the // skyway \\ issue #75 (march 9, 2001) 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. Gimmie Noise I. Hi II. Tommy + GnR III. Trade, beg, whatever __________________________________________________________________________ 0. GIMMIE NOISE I spent most of December in Africa. I'm still trying to figure out everything that happened there. First there was the 23 hour plane ride. Then there was Kenya and a safari with some serious Wild Kingdom action: elephants, giraffes, leopards, cheetahs, lions...and not with the infrequency of a typical forest nature walk, but everywhere you turned. And then there were the Seychelles Islands, a thousand miles off the eastern coast of Africa. On Christmas the ocean was 85 degrees and colored swimming pool blue, I was snorkeling off a white sand beach in the Indian Ocean. It didn't seem real. And it's a weird feeling...and maybe it's from growing up in Nebraska where whether it's summer or winter, you're always fighting the climate...when your environment offers no resistance. The air was perfect, the water was perfect, and you're just permanently lulled. What would you do if you found yourself...satisfied? In paradise, it was a disconcerting feeling of "wow, now what?" You're looking at the most amazing sunset of your life thinking how ephemeral it is and how you'll never be able to explain to anyone what Christmas in the Indian Ocean is like. I just turned 28 and saw one of the most beautiful natural scenes on the planet. There's a disquieting melancholy probably like people who walked on the moon: that you'll never be able to explain what you're seeing to anybody. I didn't have an internet connection in Africa, which is one reason why it's been a while since the last Skyway issue. The other is that between two rock bands (come home from work: practice phone calls booking shows tours), I've had a hard time trying to figure out when to find dinner, much less keep track of anything else. But last month, one of the bands, Sorry About Dresden, got to open for one my college-era musical heroes, Frank Black (aka Black Francis of The Pixies). It was one of those things where if somebody five years ago had said, "hey, this is your life", you wouldn't believe it. I remember being bummed when I heard that the 'Mats had broken up (from Rob Nansel, in the lobby of the Ranch Bowl in Omaha, at a local show), but the feeling of consolation was that at least the Pixies were still together. And then when they called it quits late the next year, I discovered Pavement and Superchunk. It's like serial dating, just jumping from one hope to another. But the rock thing is going good. Most modern full time employment doesn't provide a way to meet people: you work in an office with the same 10-100 people, most who aren't your age, and if they are, most people are more into the NBA and IRA's than the rock. I wouldn't know how to handle it all without having the trip out of town every weekend, the instant friends when you pull up to a new town to a ready-made room full of people that are all about indie rock. So this month, it's the deep south with The Scaries, the 'thisisnotthatlameMTVspringbreak' tour. thr 3/8 - atlanta, ga - squaresville - 9 p.m. fri 3/9 - alliston, al - room 208 - 7 p.m. sat 3/10 - new orleans, la - 7800 st. charles ave. - 6 p.m. sun 3/11 - talahassee, fl - thunderdome - 6:30 p.m. mon 3/12 - somewhere in florida - write and we'll play your living room, otherwise we're going to hang at wet n' wild tue 3/13 - tampa, fl - the orpheum - 9 p.m. wed 3/14 - orlando, fl - barbarella's - 9 p.m. thr 3/15 - clemson, sc - edgar's (on campus) - 8 p.m. Write (matt@novia.net ) if you're going to show and I'll give you directions and throw you on the guest list... But people have been great making parts of the Skyway page their own. Teddie James redesigned the discography page (http://www.geocities.com/theskyway/disco/index.html) and Patrick Timlin reformatted and updated the setlists page (http://www.novia.net/~matt/sky/setlists.html). Alright, there's a bunch of e-mail that I owe people and it's coming once I get back from Florida. And I'll put up all the chord and lyric changes that everybody has sent in too... m@. __________________________________________________________________________ I. HI! From: "- Laura -" Subject: Lost friend Date: Thu, 07 Dec 2000 11:22:40 -0500 Hey Matt, my name is Laura... I'm from Delaware and I think you might be able to help me with somethin'. I know this is kind of a weird letter but I was wondering if you knew a girl named Jen Rice. I know she's been in touch with you as some time or another since she's a huge Replacements fan and she used to talk about your site. See, she was a friend from high school.. she moved away and, as luck my have it, I lost my address book with her new address and phone number in it. My question to you is do you by any chance know her and have her e-mail address? If not that's ok! I was just curious. Please write back whenever you have the time. Thanx a lot! ) Laura From: Csuccio@aol.com Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2001 22:40:30 EST Subject: I saw Paul! I saw Paul Westerberg tonight... On the way home from my Tuesday night 12-step meeting, I had a craving for Applebee's buffalo wings (I'm 8 months pregnant, mind you) so I stopped in and was seated in the non-smoking section right next to Paul Westerberg. He was wearing an old black sweater and black jeans. He looked just like any another Applebee's customer and so I didn't think it was him, at first. I made sure to sit with my back to him (because I would have stared the entire time) and proceeded to listen to the entire conversation he had with the guy he was with. Here is a summary of what they talked about: - Paul has been very cautious in front of his son because he "picks up on everything" and he "just can't force him down a certain path." The friend said that kids are all "a part of it" to which Paul agreed. - His friend brought up Paul's fame, how people rode his coattails and how Paul knew who his friends really were (which I've read about many times in old interviews -- it almost made me change my mind about asking for an autograph). - Paul said his favorite song was something with the word "Grass" in the title by a band named something like "Friends of Distinction." I was unfamiliar with the name so I am probably way off. - They joked about the Applebee's decorating theme, whether it was a cowboy or sport's motif. Anyway, I tried to eat really slowly but I finally had to split. I got up, walked past them, made eye contact with Paul, and then just kept walking (duh!). I got to the lobby and stalled for about 5 minutes. I really wanted to get Paul's autograph, so I stupidly made my way back to their table. They were done eating and so I just asked, "Excuse me, are you Paul Westerberg?" Paul looked up at me and said "Why yes, and as a matter of I was just telling my friend here how he was going to die young." I apologized for interrupting them, told Paul I really was going to wait until he was walking out to ask him, but could I have his autograph. He said sure, immediately looking over to his friend and then said something like "See [insert friend's name here], this is what I mean." He asked me what my name was and signed on my piece of paper "Hey Christene. Paul Westerberg." I thanked him, smiled really big (like dorky big), and practically skipped out of the restaurant. He was really, really nice about it and it made my night. The buffalo wings, however, really sucked. Christene Date: Mon, 27 Nov 2000 18:54:30 EST From: Fender9879@aol.com Subject: Yep Yep. Glad I finally found this page. Been a Mats fan for only 4 or 5 years. I heard Paul's album 14 Songs, thought it was decent so I did a little research and found out about the Mats. I like Paul's solo stuff, particularly Suicaine Gratifaction, but I love the Mats. I can't get enough of Tim and Pleased to Meet Me. First time I heard Alex Chilton I was floored and I will be forever grateful to that song for showing me the path to Big Star. I think I've had a song from one of those albums on every mix tape I've made since I bought them. Anyway It's pretty pointless to try and compare the Mats to almost any music that's around today because the Mats just blow everything out of the water except maybe for a few bands, one of them being Weezer, which is a band I think really carries the spirit of the Mats in their music. I mean they don't steal from the Mats like a certain band on the charts that sounds similar to Blue Blue Balls but anyway...another band I enjoy that carries the spirit of the Mats and occasionally a riff that honors the Mats is a band from Milwaukee WI called Pet Engine; you can most definitely hear the Mats in their music. They have a webpage if anyone wants to check them out (petengine.com) Yep. Well just thought I'd try and make a few recommendations for alternatives to the lamer than lame music of today. Yep. From: "jessy griffith" Date: Tue, 05 Dec 2000 02:15:41 -0500 i guess it's been about a year...the replacements were one of those bands i always meant to get into, but never did. then i got "left of the dial" (recommended by an obsessed friend), and listened to nothing else for a week. i listened to "all for nothing/nothing for all" every weekday this summer, except when the aforementioned obsessed friend borrowed it for a road trip. that's when i bought "sorry ma". have you ever been listening to "the ledge" when you realize that the mental health insurance denial letter you've been plugging names, addresses, etc into is going to be sent to the parents of a 16 year old? yeah, that was my temp job this summer. this summer was also when i heard replacements muzak. on my break, i went to my temp hq to get an extra timecard. wandering through fifth ave place (one of those evil buildings where certain sets of elevators only go to certain floors, and you can never remember which is which), the muzak sounded familiar. do do do do do do (you know the stupid muzak sound) i stopped dead in my tracks. skyway! SKYWAY! i sang along to be sure. a passing stranger saw me standing there perplexed and offered directions. no, i said, it's just the muzak. it's amazing how in just a year they've become such a huge part of my life. i can't imagine not knowing about the replacements, except to wish i had gotten there sooner. "and richard richard said, hey let's dress up as cats think of what we could do and a voice said you better not" "Venus", Television (more or less) "He's a ghost, and he writes to us. Ghostwriter." "and i was pretending that i was in a galaxie 500 video" liz phair Date: Fri, 8 Dec 2000 07:04:32 -0500 (EST) From: peter walling Greetings from Seattle. I should have been asleep 4 hours ago but I have been here reading at the Skyway and now am listening to my Replacements disks on the computer as I read. The only thing missing is a beer. I have been here before but strangely enough have never put myself down for a subscription. The first time I was enlightened by the 'Mats was in the fall of 1985. I was 14 years old, living in NJ and found myself exploring the FM band to see what else what out there. And behold! I come across a local radio station (WHTG) that was playing this band. This band had this certain sound, a certain feel, a certain something that I could not figure out. The sound was raw, it was pure. It did not touch or move me - IT PUNCHED ME IN THE FACE! At that moment I knew what music was supposed to be about and that this band had it all! My journey had begun. 1987 - Pleased To Meet Me is released and there is a tour to support it. I am 17, angry and trying to figure out every conceivable way to get to see them. The most painful part is they are playing nearby in Asbury Park at the Stone Pony, but I have neither a car nor an ID saying I am 21. Talk about frustration. (Back then you had to be 21 to see a show at a bar and when I actually turned 21, the rule became 18 to enter, 21 to drink - those bastards!) After talking to different people over the years who had been to that show, I found out that it had been awful. The Replacements had played in NYC the night before and NJ got the hangover show. I would have to wait. April 1989 - Rutgers University Cook College - the Replacements Live! The great part about this show was 1000 tickets were sold but the fire inspectors would only let 700 people in, so they played 2 sets! I was in for the first one and if you showed your ticket stub you could get in for the second one. They had just enough beer, attitude and energy in them to put on an amazing set. Fastforward to 1998 - I am now living in the hometown - Minneapolis. But sadly I am there about 10 years too late and nobody I talk to seems to remember much about them, "one foot in the door, the other one in the gutter." There are some small victories. I have seen the Stinson house, 2215 Bryant Ave S. that is where the cover photo from the Let It Be album was taken and where the band practiced in the early days. It is also around the corner from the CC Club, and Oar folkjokeupus record store. Then in June 2000 I hit the mother load - I met the man, Paul Westerberg. Before that I saw this guy walk past my block every so often and I would think to myself "that guy looks like Paul." In June I was moving to Seattle and again I saw this guy go by on my last day in Minneapolis. I decided to find out if it was him. Walked up said "hey Paul" he responded (good sign) then I just thanked him for writing good songs and went on my way. Now I am in Seattle and getting ready to move back to Minneapolis for my girlfriend. I found out by reading here in the Skyway that the new EMP museum has a section on the Replacements. So I will have to check it out before I head back to the Twin Cities and go skiing at Buck Hill. thanks for reading and for sharing -Peter From: DanishMafia213@aol.com Date: Wed, 13 Dec 2000 22:01:01 EST I am 16 years old. It is quite a divine intervention of how I first discovered the Replacements (why do they call them the 'Mats'?), but isn't that everybody's story? You see, my friends, the Replacements have given me the power to realize something, something so essential to dealing with life a little bit more "in tune". I hope you don't think I'm one of those raging Limp Bizkit fans just because I'm 16, (well actually our age group is more classically in tune now), but anyways. That is the kind of stuff I am sick of. Limp Bizkit, but they don't deserve a breathe of mention in a "Mats" writing so I am sorry, I just want it off my chest. A year or so ago, my parents divorced, life was so easy before then. God was it ever. But then came middle school and now high school, its so hard. The Replacements I discovered...hmmm I don't even know how. But hell I am lucky as ever. I started downloading them on Napster. You know, I even live in Minneapolis so I should know more about them. I think I also saw them in a SPIN article that recollected the heroes and anti-heroes of the past 15 years. Surprised beyond belief, I saw that the Replacements had like a whole 2-3 pages. I was dumbfounded, I never knew who these guys were. I downloaded "Alex Chilton" off what else...BOOM! like an explosion these guys just lured me in piece by piece you know. It was a chaotic experience. It was like I just had to have all these guys' work- because I collect CD's like candy. The more and more I read, the more respect I gave up for Minneapolis, I never thought it influenced talent in anyway, just a boring yuppy-ville sorta place. Like an angry man on a mission, I told all my friends about the Replacements, none of those asses knew who they were, you know. It was like an experience I had all to myself. But I couldn't find the Replacements CDs anywhere except for the anthology and Tim. I wasn't too much into the early stuff (except I really love punk like The Clash, but not Mats'), such as Sorry Ma or Stink, but I've never really heard all of it. I'm one of those guys who wants to know everything about music. I read articles online on a generation old music. I don't like, I hate, my generation's music. So to my luck, I went to New York and picked up "Let It Be" "Tim" "PTMM" and "All Shook Down". I've already heard all these songs off Napster. But it took a little while to really love them, especially after going to a Deftones' concert. So I came back to MN and every day in school that's all I listen to. And everybody says what a great songwriter Paul Westerberg is. God, a genius. But it's taken me a long time to realize that, though. Odd. I really love the Replacements though. It's about damn time I bloomed you know, found something I could identify with. All of high school, it's like I was feeling insecure about stuff. It's taken a long time to really understand things. I've always felt inferior to people you know, in a way. Man, I can really identify with The Replacements. I just love this band. My favorite song is The Ledge, and many others. Nick From: DanishMafia213@aol.com Date: Mon, 25 Dec 2000 20:12:20 EST My name is Nick, I'm 16 and I wrote in about a month ago. I have become a devoted follower and believer, well, of the Replacements' legend. I cannot tell you how much they mean to me. I'm trying to express my opinion on this group to well you guys, because yeah we're all Replacements fans, we knoooow, and that is why I know this site was created. I think the idea for this webpage is pretty cool. I wish more people I know, knew about the Replacements. Just listen to this band, listen to the words, these are the songs of life. I wish more people understood that. This is the coolest rock band I know and probably always will be. Anyways, you all have your Mats' stories, but I, deeply unfortunately was not aware of them during their existence, which brings to mind another contradicting fact of life, I probably wouldn't have known or liked em' if I was even just a little bit older. I think it's good that I learn about them know. They were not commercially successful really in any way, which builds around the mystique of this great, great band. So well I don't know what much to say, except: To all of you angry, confused, insecure, misunderstood teens out there, you're all looking in the wrong places with your Korn music and your Limp Bizkit trash, because their just feeding off you like candy, they don't even care about you. They're just as angry as you and feed it off in their music. Acceptance. I swear to God, that is the key to life. Why are we all looking to get so much better, I mean really. Accept what you are, after getting angrier and angrier you will probably learn the meaning of acceptance. Luckily for me, I could fall back on sensible knowledge. But really kids and adults everywhere, Don't listen to others. You'll just feel more out of place and they'll laugh at you. They don't know they are, they don't think they are but they don't think you're right. You want some really great music, do your own thing. What you're comfortable with, it'll come to you. It'll come to you when you open up. You'll realize you don't have to be what they want you to be. Then, go pick up the Replacements' "Let It Be". It will change your life. This is what this band is all about. They're your drunken losers, they accept it and there's so much more to that term than definable. Their is sooo much truth in acceptance. Why do you think the Replacements' weren't commercially successful? They weren't one-hit wonders though. Paul Westerberg also, is the coolest man alive. -Nick Date: Tue, 2 Jan 2001 10:51:18 -0600 From: "Shannon Cleary" Hi, my name is Michael. I grew up in the 80's in St. Paul, just across the river from Minneapolis. Since I was under 21 during the 80's I didn't get to see the Replacements in a real small club where, from what I hear, was the greatest place to see them. I first was able to see them during the Pleased to Meet Me tour in Minneapolis. It was the first concert I'd gone to and the best, so it kills me that I couldn't have seen them in a bar. I feel basically cheated that I missed the whole Minneapolis music scene in the 80's because I was too young to go to shows. I missed Husker Du, Soul Asylum, the Suburbs, the Gear Daddies and the Replacements. Now the only decent thing to see in Minneapolis is Wilco and Lifter Puller. I was introduced tho the Replacements while I was in 11th grade, 16 years old, living with my dad and my new step-mother. My step mother was a demon. I was 16 and dealing with working at a pizza place as a bus boy, and the unpleasantness of my sadistic step-mother. I was just loaded with unhappiness. At 16 I was still looking for my identity. I had been listening to the obvious music... Motley Crue, Ratt, The Scorpions... but it wasn't fulfilling me, I'd outgrown it. A girl at work told me I had to hear this band. I went out to her car and got my first dose of the Mats. It was Fuck School from Stink. Perfect! It was angry, loud and just what I needed. I went downtown Minneapolis after that to a record store on Hennepin Ave. called Northern Lights. It wasn't quite like the Musicland/Sam Goody store i usually went to in the malls. This store was fabulous. So many bands I had never seen on MTV! I bought Stink and Let It Be. I listened to it all the time after that, frequently blaring it while locked in my room as my step mother tried to bang the door down. The Replacements had been there for me in at 16 just as the book Catcher in the Rye had been there for me when I was 13. I truly believe the music formed a large part of my personality. The music scene in Minneapolis is stale. There is no buzz about any bands, or maybe at the age of 31 I am out of the loop. The Replacements will always be my favorite band. From: VGAHurnville@webtv.net Date: Sat, 30 Dec 2000 20:50:04 -0600 (CST) Hey Matt & all - Nice to make your acquaintances. I'm an old fart (49 or almost), a terminal RandR fan, and am in what I think to be the enviable position of just getting into Los Mats (for reasons which would bore almost anyone, I missed the '80s, musically and in various other martially-related ways). Though Texas born and bred, I have a lengthy affinity for people/things Minnesotan - combination of R. Zimmerman (who hit the radio when I was 13 and you can guess the rest), the '60s-'70s Vikes, and some of the best friends I ever made. Got into these guys via, of all things, an album guide; it claimed that the Kinks (major deities in my pantheon) were influences, and that plus Minnesota was enough for me. Compliments on your site, which I think excellent, and on having the motivation and know-how to construct and maintain it. So far, all I have are Paul's 1st 2 solo albums and "Pleased to Meet Me"; the rest are to come, but I ain't complaining. Right now, from that limited list, "Century" and "Never Mind" are what I find myself humming/yowling...but it's all good and I have much to learn. Thanks, good wishes and happy 2001. -Bob Hampton From: Awg80@aol.com Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2000 00:42:02 EST Subject: some stuff about me, the 'Mats fan hey Well first off my name is Andrew (friends call me Drew) and I've only been a 'Mats fan for a year or so. I'm 20 years old, I live in a small town in California that is between San Francisco and San Jose, I have a full time job and I'm as single as they come. How did I discover the 'Mats you may ask, well, one day about a year ago I was in the record store and someone had put All For Nothing/Nothing For All in the used Ramones section at my local record store and i picked it up and started looking at it. Now I had always heard that the Replacements were cool, and I'd heard Paul's songs on the Singles soundtrack a few hundred times so I said to myself "I should buy this" which is weird because I have NEVER spent $17.99 for a used CD by anyone that I hadn't really heard before, but I did, and from the opening notes of "Left Of The Dial", I fell in love with this band. So within a couple months of that I went out and bought all the 'Mats albums, and all of Paul's albums for that matter. My fave 'Mats songs are (I'll make this a top 10, no particular order): 1. Achin' To Be, 2. Skyway, 3. Here Comes A Regular, 4. Sadly Beautiful, 5. Never Mind, 6. Can't Hardly Wait, 7. Left of the Dial, 8. The Last, 9. Anywhere's Better Than Here, 10. Unsatisfied. There are reasons for each one of these but I won't go into them. My fave 'Mats album is probably Don't Tell A Soul (I don't know why people say this is one of their worst albums, I think it's great) or maybe Pleased To Meet Me. Other bands I'm into are The Who, Pearl Jam, The Ramones, The Clash, Social Distortion, The Beatles and solo John Lennon, Neil Young, Tom Petty, Elvis Costello, Nirvana and a bunch of others, but those are the ones I'm really into. Anyways, so that's my little introduction to you guys. drew From: Stevenehoward@aol.com Date: Tue, 28 Nov 2000 19:33:15 EST Hi. I got one for you. I played with Paul before the Mats ( just jamming ) in about 1979. He had a Gibson ES335 . I still have the song list of covers we did. I knew I should hang on to it. I also was lucky enough to play with Bob Stinson in the Bleeding Hearts for a little bit. I remember being in the liquor store parking lot with Bob in the car waiting for Mike Lenard to get the beer. At this time Dyslexic Heart came on and I started dissing it. But Bob was smiling and quiet. Half way through the song, he said "that's gooood!!!!!" Then I realized he was right. Give Paul's songs a chance to sink in and they feel good. I have a band I have been playing with since 1985 and we call ourselves "With/ Without". Two of the guys are brothers, Gary and Paul Campion. Both played with Westerberg years ago. We are currently mixing down a CD. Take care Steve From: "Brendan Sexiest-Man-Alive" Date: Fri, 05 Jan 2001 15:13:54 -0000 Hi. My name is Brendan. I just turned 19, like a month ago. I'm a bit young to be a Replacements fan. Technically I never should have known they ever existed. I should be listening to crap like Creed or the Back Street Boys. You know, to keep with my demographics. And I'm not one of those new Classic Rock fans, cusp they only like Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin. And somehow I came across The Mats. I know, I'm not an original fan, and that kinda eats away at me. I would have been 11 when they broke up, and would have never been able to see them live where as I understand it, they shined the most. But I did come across the Replacements, very circuitous I might add, but at least I did. That's really all there is to it. I'm a fan. I dug through the CD bins trying to find Tim and Don't Tell a Soul. I even searched out a copy of Grandpaboy. It's funny, these songs, I know them all by heart now. And whenever I have a friend over, or in my car, or anything. It's always "What's this?" rather than them singing along with me. And the only thing I can honestly respond with is "Rock and Roll". I've had a band for about 4 years now, and I find a way every now and again to fit a Replacements song into my set. Not because people know who it is, cuz no one I know does. But because I want the music to live you know? Sometimes I feel as if I sing "Here Comes a Regular" or I rock out to "Alex Chilton" with my band, I can single handedly bring back the Mats. Not that I could, and it's horribly pretentious to do so. But for all of you who got to see them live. I envy you. And those of you who were fans and could have gone to see them live, and didn't. At least *I* have an excuse. I don't know. I guess I kind of had to get this off my chest. I'm sure my case isn't totally unique. But I'm sure it's not too too common. I now follow Paul Westerberg's career, and I have all his solo CD's. And I love them. I know he gets a bad rap, for being a sell out, or for not doing his drunken raucous like the old days. But they stand up still. I like his solo stuff. It's different. But the Mats weren't just Paul. So the music isn't going to be the same. At least, I don't expect it to be. I love the Replacements, and every time I pop in "Pleased To Meet Me" or "Hootenanny", I kinda feel like I'm transported to an alternate dimension. Because it's new to me, even though its over a decade old. Brendan. From: Megdog61@aol.com Date: Sun, 28 Jan 2001 16:54:28 EST Sadly Beautiful. It was on Paul's first solo tour, at Peabody's Downunder in Cleveland OH. The song always reminds me of my daughter who was going through some emotional problems. It was hard to stay composed... One of the Replacements appeal, to me anyway, is there reckless abandon. They seem like a train wreck waitin' to happen. Their total irreverence! Their drunken debauchery. And last but certainly not least, Paul's lyrics. He is THE greatest wordsmith of rock and roll. He can turn a phrase like no other songwriter. I can hear a song of his 100 times, and the 101'st time I hear it I'll hear a line that I never noticed before. And that to me is fuckin' cool... In general, they were never given their just rewards. One of the greatest bands in rock and roll history, and not alot of people know about them...I try to spread the word, but I'm only one guy... From: "skodt 15" Subject: It's my turn, too late to turn back, here I go Date: Thu, 08 Feb 2001 22:28:46 -0600 Alright, I'm new on the list so here's some stuff about me. My name is Scott, I'm a 29 year-old guitarist writer living in Chicago (but I grew up in Ohio). I found this site looking for lyrics to "Portland." Very cool. I was 17, a junior in high school when I saw the "I'll be You" video for the first time. yeah, it was near the 'Mats' end, but that's what did it for me. I bought every album and sat down with my guitar learning every song. It's safe to say the Replacements are the reason I ever tried writing a song in the first place. All these years later, they're still my favorite band. Paul is one of those songsmiths who can make the listener cry just by the way he turns a phrase. I'd list my favorite lyric couplets, but, hey, we all know those, right? But, the 'Mats taught me how to sing, how to write a good song and the proper way to live like a rock and roll musician. I still get goosebumps when I hear them. It just brings back images of all my old friends from those days in 89 to about 93. I remember sleepless nights of college revelry, cranking 'Tim" or "PTMM" -- the cold Midwestern weather, drinking way too much. I also really like GbV, Pavement, Buddy Holly, of course the Beatles, Stones, Kinks, Yardbirds, Wilco and Uncle Tupelo, PJ Harvey, Woody Guthrie, just about anything good. My friends call me the human jukebox because if the song exists, I could probably play it for you. My senior year in high school (89-90) I had a choice of seeing REM/Throwing Muses in Pittsburgh or the Mats opening for TP and the Heartbreakers in Columbus, and I went to Columbus. THAT was a great show, but had I known now that that would be it for the Replacements, I may have changed my mind. I saw a great Slim show in Youngstown in '95 -- he closed the set with "I'll be You" and then went to his van to pass out. My friend, Jay, got to get up on stage and play a 'bad' guitar solo (If you've seen Slim, you may know what I refer to). I remember earlier, I think that year, finding out that Bob Stinson had died. My then band was opening for a Minneapolis band, Godplow -- we were all hanging out after-hours talking music, of course talking 'Mats, and they told us that Bob had died like the day before. We passed around the guitar playing song after song until the neighbors called the police on us. Anyhow, that's that, I suppose. Glad to be on board. P.S. How's this sound -- have a click on link for everyone's fave Paul Proverbs (much like that old SPIN review of 14 songs), have people submit their favorite lines from Mats tunes ie .... "Forgot my one line, so I just said what I felt" "Don't get him wrong, and don't get him mad He might be a father, but he sure ain't a dad" "The ones love us best are the ones we'll lay to rest visit their graves on holidays at best ..." "You wish upon a star that turns into a plane." "You're in love and I'm in Trouble" "I hate music/It's got too many notes" "Quitting school and going to work and never going fishing" [i'll work on that... - m@] From: "Tony Soanes" Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2001 20:59:57 -0000 i've been subscribed to this for a while but i haven't introduced myself yet. my name is david soanes. i am 16 and i live in dublin in ireland. i had never heard of the replacements until summer 2000 when i was looking at stuff on the internet about a band i like, the goo goo dolls. it had an interview with them and the singer johnny was saying how great the replacements were, so i decided to check them out to see if they were any good. i bought the album let it be and i thought it was the best album i have ever heard (and it still is) so i immediately started buying all of their albums. the only ones i couldn't find were sorry ma forgot to take out the trash and pleased to meet me, but i hope to get them soon. anyway, i think the replacements are the greatest band ever and it is a shame how there are millions of people who have never even heard of them as they are better than all the crap bands out today!! From: "Zach Carter" Subject: Word up Date: Sun, 25 Feb 2001 06:56:21 I was born in 1983, the year of Hootenanny. I'm a Senior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, and I'm going to college somewhere (JMU, Northeastern, or Miami) next year, studying Music Industry. The band's planning on staying together in some form or another. The drummer at this past show will probably end up joining full time at some point. It depends on where we all go to school - Ben (bassist/singer/songwriter), Ken (little drummer boy), and I all really liked JMU and Northeastern, but it all depends... Big decisions ahead, regardless. When I was 9 years old, a cousin played me a Goo Goo Dolls CD, and I loved it, and listened to about three of their records exclusively for a LONG time. Hey- I was a little kid, man, 11 year olds can't afford many CDs. After a while, after reading some accusations of Replacements ripoffing, I checked out a band called The Replacements. I was about 14 at the time. There's no reason to talk about the 'Mats, except that their music changed my life in ways I never imagined possible. Westerberg's songs... jesus fucking christ. That's when I knew I wanted to play in a band and really do the music thing. From the 'Mats I got into Husker Du and Soul Asylum and punk rock and music. Lots of '80s hardcore punk bands, Uncle Tupelo and their offspring, a lot of other rootsy bands, noise rock, and then the goodness of "emo" stuff. I think labels (not record labels) are stupid, but in the end, it's just a word, and if people want to exploit something I think they can do it with or without catch phrases. So I say emo now and then. Sometimes I pop in an old Goo Goo Dolls disc, and I'm always disappointed. I fell in love once, it was wild and real, but I don't talk to her anymore. :( I'm young and people make me happy, especially hot female ones, and I try to do them whenever possible. Let's see... I worked at an internet marketing firm called New Media Strategies for a while, but I hated it, so I quit. I've worked all kinds of summer jobs to pay for gear, but I still play through a solid state combo, and my Les Paul is and Epiphone. This summer I wanna say "fuck" to the job thing and live in a van for a couple of months, but I don't know how realistic that is. We're trying to put together a two week trek, but we don't really know which weeks yet! Slackers. I'm not religious at all. My favorite bands: The 'Mats, Husker Du, Promise Ring, Lifetime, The Scaries, 65 Film Show, The Get Up Kids, Uncle T, MBV, Mock Orange, and Yo La Tengo. Right now I am very sleepy! What's up with you? I've read some stuff via skyway, but I think the limits of my knowledge are that you are a cool guy who plays bass in two very cool bands, and are a cool guy. Not to mention that you're a cool guy. Zach From: "smartalex" Subject: Mats, Italy, wine and nowhere Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2001 18:36:14 +0100 Hi everybody, I'm Andrea, from Italy. I'm 25 yrs old, Replacements-addict since I was 18. I started listening to them in a strange period of my life (no need to spend words about it) and nothing was the same. But maybe you know this, you've heard it about 1,000,000 of times. I started appreciating most their music when I put up my own band, The Bogartz. We have realized three self-produced EP's, and now we're about to have some deal with some independent record label here in Italy (for now only one song on a compilation by Fridge/Sony records, "Ladies' room"). Last year we opened a show for Boston's Willard Grant Conspiracy, later an important music magazine wrote about us playing that night, saying we sounded like "a strange drunk cross between Morphine and the Replacements". That was funny, because that night we didn't play some of our Westerberg-Mats covers ("It's A Wonderful Lie", "Valentine", "I Don't Know", "Customer"), but I was so happy to read this because of my endless devotion to the Mats and to Westerberg as a songwriter. If someone's interested...send me a mail.smartalex@tiscalinet.it . In the end, I have to shout a great big THANK YOU to all the Skyway guys, you told me everything about the Mats I wanted to know. Uh, did you know somethin' about the brief visit the Mats paid to Italy in the mid-80's? I read somewhere it was one of the last tour with Bob on guitar, and it was a total failure. Bye Favourite song: Nowhere Is My Home From: Reigst@aol.com Date: Mon, 8 Jan 2001 19:43:30 EST Hi Matt, it's Ray from Static Taxi. We have a site @ www.statictaxi.com and are wondering if U could put a link in U'r newsletter. Thanx man. RNR [Static Taxi was Bob Stinson's last band.] From: Benfrench@aol.com Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2001 22:39:51 EST Subject: 'Mats on NATN Thought I would just drop you a note to say Nude As The News (http://www.nudeasthenews.com) has just posted a collection of essays called Obsessions. We basically got our best writers to talk about what it means to be an ardent fan of certain bands. One of our best writers took on the 'Mats. Please check it out here: http://www.nudeasthenews.com/obsessions/obs_replacements.htm I hope you enjoy it... Thanks, Ben French Director, NATN __________________________________________________________________________ II. TOMMY + G N' R from the hilarious and rowdy www.buddyhead.com Subject: buddyhead news Date: Fri, 8 Dec 2000 19:02:43 +0100 * HELP US HANG OUT WITH AXL ROSE ON NEW YEARS!!! In case you haven't heard GUNS N' FUCKIN' ROSES are playing their first concert in seven years and their first ever with their new line-up (it's basically only Axl, the only other member who was in gnr at some point is the fat keyboard player Dizzy, and we all know his deal) in LAS FUCKIN VEGAS on new years eve. See here's the problem... tickets are $250 each and we ain't got that kind of dough. So here's where you come in, hopefully... If you have some sort of industry hook up with interscope or the House of Blues or maybe you are just pals with Axl (if that's the case we need to talk anyways) and you think you can get a few of us in... email us at buddyhead@buddyhead.com. Attending the GNR show on new years eve is the only way all these questions we have will be answered... What will they play? What will they open with? Is Axl gonna let buckethead wear the bucket? Is Axl gonna do the snake dance thing still? Is he fat? Is he skinny? Long hair or short hair? Will Axl wear the bandana or any other sort of head gear? Will Axl wear leather pants? How about bike shorts? Where the fuck is Slash, Duff, and Izzy? Date: Tue, 02 Jan 2001 20:56:22 -0700 From: Peter Jesperson Did you see this in the L.A. Times today? http://www.calendarlive.com/top/1,1419,L-LATimes-Music-0!ArticleDetail-15561,00.html All the best in 2001. Peter From: Holtz Newsgroups: alt.music.replacements Subject: Re: anyone go to gnr in vegas? Date: Tue, 02 Jan 2001 18:44:38 -0600 Yeah I saw the show, it was incredible. Tommy was there and was the main back up singer along with playing bass, he really got into a couple of songs jumping around alot to "Out Ta Get Me" and the new songs. Looked like he usually does, wore his plaid suit. From: Gary Grismore Newsgroups: alt.music.replacements Subject: Re: anyone go to gnr in vegas? Date: Wed, 03 Jan 2001 18:48:58 -0500 Didn't go, but according to Sonicnet, Tommy did: > The concert featured the expected lineup: guitarists Buckethead, > Robin Finck and Paul Tobias (a.k.a. Paul Huge); keyboardist Dizzy > Reed; former Primus drummer Brian "Brain" Mantia; and former > Replacements bassist Tommy Stinson, who inspired Rose to joke, > "'The Replacements' would be a good name for this band." http://rock.yahoo.com/rock/music_news/sonicnet/story.html?sn/sonicnet/rock/news/20010103/20010103007 From: fearscribetn@aol.com (FearScribeTN) Newsgroups: alt.music.replacements Date: 08 Jan 2001 03:24:01 GMT Subject: Tommy in GNR on Napster In case anyone's interested, you can hear a sample of Tommy's work with the new GNR by searching for "Asian Government" or "E Coney Waa" on Napster. That's to discern it from all the fake GNR Napster files. It's actually the new song "Chinese Democracy". Tommy's bass playing is very prominent in the song, so there's that draw for non-GNR fans. Although you have to listen to about three minutes of Axl talking about the Dalai Lama or something to get to the actual song. It's your call. Bryan From: "Christopher Mc Coy" Newsgroups: alt.music.replacements Subject: New GNR mp3s with Tommy Date: Thu, 11 Jan 2001 22:50:04 -0500 In case anyone cares, here's a site I found that has 3 of the mp3s from the recent vegas GNR show, with Tommy Stinson on bass. http://www.angelfire.com/music2/Gunznroses/ Chris From: "MITCHell" Subject: Yo Bro Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2001 00:27:34 -0500 here is a link to the complete G-n-R Rio show a few daze ago. Tommy sounds like he is having fun and kickin'......strange world. enjoy! Kindly, Mitch __________________________________________________________________________ III. TRADE THIS SHIT Date: Tue, 26 Dec 2000 02:39:36 -0800 (PST) From: Saila "Oldén" HI! Does anyone know the guy who runs a Mats MP3 site over at http://www.wwwebworld.com/mp3/mats.htm? The e-mail address seems to be invalid and I really need to ask something... Thanks :) ---Saila From: "Robert Richards" Subject: Mats Vhs Exchange HI! I'm looking for people to exchange vhs/videos of The Replacements with - If you have any such footage let me know and lets see what we can work out. Robb/Mpls; From: nabob100@earthlink.net Date: Sun, 24 Dec 2000 8:31:6 -0600 I have been going crazy trying to find a copy of "Boink!!". Is there anybody out there who I can get that from? I will pay!!!!! Date: Sun, 24 Dec 2000 11:14:53 -0800 From: jtmcd@bitstream.net i'm looking for an article put out by the village voice (if i remember correctly) that talks about the mats and their profound influence on the seattle scene and modern rock. written in the late eighties or early nineties. can't see it on your site. can you point me in the right direction. i can't seem to find it on the other mats related sites. merry christmas, todd mcdowell Date: Thu, 18 Jan 2001 07:59:06 -0800 (PST) From: Ted James Subject: need "Looking for You" Can someone please make me a CD-R of the Mats song "Looking for You" from the "Trackin' Up The North" comp? I'll make it worth your while. Thanks, Ted James deepeddy9@yahoo.com Date: Thu, 11 Jan 2001 16:09:58 -0500 Subject: email From: Ron Egatz Also, I'm looking for 08/03/96 - Electric Factory, Philadelphia, PA - 100 min. I was at this show, and I think it's the one where PW played "Stain Yer Blood" in cut-time. Do you know if this rarity is around, and has it been turned into an mp3? Egatz From: Smc4216@aol.com Date: Thu, 18 Jan 2001 21:05:19 EST I have a copy of The Shit Hits the Screen on video. Its a tape from the Orange County Speedway, Middletown,NY --8/18/89. Its followed by videos of Bastards of Young, Hold My Life, Left of the Dial and the Ledge. The same shot of the speaker in black and white. The Ledge has the whole band in it. There is also an interview and 3 TV spots. I never saw the band so it fills the void. Shawn smc4216@aol.com Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 18:21:24 -0800 (PST) From: Jeff Harris Subject: What else? I was surfing for any Replacements videos. Do you know where I can find some, either free (on the net) or for sale. Live performances or B.O.Y. video that was on MTV. I've never seen it. I met Tommy, here in L.A., a few years ago. He was seeing my neighbor and good friend. We spent some time together and became friends. I soon became a huge fan of The Replacements, I had only known a few songs of theirs prior. Well, as I'm sure you know, he is quite busy right know and frankly I would be a little embarrassed to ask him for these things. I hope you can help. Sincerely, Jeff From: "proyer" Subject: 'Mats bootleg cd-r? Date: Mon, 26 Feb 2001 18:11:35 -0800 I picked up a 'Mats bootleg last week on Presidents' Day. It's a 2 disc set titled "Goodbye Bozos". The first disc is "Live in Dixie - 1989" and matches up with the set list from the April 18 show at the Beacham Theater, Orlando, FL. The second disc is the FM broadcast of the July 4, 1991 final concert in Chicago. Both shows appear to be complete sets, according to the website lists. The discs I received appear to be cd-r. They are stamped in black ink "Bozos Disc 1" and "Bozos Disc 2". The sound quality on the 1989 show is very good. The 1991 final concert fades in and out, like it was taped straight from radio (which may be the case). Anyone have any more info on this release? It's on the HiWatt label, with an ID of HIWATT 100 on it. Thanks. fin. ______________________________________________________________________________ The //Skyway\\: The Replacements Mailing List (digest only) http://www.novia.net/~matt/sky/skyway.html Matt Tomich | 117 Green Street | Chapel Hill NC 27516 | USA ______________________________________________________________________________ "Work expands to fill the time available for its completion." - Cyril Parkinson Northcote (1909-1993)