The Folker: Anyone else not crazy about it?

[toad]

Disclaimer: I'm new to Westerberg

I'm new to Westerberg and picked up "Besterberg" a few weeks ago based off how much everyone here loves him. I must say its the best album I've bought in a while (well, since Cold Roses at least) and its been in my player almost non-stop since.

I picked up "The Folker" yesterday with high hopes it would carry on my love of "Besterberg" and, quite honestly, I'm not sure there's one single song on there I'm crazy about.

I know there's a lot of love out there for this album, and I'm certainly not trying to bash/hate on it....just curious if I'm the only one who doesn't like it?

Maybe its the lack of rockers such as "Knockin On Mine," "World Class Fad," etc? I just don't know but I think I'm going to burn a copy and take it straight to the used CD store.

[Sandusky]

Just my opinion, but give it some time. Songs like 'Anywheres Alright', 'How Can You Like Him?', and 'Lookin Up In Heaven' rank with Paul's best but they don't come out and grab you, takes more time to reveal themselves to you. Then again, you might not like it and that is cool too. Obviously I worship this album and I've played it at least every other day since I've owned it.

[BirdBrain]

I'm not crazy about it...I think it's just alright, its at least an improvement on "Come Feel Me Tremble" which I thought was pretty much just the leftovers from the Stereo/Mono sessions and fairly awful. My brother says it sounds like Tom Petty b-sides and I can kind of see where he is coming from. The melody was the same in all the songs and the choruses were all pretty much the title of the song repeated over and over again. Boring water-treading. "Folker" is a bit better and a bit more varied but I think Paul has somewhat gone as far as he can go with the down in the basement lo-fi aesthetic of his last few records. I've had a sneaky feeling that if any other songwriter released "Folker" wouldn't get half the attention...it can grow on you but Paul is capable of making albums ten times as good as this.

I love nearly everything the Mats did but his solo career is just as spotty as Ryan Adams or Jay Farrar (or Bob Dylan!) in my opinion. I love "14 Songs" and "Stereo/Mono" but I can take or leave the rest.

[Rick V]

FOLKER gets better with repeated listenings but STEREO/MONO is clearly better imo. That's the one you should get asap.

[Sandusky]

I'm still firmly in the 'Folker' camp, I think it beats 'Tremble', 'Mono', and 'Stereo'. The album has so much heart and I can't take the whole 'if anyone but Paul had released this' approach lightly because I unequivocally absolutely adore the whole disc from start to finish. The only people I have to bounce it off of are you guys and in my world this album is a masterpiece. Even the longwinded drunkened rambles like '$100 Groom' that fall all over the place and just drag on and on, man I can't get enough, that's Paul having a blast!!! And the depth of his insight is so honed after all these years, his lyrics aren't as straight-up as the Mats days, 'teach me to die butterfly soft and slow deep in the meadow' fuck I just love this stuff, you can feel all the years wear and tear in the ache and 'tremble' of his shot voice. And how he references the past on 'Anywheres Alright' when he sings 'I will dare' in one of the verses, maybe it helps to have been around for the whole ride but no artist for me touches the grace of this guy. Pure class and intergrity, that's Westerberg to me.

[Rowsdower]

Of the Basementberg I'm: Mono (10/10) > Stereo/CFMT (9/10) > Folker/Dead Man Shake (8/10)

It's all good though obviously. The Folker never dies!

[TANEYTOWN]

I think Folker was more a cd for the Die Hards the people that really get Paul. Try something else like Mono or just head straight for the Mats.

I for one think Folker is the best thing he has ever done. Always felt the cd was just for me kind of. Always the cd I wanted him to make. A lo-fi
high reverb cd. Really touching deeb cd full of pain & real life hurt trying to heal.

[El Santo]

"folker" is actually the first Westy album I ever bought ( a month ago) and i did so against the recommendations of others.

I think its pretty good. I do enjoy it, but I've only listened to it a few times. As far as my opinion goes, i would give it a 7/10. Thats just me. I do like it though, dont get me wrong.

I think that if an album is for die hard fans only, even casual fans should be at least able to get a little something out of it. Even if its not your favorite.

I'm still in the process of getting through "stereo", but I've bought so much stuff lately its hard to keep track of where I am.

[DADDY]

maybe it helps to have been around for the whole ride .

That's it in a nutshell . . . . Nail head hit.

Ray once had a great quote about scotch and Waits . . . don't want to fuck it up so I won't try to paraphrase.

There is a reason we read books in order . . . when was the last time you recommended somebody to go and see a particular movie's ending . . . I know my analogy is flawed . . . but damned if it didn't sound cool in my head before I typed it.

[TANEYTOWN]

maybe it helps to have been around for the whole ride .

That's it in a nutshell . . . . Nail head hit.

Ray once had a great quote about scotch and Waits . . . don't want to fuck it up so I won't try to paraphrase.

There is a reason we read books in order . . . when was the last time you recommended somebody to go and see a particular movie's ending . . . I know my analogy is flawed . . . but damned if it didn't sound cool in my head before I typed it.

Your right on ! Start with Mommy & watch this huge piece of work work it's way towards Folker. With all that we the people that know it all still don't have the ending which is cool. Well we do know as well THE FOLKER NEVER DIES!

[Dinosaur1]

It's my favorite one actually. I love all his work and I didn't think you could top Mono and stereo, but I love it!

[eejut]

i think CFMT is Pauls most rounded and balanced solo album, MONO is his most fun and FOLKER has the most heart.

honestly, i couldnt pick between these three as my favorate Basementberg, but i put all three above STEREO and DEAD MAN.

Which isnt answering anything at all.

Throw in his other solo efforts and a headache becomes a hangover, can't choose easily.

SUICAINE has to be near the top, EVENTUALLY and SONGS are both good, but not AS good as what came before and after.

Which still doesnt help. Sorry.

To answer the original question
No, you're not the only one who doesnt like it, theres most the rest of the world on your side. Only kidding. Only slightly.

To be honest Toad, if you dont like it now, dont try to hard. But dont get rid of it. Put on your shelf and leave it, i've got a feeling one day a mood will strike you, and the album might strike you different. That happend for me and Son Volt. Couldnt get into TRACE for a long time, then dusted it down one day and ooooooh baby.

[Rowsdower]

Preach on Daddy, Taney, eejut. You's all right!

[El Santo]

I just started listening to Mono today. I'm such an ass, that I had listened to Stereo for about 2 weeks, before I actually found the Mono CD in the same case. I guess I wasnt expecting that at all, never bothered to look. Then I was just looking at the case, thinking, "where the hell is the other CD?"
there it was, behind a paper panel. Damn my unnoticing nature.

Mono is awesome so far, I love it. Stereo is good too, bu Mono is just a great CD to hear on a sunny day. At least for me.

[Rowsdower]

Mono is the best CD of the new millenium.