Yeah, those last 2 Replacements albums were kind of a letdown (especially the last one). They never really were the same after Westie sacked Bob Stinson.
Yeah, on the Don't Tell a Soul tour. Slim was by all accounts a wonderful human being — and I saw him put on an amazing show with Curtiss A. circa '84 — so I don't wanna bash him. But the band was just not the same without Bob, and it didn't help that Westerberg was starting to take himself a little too seriously as a songwriter.
I'm one of your Canuck readers and zero apologies necessary! We affectionately called him that too (though by all accounts he is a super nice guy). The incessant barrage of this song and others like it due to can-con rules on our terrestrial radio was excruciating in those days. It's nice to know some US stations gave their listeners a similar dose and we weren't the only ones enduring Life Is a Highway ad nauseum. lol
XRT even took the piss out of that accent with their “Goin’ To The Show With A Regular Guy” movie review bit.
Of course, the cosmic joke is that all regional accents have slowly vanished, replaced with a yuppified neutral American sludge from coast to coast and the middle as well. For anthems to live by, give me “Deteriorata” over “Life Is A Highway”
Oh yeah, I loved the Regular Guy! And you’re totally right - the last time I lived in Chicago (2015-18) I rarely if ever heard anyone speaking in the old Chicagoese … and I had to drive to Wisconsin to hear anything approaching a regional accent.
I just put it on for a lazy Saturday with our 6 year-old, and the ads are still charmingly local, Chicago accents and all.
Listening to Johnny Mars rhapsodize about being 21 in 1978 (that’s the year for the flashback this morning) made me think of jazzheads DJ’ing on WBEZ in the late ‘90s. Getting old fuckin’ sucks!
I can’t read this piece and then fail to reminisce over our record store staff’s treatment of Bruce Cockburn’s delightful surname. So, thank you for that, Dan.
Hahaha. I think that that's the song I hear the most when at Hy-Vee or Jewel, or it sure as hell seems that way.
Same here at the Hannaford or Shop-Rite. Maybe this belongs in the genre of "Supermarket Rock".
Lead track on the CD
Oh god yeah, this is screaming out for a K-Tel style compilation and TV ad...
In the ear of the beholder? Sorry, I can’t hear you. I have a carrot in my ear 🥕
Yeah, those last 2 Replacements albums were kind of a letdown (especially the last one). They never really were the same after Westie sacked Bob Stinson.
Did you ever catch them during the “Slim years”?
Yeah, on the Don't Tell a Soul tour. Slim was by all accounts a wonderful human being — and I saw him put on an amazing show with Curtiss A. circa '84 — so I don't wanna bash him. But the band was just not the same without Bob, and it didn't help that Westerberg was starting to take himself a little too seriously as a songwriter.
Wow! Now that’s a name I haven’t heard in a very long time. I hope he played this one at your show:
https://youtu.be/JCE2vyonJMU?si=b2ywxe2DnCy25NDk
I believe he did!
Outside the store afterward :
"Ya know wut? I tink dat guy said cock ring?"
"Yer nuts...less go get a beef sandwich."
Nice read about one of my most hated tunes of all time ( top 20 - or bottom 20, I guess - easily ).
"A beef!"
So very pleased to read that my friends and I weren't the only ones calling him Tom Cock Ring. 😂
Great minds, once again!
I'm one of your Canuck readers and zero apologies necessary! We affectionately called him that too (though by all accounts he is a super nice guy). The incessant barrage of this song and others like it due to can-con rules on our terrestrial radio was excruciating in those days. It's nice to know some US stations gave their listeners a similar dose and we weren't the only ones enduring Life Is a Highway ad nauseum. lol
Hahaha, yeah - the April Wine onslaught of the early eighties was far preferable!
Perfect, another "Illegal Smile"!
Red Rider was a strong part of my college era mix-tapes.
I’ll go ahead and say I’ve hated this song since the moment I heard it. And how about the Rascal Flats version!
As if it needed to get worse!
XRT even took the piss out of that accent with their “Goin’ To The Show With A Regular Guy” movie review bit.
Of course, the cosmic joke is that all regional accents have slowly vanished, replaced with a yuppified neutral American sludge from coast to coast and the middle as well. For anthems to live by, give me “Deteriorata” over “Life Is A Highway”
Oh yeah, I loved the Regular Guy! And you’re totally right - the last time I lived in Chicago (2015-18) I rarely if ever heard anyone speaking in the old Chicagoese … and I had to drive to Wisconsin to hear anything approaching a regional accent.
I just put it on for a lazy Saturday with our 6 year-old, and the ads are still charmingly local, Chicago accents and all.
Listening to Johnny Mars rhapsodize about being 21 in 1978 (that’s the year for the flashback this morning) made me think of jazzheads DJ’ing on WBEZ in the late ‘90s. Getting old fuckin’ sucks!
OMG they’re playing “Hollywood Nights” by Bob Seeger. Plus ca change…
HAHAHA
I can’t read this piece and then fail to reminisce over our record store staff’s treatment of Bruce Cockburn’s delightful surname. So, thank you for that, Dan.
🔥🔥