"Color Me Impressed" is vintage old Replacements. It's from the original line-up, when the unpredictable Bob Stinson was still in the band. It's also from the Mats' indie days, before they scored a major label contract, mellowed-out, then imploded. And though I like just about everything that Paul Westerberg does, "Color Me Impressed" is PW at his edgy best.As I said in an earlier post, there are two Paul Westerbergs. There's the sad romantic, ever in touch with the broken hearts and failures of his youth, and the venomous smart ass... the guy who's been flashing his middle finger at the world since he was a kid. "Color Me Impressed" is from the latter. It sounds like a scorching FU to the popular kids. Westerberg says "Everybody at your party... they all look depressed" and then comments that they're "dressin' funny" too as he mocks their trendy fashion choices.
I've always thought this would be a great song to perform at a party. Most of the musicians I knew in high school were always kind of on the outside looking in. They were cool in their own way, but certainly not conventionally popular like the pretty boys and girls who rack up all of the phony accolades and superlatives. I can just see those guys playing this song. The football players would be rockin' out, but because they're too shallow to pay attention to the words they'd have no idea they were being mocked. And the kids who are really in the know... the ones who read... the ones whose heydays last beyond the age of 17... they'll be in the corner having a laugh. They know exactly what this tune is about.
"Color Me Impressed" is from the album "Hootenanny." To hear the song, click on the icon in the widget jukebox along the side of the blog.
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