Customer Reviews

Suicaine Gratifaction

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

What can you say about an artist who begins an album with "I get up from a dream and I look for rain?" A former punk who doesn't let the drums kick in until track 3? A man who would steal the piano line from "The Way We Were," and then give that song the lyric "your world is a balloon to me, I poke a hole and see what's inside?" A guy who would write a song equating an actor with a Christ-like martyr?

You'd say he was an original, that's what.

"Suicaine Gratifaction" is Paul's best solo work to date - an intensely personal, genre-defying lo-fi album with incredible coherence. Paul loves his hooks, and delivers some great ones, along with his patented wordplay. He turns depression into black humor with "It's a Wonderful Lie" and "Sunrise Always Listens," gets exuberant with "Fugitive Kind" and "Lookin' Out Forever," goes romantic with "Born for Me," and then gets delivers a heartbreaking character-study, "Bookmark," that might be the most piercing, and melodic, song he's ever created.

Even the filler is good. "Best Thing that Never Happened" is overlong, but it has a great groove. "Tears Rolling Up Our Sleeves" can't quite justify its title, and "Final Hurrah" gets a little lazy - but B-level Westerberg is better than most artists A stuff. "Suicaine Gratifaction" is Paul's most complete and entertaining album - get it and rediscover what it means to be a true music fan.

Stop moaning about the demise of the greatest band of them all. Yeah, I lived the Replacements, I seen the Replacements, I still listen to 'Tim' and 'Let It Be'. Yeah, they are important to me and nobody will ever take that away from me.

Paul westerberg has produced an album here that most artists would die for, and all you seem to read is people saying 'sellout' Get a grip. Those days are gone and Westerberg has produced a classic album that he probably had to turn himself inside out for. Have you ever known an artist to hit you where it hurts, relate things that you wouldn't know where to start with, or be so brutally honest?

This album is great.

PS The Replacements were in a different age and to hark for their reformation is foolish. Lets just be thankful Paul is still around!!

Simply the fact that the most stirring songs on this album are minimally produced further backs testament that Paul Westerberg is one of the greatest "bare-bones" songwriters to ever grace the popular music scene. "Best Thing That Never Happened" sounds like it was recorded from a car in the parking lot outside of the studio with a dictation cassette recorder, which only adds to it's impact. It's refreshing to be reminded that as long as songs are truly written with skill and heart, they don't need whistles and bells to move a listener. This is not the type of album one wants to just plop in the player and listen to passively while cleaning their apartment or driving their car. This is the kind of album that invites you to simply sit in a chair and LISTEN to it. I furthermore can't conceive of anyone listening to "Born For Me" without thinking of someone. This album in my opinion is a healthy dose of the real deal.

A lot of Replacements fans won't like this one.

This album, Westerberg's third, is the album we all knew Paul had in him. It's the album by the Paul that gave us "Unsatisfied", "Answering Machine" and "Skyway", the simple songs from the heart. It's Paul playing to us from his kitchen, his living room, he is opening up and sharing. From the delightful "It's a Wonderful Lie" (a song about growing up) to "Sunrise Always Listens" (a gentle, intimate song), this is an album to put on, lay back and listen.

And I love it.

This album is Paul saying, "This is the album I want to do". I think for too long he has been forced to wear the badge that says he used to be in the Replacements, this time he's wearing the shirt that says, "I am Paul Westerberg".

It's an older Paul, a wiser Paul. No nails in his words. Well that's not true. It's there you have to dig for it this time. Paul seems to keep topping each CD before it. This man is aging into the Gen-X version of Alex Chilton right before our very eyes. One day our boy will be recognized for his great songwriting talent. In the meantime, we own the CD's and we love him. Hopefully his next CD will be more Suicaine Gratifaction like songs. His voice suits this material so well.

In my honest opinion there are some harsh reviews of this CD. Once you look at this release without history and let it stand alone, its true strength emerges. Yes, Paul Westerberg was the front-man of the Replacements; yes, they rocked; yes they were alternative before such a term existed. However, Paul Westerberg has matured as an artist. Content-wise, this recording is a strange cross-breed between Eric Clapton's "Layla" and Neil Young's "Harvest". The songs are sparsely arranged, and have some obviously deeper meaning in terms of relationships. Sure, it's not "Let It Be" or "Pleased to Meet Me", but you surely can't expect the guy to mimic himself, right? "Suicaine Gratification" is a powerful CD if you listen to it without pre-conceived notions or prejudice. Check it out with an open mind....

I bought 'Suicaine Gratification' from Amazon, recently, though I'm such a huge fan of Westerberg's stuff that I almost didn't. I was afraid I'd be disappointed. I didn't love 'Eventually', and I'd heard mixed reports of 'Suicaine', and even some of the praise seemed to be for things I expected not to like. Like: 'mature'. (Yuck. _I'll_ never grow up, if I haven't by now, I guess -I'm in my 40s!) Or 'gentle' (hell, I don't know if I ever liked gentle, though I guess Westerberg's is some of the best gentle I've ever heard). This is only the third time I'm hearing it (of course, typing and listening isn't _really_ listening, but hearing it, anyway), and I feel compelled, as I do when I hear Westerberg's best, to proselytize. It IS Paul at his best. NOT (particularly) 'mature' in my opinion (what's so frigging mature about 'trying to lose these jerks'? And I notice he still can't wait; is still talking to himself). Nor 'gentle'. (I'm hearing 'Fugitive Kind' right now, which sounds to me like a reworked 'Silver Naked Ladies' (much better lyrics) /'World Class Fad' combo -2 '14 Songs' rockier tracks, No?) Poetry: it's still Paul. Uniquely Westerberg, I think. Who else has sunrise finishing his sentences? Tears running UP his sleeves? (What the hell does that mean? I wouldn't even swear Westerberg knows -who cares? It sounds good.) Now it sounds like he's got someone nailed in his hands and feet -crucified? Hell, even the master imager Lennon just came out and said crucify when he meant crucify, didn't he? Westerberg ALWAYS comes up with a slightly different way to say it (whatever 'it' might be). He _paints_ it. In words. Gives me pictures in my head. (Always has, and today it's looking like he always will.) And the music sounds pure Westerberg to me. 'Very 14 Songs', I think. Which I found fairly 'All Shook Down'. Which is to say: very Westerberg. I hear that particular sort of clunky, sort of ringy, guitar and I see Paul. And the vocals. Mostly just what I love about Westerberg vocals (in the beginning of the album they seem too high to me): raw, a bit ragged, sometimes nearly spoken, always creating a mood, always completely _believable_ to (and believed by) me. In case there's someone out there reading this who was on the fence about popping for Suicaine Gratification', for reasons similar to mine, I feel that you should know you won't be disappointed! I'm loving it.

Paul Westerberg is my hero. I've never heard an artist who could affect such looseness and sincerity at the same time. His perfectly ragged pop songs roil with whatever emotion he's trying to express at the time,whether it be the bitterness of a break-up or the simple joys of rock&roll music.
Suicane Gratifaction is easily my favorite of his albums. I met Paul once,and according to him the first 4 songs on this one may be his best. Can't say as I disagree. "It's A Wonderful Lie" shimmers with weary optimism and unique lyrics('get up from a dream & I looked for rain,take an anphetamine in a crushed rat-brain/how am I feeling? better,I suppose...'). Jangly rockers like "Final Hurrah"& the bittersweet "Best Thing That Never Happened"(my personal fave) have a loose drive that pulls you in as the cool hooks pile up. "Born For Me" is the follow-up/sequel to the excellent "Love Untold",the single from Paul's previous album,"Eventually". It's one of his most heartfelt and yearning love songs,sung as a duet with the great Shawn Colvin.
"Suicane Gratifaction" is easily his most mature album,but also his most eccentric. Shifting between subtle acoustic numbers,stomping,Beatle-esque pop songs,alt country-ish pop rockers and a few surprises(shout out to the epic "Fugitive Kind",a song that gets no play,even amongst Westerberg fans),this album never loses it's way thanks to the unique character of the man behind it.

I had heard only lukewarm reviews about this album when it began to peak my interest. Similar to every other Paul Westerberg/Replacements album, it's wickedly inconsistent--some good songs, some bad ones...prepare the finger which presses the 'skip' button. To that, I say "Wake up!" This is the masterpiece that ONLY Paul Westerberg could ever deliver!

This album shows Paul settling comfortably into middle age. No longer is he the bratty 20-something singing, "Gary's Got a Boner." Now he's the 40-something crooner singing, "Born for Me," which, for my dollar, is the most well-arranged Westerberg song ever.

Now what we get with SUICAINE GRATIFICATION as a whole is a mix of sweet, reflective and (yeah, I know it sounds weird when referring to Paul Westerberg) orchestral songs. Gone are the guitar, bass, and drums for most of the album, being replaced with piano, cello, and horn arrangements. However, the rocker-at-heart still comes out on tracks like, "Final Hurrah," and "Lookin' Out Forever." But it's the softer, more personal tracks like the aforementioned "Born for Me," and "Self Defense," that win out in the end.

Fault Westerberg if you must for not reaching back to his punk roots, but at this point in his career it might seem a bit forced if he tried (see: 2003's less-than-stellar, COME FEEL ME TREMBLE). What we get here instead is a collection of songs that embodies the spirit of Paul's musical agenda: sloppy, intellegent, fun, and unquestionably genuine.

I can't seem to stop listening to this CD, over and over again. Listen to every song on this CD, there's not a dog amonst them - how often does that happen? I tried playing this CD while I was working, but it was totally distracting because I just wanted to sit and listen. I think this is by far his best solo work. He's subtle and direct and so unflinchingly honest that I smile when I hear his music, making it all the more clear why I seem unable to listen to the radio anymore (or maybe the stations in San Diego just suck so bad). I've read some of the other reviews as well as a few articles about Paul Westerberg and I have to say, I think it's so strange that so many people want to keep this guy in a box. Like you can drink your guts out and play loud sloppy music (as great as it was) forever. The Replacements may have been the best band around, but to think that Paul Westerberg would stay the same person is insulting to the kind of brilliant artist he is. He's moved forward with his music and I say, go ahead and compare it to The Replacements. Doing so allows you to see this intense progression of a man, which makes his music so human, so interesting, and so incredibly passionate. If you want to listen to something that makes you want to drive 100 miles an hour in your car, then plug in The Replacements, but don't forget about "Here Comes A Regular" on Tim, or "Answering Machine" on Let it Be or "Skyway" on Pleased to Meet Me and you'll see that Paul as a solo artist was always present in The Replacements. Probably my two favorite CDs ever are Let it Be and this one because of the way they make me feel - like I've listened to something real and beautiful, from someone who's not going to tell me a lie.