Love,
Venezuela MacNamara

via Album Review: Various Artists, Songs for Slim | The Current from Minnesota Public Radio.

Do you have to have really good ears to notice this kind of thing?

Also, on an unrelated matter, you will be happy to know that Paste Magazine has finally realized that I am not Paul Westerberg.

They are wrong (and if you don’t realize that I am only teasing then you need to go elsewhere). I, however, hear the song differently. What I hear is an artist a little bit puzzled by his place in the new musical landscape. He is singing to (well literally it sounds like he’s singing to an actress) but in my interpretation he is using the playhouse as a metaphor for the music business.

He’s singing to some sort of (again in my mind) girl with guitar and a dream, someone who sings sad songs that nobody listens to. And he’s like, “I totally get it. I was finally here once.”

He goes on to explain that he used to be the happy, go-lucky good time guy, and now he’s being portrayed as a sad shut-in. And, the coup de grace, he accepts that not only was he finally here once, but he was here well before your time and well before his time.

To me it’s a song about being a little puzzled about where you fit now, because you used to be the dude/chick who was ahead of the game and now they just think you’re a hermit. To me it’s not sad so much as searching. Which is kind of why I always dug Our Man Paul’s songwriting, so much longing that’s so damn relateable.

So how wrong was I?

I went to go hear him read last night (and got a bonus Q&A with Jim Walsh to boot). It was fabulous.He is a kind, gracious, charming, and entertaining man. I was amazed how he got up and shook the hand of every single person waiting in line. It was a great time.

Oh and then when I got my book signed I got to crush David Carr’s dreams about how Paul Westerberg mentioned his book on the blog. Westernerds, he was so excited. The look in his eye was five-year-old getting a bike for Christmas excited. And then I was like, “Uh, that was me.”

We can add this to the list of phrases I never expected to utter in actual real life with my own voice: “I’m not Paul Westerberg.”

Second of all, Imemat has done all the heavy lifting with regard to that 1982 show and converting the files to MP3. Go download than and while you’re there check out the response he got to the only fan letter he’s ever gotten.

Third of all, Aquarium Drunkard has a great, great write up on 5:05.

Eye Weekly.com gives 49:00 four out of five stars.

The San Antonio Current does a bit of math and figures how 49:00 might just be Our Man Paul’s most profitable record ever.

Is the marketing overpowering the music? What do you think? How do you Westernerds feel about this being Our Man Paul’s most popular record?

2. Proof that Our Man Paul wants me to happy? ANOTHER song with talk of hips. Not many of you know this, but I have a hips fetish and I collect songs that mention hips. So yeah, Be My Darling floats my boat for the hips line alone. Speaking of, I can’t decide if that one line however, is:
Might even send the knight in fact
or
Might even spend the night in fact

3. At Supergenius HQ (aka my house) it is required to do a few raise the roof arm pumps whenever “Hey, Hey” comes on. Why is that? Mostly because it feels right and also, as a writer, we believe we must celebrate any song with a bit of a grammar lesson in it.

4. There is also a lot of sassy head shaking during “Squeaky Obscene.”

5. I’m on the brink today of writing something memorable — the line in “It’ll Never Die” might just become my new life’s motto.

6. The “Goodnight Sweet Prince” segue in “Guess I’ll Be Going Then” is fucking genius

7. I love that crazy slide whistle thing towards the end of “Out of My System”

8. A long time ago I decided there were two kinds of people in this world — i.e. those who like peanut M&Ms and those who like plain, those who choose Coke or Pepsi, Beatles or Stones, Husker Du or The ‘Mats, and for those who live in the Twin Cities area you’re a PiPress or a Strib person. I’m a PiPress person. I started out a Strib person, but then I fell in love with Jim Walsh’s writing when I was like 19 and my allegiance has forever been changed. So when I saw PiPress musicman Ross Raihala mentioning our made up song titles I was hella pumped.

9. Hey, Hey also talks about not forgetting the comma, clearly this man lives with a writer

10. Just exactly what is a faggot Davy Crockett?

11. I have accepted the fact that he is, in fact, wondering who Terri is going to marry. I still like calling the song “(Tell Me) Who You Gonna Marry?” because, well, the song doesn’t have to be called an exact lyric. Get a grip people.

12. Not really a fan of “Visitor’s Day”

13. You know what this album is really missing? The ability to go make me a sandwich

14. I nominate “Devil Raised a Good Boy” as the official ass shaker of 49:00

15. Here’s what I like so much about “Everyone’s Stupid” — that line about I can’t wait until I don’t know when, to me that just so sums up the thinking and feelings of a 10-year-old kid

16. The pain in his voice when he sings “fiiiiigggghhht” on “Goodnight Sweet Prince” is palpable

17. At one point I was convinced I heard a whispy snippet of “A Star is Bored” or “I Shot an Actor” but now I can’t find it.

18. This means I am either crazy or you can only hear it when you are half-paying attention

19. I want a full-out 3 minute version of “Money Goes Straight to Her Heart” and then I can write some kind of feminist diatribe about it

20. Shoulder shrugs can be subsititued for raise the roofs in “Hey, Hey”

21. If you actually think there are going to be 49 random thoughts you are sorely mistaken & I apologize for taking advantage of your gullability

22. Whenever “Squeaky Obscene” comes on, I have to listen to it three times in a row

23. I’m pretty sure Our Man Paul should release an album of nothing but covers. . . chosen by me.

24.