Still loving life in GnR

Nick Cristiano of Philly.com recently spoke to former THE REPLACEMENTS and current GUNS N’ ROSES/SOUL ASYLUM bassist Tommy Stinson about the musician’s new album, “One Man Mutiny”, which is due out later this month.

On playing with GUNS N’ ROSES and SOUL ASYLUM:

“SOUL ASYLUM, I’ve known those guys since we all went to school together, Dave [Pirner, SOUL ASYLUM frontman] and I anyway. They’re good guys and we have a good time playing together. That’s more a labor of love. GUNS is a different thing in that it’s a bunch of guys that come from all walks of life put together in this musical soup, and it has a whole different thing going on. It’s more of a collaborative band thing — when we write, anyway. GUNS has been nothing but a good gig for me for 12 years now. I started it with no expectations. I didn’t think it would last 12 years, but here I am.”

On “One Man Mutiny” and whether he will perform THE REPLACEMENTS songs on his current solo tour:

“I don’t ever veer too far from my roots. That’s pretty obvious here.

“It seems kind of foolish for me to get up there and sing some of Paul‘s [Westerberg, THE REPLACEMENTS leader] songs, even though I played on them, too. You don’t see Keith Richards going out on a solo tour and playing [THE ROLLING] STONES songs other than the ones he sang on.”

On THE REPLACEMENTS‘ legacy 20 years after the band’s demise:

“I’m totally proud of it. I’ve got no regrets about it. We left a good mark. For better or worse, we stuck to our guns for the most part and stayed true to ourselves. I wouldn’t go back. It was pretty . . . brutal. But I have fond memories of it. It was a good life.”