Paul Westerberg & Grandpaboy Stereo / Mono 2LP (Stereo & Mono)

Stereo is the fourth solo album by Paul Westerberg, originally released in 2002. At this point in his career, the former Replacements leader was entering a new phase. He said goodbye to professional studios and big-name producers like Brendan O'Brien and Don Was, recording the album in his basement by himself. Westerberg made no effort to fix imperfections, and even included a song for which the tape ran out before it was over. Stereo was packaged with Mono, which he credited to his Grandpaboy alter ego.

From Paul Westerberg:

What you have here are songs written and recorded at home over a two year period that followed a much longer period of performing, traveling, and explaining. Cut mostly live in the middle of the night, no effort was made to fix what some may deem as mistakes: tape running out, fluffed lyrics, flat notes, extraneous noises, etc. Many were written (or born if you will) as the tape rolled.

Unprofessional?
Perhaps real?
Unquestionably.

From Grandpaboy:

This is rock 'n' roll recorded poorly. Played in a hurry with sweaty hands and unsure reason.

How it sounds what it says who played what is irrelevant.

It feels right.
This is this is my my blood.

For whatever reason, Stereo is the first Westerberg solo disc that captures the elusive feel and emotional resonance of his best Replacements tunes. It's an inspiring return to form from one of rock's best songwriters, and proves his muse still visits on occasion — good news for all. [The initial pressings of Stereo also include Mono, the lo-fi rock album from Westerberg's nom de basement side project, Grandpaboy, which plays faster, looser, and a lot louder than Stereo, but still maintains many of the same virtues; they're two very different albums, but are well matched in this package.]

If the Paul Westerberg of Stereo is a seasoned musician putting his sorrows to music in the basement, Grandpaboy is his incorrigible alter-ego, playing spacious, low-fidelity Stones-stampin' rock 'n' rule that evokes his Replacements days without pandering to nostalgia. Westerberg's influence was planted in this fertile indie rock soil back in 1982, and whether it's been bastardized through the generations or not, you can still hear echoes of his rasped tone deep in the mixes of today's greatest counter-cultural masterpieces. Mono and Stereo would be fine records from any musician—that Westerberg himself is the source makes it all the sweeter.

Where Stereo should appeal to listeners who like their Westerberg served raw, Mono seems intended for those who prefer him bloody. Raucous and unpolished in a fashion not heard since deep in The Replacements' discography, Mono sounds as energized as Stereo sounds enervated.