Paul Westerberg

Paul Westerberg could have made Pet Sounds after the Replacements broke up and it still probably wouldn't have been good enough. So beloved was his old band that his solo output never got out of the shadow of the Replacements' legacy and catalogue. But that doesn't mean he hasn't released some solid records. The album 14 Songs came shortly after the breakup of the band and picks up where their swan song, All Shook Down, left off. The musicianship had a sense of professionalism, and songs seemed finely crafted, especially cuts such as "World Class Fad" and "Someone I Once Knew." But the album didn't garner the kind of fanaticism that greeted Replacements records. Westerberg followed up 14 Songs with a string of mediocre singer/songwriter records. Eventually and Suicaine Gratification sounded like Westerberg was lost at sea, unable to capture the loose glory that marked his best work. It seemed as if old age was being unkind to the man who once personified youthful exuberance.

It wasn't until 2002's Mono/Stereo that Westerberg found his footing again. Released on the emo/punk label Vagrant, the double album -- one CD of loose rock and roll, the other of hushed folk -- saw Westerberg at his most tuneful and charming, with songs such as "Silent Film Star" and "Only Lie Worth Telling." Westerberg continued his relationship with Vagrant, and his renaissance with 2003's Come Feel Me Tremble. (ROB SHEFFIELD)

From 2004's The New Rolling Stone Album Guide