Suicaine Gratifaction is the third solo album from former Replacements leader Paul Westerberg, and his first with Capitol Records after losing his deal with Reprise.
Co-producer Don Was had admired Westerberg for years. He used Westerberg's solo debut, 14 Songs, as daily inspiration while producing the Rolling Stones' Voodoo Lounge.VH1: Paul Westerberg Goes It Alone With Suicaine Gratifaction. Accessed June 30, 2008 Westerberg once claimed that he had originally been interested in working with Quincy Jones.Mountain Xpress interview. Accessed June 30, 2008.
Regarding the album's strange title, Westerberg said, "I don't want to think about it too deeply other than the fact that it seems wrong, and therefore it's attractive to me."MTV: Paul Westerberg Lines Up Suicaine Gratifaction for 1999 Accessed June 30, 2008.
The piano solo in the middle of "Born for Me" is the subject of a chapter within Nick Hornby's Songbook, where its simply played, undemonstrative character, of a piece with the song as a whole, is contrasted with virtuosic solos that use the underlying song as a jumping-off point to some unrelated destination. Hornby describes Westerberg as a "born musician" and suggests that he's "a man who thinks and feels and loves and speaks in music." "Born for Me" was rerecorded on I Don't Cares' 2016 album, Wild Stab.
Track listing
Personnel Paul Westerberg – guitar, vocals Shawn Colvin – vocals Don Was – bass Steve Ferrone – drums Josh Freese – drums Suzie Katayama – accordion, cello Jim Keltner – drums, percussion Abe Laboriel Jr. – drums Greg Leisz – pedal steel guitar Benmont Tench – keyboards Richard Todd – French horn Dave Pirner – backing vocals
References