Dirty albums to become precious treasures

For those unfamiliar with The Replacements or Paul Westerberg (The Replacements' principle songwriter), you should know that The Replacements were one of those college-rock bands of the early '80s who are responsible for the flannel-clad warriors of the early '90s like Pearl Jam and the Screaming Trees. \nAnytime I have ever slapped down the cash for a Replacements or Westerberg album the same thing happens. I go home immediately, listen to it twice and put it on my shelf for six months.\n There must be some kind of aging process for Westerberg's songwriting because after virtually forgetting I own it, I dust it off and put it back in the CD player and discover that since about 1981, the year I was born and the year the Replacements released their debut album Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash, Paul Westerberg has been writing a soundtrack for my life. I would've never concluded upon a first couple listens that I could have any kind of a personal connection to any Westerberg album, until now.\nBefore I signed up for this review, I had never even heard of Grandpaboy, the semi-anonymous side project of Westerberg. So pardon me for being a bit of a novice.\nThe first track "MPLS" is a rockabilly tribute to Westerberg's hometown of Minneapolis, and my first thought was, "Did I pick up the wrong album?" The majority of Dead Man Shake continues in this cross between boogie-woogie-soaked rhythm of the late '60s and early '70s Keith Richards-style feel of country and blues (not exactly what I expected). There are some great covers on this record, like Hank Williams' "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry." Although this isn't my favorite kind of rock, after each listen I like it more and more.\nCome Feel Me Tremble begins with a wonderfully dirty alt-country track "Dirty Diesel," and I soon realize this album will be phenomenal from first listen. And then the second track, "Making Me Go" begins, and I hear all the power-pop brilliance that I thought only Big Star's Alex Chilton could produce. \nOn "My Daydream" he does a stupendous job lifting the "come on" rave-up from The Beatles' "Please Please Me." This is a dirty little power-pop album that leaves in all the little mistakes and has the vocals really low in the mix. I love this from track one to track 14.