The Replacements - All Shook Down

Another Lost Treasure...in fact some might argue a Lost Band.

Let’s start this thing off by saying if for some reason you don’t have all three of the holy trinity of ‘Mats CDs then you need to remedy that right now. It’s a perfect trifecta. “Let it Be”, “Tim”, and “Pleased to Meet Me” should be in each and every CD collection. Murmur by REM was released in ’83 and the ‘Mats perfection was recorded during that same time(’84 to ’87). Green came out in "88. How did REM get sooo huge while The Replacements watched the world pass them by? You might know the stories and if not search them out. There are some truly wonderful Rock N Roll stories. The Replacements really have no one but themselves to blame but that doesn’t change the fact that we have the chance to “do it right” now. If your favorite radio station plays more REM songs then Replacement songs something is terribly wrong. Call them. Email them and ask them why they don’t love music.

Ok enough of that little rant. So this is a lost Treasures CD review and obviously I can’t pick one of the big three so I picked “All Shook Down”. It is basically the first solo Paul Westerberg CD. The CD sounds like an almost defeated Paul. I think by this time he knows that The Replacements should have and/or could have but didn’t. This CD is not classic sounding Replacements it’s the perfect ending that knows that it is an ending. It is full of med tempo rockers and low key acoustic numbers. It’s a good CD to listen to when the party has ended but you are not ready to call it a day. You want to hang on to the buzz and kick back with one last beer -- or maybe two so that you can slowly pull on the beers and hear the entire CD. All I am saying is give Paul a chance.

More later

Bro

An idea

I got this interesting email from John a NEXT listener. John said, "I have an idea for a reality TV show where you come in and update some 30 something's music collection and throw out the CD's they've been listening to since college." I like the idea. I have never made video for YouTube but something like that just might work.

Which actually brings up another idea. So I was in a work cubicle and I noticed that there was a VHS or BETA picture up...so being the music geek I am - I inquired. Turned out it was someone else's photo but she asked "What do they sound like?" I said, "a bit like the Cure". By the look on her face I could tell that she didn't know The Cure. Then I guessed that she was 24. Turns out she was 22 and I gave her homework...which was to go home and listen to some Cure. I hope she liked it. So the show could work both ways. Turning on the twenty something’s to the Old stuff that helped bring about the NEW and of course John's idea.

And so it goes...

Just when I thought losing John Peel was troubling and heartbreaking, yet another "hero" of mine has passed onto the great beyond.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/6941105.stm

Though Tony Wilson was never a musician, the man had passion about music.Without him, we wouldn't have had Joy Division, the Happy Mondays or New Order. Not just that but we wouldn't have had Oasis, The Stone Roses, The Smiths and then countless bands who were influenced by these other bands. He made Manchester's music important. Not just that but he was definitely a pop cultural legend in England. After all, Steve Coogan based his awesome character Alan Patridge off of Mr. Wilson's persona.



I really have had a lot of respect for Tony over the years. He was a good journalist who was passionate about music and he knew that the bands he believed in were going to help people and change the world. I was actually hoping to meet him someday while in Manchester doing an internship. (Yes I've been considering doing an internship at the NME or the BBC) It really saddens me that I won't be able to meet him. I can only hope that he's up there with Martin Hannett, Rob Gretton and Ian Curtis having a damn good party and checking out bands. Perhaps heaven is the Hacienda!

As for now, I think I'll go watch 24 Hour Party People...

ps- to everyone on this blog, sorry I've been away. I went to day 2 of V-fest and will share stories very soon.

PJ Harvey - Stories From the City Stories From the Sea

PJ Harvey hails from a beautiful farming town in Dorset, England. She moved to NYC for about 6 months to aid her in recording the album Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea. What might be her best effort yet, was released in October of 2000. Rekindling with this Cd, seven years down the road, I still find a treasure trove of rare gems.

She has collaborated with the likes of many talented musicians such as Nick Cave, Marianne Faithfull, Josh Homme, Mark Lanegan, Thom Yorke to name a few. On this album she wrote and produced it with longtime fellow friends Rob Ellis and Mick Harvey (no relation).

Begins with 'Big Exit' which sounds off with a Big Bang! She proclaims, "this world's crazy, give me the gun." Pretty is she with a pistol in her hand.

Next up is 'Good Fortune' which was released as a single in the UK. Here she throws her "bad fortune off of a tall building"- and towards the end of the song she ends up "like some modern-day Gypsy Landslide, like some modern-day Bonnie & Clyde, on the run again."

A trilogy follows with the eloquent and darkish ' A Place Called Home' then segues into 'One Line' with Thom Yorke on backing vocals and keyboards, then arrives the acoustic ' Beautiful Feeling' with Thom Yorke on vocals, very sweet indeed.

'The Whores Hustle and the Hustlers Whore' slams down with a harder edge and PJ's depiction of NYC is right on the mark.

The stellar duet with Thom Yorke is ' This Mess We're In' - their vocal harmonies just ebb and flow on a slow wave of pure sin. Delightful to say the least. 'You Said Something' trails on after and she never elucidates what that something is, very befitting for PJH.
Her air of mystery hangs overhead like a dark cloud bank. Racing in is 'Kamikaze' with her maniacal vocal delivery and a crazy and twisted backdrop, probably my least favorite song on the Cd.

'This is Love' seems to pay homage to her "dirty little secret". ' Horses In My Dreams' is one of her more enigmatic and melodic tunes. I float on a calm blue sea of dreams when I hear this song. An acoustic beauty hands down! Last up is ' We Float' and by the end of this voyage she has learned to just "take Life as it comes" and why not? Her voice just radiates here.

Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea is a remarkable body of work encompassing a rollercoaster ride of raw and intense emotions reminding you to hold on tight as you take this ride in Life.

Jodie-Next Listener