewhere around there. For obvious reasons, I'll never get to experience that for real. I'm offering a two-for-one, although I don't have a plethora of stuff to offer. Here's what I got: -- Uncle Tupelo live stuff -- Guided By Voices live stuff -- Ween live -- a Beatles bootleg of two demo sessions for "The White Album." Please email if interested. Thanks, Peter From: Rebecca Mcbride Date: Tue, 26 Sep 2000 09:52:08 -0500 Hi! I hope you can help me out. I'm desperately searching for a copy of an old Saturday Night Live episode featuring Paul Westerberg and Charlton Heston as a special guest. Apparently NBC doesn't sell archives to the public. Perhaps you or another fan might have a copy which I'll be more than happy to pay for + shipping. Any assistance that you can provide will be GREATLY appreciated. Sincerely, Rebecca McBride fin. "It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important." - The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupery