Paul Westerberg continues to intrigue. He -- or more likely his distributors at Tunecore and Amazon -- pulled his just-released digital album 49:00 from sale. In its place comes "5:05," a new single. All of these numbers make some sense for those who have been paying attention. 49:00 was subtitled ...of your life (the word time was crossed out and life inserted), yet the album-long track clocked in at 43:55. It's clear that "5:05," which, when added to that previous track brings the total time to an even 49 minutes, is the missing link.

But it's not entirely clear after all. Why, for example, would the last song of an album-long track reference its length in the lyric, as this does? The only reason 5:05 has meaning is because fans know that's what was missing. If it was part of the rather seamless album itself, it wouldn't matter. There is speculation that 49:00 was pulled down because, toward the end, Westerberg offers a mish-mash of covers, all just a few seconds long, followed by a longer take on the Partridge Family's "I Think I Love You." Did Ruben Kinkade demand royalties?

One thought: The missing 5:05 was actually a different song for which Westerberg couldn't get clearance. So, he dropped it at the last minute, then changed his mind, pulled 49:00 and replaced it with a big old "f-you" to whoever raised a stink, recording that track so it exactly matched the length of the excised tune.

It's difficult to hear the lyrics on the new track, though there are plenty of lines that leak through the lo-fi production clear as day, such as "It ain't about the money" and "you wanna sue me, see right through me." Westerberg is obviously mad at someone, and those of us quick enough to download both tracks are the beneficiaries.

One last note. 49:00 was available for 49 cents; "5:05" can be had for 99 cents or $5.05 through Tunecore. You chose. Even at the higher price, you're getting nearly 50 minutes of new Westerberg for less than $6. Not a bad deal at all.

Labels: commerce, music, Paul Westerberg