[.ca] Stereo (Bonus Cd)

From Amazon.com:
As frontman/songwriter for the late, great indie rockers the Replacements, Paul Westerberg was anointed the voice of a generation. And while that might look nice on the résumé, it can have its drawbacks; over the course of three solo CDs, Westerberg has struggled to regain the acclaim he once enjoyed. But the fortysomething rocker comes awfully close on his first CD in almost four years. Actually make that two CDs--Stereo consists of two separate projects and as a result showcases distinct aspects of Westerberg's songwriting skills. The raucous Mono is all spit and fire, and featuring a haphazard sound, finds Westerberg, a.k.a. Grandpaboy, and band tearing through an efficient and often exhilarating set of postpunk rave-ups. The best of the lot is the endearing "Let's Not Belong," which, with its tale of mismatched--and hence perfect--love, is laced with Westerberg's trademark tongue-in-cheek, heart-on-sleeve appeal. Stereo, his "solo" CD, is somewhat less rowdy but no less emotionally emphatic. His voice is often raw and sometimes backed only by a plugged-in guitar, but Stereo features insistent love songs (the aching "Don't Want Never") that sneak up on you and, like the best of Westerberg's work, linger. --Amy Linden

didnt like it-wish i could take it back:
i was expecting something better than what i got. i thought his guitar playing was mediocre and his vocals were hard to listen to. someone said his guitar playing was like "a knife fight in a telephone booth"...it was more like a thumb wrestling match at the superdome. im sorry people, but this cd is terrible. i was a victim of great advertising. a bluesmaster he is not.

You Can Return Home:
Like so many other old-timer Replacements fans, I got turned off by Paul Westerberg's mid 1990s solo albums. Great production values couldn't hide that his songs weren't maturing as his fans were, in spite of the occasional witty couplet. And so I almost skipped over Stereo/Mono. Listening to this album is like slipping into a comfortable, beat-up pair of Chuck Taylors that have been sitting in the back of the closet gaining dust, and finding they still have plenty of spring left in them. Stereo serves up the realization that the who man created the musical genre "Country & Westerberg" is still the one who's defining it. Dark, lonely nights. Check. Promises and dreams unfulfilled. Check. Musically, these two albums use the final Replacements' album, All Shook Down, as a jumping-off point, with Mono comprising the more rattling, Stonesy-blues/rock numbers. In all honesty, the Mono CD should be considered as little more than the bonus disc it is; a fun extra that shouldn't be taken too seriously. In at least one way, he's come full cycle - radio won't touch this work anymore than it would have played the best of the Replacements' earlier works. It's too raw, too honest, and too unpretty. And yes, too ridden with technical imperfections. If there's no "Within Your Reach" to completely stop your heart beating, there are more than a few that come close, only to come maddeningly to harsh gaps where the tape in the studio ran out. In the liner notes, Westerberg warns us of that possibility, laying out his short doctrine of the imperfectness of art, and he's perfectly correct. Stereo, with all of its flaws, is worth all of Westerberg's 1990s output, combined, and then some.

Who else would write "Coffee laughs at us every morning"?:
Paul Westerburg, that's who. And who else would have the balls to do a cover of an Anthony Newly song...and a pretty good one at that!(see Dead Man Shake) I haven't kept up with all of Paul's work, but Stereo/Mono and others do it for me. Other artists may give lip service about not giving a f**k what people think of their work; Paul lives it! As a singer/songwriter/guitarist, I could only hope to write songs with the same integrity as Paul. Take "Nothing To No One" for example. What a sadly beautiful, but positive song! Beginning with defining the ends of the whole spectrum of human relationships, Westerburg succinctly sums up many of our experiences by singing "I am a body to someone." Other reviewers here may not share my enthusiasm for Paul's raw talent, but I think he is blessed with the true spirit of rock-n-roll.

More like 3 1/2 stars:
Paul Westerberg definitely earned a few points for integrity by releasing a two-disk set so raw and unpolished that there was virtually no chance of it receiving any airplay. After a succession of slickly produced solo efforts (which I, unlike many, enjoyed), he has returned to a harsher sound, albeit with uneven results. Although there are winners like "High Time," "Mr. Rabbit," and "2 Days Til Tomorrow," there are also actively annoying songs like "Baby Learns to Crawl" and "Eyes Like Sparks." Westerberg's voice often sounds far more nasal than usual, as well. Nevertheless, he continues to impress me. At a time when it seemed like he might have become complacent, it appears that he is actively reinventing himself and it will be interesting to see the musical directions he takes in the future.

And you thought Paul was dead!:
It hasn't been easy for the man, but Paul Westerberg has finally been set free. Like Prince's Emancipation project, the flood gates of Westerberg's mind have finally been opened and we are much better off because of it. Under Sire/Reprise, Paul Westerberg was constantly having his music micromanaged and produced by people (Don Was) who were a mismatch for him. As a result, his delicate balance of rock and balladry was constantly elusive and just a bit off balance. With Stereo and Mono, Paul finally nails it. Stereo is a very somber disc full of serious acoustic-based songs that serve as a perfect backdrop for a Sunday afternoon. Standouts are Only Lie Worth Telling, Boring Enormous, Mr. Rabbit, and Call That Gone? Mono is the rowdy rockin' disc made by Grandpaboy, a ghost of the Replacements. High points from that disc unclude High Time, Silent Film Star, and Let's Not Belong Together. It's enough to silence the fans who claimed that Paul forgot how to "rock out." It took a while, but Paul finally made the ultimate album, the best of both worlds, without the aid of his old band. Check it out, it's pretty glorious.

• Baby Learns To Crawl
• Dirt To Mud
• Only Lie Worth Telling
• Got You Down
• No Place For You
• Boring Enormous
• Nothing To No One
• We May Be The Ones
• Don't Want Never
• Mr. Rabbit
• Let The Bad Times Roll
• Call That Gone?
• High Time
• Anything But That
• Let's Not Belong Together
• Silent Film Star
• Knock It Right Out
• 2 Days Til Tomorrow
• Eyes Like Sparks
• Footsteps
• Kickin The Stall
• Between Love & Like
• AAA