Scott claims to not know who westerberg is. surely it’s a joke.
for the uneducated heathens (not be confused with my uncouth heathen), paul westerberg was the genius behind the replacements. st. paul (as i often refer to him which is just plain funny because you know, he lives in minnesota and all). he’s a highly influential and brilliant songwriter who has the ability to craft songs that make you feel like he cracked your heart right open and then set it all to music.
he wrote the song i will dare (clearly the inspiration for iwilldare.com). if you traverse this here little ol’ site you’ll see tons of ‘mats (a nickname for the replacements) and westerberg lyrics. including:
lonely, i guess that’s where i’m from (from the song “i’ll be you” off of “don’t tell a soul”)
everybody’s dressing funny, color me impress (from “color me impressed” off of “hootenanny”)
bring your own lampshade somewhere’s there’s a party (from “swinging party” off of “tim)
thought about not understood (from “achin’ to be” off of “don’t tell a soul”)
i discovered the replacements in 1994 and my world changed. i’ve been a st. paul disciple ever since. i use st. paul’s lyrics as titles for a lot of my posts. if you do a google search for iwilldare.com + paul westerberg you get like 10 pages of results. color me obsessed?
someone once asked me “what is it about the replacements?” my answer included some things just can’t be explained. either you worship at the altar of the replacements and preach the gospel according to st. paul westerberg, or you don’t.
i once kinda dreamt paul was dead it was terrifying. seeing him at the guthrie this summer was like a religious experience.
finally, this was the coolest ‘mats/westerberg thing i did.
does that answer your question?
I’ve always wanted to ask this. Why the “Mats”? When not the “Ments”?
The Replacements were affectionately nicknamed “The Re-Placemats” or “The Placemats”, hence the shortened ” ‘mats ” moniker.
Jodi’s obsession made me research them long ago.
Now do you own every ‘Mats and Westerburg song available?
If not, you should.
The last band (besides the Clash) that mattered.
No, I don’t. I find Paul’s music very compelling and moving, but I’m drawn to the darker strains of Depeche Mode. Imagine my delight as a Catholic high school student jamming out to “Blashemous Rumours” or “Master and Servant”.
Their later endeavors were far less gritty than their electronic roots, but “Barrel of a Gun” is so revealing into Dave Gahan’s mindset that it’s frightening.
In May, I look forward to Martin Gore’s and Dave Gahan’s solo efforts. Fletch’s new label looks like he hasn’t forgotten the music that made them, in my mind, electronic Gods.
ahh… isn’t it too often the way of “later endeavors” lacking the grittiness or urgency of earlier works?
I think too many “artists”,
get recognized.
get rich.
get fat.
get lazy.
A friend asked me the other day if I was going to see a Big Name group coming to town and I had to admit to see these old geezers playing songs 20 – 30 years after they wrote them did not appeal to me in the least.
Rare is the artist that can sustain the light.
Jodi, I think you ought to send me a Paul Westerberg CD so that I can discover just how great he is! 🙂
I think Sh’mode (yes, Sh’mode) didn’t get lazy or lethargic, they lost an Andy and evolved. That or it was Dave’s multiple suicide attempts that may have had an impact on the quartet cum trio.
Either way, it’s not the same, nor do I think I would like it if it WERE the same.
Perhaps they lost their grittiness the same time I did, but at time we both find our inner grit, like the line from last year’s offerings…
“We’re the horniest boys, we’re the corniest boys
who take the easiest girls to the sleaziest world…”
Lines like that can NEVER go out of style.
Paul Westerberg is wonderful. “Black Eyed Susan” is my favorite song of his. 🙂