The Replacements: a whole bunch of rarities & b-sides

So in case you were not around cool humans a few weeks ago, you might not have heard that The Replacements are reforming to play three shows this summer at the Riot Fest (!!!). I am not a rioty person, but I do love me some Paul Westerberg in all of his many forms, and this news came out of a wonderful left field to surprise most of us. Even though we don’t know who else is in the band this go around (other than Tommy Stinson, and, maybe, Prince) — IT’S THE REPLACEMENTS.

I was trying to explain The Replacements to my intern (again, with the intern. This kid is getting double his unpaid-work-hours money) and I used words like “sloppy but melodic” and “like, this visceral rawness with classic rock n’ roll underpinnings.” I used the word “punk” a few times; something about the Beatles; we talked about the dangers of alcohol overuse. I think we both went home from work that day better human beings, and now he has a new band to discover.

Back in 2006 I posted a pirate’s treasure trove of Replacements and Westerberg rarities and b-sides that a reader sent me. In honor of the Riot Fest news, and to announce the ticket giveaway I get to do for it, here they are again below, all re-upped.

TICKET GIVEAWAY! I have two pairs of 2-day passes to the Denver stop of Riot Fest to give away to Fuel/Friends readers. It’s happening September 21 and 22 on a farm-looking place outside of town; I’ll also be going and probably camping, which should be delightful.

TO ENTER TO WIN: leave a comment telling me why you should win a pair of tickets, and I will pick two winners in a week or so.

Now tunes. For you, and the intern.

PAUL WESTERBERG RARITIES

Dyslexic Heart (Singles soundtrack)
Waiting for Somebody (Singles soundtrack)
Seein’ Her (b-side of Knockin’ on Mine)
Men Without Ties (b-side of Knockin’ on Mine)
Dice Behind Your Shades (Festicle version, b-side of Knockin’ on Mine)
Can’t Hardly Wait (live ’93 Whiskey a Go-Go, b-side World Class Fad) (Marah cover here)
Left of the Dial (live ’93 Whiskey a Go-Go, b-side World Class Fad)
Another Girl, Another Planet (live ’93 Whiskey a Go-Go, b-side World Class Fad)
Answering Machine (live ’93 Whiskey a Go-Go, b-side World Class Fad)
Daydream Believer (live, b-side British single?)
A Star is Bored (Melrose Place Soundtrack)
Backlash (w/ Joan Jett) (Notorious LP)
Let’s Do It (w/ Joan Jett) (Tank Girl Soundtrack)
Sunshine (Friends Soundtrack)
Stain Yer Blood (Friends Soundtrack)
Make Your Own Kind of Music (Eventually Bonus Track Japan)
I Want My Money Back (Grandpaboy Single)
Undone (Grandpaboy Single)
Wonderful Copenhagen (Suicaine Gratification Bonus Track Europe)
33rd of July (Suicaine Gratification Bonus Track Europe)
Nowhere Man (I Am Sam Soundtrack)
Be Bad For Me (Folker Bonus Track Europe)

WESTERBERG RARITIES AS ZIP FILE

REPLACEMENTS RARITIES

If Only You Were Lonely (b-side of I’m In Trouble)
Hey Good Lookin’ (b-side of I Will Dare)
20th Century Boy (T Rex cover) (Let It Be Outtake)
Who’s Gonna Take Us Alive (Let It Be Outtake)
Temptation Eyes (Let It Be Outtake)
Street Girl (Let It Be Outtake)
Nowhere Is My Home (Boink LP – England)
Bundle Up (PTMM Rehearsal, Jungle Rock w/ new lyrics)
Empty As Your Heart (aka PO Box) (PTMM Rehearsal)
Time Is Killing Us (PTMM Rehearsal)
Kick It In (PTMM Rehearsal)
Run For The Country (PTMM Rehearsal)
Going Out Of My Head (PTMM Rehearsal)
(“We’ll learn it tomorrow. Think of another one.”)
Trouble On The Way (PTMM Rehearsal)
Make This Your Home (PTMM Rehearsal)
Cool Water (PTMM Rehearsal)
Route 66 (b-side of Alex Chilton)
Tossin’ and Turnin’ (b-side of The Ledge)
Ought To Get Love (Don’t Tell A Soul Outtake)
Kissing In Action (All Shook Down Outtake)

REPLACEMENTS RARITIES AS A ZIP FILE

Monday Music Roundup

On Friday night I had the special experience of watching Prince thrust maniacally on the (very) large screen out under heavy-laden rainy skies at Red Rocks. As part of their wonderfully conceived summer Film On The Rocks series, myself and hundreds of other vocally enthusiastic moviegoers got to bask in the glow of the tiny one’s sweaty brow, glistening chest hair, ruffled poet shirts, blindfolds, fancy studded purple jackets and wispy moustache in none other than (yes) Purple Rain. From the opening echoey benediction of “dearly beloved,” to the completely nonsensical plot and downright giggle-inducing sex scenes, to the triumphant final performance of the title song . . . wow, that was awesome. I needed a cigarette or something after all that. And I don’t even smoke.

Tunes for this week:

5:05
Paul Westerberg
Oh, delicious mystery. As previously mentioned on Fuel/Friends, our beloved favorite sloppy punk drunk Paul Westerberg recently released a new continuous single-mp3 album on Amazon called 49:00 for 49 cents. Problem is, when you downloaded it you found a somewhat baffling total length of 43:55. This led ‘Mats nerds everywhere to freak out quietly, wondering where the other 5:05 ran off to. A few days ago, the rest of that audio surfaced for purchase on TuneCore without much explanation. After an extended 45-second intro that sounds for all the world like Cartman, that trademark Westerberg strum and yowl begins and I’m happy (even as the song closes with the yelling of profanities — as it should be). If you haven’t already downloaded 49:00, well . . . I can’t help you with that either since it looks like the download link has been pulled, after solidly positive reviews on sites like Aquarium Drunkard and Pitchfork. Go figure.

Tu Es Ma Came
Carla Bruni
Why won’t anyone take Carla Bruni seriously? Oh, that. It’s hard having been a model in a former incarnation, dating rock stars and ultimately running off with the president of France. Yes, sultry songstress Carla Bruni is now married to Nicolas Sarkozy, and I’m gonna go out on a limb here and wager that her music is the most lovely, sexy, smoky music ever made by someone who was the first lady of anything. Following her surprisingly good 2002 album Quelqu’un M’a Dit, much of which she wrote herself, Bruni is back with a new album Comme Si de Rien N’Etait (out now on Downtown Recordings/US). This tune is a bluesy, intimate bedroom song that sounds like Bruni strumming her guitar on the corner of the comforter as she unwinds that bewitching alto.

Two Silver Trees
Calexico
While I was watching Prince gyrate on Friday, the classy people were in Boulder at the night festivities of the AAA Records and Radio Summit that I left earlier, watching eclectic Tucson foursome Calexico at the Fox Theatre. After being beamed into space as a wake-up song (in what sounds like an oddly fitting move), and recording those great contributions for the 2007 I’m Not There soundtrack, Calexico is finally releasing an anticipated new album Carried To Dust on 9/9 (Touch and Go Records). There are touches of Latin American influences all over this new album, after the band was finally able to do some long-desired exploring of Chile and Argentina in the past year. “Our last record was more political,” says vocalist/guitarist Joey Burns, “but this record reads more like a travel journal.” Sam Beam from Iron & Wine is also featured, following their gorgeous recent collabs.

No Deliverance
Toadies
So you totally remember that song “Possum Kingdom” from Fort Worth, Texas alt-rock band of 1994 Toadies, don’t you? Listen. You do. That aggressive riff still gets under my skin a little bit in a good way, and makes me feel instantly fifteen. Toadies are preparing to release their first album in 7 years, and this song is dirty and growly, reminding me of someone like Nick Cave or Jon Spencer. They’re out on tour, hitting Denver’s Gothic Theatre on September 24th, and No Deliverance is out August 19th on Kirtland Records. And I’m still not gonna lie, I won’t be a gentleman, behind the boathouse.

Song For The Magpie
Sea Wolf
Thanks to some dodgy anonymous tipster (it’s the Feds!) this new song from Los Angeles indie artist Sea Wolf popped into my inbox recently, as featured in Augusten Burroughs‘ new audio book A Wolf At The Table. The work is a collaborative effort between Alex Church of Sea Wolf, Patti Smith, Ingrid Michaelson (who I just saw Friday), and Tegan Quin (of Tegan and Sara). The musicians each read the book and came up with an original song for use in the audio version; a very cool intersection of reading and music (like this ole podcast). Sea Wolf’s contribution is a nuanced orchestral dirge that spreads like warm alcohol through my chest, with hints of Rufus Wainwright in the elegant and elastic waver of the verses.

49 minutes of new Paul Westerberg coming tomorrow?!

Here’s some news out of nowhere (thanks Gregg!):

Tomorrow Paul Westerberg will be releasing “49 minutes of music for 49 cents” on his website (yes, that does actually still direct you to an AOL page, don’t hold it against him). I believe this is the first new solo material from the former Replacements frontman since 2006′s Open Season soundtrack. Curious!

LISTEN: Lots of Westerberg/Mats tracks

UPDATE: Buy it here – sounds pretty good!

The craft of Paul Westerberg’s songwriting: “Everyone’s Stupid” (new) and “Make The Best Of Me” (unreleased)

Speaking of the Twin Cities region, Paul Westerberg did this very cool interview + performance for 500 people last weekend at First Avenue in MPLS for a series called The Craft (not to be confused with the superb artistic statement of the Neve Campbell movie; this is a program hosted by musician Warren Zanes). I had heard about this but don’t have friends in Minneapolis that were planning to attend. But hey! Bruce from Some Velvet Blog happened to be gone from his native Philly that day, was in Minneapolis, and wrote up a wonderful little piece about the session and set, as well as details on some of the things Paul shared about his music and The Replacements.

Westerberg performed ten tunes altogether (a truly lovely setlist), including one new song and one unreleased:

VIDEO: PAUL WESTERBERG – “EVERYONE’S STUPID” (NEW SONG)

VIDEO: PAUL WESTERBERG – “MAKE THE BEST OF ME” (UNRELEASED)
(from the All Shook Down era)

Audio removed by request of original taper, but you can apparently find more about it over on either www.paulwesterberg.com or www.colormeimpressed.com. It may also be up on Dime in lossless format.

Hey, I want to repost the original mp3s I ripped from these YouTube videos, marginally crappy as they may be, but I overzealously deleted them off my computer. I know this sounds odd, but if you snagged ‘em when I first posted them, could you email them to me? Save me some hassle. Thanks.

And in related news, here’s one other unreleased ‘Mats song that someone recently sent me; add it to your folder of Westerberg/Replacements Rarities and B-Sides.

Perfectly Lethal (Let It Be outtake) – The Replacements
(basically “Seen Your Video” with different lyrics)

[photo credit]

Update: Stream all the new songs from Westerberg/Open Season

Lost Highway has put up clips from all of the songs on the new Open Season soundtrack — those sung by Paul Westerberg as well as Pete Yorn & Sacramento indie rockers Deathray.

You can take a listen here. The CD comes out today on Lost Highway.

They’re also sponsoring a contest to win the CD and a trip to New York. I usually have really good luck with these things, so perhaps I’ll win. But maybe I’ve milked my NYC luck already by winning that trip to the 2003 Grammys (seriously, it was cool, except I couldn’t stop saying over and over again, “Holy crap! That’s Tony Bennett!” (x5) when I realized he was standing right behind me, like touching elbows).

Brand spankin’ new from Paul Westerberg: Open Season Soundtrack

Paul Westerberg‘s re-entry into the world of film soundtracks is greeted ’round these parts with open arms and happy ears. Following his stellar contributions to the Singles soundtrack (Cameron Crowe’s 1992 film about the music scene and dating life in the Emerald City of Seattle, and one of my favorite soundtracks ever) Westerberg has dusted off his movie-musicmaker and done pretty much the whole soundtrack for the new Sony Pictures animated film Open Season.

I’ve read (possibly exaggerated) accounts that for the movie Singles, Westerberg locked himself in a hotel room and emerged twenty minutes later with the classic track “Dyslexic Heart.” Open Season by comparison took quite a bit longer. Westerberg says, “Singles took about two weeks [total], while Cameron Crowe sat there and sorta encouraged me along . . . This project took two-and-a-half years.”

Thanks to the music elves, I’ve got the new song for ya. I can’t think of a better way to kick off a Friday.

I find the new track very enjoyable – the opening is fantastic vintage Westerberg, with a similar feel to tunes like “Be Bad For Me” or the recent ‘Mats track “Message To The Boys.” The lyrics are admittedly a bit simplistic, but I don’t listen to him to discern the meaning of the universe or anything, so this will do just fine. ‘Mats bassist Tommy Stinson adds background vocals and wields the thunderstick for this song, as well as one other track called “Right To Arm Bears” (ha ha).

Love You In The Fall – Paul Westerberg
(Savefile link, open in a new window)

The soundtrack is out on Lost Highway on Sept 26th, and their website has streaming audio for two other tracks: “Meet Me In The Meadow” and “I Belong” (which Pete Yorn also covers as a reprise on the soundtrack). Also, they actually have a MySpace (hey, who doesn’t these days?) where you can stream these tunes as well as the danceable track “I Wanna Lose Control (Uh Oh),” an original composition by the Sacramento (Calif.) band Deathray. The film also includes the Talking Heads song “Wild, Wild Life” – a tune that I’ve found somehow everyone can sing, despite not really knowing what David Byrne is going on about.

Westerberg worked with a variety of old friends and new ones on this project, recording demos of the songs in his home basement studio, as well as in New Hampshire, Los Angeles, and finally finishing up back in Minneapolis. “So you get a little bit of everything on this one,” he says, “The old band feel but we’ve also got the new buddy feel. And the best part is it all sounds like it came out of the same garage.” The tracks were produced by Westerberg friend & collaborator Kevin Bowe, who has the following to say about the experience: “I hesitate to use the word ‘produce’ because you don’t produce this guy. You press record, duck and pray.”

Listen to the new Replacements songs

Rhino Records now has streaming audio samples of the two new Replacements tracks from the forthcoming Don’t You Know Who I Think I Was: The Best Of The Replacements. Take a listen to the clips, I especially like Message To The Boys:

[stream] Message To The Boys – The Replacements

[stream] Pool & Dive – The Replacements

If these links don’t work on your computer (it should pop up a window to play the clips in Quicktime), go to the main page to select a sound sample.

Also, according to the Men Without Ties fansite, The Jim Rome show will play both new songs in their entirety this Thursday, May 4. Both Paul and Tommy are scheduled to call in as well. For a list of stations that play the show, as well as online listening information, see here.

Don’t You Know Who I Think I Was comes out June 13. Read my previous post on the news, or go download a whole bunch of Westerberg & Replacements rarities.

Westerberg’s slightly manic take on The Partridge Family

Back in the ’70s, was anybody happier than the Partridge Family? I mean, really. They all ride around in a bus together in familial bliss, singing, looking slick. PLUS they all got to be near David Cassidy, who surely smelled of baby powder and repressed sin.

Paul Westerberg takes on this gem of American pop history when he covered their “I Think I Love You” song live on several occasions in recent years. I have to say that I appreciate how he makes it a bit manic and obsessive. A little creepy? Off-key warbling never sounded so refreshing.

I Think I Love You – Paul Westerberg and The Painkillers

For the record, I am (was? am.) a big fan of the Partridge Family and can sing many of their songs forward and back. Just ask sometime. It’s a showstopper.

After 16 years, new ones from the ‘Mats

Replacements Reunite For New Songs
(Info from Billboard.com, Pioneer Press, and Pitchfork)

The web was abuzz earlier this week after a mysterious photo circulating on the Internet sparked rumors that the Replacements had reunited to record new material.

The picture, which was posted Monday on the gossip site Buddyhead.com, shows Replacements drummer Chris Mars, bassist Tommy Stinson and vocalist/guitarist Paul Westerberg posing in a recording studio with session drummer Josh Freese. By mid-day Tuesday, it had been removed from Buddyhead.com as well as from a Westerberg fan site.

However, as of today ‘Mats fans everywhere are doing the happy dance after it was confirmed that Paul Westerberg, Tommy Stinson and Chris Mars reunited to record two new songs for an upcoming retrospective, Don’t You Know Who I Think I Was?: The Best of the Replacements. Due June 13 via Rhino Records, the set will feature “Message to the Boys” and “Pool & Dive,” the band’s first new recordings in 16 years.

Session drummer Josh Freese was behind the kit for the new recordings, while Mars, who in recent years has foregone music for an art career, contributed backing vocals. The songs were written by Westerberg and were recorded at producer Ed Ackerson’s Flowers studio in Minneapolis. Currently it is unclear if any further activity is brewing within the Replacements’ camp.

Westerberg said in 2005 that he still reflects fondly on the Replacements’ early days, especially “when we were riding in the van and we ripped the seats out and would just listen to tapes and listen to Black Flag. [We would] sort of slam dance and stuff around in the back of the van and be drinking hard liquor at noon and it was just, you know, carefree times. We didn’t give a damn.”

Meanwhile, sources say the long-awaited Replacements boxed set is still in the planning stages and will not be out until 2007 at the earliest. Rhino is also working on expanded editions of the Replacements’ albums, but no release date has yet been announced for those packages either.

Here is the track list for Don’t You Know Who I Think I Was?:

01. Takin a Ride
02. Shiftless When Idle
03. Kids Don’t Follow
04. Color Me Impressed
05. Within Your Reach
06. I Will Dare
07. Answering Machine
08. Unsatisfied
09. Here Comes a Regular
10. Kiss Me on the Bus
11. Bastards of Young
12. Left of the Dial
13. Alex Chilton
14. Skyway
15. Can’t Hardly Wait
16. Achin’ to Be
17. I’ll Be You
18. Merry Go Round
19. Message to the Boys *
20. Pool & Dive *

On a related note, Jerry Yeti has recorded an interesting observation about the Replacements. And the zip files of Westerberg and Replacements rarities that I posted a few weeks ago are still live links for the taking.

Paul Westerberg & Replacements: b-sides, rarities and live goodies

Sometimes in this world someone takes time to do something nice simply out of the goodness of their heart. Recently, friendly-guy Jerry took the time to make and mail me two CDs jam-packed with some great rarities, b-sides, live cuts, and non-album tracks from some of my favorite rough rockers Paul Westerberg & The Replacements. Why? Just because.

Now I share my largesse with you. Both are in zip format, and there are some real standouts here (and tons of covers, which I find fascinating to see how they put their own stamp on such a wide variety of influences). And thanks to Dean for filling in some of the provenance blanks.

PAUL WESTERBERG RARITIES DISC

Dyslexic Heart (Singles soundtrack)
Waiting for Somebody (Singles soundtrack)
Seein’ Her (b-side of Knockin’ on Mine)
Men Without Ties (b-side of Knockin’ on Mine)
Dice Behind Your Shades (Festicle version, b-side of Knockin’ on Mine)
Can’t Hardly Wait (live ’93 Whiskey a Go-Go, b-side World Class Fad) (Marah cover here)
Left of the Dial (live ’93 Whiskey a Go-Go, b-side World Class Fad)
Another Girl, Another Planet (live ’93 Whiskey a Go-Go, b-side World Class Fad)
Answering Machine (live ’93 Whiskey a Go-Go, b-side World Class Fad)
Daydream Believer (live, b-side British single?)
A Star is Bored (Melrose Place Soundtrack)
Backlash (w/ Joan Jett) (Notorious LP)
Let’s Do It (w/ Joan Jett) (Tank Girl Soundtrack)
Sunshine (Friends Soundtrack)
Stain Yer Blood (Friends Soundtrack)
Make Your Own Kind of Music (Eventually Bonus Track Japan)
I Want My Money Back (Grandpaboy Single)
Undone (Grandpaboy Single)
Wonderful Copenhagen (Suicaine Gratification Bonus Track Europe)
33rd of July (Suicaine Gratification Bonus Track Europe)
Nowhere Man (I Am Sam Soundtrack)
Be Bad For Me (Folker Bonus Track Europe)

WESTERBERG RARITIES AS ZIP FILE

REPLACEMENTS RARITIES DISC

If Only You Were Lonely (b-side of I’m In Trouble)
Hey Good Lookin’ (b-side of I Will Dare)
20th Century Boy (T Rex cover) (Let It Be Outtake)
Who’s Gonna Take Us Alive (Let It Be Outtake)
Temptation Eyes (Let It Be Outtake)
Street Girl (Let It Be Outtake)
Nowhere Is My Home (Boink LP – England)
Bundle Up (PTMM Rehearsal, Jungle Rock w/ new lyrics)
Empty As Your Heart (aka PO Box) (PTMM Rehearsal)
Time Is Killing Us (PTMM Rehearsal)
Kick It In (PTMM Rehearsal)
Run For The Country (PTMM Rehearsal)
Going Out Of My Head (PTMM Rehearsal)
(“We’ll learn it tomorrow. Think of another one.”)
Trouble On The Way (PTMM Rehearsal)
Make This Your Home (PTMM Rehearsal)
Cool Water (PTMM Rehearsal)
Route 66 (b-side of Alex Chilton)
Tossin’ and Turnin’ (b-side of The Ledge)
Ought To Get Love (Don’t Tell A Soul Outtake)
Kissing In Action (All Shook Down Outtake)

REPLACEMENTS RARITIES AS A ZIP FILE

What a great way to start the weekend. Bring out the sloppy raw rawk.