Especially for Lurker, you know where to Find The Punk. Even though Westy dismisses the Replacements' first album as the same song written eighteen different ways, it's still one of my favorites. It's funny, sloppy, poignant and timeless.
Sorry Ma is ... the sound of exuberance! (And Tommy, even at 14, could tear it up on bass.)
Here's an excerpt from that book I won't shut up about ...
Dave Ayers, former Twin/Tone Records executive: [Sorry Ma] is the best American punk-rock record ever. I’ve always felt that way. Song after song, in terms of capturing that thing—pure octane, terrified and fearless at the same time. All that stuff that’s wrapped up in that moment in time of being a 19-year-old kid.
8 comments:
What a great record. I remember hearing this as a youngster (after already hearing Hootenanny, and just thinking it kicked ass. I especially like 'Shiftless When Idle' and 'Johnny's Gonna Die'. What did it say in the liner notes about shiftless? Something 'great title, so and so execution'? Jay, I'm sure you remember.
That's basically correct. My fave liner note is for whichever song he says: Written five minutes after it was recorded.
Mine's gotta be:
Stole a mess of these words from a guy who's never gonna listen to this record.
Or:
Bob's lead is hotter than a urinary infection.
Thanks, glad to have some more. Those liner notes are gems, too.
Listening to Sorry Ma, I almost feel like I'm at a live show. Very urgent, kinetic. Nowhere close to the polish of Pleased to Meet Me, but the energy is the same.
I love it because you can tell they are trying so hard to be a hardcore SoCal band and just failing miserably at it. But what comes out of it is so brilliant.
Good observation, Lurker. There's a quote in the book about their sound, something about recording in the studio like they were playing before a stadium of screaming fans.
And on-point as usual, Dave. I think Westerberg has said before that he finally gave up on that "fake punk" sometime after Hootenanny.
I'd never really listened closely to Bob's leads before. The man must have been some kind of savant. When he didn't have a guitar in his hands, he comes across as barely capable of tying his shoes ...
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