Paul Westerberg - 14 Songs

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Music reviews of 14 Songs

Music Review: Growing Up Is Hard To Do
Rating: 5 Stars

-- The Replacements were lovingly known as "The Mats" in Minneapolis, MN, from which they hailed

-- A couple of years ago I read in some magazine that "Let It Be" by The Mats was one of the Top Ten most favorite albums as rated by college students

-- This album is NOT like "Let It Be"

And to anybody who's familiar with the history of The Mats but doesn't like this album...well, have another adult beverage.

14 Songs is Paul Westerberg throwing off the mask. Admitting, yes, that the last Replacements album ("All Shook Down") was his alone, practically...and that the punk/grunge expectation tied to that band's name was starting to bum him out, big time.

So he goes solo. "Ego trip," the thrash-faithful scream. Have another adult beverage, I say to them.

"An English teacher from Vancouver asked me to write something for her students." So starts the album ("Knocking on Mine") as Westerberg lets us in on his problem: So-called intellectuals are now proclaiming him the James Joyce of the '90s! His reaction to that (unwanted) praise is at first reactionary ("Wisdom is ignorance"), then measured ("First Glimmer" and "Runaway Wind" are beautiful, looking-back-in-fondness songs). In between, "World Class Fad" and "Something is Me" remind the faithful that you can never fully escape the stuff that goes with being born into The Mats family.

But most of all, Westerberg finally gives us a glimmer...musically and lyrically...that he's done with the broken hands, falling off of stages, .36 blood alcohol content performances that The Mats were (in)famous for. If you listen closely to "Black Eyed Susan" you might become convinced that this was the work of a guy who decided to stay home on a Friday night and just fool around with his guitar, a drum machine, and a crude 4-track recording system...a guy who had decided that was better than going out and getting blasted out of his mind.

In other words, a guy who had finally started growing up.

Description of 14 Songs

Alternative Rock CDs

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• Rock