Good news for fans of the late, great Replacements

January 14, 2002 2:44 PM

Good news for fans of the late, great Replacements Paul Westerberg has signed a new deal, will return in April with a 2 cd set and is also considering a tour.Hey Paul, Tommy Stinson is wasting his time with Axl Rose, so call him up.I'm guessing Chris Mars and Slim Dunlap would be available for gigs too.Billboard articles have a pop-up, sorry 'bout that.
posted by BarneyFifesBullet (13 comments total)

Great to hear, tho I have not been much of a fan of Westerberg's solo stuff. Something bad happens to rock bands when they sober up : ).

I would pay good money to see a reunion tour.
posted by phatboy at 2:51 PM on January 14, 2002

I agree with phatboy about Westerberg's solo material, and you can throw in All Shook Down, too. One of the things that made the Replacements the best band of the 80s was the sheer cathartic power of songs like "Color Me Impressed" and "Favorite Thing." The whole Let It Be album shares that power with records like two of the greats from the 70s, the Ramones' Leave Home and Costello's This Year's Model.

But once that energy was gone, the Replacements got boring. I wouldn't put it past Westerberg to deliver an exciting record -- especially if he's considering a double, which usually spells a creative surge. But my instincts tell me he's still not quite due for another great one.
posted by macrone at 4:35 PM on January 14, 2002

I would pay good money to see a reunion tour.

I would give what's left of my liver for a reunion tour. The 'Mats made my adolescence bearable. They were probably the last great no-apologies, unironic rock-and-roll band we'll ever see.
Now, phatboy's about half-right, Westerberg's solo output has been spotty at best, but like Pete Townshend and Joe Strummer before him he has a tough act to follow.

If anyone reading this link is unitiated in the history of America's best band of the last 20 years, buy a copy of "Let it Be"(not the Beatles album) listen to it, and prpare to watch most of the CD's you've purchased in the last 10 years collect dust.
posted by jonmc at 4:37 PM on January 14, 2002

I am a mega, mega, 'Mats fan and unlike many other 'Mats purists, I liked All Shook Down and Paul's other solo efforts (ASD being a solo album in all but name.)

The 'Mats are my favorite band of all time and, not unlike jonmc, kept me from slapping my MC Hammer listening classmates silly. Just saying is all, in case you're thinking of starting a front page poll or sumthin'.
posted by Tacodog at 4:46 PM on January 14, 2002

I'm going to go to sleep now, so that I might dream of a reunion tour.

"And if I don't see ya, in a long, long while
I'll try to find you
Left of the dial"
posted by jpoulos at 7:34 PM on January 14, 2002

I finally understand these music threads, I am enjoying everyone feeling love for the replacements. I pretty much moved to minneapolis because of them (from a lil town in south dakota) and was blessed with a few excellent brushes around the neighborhood hangouts. Mister Whirly, I'll be drinkin at the 'CC.
posted by chrismc at 8:31 PM on January 14, 2002

chrismc-I had a feeling you were a cool guy. 1. You have an "mc" in your name as all the coolest folk do. 2. You chimed in on my skynyrd thread 3. this is the clincher...you love the 'mats.

Now everyone repeat after me:

Everybody gotta go, otto otto!! Everybody gotta go, Otto Toe!!
posted by jonmc at 8:46 PM on January 14, 2002

Tommy Stinson is in Guts 'n' Poses? Ewwww.

I love the 'Mats and I'm glad Westerberg is putting out new material. I've been disappointed by pretty much everything he's done since Pleased To Meet Me, but that's because the stuff before it was so damned good. (I even own a Chris Mars solo record -- it's perfectly awful). Sometimes, driving home from work after a hair-pulling kinda day, nothing else will do but the song "I Need A Goddamn Job". And if you've ever seen Westerberg live, you know he does a heart-wrenching version of "Send In The Clowns"......Hooray! Hope he tours! I'd drive up to three hours to see that show!
posted by BitterOldPunk at 6:27 AM on January 15, 2002

Bitter...I have it so bad for the Mats that I have TWO Chris Mars solo albums, Tommys side projects (Perfect and the band before that) and even purchased Slims solo debut. Damn I miss those guys. They are exactly what the music industry needs today. A good swift kick to the nads.
posted by goona at 6:36 AM on January 15, 2002

There can be no Replacements reunion: Bob Stinson is dead.
Fuck school.
posted by whuppy at 7:35 AM on January 15, 2002

I was having a truly miserable week this week. After reading this, everything seems to be just a little bit better. There aren't words enough to express the impact the 'Mats/Paul Westerberg had on me. Even if this new CD doesn't live up to the brilliance of the Replacements, it will still be better than most of the rest of what's out there.

Ok. That's enough Westerberg worship. Time to throw in Let It Be and get back to work.
posted by aine42 at 12:29 PM on January 18, 2002

Please be more like the Mats first record and a lot less like the last PW solo deal.

Westerberg has taken me to the highest highs and the lowest lows. There is nothing worse than counting on something spectacular from a great artist and getting "All Shook Down."

Please have one more "Tim" left in you.
posted by tsarfan at 1:27 PM on January 18, 2002

Hell yeah, what tsarfan said!

(I wonder which tsar they're a fan of? I'm kinda partial to Peter the Great, myself)
posted by BitterOldPunk at 1:52 PM on January 18, 2002