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04 August 2005 |
Paul Westerberg/Grandpaboy Mono - (Vagrant) I don't think anyone can consider The Replacements to have been anything short of one of the most influential and dynamic of all artists of the mid-80's indie-rock renaissance. From their rough and ready beginnings as rowdy three-chord rockers to the evolution of Paul Westerberg as a songwriter of the highest order, The Replacements (and Westerberg by default) were viewed by many as a band that could do no wrong. Incidentally, what I'm doing here is setting up an explanation for why bias doesn't come into the picture when I later get into how great Mono is. Okay, so back to "my life as a Replacements fan". Notable fanatic behavior would have to include my travelling 200 miles to attend a friend's party only to spend the entire evening in my cassette-enabled car listening to Pleased To Meet Me on the day it was released. Hey, I even called in sick to an employer because it was Don't Tell A Soul 's release day. I'll spare you other examples and just tell you that after The Replacements called it a day, I considered Westerberg's solo 14 Songs and Eventually (two extremely underrated releases) to be examples of the flame being very much kept alive. So here's my unbiased non-fanatical moment. I have to admit I sure hated Suicaine Gratifaction . Why Suicaine Gratifaction failed has been a subject that continues to rear its head from time to time. The overproduced input of Don Was? The "lack of support" from Capitol Records? Actually, I never much cared for this second point - regardless of how it was marketed, Suicaine Gratifaction was a weak and creatively uninspired CD - pure and simple. And "inspired" is what Mono is. Westerberg created the "Grandpaboy" identity a couple of years ago as a guise for his "rock and roll" leanings. Having now returned after a lengthy hiatus from the music biz, Westerberg has reactivated this guise, knocked out melodic rockers (recorded in mono no less!), and has now marked a most welcome comeback. To celebrate this return, Vagrant Records - Westerberg's new home - will be releasing a double-disc in April, Stereo/Mono . What we have here is the " Mono " portion, released on its own in a limited run to pave the way for Stereo/Mono . As representatives of two sides of Westerberg's craft, lets just say that the " Stereo " part has its work cut out for it. That's what happens when you start things off with the powerful charge of High Time , Westerberg's most effective opener since Talent Show launched Don't Tell A Soul . What becomes clear right away is that Westerberg remains an evocative vocalist (his instincts have always been underrated in this regard), and can still write a hook that puts most pop-smiths to shame. That's another part of Mono 's success - High Time brings the momentum to a high point early on and that momentum is maintained right through to the last cry of the closing AAA . Let's Not Belong Together , the most likely "single" candidate here, is true-blue Westerberg styled rock and roll that wouldn't be out of place on the aforementioned Tim or Pleased To Meet Me . Then there are tracks like the swaggering Knock It Right Out , which could have found a home on Hootenanny . To complete the picture, there are even songs like AAA , a great hook-filled rocker whose obvious acoustic beginnings would probably not sound out of place alongside your favourite more recent efforts. Westerberg brings an immediacy to Mono by way of its seemingly haphazard execution. Aliases are all over this one (with one rumour being that Tommy Stinson appears here), and the fact that these recording are in mono is a welcome change from the often overproduced music out there. Eyes Like Sparks benefits perhaps the most from this, with its Stones-like rhythm and rugged guitar perfectly accompanying the song's singalong style. Despite its marrying Westerberg's acquired songwriting prowess with earlier roughshod recording styles, there's still much here that champions the fact that Westerberg hasn't lost his songwriting touch. Kicked In The Stall and 2 Days Till Tomorrow sound very much like continuations of Westerberg's story so far - the ability to write memorable melodies with what seems like remarkable ease yet never sounding like the same old story being retold. We'll soon see if Mono will stand alone as a classic or if it will be considered half of one upon Stereo/Mono 's arrival. Regardless, Mono 's strength is in it's capturing of a "moment" and this particular moment celebrates everything that rock and roll should be. |
