Just bumping this thread, to stir discussion now that it has settled.
I'm pretty effing convinced that this is a work of pure genius!
I'm a pretty big Westerberg fan and normally eat up songs others dismiss, so I could be biased. It is a work of art like Pink Floyd's The Wall, only with DIY Punk production instead of overdone studio work. (Note: I love Pink Floyd and mean no disrespect.)
49:00 is organic sounding, like it literally grew out of the dust in the cracks of Paul's basement floor. The countless layers of tracks on top of one another, most being random Paul Vocals, make me feel like I am in the scene in Being John Malkovich, when Malkovich goes in his own head, except it's Paul's head. And I think that's what he was going for.
I mean if you strap headphones on tight, crank the volume, consume a little pot or beer, and close your eyes, you'll be blown away. Give it a few spins and you'll find something new hidden away with every listen. Start isolating the left and right channels with that balance knob on your receiver, it's like a whole new album.
If I start talking about individual songs on here this post will get to be too long, but my highlights are:
[using the MWT unofficial track listing]
Something in my Life is Missing
Devil Raised a Good Boy
Good Night Sweet Prince
(If, upon listening to this song with headphones, you do not well up with tears a little, then you have no soul. Beautiful, this is music as true art!)
Outta My System
I'll Never Die
Oh Yeah! (Something about having a little rock and roll son of my own makes this one a riot to listen closely to.)
And I consider 5:05 a part of the album as the CD I burnt has both on there.
5:05 is a anthem, not it's an anti-anthem, whatever it is, it gets me riled up to go make dirty basement punk rock and self release it just to stick it to the unnecessary record industry that pumps out so much mediocre to terrible music just to make money. And to not be ashamed of my run-on sentences!