When I was 18, R.E.M. were my Beatles. They made me realize I didn’t have to be David Lee Roth to be in a successful rock band. They carved a path for those of us who were never going to wow a crowd with our ass-length hair, or spandex tights, or knowledge of the mixolydian scale. On some level, I’ve been on the path set for me by R.E.M.—as both a writer and musician—ever since. I owe them a great deal.
Yet I don’t owe them a completely glowing review of the latest R.E.M. bio, which was penned by Peter Ames Carlin. I loved much of it, but Carlin’s preference of the band’s early Warner Bros.’s records at the expense of their IRS efforts I could not abide. See if you agree.
When I was 18, the Replacements were my Rolling Stones. The band reinvented rock music through their willful dismantling of it. As much as I loved R.E.M., with four million copies of Green sold by the end of 1989 and a cascade of new fans, you couldn't say, on some level, they hadn't sold out. The Replacements would forever remain a certain group of kids’ hip-pocket band, a kind of secret you would only clue your most deserving friends into. That was me.
The last song on my most recent album The Brightness of an Ordinary Star is “Just the Right Angle,” which is about the Replacements. It’s the Song of the Month for November.
Funny, but I can’t imagine ever writing a song about R.E.M., even though there is no doubt they are my favorite band of all time. Happy endings don’t typically make great songs. I try to write songs like my favorite R.E.M. songs. The Replacements are a worthy band to write songs about. They Might Be Giants seem to agree.
The plan is for the next Budapalooza to go down on Friday, November 22nd, at 5 PM PST. That’s the weekend before Thanksgiving. What’s Budapalooza? Just the greatest thing to ever come to the internet. I play my and others’ songs solo acoustic for about a half hour, and you can watch and listen right from your own home. You have to sign up and friend me at Bandcamp, which is free, to get access and notifications, but you will dig it. I had my best Budapalooza ever last month, and the viewership is growing.
I have one slot open on my setlist for this event. Is there a song by me you’d like to hear me play? Include it in the comments.
Finally, it’s almost that time of year. Do you have an Art Edwards fan on your list? Don’t forget that I have a website where I sell physical copies of my albums and novels. Get them all for your special someone, even if that special someone is you.
See you on the 22nd!
For all the Mats talk, you should play a Mats song.