Customer Reviews

Stereo

5 star:		(43)
4 star:		(31)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Buy this...Westerberg fans, Replacements fans...or just fans of great originial rock and roll. Westerberg's double CD is the best offering Paul Westerberg has given in over a decade. Mono, the Grandpa Boy offering (Free with Stereo) is just a rock and roll album, plain and simple, stripped down and played with passion. Best songs on mono...Silent Film Star, Knock it Right Out, Eyes Like Sparks, and AAA. (There really is not a bad song on this disc.) On stereo, you Paul and his guitar mostly...bearing his soul again, great words and melodies. Again some of his best work. Best tunes on Stereo, Only Lie Worth Telling, No Place For You, We May Be The Ones, Call That Gone, (and a great cover of Flesh for Lulu's Postcards from Paradise hidden afetr the last song). Recently saw Paul perform many of these live on his free promo tour in Philly. These songs are even better live. He looked healthy and sounded great. I have been a fan for over 17 years. I have very high expectations of his work. I waited patiently for three years for these discs, and they beat all expectations. Some people seem to have a problem with he sound quality, or the fact that the tapes cuts a couple of songs short on Stereo...get over it, that is the point of what he has done here...BUT IT, YOU WILL THANK YOURSELF, LATER.

It's been a long time since we've heard any new material from Paul Westerberg. And to be honest with you, I feel badly for him. Despite what has been a solid solo career, Paul will always have to endure comments about his former band, The Replacements, and why his new material doesn't sound like his old stuff. Personally, I've liked every one of Paul's solo albums, and while they're not Replacements albums full of anti-establishment, drunken swagger, they've been wonderfully passionate and personal explorations into many things. So now that you know how I feel about Westerberg, here's what I think of the new stuff.

"Stereo" is the more quiet disc of the two. It's also much deeper and much more soulful than "Mono." What I've always admired about Paul is when he opens his chest to the world and reveals things about himself that I know I could never tell a soul. In songs like "Dirt to Mud" and "Nothing To No One," there is such sadness in his voice and lyrics. The beautiful notes of his guitar in the latter song echo the pings in his heart. But this disc isn't all sad. "Call that Gone" is a great little number to close the album and the humorous "Mr Rabbit" is, I'm sure, some kind of homage to his baby boy's stuffed toy.

"Mono," though sort of disparaged by critics as the weaker album, is, in a way, my favorite of the two. This seems to be where Paul says "let it rip" and just blasts through scorcher after scorcher. I love "Anything But That" and "Kickin' the Stall." The guitar is so dirty, chunky, and sloppy that it recalls some of his days on the earlier albums of The Replacements. "Silent Film Star" is a tongue-in-cheek way of telling a person to shut up and this twisting of connotations is something that Westerberg has always been good at. And being an English teacher, it's probably what I admire about him the most. The only negative comment that I could say about this disc is the almost monotony of the songs. There are a number of them that are just one guitar riff all the way through with no bridge whatsoever. And while this may not be too noticeable listening to just one of the songs, when you listen to the whole disc, it seems to have more of an impact.

All in all, I'm so glad to hear new music from one of my lyrical idols. Take "Mono" and crank it in your car stereo and let the guitars vibrate you home. Take "Stereo" and listen to it in your own little quiet space, and let Paul's honesty remind you of his genius and the vulnerability of man.

As the new father of a baby daughter (10 months now), I am particular of the music I play for her. I do classical in the morning, rock at mid-day and jazz in the evening. In returning to much of my rock roots, I brought out Replacements' classics like "Let it Be" and "Tim". So when I heard that Westerberg had finally produced something worth his musical legacy and it had a few tunes dealing with aging and child-rearing, I knew I had to get it immeditately.

On the first listen I felt like I was 16 again listening to the Replacements for the first time. Not that it is that good, but it captures the magic that made us love the band and the man in the first place. It is sloppy, it is groundless, and it is totally beautiful (particularly Stereo). For fans of tunes like "Here Comes A Regular," "Stereo" is that long wished for album, but rather than lamenting those lost drunks we all almost were, it casts a sometimes loving and sometimes cold eye on the life of relationships, family and children, as well as self-doubt and general dissatisfaction.

"Mono" is like a half-sober Replacements show. It harkens back to the Mats punk bar blues and is as rewarding as that proposition sounds.

For older Mats fans this is indespinsable. Get it and remember what it was like when rock was worth more than its weight in gold.

RULE ONE: The Replacements, like the Beatles, are Dead, Gone, Fini, Kaput, No More... they are an Ex-Parrot. Enjoy what that band left and what they ment spearately from poor Paul Westerberg. Let the man move on and be an adult (sort of).

So, after two long years, we finally get a new disc, a two for one deal even, the best since Wilco's Being There. Rumour has it Tommy Stinson (ex of "That Band") plays and is pretty clearly heard on harmonies [if you had bought Bash & Pop or Perfect (both out of print) maybe Tommy wouldn't be working with... EWWW Axl Rose.]

Stereo, the main disc is a continuation of Paul's maturation as a songwriter. The songs are spare [there are drums on only half the tracks] and if you skipped Suicane, you're probably going to skip this, too. That's your loss. Westerberg continues to write songs as touching and real as "Unsatisfied","Skyway","Achin' to Be","Darlin' One" and "Sadly Beautiful".

For example, "Only Lie Worth Telling" wouldn't have sounded out of place on the last couple 'Mats albums. "No Place for You" sounds like something Tom Petty left off his last, except Westerberg doesn't have that snear in his voice that Petty does. That's fair since Petty stole the line "Rebel Without a Clue". [I think Train would do a pretty good take of it,too] "Boring Enormous" is a phrase only Westerberg COULD turn into a song. "We May Be the Ones", with its repeated "I want to know" could be a tribute to the Gen Xer's who used to "trash that baby boom". "Mr Rabbit" is a playful little ditty with the repeated "Every little soul must shine" sort-of chorus. Hang on after "Call That Gone" for a rocking uncredited piece that sounds an awful lot like that other band...

Mono is the more rocking, electric disc. Mono sounds closer to demos than a "polished professional release" (not that Stereo is polished either). "High Time" and "2 Days Til Tomorrow" are the most polished things, but for a man. an unnamed drummer (or a drum machine) and a Les Paul, the songs here are pretty darn good. "Let's Not belong" is a good example: deceptively simple and darn catchy power pop as very few can write them, one you'll be humming and driving everyone at work nuts with."Between Love and Like" and "AAA" are more great examples. "Kickin The Stall" is a great Stones-ey work out.

I hope Paul doesn't go through with the threat of "AAA": "I ain't got Anything to say to Anyone Anymore..." These are two great discs, each with their own strengths to love and debate for years to come. I am sure there are dozens of "He likes Stereo" "She likes Mono" arguements waiting to happen.

Forgive me, I can't help comparing this epic double CD by that Minneapolis Saint, Paul Westerberg to that other epic double album...'Blonde On Blonde' by Bob Dylan. From the incredible scope of the music, the range of feeling, the minimalism in the arrangements, and the world-weary tone, to the blurry album photo, one can see the similarities (or maybe influence?).

After the Cohen-esque gloom of his previous outing 'Suicaine Gratifaction', this set seems almost upbeat. Particularly on the 'Grandpaboy' disc (MONO), Paul rollicks as rambunctiously as ever he did in his 'Mats days. My faves on this disc would be: 'Eyes Like Sparks' with just one groove and one line of lyrics, Westie has created a true classic here--and 'Footsteps'. Check out the strange guitar solo in that latter one!

Then there's that 'STEREO' disc...the one with his own name on it! 'Grandpaboy' was just an alias he created when he couldn't use his own name for contractual reasons...so I wonder why he's still using it!?! On the 'mellow' disc, if you'd like, there's a more 'unplugged' flavor. Almost no drums and geberally slower tempos prevail here. So of course, I love the (few) rockers (the ones WITH DRUMS): 'Mr. Rabbit' an insanely cool update of the old folk song (I first heard this done by Burl Ives when I was 3!), 'Let The Bad Times Roll', which to me is the centerpiece of the album--it's the sort of thing only Westerberg could write. And it rocks. Plus a hidden track, (like the CD wasn't long enough) 'Postcards From Paradise'. It appears to be some obscure cover, and it's a fun romping, garagy slob-fest! Wouldn't have been out of place on 'Hootenanny'....

There are also the beautiful laments. I favor the majestic 'Don't Want Never', the plaintive 'Got You Down', and the chugging 'Call That Gone'. Don't forget to skip the only annoying song (to me), 'No Place For You'. This is just Paul telling all the girls that he feels their pain...if it works for you, bud!

Well, what more can I say? If you like anything he's ever done, you MUST BUY IT! I'll spare no hyperbole here; it's one of the greatest albums ever made! Now that I've dug a ditch deep enough to hang posters...I'm off to listen to it all again. ;oD.

This is a 2-CD set; "Stereo," the primary offering, is accompanied by "Mono," a bonus disc. I'm not going to say much about the "stereo" disc. Taken on its own, I don't think it's a very good piece of work, and you can get a very good idea whether or not you're likely to like it by listening to the samples. I don't object to the fact that most of the songs are folksie, slow, and acoustic; some of my favorite Replacements songs are the slower, acoustic, soulful ones (Skyway, for example). But the songs on Stereo generally just seem to be missing some indefinable spark; they sound flat to me, dull and uninspiring. I wouldn't care if I never heard any of them again.

On the other hand, the bonus disc is an extraordinary piece of work, which far outweighs the weaknesses of "Stereo" and turns this from another Westerberg solo disapointment to a must-have. It is very unfortunate that the music samples on the Amazon.com site are only available for the "Stereo" disc, because in this case the "bonus" disc is clearly the superior recording. I am not someone who freely hands out 5-star ratings, and in my opinion the "stereo" disc has some serious weaknesses. Despite those weaknesses, however, I have to give this one 5 stars for the "bonus" disc alone.

To be honest, I didn't know that anyone was still writing rock-and-roll music like this. At times it reaches back to the familiar sound of the Replacements, and that is satisfying in its own way; but it often reaches farther back to a simple, straightforward sound from the primordial rock-and-roll/blues era; think very early Rolling Stones, perhaps, maybe Credence Clearwater Revivial or Neil Young. This disc is all about a primal rock thing that you don't hear often any more, but at the same time sounding completely fresh and, well, fun. It is not music you can listen to sitting still, and it is not music that is thinking deep thoughts. One of the best songs on the CD has exactly one verse:

"Stay where you are, baby stay away from me
With your eyes like sparks and my heart like gasoline."

With all due respect to the Amazon.com reviewer, there is nothing "post-punk" about this CD; it's just the sound of good old-fashioned rock and roll music.

I can't put into words how much this man's songs have moved me over the last 15 years or so. It could be the EKU 28 (German Beer 11% alcohol by volume) talking. I'm 26 years old and discovered the Replacements in my pre-teens. Their songs had such an impact on me. It was like Bob Dylan or Bruce Springsteen for a more modern generation. Years later, I still play the hell out of my Replacement albums. "Skyway" remains my favorite song, "Swinging Party" a close second. This is the first of Paul Westerberg's solo albums that has really grabbed me. Maybe it's the intimacy of home recordings or the missed notes and screw-ups that make it feel like a live show. I think it's very cool what artists like Westerberg and Frank Black are doing in terms of minimalism in recording techniques (even if I'm not always pleased with the end result). The best songs are "No Place For You," which sounds like Don't Tell a Soul era Replacements, and "We Are the Ones," which could have been lifted straight from The Freewheeling Bob Dylan album. The Grandpaboy stuff is kind of cool too, especially "Let's Not Belong" and "High Time."

First of all, let me say that I'm a huge (understatement) Replacements fan. I can't express how happy I am to hear the Paul of yesteryear on this recording. Let me tell you, this ones a...shocker. Gone is the 'professional adult contemporary songwriter'. Gone is the overproduction that marred (but could never ruin material so good) late Replacements albums. Last time I checked in with Paul he had just recorded by far his worst album (Suicane Gratification) and was dropped by his label. Man, I thought that marked the official end of one of my musical heros (and what a...way to go out). Instead Paul signed to an indie and has obviously been somehow reinvigorated. He got back to doing what made him so damned good in the first place and God bless him for it. The guy is playing with as much conviction and energy as he did in his 20's. Honestly, I think Stereo/Mono marks Paul's best work since Pleased to meet me. Let's be frank here, there is no "Answering Machine" on this album. But the whole (both albums) are remarkebly consistent and strong. Mono simply rocks and represents all that is good and true about rock and roll. Highlights include 'kickin' the stall' 'hightime' 'lets not belong together' awe shucks the whole damned thing is good. While Mono may not represent some artistic breakthrough I can't think of an album that just feels as good to listen to. And Stereo is not as mellow as some reveiwers might lead you to believe. Although there is a sort of world weary, country tinged acoustic vibe prevalent throughout (which any fan of Paul's knows he's exceedingly good at pulling off) there is some loud material mixed in with the ballads (see the unlisted last track). Highlights include: 'Don't Want Never' 'Nothing to No One' 'No Place for You' 'The Only Lie worth Telling' and 'Call That Gone'. So kids do yourselves a favor and put down that Mooney Suzuki CD you're thinking about buying (or whatever new, fashionable, souless pseudo punk rock band that is 'hot' at the time) and pick yerself up some real music. Welcome back Paul, and thank you.

I am going to anger a lot of people, or maybe not a lot of people anymore but a particular group of people, when I say that I like this album better than any of Westerberg's work with the Replacements. Note that, by using the phrase "I like," I am simply stating a preference rather than a fact so nobody is allowed to disagree with me. Anyways, sure some of the Replacements songs are easily as good as if not perhaps better than anything on here, for example "Can't Hardly Wait" and "Torture" to name a couple of my faves, but as an album, Stereo just hits me in a way that Westerberg's earlier stuff didn't.

It just seems a whole lot more personal, or more mature, and the stripped-down setting works wonders for putting the right aspects of the music up close in front of the audience. The words are front and center, the amazing songwriting, Westerberg's rough nasal howl. I get chills when I hear "The Only Lie Worth Telling" because I have been there. Westerberg sounds like a wise middle-aged man, or a redeemed alcoholic who put in his time at AA and now wants to share something with us, something which goes a long way towards telling us why he became an alcoholic to begin with.

I will end with a bit of insight I picked up at a presentation I once attended on substance abuse (don't ask). The speaker stated that he found alcoholics to be great listeners, as they were some of the most sensitive people he knew. This sensitivity was the reason they turned to alcohol in the first place. Well, this disc captures the sensitivity that was always latent in the music of Westerberg, and helps me to understand his own story. I couldn't hope for more from a disc.

By the way I haven't heard "Mono" as the used copy I found only had "Stereo." I guess somebody was trying to pull a fast one. I am sure "Mono" is great, and I think I have seen it for sale on its own so I will have to pick it up at some point.

Looking at this disc I was forced to look at the entire package. I read that he recorded this in his kitchen (some tracks in earlier solo efforts were also done in this manner), and some songs sound this way and some do not. Take that statement straight up because I'm neither judging or damning the fact that he recorded in the kitchen. I see the photos and think man this is scary. Basically that means nothing in terms of the music, but it is something presented to us for a reason. My take on it is that Mr. Westerberg is telling us, this is my life, I get up sit in the kitchen and make music, take it or leave it.

I'll take it. Compared to his other efforts solo and Placemat, Paul Westerberg is more of an artist than ever before. As Pollock painted in his garage, Paul records in his home. The sound on this is sparse and even the promotion is sparse. You get a bonus disc, which makes the product more of a double album. One disc is as mellow as his last solo project, Eventually. It is anti-pop, no commercial potential, and took me a few listens to appreciate it. Once I did, I really enjoyed it, as did my 3 and 6 year olds. (Thank God, Barney phase is over). The other disc rocks! It rocks like his earlier solo CD's rock. High Time, Between Love and Like, and AAA should have received more attention from anywhere. Now I don't mean Jammin' (fill in radio number here) teen attention, but left of the dial college radio attention. Some lines that Westerberg spins are as classic as ever, "Take your diet pills. How many do you got?" caused me to hit the <<<back button. The release of this CD will not win him many new listeners but places him further as an artist, poet and independent.