Paul Westerberg - "My Road Now"

The growling, disheveled, king of the underdogs Paul Westerberg begins "My Road Now," a new song that sprung up around every corner of the internet today, with typical Replacements gravitas: "...fuck me." The lead-in of a failed take perfectly sets up what might be one of Westerberg's most appealing songs in years. Over a simple chord progression on the piano, Westerberg weaves a tale of a partnership gone sour with his infamous cigarrette and booze-scorched vocals and humor-dusted misery: "This is my road now, and you can hit it baby. / I don't care where you go. / This is my road now, and you can hit it honey. / Hit it like I owed you a whole lot of money." The best line though may be this heartstring-tugging imagery in the second verse: "You won't know where the money went. / You ain't broke, but you're badly bent." There's no real hopeful lyrical message in this recession-era ballad. Instead its the light hum of strings and the disarmingly potent melody that lift the spirits, proving strong enough to get stuck in this listener's head after just a single go-around. Time, it seems, hasn't diminished this Mats' touch one bit.

Paul Westerberg - "My Road Now"

Johnny Thunders - "You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory"

I'm a Replacements fanatic. I've got every album, bootleg, and cover. I even own the oral biography, (though I haven't yet watched the new documentary). And the more you listen to and learn about Paul Westerberg and the rest of the 'Mats, the more you appreciate the band's two major influences: Alex Chilton and Johnny Thunders. Thunders—born John Genzale and later renamed after the DC comic book hero when he joined the New York Dolls—was one of those talents that burned bright, but for a tragically short period of time. Recently, I've become particularly enamored with Thunders' 1978 solo outing So Alone, which features an all-star cast of supporting musicians like The Pretenders' Chrissie Hynde and Thin Lizzy's Phil Lynott. The album also boasts what is perhaps Thunders' signature track: "You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory," a classic anthem that lifts its title from a line on the 1950s sitcom The Honeymooners. The song, which has aged beautifully with time, also happens to feature slashing lead guitar work by Peter Perrett of The Only Ones, who's track "Another Girl, Another Planet" was a live favorite of The Replacements.

Johnny Thunders - "You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory" (from So Alone)

The Story Behind "Johnny's Gonna Die"

After watching a drunk and drugged Johnny Thunders stumble his way around on stage, insult the audience, and eventually pass out, then 18-year-old audience member Paul Westerberg went home and wrote the song "Johnny's Gonna Die." The song—one of two Westerberg would write about his idol Thunders—was a rare unhurried moment on The Replacements' otherwise racing 1981 debut Sorry Ma, Forgot To Take Out The Trash. The wildly influential Thunders—a member of punk pioneers the New York Dolls in the early 1970s and then leader of the Heartbreakers—died ten years later from drug-related circumstances. Thunders' cult status lives on not just in Replacements' tributes, but in songs by the Clash, Nick Cave, Alex Chilton and Guns N' Roses.

The Replacements - "Johnny's Gonna Die" (from Sorry Ma, Forgot To Take Out The Trash)
Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers - "Born To Lose" (from L.A.M.F.)

RIP Alex Chilton

Alex Chilton, the cult hero and legend behind pop acts the Box Tops and Big Star, died Wednesday in New Orlanes at the age of 59 from what is believed to be a heart attack. The musician will certainly be remembered, not only for his own great work, but in the music of his fans and friends. Particularly, Paul Westerberg's 1987 ode to his hero, aptly titled "Alex Chilton," and Elliott Smith's beautiful cover of "Thirteen."

The Replacements - "Alex Chilton" (from Pleased To Meet Me)

Elliott Smith - "Thirteen" (Big Star cover)