14 Songs is the first official solo album from Paul Westerberg

Paul Westerberg

Paul Westerberg is an American musician, best known as the former lead singer, rhythm guitarist, and songwriter of The Replacements, one of the seminal alternative rock bands of the 1980s. He launched a solo career after the dissolution of that band...

, former leader of The Replacements. In many ways, it's his second solo album, given that the final Replacements album, All Shook Down

All Shook Down

All Shook Down is the final album by the band The Replacements, released on September 25, 1990 .This album was originally intended to be band leader Paul Westerberg's solo artist debut. As a result of its initial intent, All Shook Down is marked by numerous session, side and journeyman-musicians,...

, was heavily packed with session musicians and marginalized the other three band members.

The album features contributions from Ian McLagan

Ian McLagan

Ian McLagan is an English keyboard instrumentalist, best known as a member of the English rock bands Small Faces and Faces.-Small Faces and Faces:...

, former keyboardist for the Faces

Faces (band)

Faces are an English rock band formed in 1969 by members of the Small Faces after Steve Marriott left that group to form Humble Pie...

, a band that Westerberg has often cited as a favorite.

In an interview included with a special edition of the album, he explained that he started the record jamming with drummer Josh Kelly and former Georgia Satellites bassist Rick Price, but found that the combination wasn't working, requiring him to seek other players. (The only song featuring Kelly and Price is the opener, "Knockin' On Mine.") He also revealed that the album title was a reference to Nine Stories, by J.D. Salinger.

Track listing

Personnel

• Paul Westerberg – guitar, keyboards, saxophone, vocals
• Matt Wallace
  Matt Wallace
  Matt Wallace is an American record producer. He is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, and has been producing professionally since the early 1980s. Among his credits are the highly acclaimed album Angel Dust by Faith No More and the multiplatinum Songs About Jane by Maroon...
  
   – bass, percussion, drums, background vocals
• John Pierce
  John Pierce
  John Pierce is the name of:* John J. Pierce , writer* John M. Pierce , American amateur astronomer* John R. Pierce , American engineer, Professor, and author* John Pierce, member of the group Pablo CruiseSee also...
  
   – bass, piano, background vocals
• Rick Price – bass, mandolin, background vocals
• Josh Freese
  Josh Freese
  Josh Freese is an American session drummer and songwriter. He is a permanent member of A Perfect Circle, The Vandals, and Devo, having formerly played drums for Nine Inch Nails from late 2005 until late 2008, and for Guns N' Roses from mid-1998 to 2001. Freese has appeared on close to 300 records....
  
   – drums
• Josh Kelly – drums, background vocals
• Ian McLagan
  Ian McLagan
  Ian McLagan is an English keyboard instrumentalist, best known as a member of the English rock bands Small Faces and Faces.-Small Faces and Faces:...
  
   – piano, background vocals
• Michael Urbano
  Michael Urbano
  Michael Urbano is a studio drummer, band member, programmer, and record producer.One of his first gigs was as a member of Bourgeois Tagg, a 1980s band that was fronted by Brent Bourgeois and Larry Tagg and included Lyle Workman as the guitarist...
  
   – drums
• Suzanne Dyer – background vocals
• Joan Jett
  Joan Jett
  Joan Jett is an American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and actress.She is best known for her work with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts including their hit cover "I Love Rock 'n' Roll", which was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 from March 20 to May 1, 1982, as well as for their other popular...
  
   – background vocals
• Laurie Lindeen – background vocals
• Brian MacLeod – drums, background vocals