I enjoyed that this morning in Tennessee. Thank you. I just put a Replacements nod in a thing I wrote. I was talking about how you can't copyright a title. I always loved that they put out an album called "Let It Be," but of course my favorite is "Tim." Piece of cake. Easy as pie.
Caroline: Thanks for the restack! For some reason, this post has gone insane!! 11,000 views. Wild. Glad you enjoyed it. I have a few other Westerberg posts - “Come Feel Me Tremble” and a couple others. So lucky I got to see them.
I took a history of Rock & Roll class in college and my professor wrote Paul Westerberg a letter, mentioning the Replacements inclusion in the class. At the end of every semester, the professor would read it to the class. I only remember the last lines of advice: "Quit school and start a band."
Great read! I keep hoping PW will surprise everyone and make a comeback but as time passes I think that might be wishful thinking.
A few years back, I remember reading a story of him sticking a screwdriver thru his hand repairing a lawn mower or something? I’ve always thought that the injury may have had lingering consequences on his playing ability and maybe he just decided it was time to retire?
AAA is one of his best! Also really love Mono and to this day recommend it to anyone who will listen. I’ve always thought the title refers to the lyrics (anything, anyone, anymore). Perhaps it was a great foreshadowing to the “retirement” we are discussing presently or perhaps just a reinforcement to his original manifesto.
It’s funny, my (probably wrong) interpretation of “AAA” was to first think of the car service (“triple A”) that will tow or jump start your car for you if you’re a member. Hence the “leave you in the parking lot” bit, as if the singer is walking away to leave the other person by themselves with the car, waiting for AAA to come.
Hahaha.. As a Triple A member for a long time, I'm embarrassed to admit I never thought of that. Somehow, I don't think waiting for a car service would be emotionally moving enough to inspire a song but with Paul Westerberg, you never know. Seemed to me to be more about being done with relationships, communication, "ain't gonna say anything to anyone anymore" that kind of thing. But who knows? Thanks for writing, William. I still remember the lovely note you wrote about my piece on Chekhov. Thank you!
We had a mini van with one of those built-in hard drives that you could upload your CDs to. But I could NOT get it to stop autoplaying when I hit the ignition, and it would always just start alphabetically by song title for all the songs uploaded. So AAA became my de facto “Let’s drive” song for a couple of years. I can’t say I was mad about it though… Oddly enough the music just kinda fit…
Thank you John !! Yes how I do miss Paul also !!! All his work replacements / solo/ covers !! Live studio !! AAA.. hahahahah love that in can mean different things to different people .. I go with Anythig anyone anymore !!!!
I was about 12 or so when someone at a party put on Color Me Impressed; it was a WHO is this moment. I went into the city and found their albums, then bought each new one as they came out. 40+ years later, they are still my life’s soundtrack.
Music by losers for losers. A marriage made in heaven
Nice one! I'd missed that NYT piece by Paul -- great! He's right about it all.
His solo records are really really good. I think the only problem was they weren't called The Replacements. I've been there myself -- on a much lesser scale.
Just saw Tommy last week. Excellent! Confident and commanding the stage.
I'm still sad about Slim. Loud Loud Loud Loud Guitars!
I enjoyed that this morning in Tennessee. Thank you. I just put a Replacements nod in a thing I wrote. I was talking about how you can't copyright a title. I always loved that they put out an album called "Let It Be," but of course my favorite is "Tim." Piece of cake. Easy as pie.
John, your piece has generated a lot of comments on a Mats Facebook group where I shared it: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19y4JZbkcK/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Caroline: Thanks for the restack! For some reason, this post has gone insane!! 11,000 views. Wild. Glad you enjoyed it. I have a few other Westerberg posts - “Come Feel Me Tremble” and a couple others. So lucky I got to see them.
Muchas gracias!!!
PS. Paul once offered me a lyric suggestion. I refused it.
I had written the line "You came into town with your high beams on"
and Peter Jesperson (or others) thought I was talking about erect nipples.
I was not. Paul suggested I say "high beams off." I changed it to "sirens."
You came into town with your sirens on. Works fine, kept the melody.
I took a history of Rock & Roll class in college and my professor wrote Paul Westerberg a letter, mentioning the Replacements inclusion in the class. At the end of every semester, the professor would read it to the class. I only remember the last lines of advice: "Quit school and start a band."
Great read! I keep hoping PW will surprise everyone and make a comeback but as time passes I think that might be wishful thinking.
A few years back, I remember reading a story of him sticking a screwdriver thru his hand repairing a lawn mower or something? I’ve always thought that the injury may have had lingering consequences on his playing ability and maybe he just decided it was time to retire?
AAA is one of his best! Also really love Mono and to this day recommend it to anyone who will listen. I’ve always thought the title refers to the lyrics (anything, anyone, anymore). Perhaps it was a great foreshadowing to the “retirement” we are discussing presently or perhaps just a reinforcement to his original manifesto.
I always wonder what he's up to this time of year too. Great piece!
It’s funny, my (probably wrong) interpretation of “AAA” was to first think of the car service (“triple A”) that will tow or jump start your car for you if you’re a member. Hence the “leave you in the parking lot” bit, as if the singer is walking away to leave the other person by themselves with the car, waiting for AAA to come.
Hahaha.. As a Triple A member for a long time, I'm embarrassed to admit I never thought of that. Somehow, I don't think waiting for a car service would be emotionally moving enough to inspire a song but with Paul Westerberg, you never know. Seemed to me to be more about being done with relationships, communication, "ain't gonna say anything to anyone anymore" that kind of thing. But who knows? Thanks for writing, William. I still remember the lovely note you wrote about my piece on Chekhov. Thank you!
We had a mini van with one of those built-in hard drives that you could upload your CDs to. But I could NOT get it to stop autoplaying when I hit the ignition, and it would always just start alphabetically by song title for all the songs uploaded. So AAA became my de facto “Let’s drive” song for a couple of years. I can’t say I was mad about it though… Oddly enough the music just kinda fit…
Thank you John !! Yes how I do miss Paul also !!! All his work replacements / solo/ covers !! Live studio !! AAA.. hahahahah love that in can mean different things to different people .. I go with Anythig anyone anymore !!!!
I was about 12 or so when someone at a party put on Color Me Impressed; it was a WHO is this moment. I went into the city and found their albums, then bought each new one as they came out. 40+ years later, they are still my life’s soundtrack.
Music by losers for losers. A marriage made in heaven
Nice one! I'd missed that NYT piece by Paul -- great! He's right about it all.
His solo records are really really good. I think the only problem was they weren't called The Replacements. I've been there myself -- on a much lesser scale.
Just saw Tommy last week. Excellent! Confident and commanding the stage.
I'm still sad about Slim. Loud Loud Loud Loud Guitars!
The t-shirts Paul wore on the reunion tour weren’t numbers. They spelled “I have always loved you now I must wh**e myself.”
Favorite lyric: Baby leans to crawl by watching Daddy's skin
I was at that show in Ann Arbor. Amazing show