Aquarium Drunkard offers up an unsual cover of The Replacements’ “Androgynous” by Blair, someone I’ve never heard of before but will be looking into post haste. The cover’s got a lot of piano which I kind of dig.
Grooveshark.com offers up a Soundtrack to a Breakup. It’s filled with some pretty good break-up songs, but it chooses Paul Westerberg’s “World Class Fad” — which is not what I’d have chosen. How about you? What Replacements or Westerberg song makes your breakup playlist (mix tape, CD, whathaveyou)?
And on the flip side, Velocity Weekly offers up a playlist full of Crush Songs and includes the brilliantly chosen, super appropriate “I Will Dare” (yes, I am biased).
Dating Rules for Sitcoms offers up a really poignant post about going to see Wilco, how it triggers a memory of seeing The Replacements and so so so much more. Go read it, it will be time well spent.
And now for the Honorary Jim Walsh, The Replacements: All Over But the Shouting: An Oral History review round up:
Harp Magazine reviews interviews Jim Walsh and reviews All Over But the Shouting.
Waved Rumor also weighs in with a review of the Walsh book.
Hey man, thanks for posting the link to my blog post on Grooveshark. This site is awesome!
I’ve been a huge ‘Mats fan for as long as I can remember. I’d just been playing “World Class Fad” for the last couple of days and loved how great of a cut down the “wax poetic about things pathetic” line. I know in Besterberg he references that this song is about another musician and I’ve always wondered who it was.
In hindsight, “Answering Machine” would have been better.
Again, great site…just got added to my favorites.
I think the conventional wisdom is that World Class Fad is about Tommy or maybe Kurt Cobain.
I think my favorite Westerberg break-up song is. . . crap. I don’t think I have one. Though I am a big fan of Ain’t Got Me. It’s kind of a cheery, look what you’re missing out on kind of song.
Is the video anywhere online? I can’t seem to find it on youtube.
Answering Machine. No question.
Jack, you might be interested that Paul’s great “wax poetic about things pathetic” line from “World Class Fad” has a predescessor: Cole Porter’s “You’re the Top.” Here’s how it starts:
At words poetic, I’m so pathetic
That I always have found it best
Instead of getting them off my chest
To let them rest
Unexpressed
Those songs are back to back on my upcoming Westerberg/Porter compilation, “Let’s Not Do It.” Let me know if you’re interested (Does this thing have PMs?)
“Things” has to be the ultimate Paul Westerberg break-up song.
“Down the line someday
You’ll be a song I sing
A thing
I’d give away.”
No question about it.
As far as the “crush” song goes, I’d take:
“Seein’ Her” in a heartbeat.
You’d take “Seein’ Her” over “I Will Dare?”
Yeah, “Seein’Her” has one of the greatest brush off lines of all time: “It’s funny but it’s true, I’m making love to you/ But I’m seein’ her.” Hallmark should get on this.
Yeah, I would take Seein’ Her as a better “crush” song than I will dare. Not saying it’s a better song, ‘cos it’s not, but lyrically Seein’ Her is more obviously a “crush” kind of song. I Will Dare has the whole bit about How young are you, how old am I?….I’m not even sure the song is about a crush per se. I think the lyrics to I Will Dare are a lot less straightforward, and frankly a bit mysterious. What’s he talking about exactly? Dare to what? And that’s precisely what makes “I Will Dare” a more interesting song.
And yeah, “Things” is the ultimate Break up song. “Answering Machine” dosent imply anything about a breakup. Maybe about a long distance love affair and the frustrations of not being able to get in touch with the one you love when you really need to. But who’s breaking up in that song? It actually may just well fit the “crush” song category better than a “breakup” song.
Best Thing that Never Happened
Best Crush Song–Customer
Crush songs – “If Only You Were Lonely” “Within Your Reach” & “Kiss Me on the Bus”