Comments on: The Popdose Guide to Material Issue http://popdose.com/popdose-guide-to-material-issue/ your daily dose of pop culture Sun, 08 Nov 2009 19:38:28 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Bootleg City: Material Issue in Cleveland, May ‘91 | Popdose http://popdose.com/popdose-guide-to-material-issue/comment-page-1/#comment-28231 Bootleg City: Material Issue in Cleveland, May ‘91 | Popdose Fri, 24 Apr 2009 20:30:29 +0000 http://popdose.com/popdose-guide-to-material-issue/#comment-28231 [...] track I did manage to name correctly was “Valerie Loves Me,” by Chicago power-pop trio Material Issue. I could’ve sworn they were British all those years ago, probably because of lead singer Jim [...] [...] track I did manage to name correctly was “Valerie Loves Me,” by Chicago power-pop trio Material Issue. I could’ve sworn they were British all those years ago, probably because of lead singer Jim [...]

]]> By: Rob http://popdose.com/popdose-guide-to-material-issue/comment-page-1/#comment-40089 Rob Tue, 22 Jul 2008 03:50:38 +0000 http://popdose.com/popdose-guide-to-material-issue/#comment-40089 I still miss these guys. All this time later. 7/21/2008. I visit Jim's grave every couple of years when I'm in the area...make sure it's clean. I'd love to see surviving projects; Mike, Ted, come to Minneapolis.<br><br>Peace. Perfect Peace. I still miss these guys. All this time later. 7/21/2008. I visit Jim's grave every couple of years when I'm in the area…make sure it's clean. I'd love to see surviving projects; Mike, Ted, come to Minneapolis.

Peace. Perfect Peace.

]]> By: Rob http://popdose.com/popdose-guide-to-material-issue/comment-page-1/#comment-13637 Rob Tue, 22 Jul 2008 02:50:38 +0000 http://popdose.com/popdose-guide-to-material-issue/#comment-13637 I still miss these guys. All this time later. 7/21/2008. I visit Jim's grave every couple of years when I'm in the area...make sure it's clean. I'd love to see surviving projects; Mike, Ted, come to Minneapolis.<br><br>Peace. Perfect Peace. I still miss these guys. All this time later. 7/21/2008. I visit Jim's grave every couple of years when I'm in the area…make sure it's clean. I'd love to see surviving projects; Mike, Ted, come to Minneapolis.

Peace. Perfect Peace.

]]> By: Patrick Dempsey - Chaska, MN http://popdose.com/popdose-guide-to-material-issue/comment-page-1/#comment-13636 Patrick Dempsey - Chaska, MN Tue, 04 Mar 2008 05:42:10 +0000 http://popdose.com/popdose-guide-to-material-issue/#comment-13636 I thought this was a wonderful look back at one of the greatest bands that ever existed. I loved Material Issue and they became 'my band'. All my friends in the late 80s and early 90s had 'their' band - The Replacements, Jesus Jones, The Cure, and on and on. I felt proud that I had found 'my' band...and what made them my band was something I didn't realize until many years later - that Material Issue wrote songs the way I had always hoped I could write songs. The connection for me was as real as anything I had ever felt and the connection was just the music, but what a connection! I loved Jim Ellison without ever having met him or known him. <br><br>I only ever saw them once in the summer of 1995 at an outdoor concert Somerset, Wisconsin, thinking that 'there will be other days'. It turned out that was the only day and I have lived with the remorse of missing out on a deeper exposure to the band because Material Issue is the entity that has had the most profound effect on my adult life - more than my own family and friends - that's how much their music meant to me and connected with me. <br><br>Today, the music endures and I still listen to Material Issue very often. Being the intense person that I am, I still feel a sense of confusion, aprehension and loss when I think about Jim and the band while listening to Material Issue songs. The pain of their loss still lingers in my heart somewhere because I know nothing in this world will ever touch my heart and my soul the way Material Issue did.<br><br>Thank you for taking the time to write a poignant tribute to the absolute greatest powerpop band to ever exist 12 years after they ceased to exist! Jim would have been proud. I thought this was a wonderful look back at one of the greatest bands that ever existed. I loved Material Issue and they became 'my band'. All my friends in the late 80s and early 90s had 'their' band – The Replacements, Jesus Jones, The Cure, and on and on. I felt proud that I had found 'my' band…and what made them my band was something I didn't realize until many years later – that Material Issue wrote songs the way I had always hoped I could write songs. The connection for me was as real as anything I had ever felt and the connection was just the music, but what a connection! I loved Jim Ellison without ever having met him or known him.

I only ever saw them once in the summer of 1995 at an outdoor concert Somerset, Wisconsin, thinking that 'there will be other days'. It turned out that was the only day and I have lived with the remorse of missing out on a deeper exposure to the band because Material Issue is the entity that has had the most profound effect on my adult life – more than my own family and friends – that's how much their music meant to me and connected with me.

Today, the music endures and I still listen to Material Issue very often. Being the intense person that I am, I still feel a sense of confusion, aprehension and loss when I think about Jim and the band while listening to Material Issue songs. The pain of their loss still lingers in my heart somewhere because I know nothing in this world will ever touch my heart and my soul the way Material Issue did.

Thank you for taking the time to write a poignant tribute to the absolute greatest powerpop band to ever exist 12 years after they ceased to exist! Jim would have been proud.

]]> By: Don Drysdale http://popdose.com/popdose-guide-to-material-issue/comment-page-1/#comment-13635 Don Drysdale Tue, 05 Feb 2008 00:09:12 +0000 http://popdose.com/popdose-guide-to-material-issue/#comment-13635 Read it. Lived it. Love it.<br><br>The only thing better than this article was a MI show at "The Sweatro". Read it. Lived it. Love it.

The only thing better than this article was a MI show at “The Sweatro”.

]]> By: bama http://popdose.com/popdose-guide-to-material-issue/comment-page-1/#comment-13634 bama Thu, 24 Jan 2008 23:12:52 +0000 http://popdose.com/popdose-guide-to-material-issue/#comment-13634 I'm curious if anyone out there has the original "Kim the Waitress" by the Green Pajamas? <br>I'd heard once that the song was a cover, but never knew/have never heard the source. I'm curious if anyone out there has the original “Kim the Waitress” by the Green Pajamas?
I'd heard once that the song was a cover, but never knew/have never heard the source.

]]> By: ken http://popdose.com/popdose-guide-to-material-issue/comment-page-1/#comment-13633 ken Wed, 23 Jan 2008 07:05:10 +0000 http://popdose.com/popdose-guide-to-material-issue/#comment-13633 Nice work Darren. As a fellow Chicagoan, I witnessed MI's rise to fame from the ground up as well. As they were first starting out, I interviewed them at my high school radio sataion in the 80's--they also played a 'social' at our high school-- then I played them at my college station when IPO came put and had the honor of playing them at several commercials stations after that, so as I 'graduated' to bigger and better situations, so did they.<br><br>Jim was one cocky bastard but he backed it up with writing great songs. So sad that the subject of so many of his great songs--girls--was ultimately what did him in.<br><br>My only quibble with your song selections would be the lack of "She's Going Thru My Head" and "Chance of a Lifetime", two early live staples that I feel should've been huge hits. Nice work Darren. As a fellow Chicagoan, I witnessed MI's rise to fame from the ground up as well. As they were first starting out, I interviewed them at my high school radio sataion in the 80's–they also played a 'social' at our high school– then I played them at my college station when IPO came put and had the honor of playing them at several commercials stations after that, so as I 'graduated' to bigger and better situations, so did they.

Jim was one cocky bastard but he backed it up with writing great songs. So sad that the subject of so many of his great songs–girls–was ultimately what did him in.

My only quibble with your song selections would be the lack of “She's Going Thru My Head” and “Chance of a Lifetime”, two early live staples that I feel should've been huge hits.

]]> By: Steve http://popdose.com/popdose-guide-to-material-issue/comment-page-1/#comment-13632 Steve Tue, 22 Jan 2008 21:45:25 +0000 http://popdose.com/popdose-guide-to-material-issue/#comment-13632 Darren - thanks for a great read down memory lane. I got all goopy with my first-ever girlfriend while listening to IPO and 11 Supersonic. And whenever we saw 'em live they never failed to tear the house down. Darren – thanks for a great read down memory lane. I got all goopy with my first-ever girlfriend while listening to IPO and 11 Supersonic. And whenever we saw 'em live they never failed to tear the house down.

]]> By: Darren http://popdose.com/popdose-guide-to-material-issue/comment-page-1/#comment-13624 Darren Tue, 22 Jan 2008 20:23:41 +0000 http://popdose.com/popdose-guide-to-material-issue/#comment-13624 IPO is my fave, too. Sometimes, I think the highs of Destination are just a little higher than the highs of IPO, but that IPO is a much more consistent record. Freak City comes in at #3, but not for a lack of trying. IPO is my fave, too. Sometimes, I think the highs of Destination are just a little higher than the highs of IPO, but that IPO is a much more consistent record. Freak City comes in at #3, but not for a lack of trying.

]]> By: Darren http://popdose.com/popdose-guide-to-material-issue/comment-page-1/#comment-13631 Darren Tue, 22 Jan 2008 20:20:28 +0000 http://popdose.com/popdose-guide-to-material-issue/#comment-13631 In describing the song "Next Big Thing" I just realized that I wrote "meet-cute" instead of "cute-meet". Fuck! In describing the song “Next Big Thing” I just realized that I wrote “meet-cute” instead of “cute-meet”. Fuck!

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