RE: Whiskeytown FYI
See, I don't think it is a contradiction. It is completely unreasonable to think (hope?) that impassioned, creative geniuses might also beconsiderate, thoughtful human beings? Besides, Adam is 24 now, he ain't all *that* young anymore. And really, why do people pin Westerberg's lameness on him getting older, as if his actual chronological age is the key to this? Maybe he's simply said all that he has to say. The problem is, he keeps talking g. I hasten to note that *I* don't pin Waterbug's lameness on his age; he's not that old, for one thing (at least not relative to some of the people who are occasionally mentioned in the same breath as him), and more important, I've long maintained that the reason he sucks so much these days is indeed that he's run out of things to say. There's more to it than that--there's the fact that he doesn't listen to anything remotely related to the kind of stuff he plays, which puts him in a sort of vacuum that doesn't seem conducive to his producing good records, and there's the whole business about how the quality of his records started declining around the time he quit drinking (but let's not get into that whole discussion again). But basically, the 'Mats put out approximately six brilliant, era-defining records, and that seems to be the extent of what Westerberg has in him to produce. That's a lot more than many other musicians have in them, so I can't get too worked up anymore about the unlikelihood of him ever putting out another good record, at any age. --Amy
Re: Whiskeytown FYI
On Sun, 31 Jan 1999 [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Whoa, I must've missed the part about how you concluded that Ryan is not a considerate thoughtful human being. Well, I don't "know" the guy, maybe you do. Maybe he shows all kinds of thoughtfulness and considerate behavior behind closed doors with friends. What this all gets back to are his public words and actions, which is all we (the public) have to go by. Again, none of this is to say that he doesn't have talent, much the way (as Amy H. pointed out) that John McEnroe sure could play him some tennis. Kip Linda In a message dated 1/31/99 5:08:45 PM Central Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: See, I don't think it is a contradiction. It is completely unreasonable to think (hope?) that impassioned, creative geniuses might also beconsiderate, thoughtful human beings?
RE: Whiskeytown FYI
On Sat, 30 Jan 1999, Amy Haugesag wrote: Kip sez: Oh contraire, I'm glad Westerberg grew up. Now I just wish he'd stop making crappy music. Or are you making the case that artists of a certain age aren't capable of being as good as they were in their youth? Amy H. retorts: I don't think that's what Jim is saying. Well, I didn't really think that's what Jim was saying, either. I was just trying to get some dust flying g. He's saying that people complain because Waterbug isn't the impassioned genius/brat that he once was--he's a boring old fart, in essence, and his recent records would be dullsville even if he were Ryan's age--but they also complain because Ryan is still young and stupid enough to play the impassioned genius/brat without apology or regret; they wish Ryan would act more like a mature adult. And that's a contradiction. See, I don't think it is a contradiction. It is completely unreasonable to think (hope?) that impassioned, creative geniuses might also beconsiderate, thoughtful human beings? Besides, Adam is 24 now, he ain't all *that* young anymore. And really, why do people pin Westerberg's lameness on him getting older, as if his actual chronological age is the key to this? Maybe he's simply said all that he has to say. The problem is, he keeps talking g. Kip
Re: Whiskeytown FYI
Whoa, I must've missed the part about how you concluded that Ryan is not a considerate thoughtful human being. Linda In a message dated 1/31/99 5:08:45 PM Central Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: See, I don't think it is a contradiction. It is completely unreasonable to think (hope?) that impassioned, creative geniuses might also beconsiderate, thoughtful human beings?
RE: Whiskeytown FYI
Kip sez: On Fri, 29 Jan 1999, Jim Cox wrote: Ok, the article is a little ridiculous. And Ryan is ridiculous, or maybe he was fucking with the guy, or both. Anyway, who cares. Sometimes I think the same people are at once upset at Westerberg for growing up and at Ryan for not growing up. If he makes another Stranger's Almanac, wouldn't that be great? I rooting for him (but heck, I was a McEnroe fan). Oh contraire, I'm glad Westerberg grew up. Now I just wish he'd stop making crappy music. Or are you making the case that artists of a certain age aren't capable of being as good as they were in their youth? I don't think that's what Jim is saying. He's saying that people complain because Waterbug isn't the impassioned genius/brat that he once was--he's a boring old fart, in essence, and his recent records would be dullsville even if he were Ryan's age--but they also complain because Ryan is still young and stupid enough to play the impassioned genius/brat without apology or regret; they wish Ryan would act more like a mature adult. And that's a contradiction. FWIW, I think Jim is exactly right on this. I also think that Ryan is, as Jim says, a little ridiculous, as are lots of extremely talented people, and he's probably never going to sound humble or mature in interviews. That's what the McEnroe analogy is about--there's no denying that John McEnroe was a complete prima donna and pain in the ass throughout his career, but there's also no denying that he was one of the most talented tennis players ever. I'm not prepared to make such claims for Ryan quite yet--I've never seen him play tennis, after all--but if his next record is as good as the first few have been, he can be as big a windbag in interviews and press releases as he likes. The music speaks for him more eloquently than he can for himself anyway. --Amy
RE: Whiskeytown FYI
-but they also complain because Ryan is still young and stupid enough to play the impassioned genius/brat without apology or regret; they wish Ryan would act more like a mature adult. And that's a contradiction. Somebody needs to kick his impassioned genius ass. Jeff Wall http://www.twangzine.com The Webs least sucky music magazine 3421 Daisy Crescent - Va Beach, Va - 23456
Re: Whiskeytown FYI
Here's the full Whiskeytown press release from Outpost. Personally, I wouldn't knock his ability to craft songs on the piano until I've heard it. Of course the Iha thing is kinda pathetic. It seems like there's always someone else willing to bask in that boy's aura. -- NW FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WHISKEYTOWN RECORDING FOLLOW-UP TO STRANGERS ALMANAC; ALBUM BOASTS PIANO-HEAVY ARRANGEMENTS, NEW DIRECTIONS IN COMPOSITION, GUEST JAMES IHA WOODSTOCK, N.Y., Jan. 25, 1999 - "Strangers Almanac was the kind of record where you close your eyes and go to this place that's very sad and really scary. It had a floating-in-space quality," says Whiskeytown singer-songwriter-guitarist Ryan Adams of the band's last album. "This record is as realist as the last record was abstract in that there's a more direct assessment of my fears." Adams and longtime musical co-conspirators Mike Daly (pedal steel, lap steel, 12-string, electric piano, organ) and Caitlin Cary (fiddle, vocals) have been teetering away from traditional composition of late. "This record has opened the door for us as a songwriting team," Daly explains. "And as musicians, we're taking the established style of Ryan's songs and pushing it a lot further, pushing the songs to the fullest place they can go. A lot of that has had to do with Ryan learning how to play piano and me being able to handle some of the more conventional instruments. We're really moving beyond our comfort zone." Though they remain committed to the "American rock" that made them a critical favorite, Whiskeytown is now bringing to the fore influences that had receded somewhat. These include The Clash, Joe Jackson and The Zombies. Echoes of The Band and Adams' customary Keith Richards-Exile on Main Street-American-country blues swagger are also in evidence. Overseeing the new disc is producer/multi-instrumentalist Ethan Johns (son of legendary producer Glyn Johns), with Grammy nominee Trina Shoemaker (Sheryl Crow) serving as engineer. Comments Johns, whose credits include albums by Emmylou Harris and Jon Brion, among others: "What's got me most excited is that Ryan is willing to take the traditional concepts of record-making and expand on them without falling back on the easier ways of expressing himself. As a result, the record will be more immediate and challenging to the listener." Among these expansions are Adams' growing facility with Wurlizter organ and piano and increasingly sophisticated grasp of arrangements and composition. "I'm backing off more now and letting the music convey the emotions I used to depend on the lyrics to spell out," Adams explains. "That way I can get a lot closer to capturing the moments that tear me up - those terrible, nostalgic things I'm always arriving at, maybe a bit late due to excessive verbiage." Adams' relocation to New York City and his "coming out of the dark" has allowed him to research his interests in music and art and life more fully. This experiential blossoming is represented in the 40-odd songs Whiskeytown is currently recording at Dreamland Studios in Woodstock, N.Y. Once a church, the facility is packed with hundreds of instruments. "It's hard not to just pick up all this stuff and let it flow," Adams admits. The record-in-progress also reflects the presence of Whiskeytown fan and Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha. Though Iha joined the band in Chapel Hill at a surprise show at Local 506 and in London at the Borderline (where Whiskeytown cranked out a Buzzcocks-esqe rendition of Iha's "Be Strong Now," from his solo album, Let It Come Down), Adams says Iha's participation in the studio arose casually. "I met James at the Troubadour in L.A. at one of our shows and then again in London," the Whiskeytown frontman reports. "He drops in for dinner now and again in New York, and we sit around and talk about The Band till we're blue in the face. We had a fishing trip planned in my home state of North Carolina and it turned into a studio session in Hoboken, N.J., that lasted for a week." "It's a blast hanging out with these guys and getting to make records," Adams continues. "The trick is to make one that we're all proud of and that other people can dig, too. This is the third time around, and honestly, I'm pretty glad to be feeling I've got the hang of things." Whiskeytown's legion of devoted fans will be able to hear this accomplishment for themselves when the band's new album, tentatively titled Go Bye Bye Music (Outpost Recordings), is released late this summer. Outpost Recordings is a joint venture with Geffen Records, which is owned by Universal Studios (www.universalstudios.com), a unit of The Seagram Company Ltd., a global beverage and entertainment company.
Re: Whiskeytown FYI
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: The record-in-progress also reflects the presence of Whiskeytown fan and Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha. Though Iha joined the band in Chapel Hill at a surprise show at Local 506 and in London at the Borderline (where Whiskeytown cranked out a Buzzcocks-esqe rendition of Iha's "Be Strong Now," from his solo album, Let It Come Down), God help us all if he (Iha) is a major influence on this new release after that dismal thing he did solo a year or so ago. Send him back to the Pumpkins where Corgan can keep him in line.
Re: Whiskeytown FYI
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: The record-in-progress also reflects the presence of Whiskeytown fan and Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha. Though Iha joined the band in Chapel Hill at a surprise show at Local 506 and in London at the Borderline (where Whiskeytown cranked out a Buzzcocks-esqe rendition of Iha's "Be Strong Now," from his solo album, Let It Come Down), God help us all if he (Iha) is a major influence on this new release after that dismal thing he did solo a year or so ago. Send him back to the Pumpkins where Corgan can keep him in line. Hey all, I hate to be picky here, but might y'all be a little more conscientious about how you're cutting and pasting text and attributing passages? Not a big deal, I do understand that this is kind of an inadvertent byproduct of mailing list life, but this is the second time this week this has happened to me. I did not write any of the words cited above. They are straight from the press release that I merely posted. I know this might sound trivial to you but it's not to me. For better or worse, I am a journalist for a living who likes to keep my words mine and other people's words their own, *especially* when it comes to press release fluff. (Of course, feel free to incorrectly cite me as the reference to any of those obscure country factoids that Weisberger delivers tho. I'll gladly, fraudulently accept looking smart and well-versed in country history. g) I've got my good name to protect. Or at least my mediocre name to protect, whichever the case may be. Sorry so crabby, Neal Weiss
RE: Whiskeytown FYI
On Fri, 29 Jan 1999, Jim Cox wrote: Ok, the article is a little ridiculous. And Ryan is ridiculous, or maybe he was fucking with the guy, or both. Anyway, who cares. Sometimes I think the same people are at once upset at Westerberg for growing up and at Ryan for not growing up. If he makes another Stranger's Almanac, wouldn't that be great? I rooting for him (but heck, I was a McEnroe fan). Oh contraire, I'm glad Westerberg grew up. Now I just wish he'd stop making crappy music. Or are you making the case that artists of a certain age aren't capable of being as good as they were in their youth? Kip
Re: Whiskeytown FYI
Oh contraire, I'm glad Westerberg grew up. Now I just wish he'd stop making crappy music. Or are you making the case that artists of a certain age aren't capable of being as good as they were in their youth? Well, I, for one, will make the case that in the case of Paul Westerberg it does seem to be the case that he isn't capable of being as good as he was in his youth. And it pains me to say it every time I say it. A case study. Neal Weiss
