As the hockey playoffs wound down I began tossing around ideas for new posts. Not to mention ideas for things to replace hours of obsessive game watching. I surfed to Amazon in search of a book and settled on "The Replacements: All over but the shouting - an oral history" by Minneapolis music writer Jim Walsh. It's a quick read, as well as an entertaining one for fans of these 80's rock underdogs.The book is a collection of thoughts, anecdotes from various individuals who had an inside perspective at the height of the 80's indie-rock scene in Minneapolis. Reading it is like sitting around a table in a small pub, sipping a pint and listening to simple yet fascinating stories about a rock band, made to sound like the stuff of rock and roll legend. Well, perhaps it really is legendary stuff. You just have to put yourself in that frame of mind and drink it all in, so to speak.
The best was saved for last as the part relating the events surrounding the death of Bob Stinson, near the end of the book, was for me the most gripping. Smokin' Bob really comes off as the nicest guy in the band, by far. Paul and Tommy just want to be rock stars or at least act and talk that way, while Chris Mars seems constantly annoyed by his two big-haired bandmates, Paul in particular.
It becomes clear that the truth is they really wanted to make it but just didn't have a clue how. Were they really torn between integrity and fame/fortune? Or were they just too drunk to capitalize on their opportunity? The book paints a picture of a town and a vibrant music scene which this band was chosen to represent. They were put on a pedestal and set up to succeed. But they drank, got high and goofed off. Bob Mould sums it up when he says if you saw the Replacements 10 times, they would stink up the joint 9 times and once would make you think they were the greatest band ever. But you know what? In the end, though they underachieved in terms of massive success, they managed to leave behind a terrific catalogue of songs, spanning 10 years and 8 albums.
All that to say that in conjunction with reading the book, I slapped all their albums onto my iPod, paired them up - two to a playlist - and began listening to them intensely. You have to understand that for all intents and purposes I have not listened to a Replacements album for years. I really needed a break. After a while, no matter how great the band, years of blasting out the same tunes becomes overkill. It got to the point where I thought I would never come close to that magic I felt when I first heard "Pleased to Meet Me" at age 16.
The multi-year break proved fruitful, as I thoroughly enjoyed hearing the albums again. I can tell you now the Replacements are probably my favorite band ever. I mean, if I have to pick one, I'll say them. But listen, I don't want to really get into that. I like a ton of bands, they all have great songs, but the 'Mats have come closest to what - for me - is the perfect type of pop rock song. Still, after a while, it's just pointless to try to figure out if the Stones have more good songs, or the Replacements best songs are better, or if I like hard rock or metal more and AC/DC or Metallica is tops, etc. No point, you just go in circles.
A more realistic and hopefully interesting endeavour, I thought, was to rank the Replacements albums. In 1991 I probably couldn't have objectively done this. I was still really into "All Shook Down" 'cause it was so fresh and new. "Don't Tell a Soul" still seemed like the most uncool album ever, the one that turned all the diehard fans against them. "Let it Be" was universally recognized as their masterpiece, so placing it first seemed like a foregone conclusion.
Luckily, the passage of time can render many of these preconceptions obsolete. Does that make a list more relevant, more valid? Maybe. Probably. Anyhow, with that in mind, I paired up the albums on my player and went through a sort of round-robin death-match elimination tournament of Replacements albums. I now present to you my findings. I have listed the albums from tops to least good and included throughts, comments, highlights.
1. Pleased to Meet Me (1987) This one has been my favorite most of the way but it wasn't such a no-brainer pick. I honestly had to give the top 4 very careful consideration. Each has very strong points and some weaknesses. However, no matter how many ways I tried to create shock and surprise and pick another, "Pleased to Meet Me" just wouldn't let me. In particular after reading the book, I kind of wanted to put an album that Bob Stinson plays on in the #1 spot. But the guitar playing is really good on "Pleased" and it just shows that though Stinson's lead work was a great complement to Westerberg's songwriting, it wasn't the most essential ingredient in this recipe.
"Let It Be" is revered for having so much variety but so does this one. The difference is "Pleased" has more cohesiveness. One recurring theme with the Replacements is the presence of "rockers" or "rocking tunes" on any given album, or rather the perceived necessity thereof. There was this idea that at some point Paul threw in a couple of rockers just to keep Tommy happy. "I.O.U" is as good a straightahead rock and roll number as the band has in its vast repertoire. It doesn't sound forced at all, so I think Paul just wrote a great tune and it happened to be an upbeat rock and roll number. In a similar vein, "I Don't Know" is also excellent.
"Red Red Wine" and "Shooting Dirty Pool" are commonly referred to as the fillers on this record but in my opinion, only the latter fits that bill. "Red Red Wine" is a tad on the goofy side but it's a good enough tune, while "Pool" is perhaps the one true weak spot - despite a handful of great lyrics. It's the one they could have dropped had they wished to trim this group of songs down to the magic number 10. In case anyone is wondering, yes, I honestly think all albums should be no more than 10 songs long. If they were they would all be better. Just try it out with any album over 10 tracks and you'll see what I mean.
The trifecta of songs that really vaulted this album to the top spot for me is "Alex Chilton", "Never Mind" and "Can't Hardly Wait". Likely three of my top 10 Replacements songs, all on the same album. If I had to make that difficult choice, I would pick "Alex Chilton" as my favorite Westerberg song. It has all the elements: great riff, excellent lyrics, it rocks in a pop kind of way, and it just has this sound and feel that sets it apart from any other band's songs. It's a great pop rock song and at the end of the day, this is probably what Westerberg did best, though he is often thought of as more of a "rock and roll" guy who also writes good ballads.
"Never Mind" is another classic pop rock song. It has that anthem-like quality that a goodly number of Replacements numbers possess. It's my favorite of all their anthem-type songs, including "Bastards of Young". It also features one of the finest Westerberg vocals committed to tape.
And "Can't Hardly Wait" is a great song that was given a superb treatment in the studio, not always the case with this band. Often it was "the song is great even though the recording isn't". This one has a great guitar sound, great vocal and all the horns and overdubs add something worthwhile and elevate the overall result. Recently I heard an acoustic cover version of this song and just thought, this guy missed the point, what a waste of time.
This 11-track set is rounded out by another solid, straightahead pop rocker, "Valentine", and a threesome that again shows how well Westerberg's versatility works when he's just trying to write great pop songs, rather than trying to figure out how to conquer the charts à-la U2. "Nightclub Jitters" is a perfect bridge between the upbeat opening 3 and "The Ledge" that follows. "Jitters" is typically chock full of lyrical hooks and the arrangement works very well. In a world filled with bad song ideas set free, it's a pretty good idea for a song pulled off very well. "The Ledge" is a real highlight. It's a good example of how the band could stray from the beaten path and still sound natural and unforced. It does sound like they are trying to do a single with a certain sound, but they really pull it off.
Finally, there is the acoustic ballad "Skyway" which ranks up there with any similar song by Westerberg. It's lighter than the ballads on "Let it Be" and more catchy and compact than the epic "Here Comes a Regular" that closes "Tim". I read somewhere it came down to picking between "Skyway" and "Beer for Breakfast" to round out the album. They made the right choice.
So there you have it. Even the Replacements best album - or my favorite, rather - is not a perfect 10. There's that one track you could do without. Luckily it's only just over 2 minutes. The sound is decent: guitars sound good, vocals sound the best of any of their records, overdubs and extras are for the most part welcome, while the overall reverb and the reverb on the drums in particular is a tad excessive. Make that way excessive. But even the annoying 'verb doesn't come close to spoiling any of this album.
In closing, it is impressive and rare that a band peaks so far into their career. In most cases you look no further than the first 2 to 3 albums for the best and most enduring material. The Replacements were still hitting homeruns 7 years and 6 records into their career.
2. Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash (1981) It took me many, many years to fully appreciate their debut record. In the book, you can sense the excitement and buzz that surrounded its release. I can imagine why there was such a build up, in particular after seeing those YouTube clips of the band in concert in 1980. They sounded like a well-oiled pop/punk/rock machine. I imagine their first album fulfilled all their early fans expectations and hopes. These 18 songs in just over 36 minutes rival any great debut, like "Ramones", or the Dead Kennedys "Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables", or the Buzzcocks "Another Music in a Different Kitchen", or the Sex Pistols album, etc.
This one sounded just great through the mp3 player. The early recordings - "Sorry Ma", "Stink" and "Hootenanny" - really do a great job of capturing the band, it seems. It's no frills, just well balanced instruments, powerful vocals with a "one great take" feel and of course, great songs.
After a couple of listens I was reminded that "Sorry Ma" has no bad songs. You could argue "Otto" is no doozie but it's so short, it just fits in nicely, taking nothing away from the better tracks it is sandwiched between.
The two sides really play out like two blazing live sets. The first is fast paced, energetic and relentless. You never think of skipping ahead from the opening riff of "Takin' a Ride" to the mind-blowing closing twosome of "Rattlesnake" and "I Hate Music". The hooks are non-stop, the vocals are unbelievable and Bobby pulls off some great leads.
Then side two comes through like a series of knockout punches. It boggles the mind to realize that the best songs are all crammed onto the second half, even though the first was so good. "Johnny's Gonna Die" is a depressing little break from the thrills and spills of the other 17 tracks. You can picture them coming on stage after a quick bathroom break and starting the second set with a gut-wrenching ballad. Then the steam-train gets rolling again with an unbelievable 8-song sequence: "Shiftless When Idle", "More Cigarettes", "Don't Ask Why", "Something to Dü", "I'm In Trouble", "Love You Till Friday", "Shutup", "Raised in the City".
These songs are like the Replacements equivalent of the Beatles early material. Short, intense, deceptively not that simple, hook-laden songs that are too-often dismissed as something less than masterpiece. On "Sorry Ma", it's like side 1 is stuff from an early Beatles album - back when the albums did not contain the singles - and side 2 is the collection of singles, like "Past Masters". The singles are the ones you would pick for a party mix, but then you listen to those album tracks and realize they're just as good.
In some ways, "Sorry Ma" is their best album. Only the sheer greatness of the absolute highlights of "Pleased" persuaded me to place it ahead of its earlier, grittier counterpart.
3. "Tim" (1985) In some ways it was easiest to differentiate "Tim" from "Let it Be", thus easiest to decide where to place them on the list. In other ways, it was the most difficult decision. What the heck am I saying, anyway?! The two albums are so different in their sound and in the type of song they contain. For sound, "Let it Be" wins hands-down. In terms of production quality - though I do prefer the absolute rawness of the first three - it has to be the band's best. "Tim" is the one that many consider to have the best group of songs but that was ruined by the awful production and mixing of Tommy Erdelyi, who ironically was hired to transition the band to the "big time".
Ultimately, for my taste the group of songs on "Pleased to Meet Me" was even better and the overall album quality of "Sorry Ma" was better, too. But I did go with "Tim" over "Let it Be" because I slightly prefer the style of the songs. The sheer variety of excellent songs on "Let it Be" make it such an interesting album but I'll go with the more straightforward rock approach of "Tim".
"Tim" has a somewhat similar breakdown of song types as "Pleased" but it does lack the quality rock and roll numbers like "I.O.U." and "I Don't Know". "Dose of Thunder", perhaps in large part because the production job absolutely destroys the entire song, doesn't quite cut it and sounds messy instead of powerful. And "Lay it Down Clown" is a valiant attempt that falls short just because the song isn't that great.
But after that "Tim" is simply an amazing collection of rock and roll anthems. "Hold My Life" starts in strangely abrupt fashion but by the chorus it turns out to be top-notch Westerberg. "Kiss Me On The Bus" is an absolute pop gem. "Waitress in the Sky" is one of those PW songs that just sounds like a "standard", kind of like a Hank Williams tune. "Swingin' Party" / "Bastards of Young" is one of the best 1-2 punches on any 'Mats album. Those two tracks probably tipped the scales when it came to placing this album 3rd rather than 4th.
After a brief stumble with the aforementioned "Lay it Down Clown", side 2 of "Tim" shows tremendous depth with a closing trifecta of pure rock anthemage. "Left of the Dial" and "Little Mascara" feature the band's uncanny ability to produce what I refer to as rock melancholy. It's like a song that completely rocks but sounds so emotional, nostalgic, sentimental, etc. To close out the record, "Here Comes a Regular" reminds us that the oft-attempted 3-chord acoustic ballad is something best left to the master songwriters, like Westerberg.
4. "Let It Be" (1984) One of the most interesting facts I learned in the book is that this album has sold 250,000 copies. I imagine that sales were spread out over a fairly lengthy period after its release. It became a very cool album to own in the 1990's. I guess I'm proud to say I own a vinyl copy that I purchased in the same decade it was released. It is clearly the best sounding Replacements record and it's very interesting to note that the same guy - Steve Fjelstad - engineered both this one and "Tim". Perhaps Tommy Erdelyi really did screw up "Tim" when he mixed it, as Westerberg claims in the book.
After two songs of "Let it Be" I was thinking, "Ok, this is their best one for sure". I mean, "I Will Dare" and "Favorite Thing" are absolutely brilliant. The first is such a great and unconventional pop song and the second is a masterclass of punk rock hookery. "Favorite Thing" might contain Paul's best-ever chorus, which he caps off by singing "You're my favorite thing......BAR NOTHING!!!" leading into the guitar solo. Amazing.
The rest of the album is a rollercoaster ride to say the least. It's a truly unbelievable record and it's plain to see (hear) why it is the Replacements most critically acclaimed work.
I personally think the punky rock duo of "We're Coming Out" and "Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out" are more of a weak link than a strength. Or maybe just the latter. "We're Coming Out" does sound more genuine and has that cool breakdown at the end.
From Track 5 onward the twists and turns of the album are jaw-dropping. "Androgynous" has that same "How does this guy write songs that sound like standards?" feel of "Waitress in the Sky", but in a quirkier kind of way. "Black Diamond" is the king of all rock covers. You wonder how they could totally blow away the original, which they did. The guitars are so powerful, the vocal so passionate, and yes, perhaps Chris Mars is actually a better drummer than Peter Criss.
Side 2 is just nuts. There's the classic Westerberg ballads "Unsatisfied" and "Sixteen Blue", the straightahead rock instrumental (?) "Seen Your Video" and the sloppy blues rocker "Gary's Got a Boner". You wonder how the heck this could all be on one side of a rock album, then "Answering Machine" comes in to knock you senseless. That one and the first two are my highlights. "Answering Machine" is just a perfect recording of a brilliant song.
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So there it is. "Let it Be" closes out the top 4. I am pausing here, if only to mention that there is a considerable gap between 4 and 5. The identity of the top 4 albums was clear cut to me. I just had to work out the order. As I glance back up, I have to say, it looks right to me.
Those 4 albums are what make the Replacements one of the great bands ever. There's a bit of gravy down in the 5 to 8 range but 1 to 4 is pure gold. There are enough classic songs up there to match up with anybody. And considering the band's less than virtuoso musicianship, I must say there is also a fair bit of stylistic variety.
It's surprising how few bands have 4 great albums. I guess for me that's the "hall of fame" threshold: 4 great albums. It's the line that separates most bands of the absolute upper echelon from the others, even the very good. A lot of groups have 1 great album, maybe 2, and a couple more decent ones. But 4 great ones is rare. I don't want to get into that too much because it's a whole other post, or even a series of posts. But I really believe The Replacements are part of that elite group, what with the above 4 records.
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5. "The Replacements Stink" (1982) It was interesting to consider whether this should count as an album. Clocking in at just over 15 minutes, it's hardly an EP, never mind an LP. But I enjoyed listening to it so much I figured, why not just make up the rule "7 song minimum", just so it can qualify. I urge you to listen to it from start to finish. I guarantee that despite its brevity, it has the feel of a full album. Especially if you've listened to the vinyl version, where you had to flip between the two distinct sides. There's the intro at the start of Side 1 with the police breaking up a party, the sequence of songs on that side, the "first song on Side 2" feel of "White and Lazy", the ballad next to last, the super fast aggressive song to end, etc.
Anyway, "Stink" just has to be here, if only because it has as many good songs as "Hootenanny" and it just HAS to kick those other two albums in the gut, or at least slap them in the face ever so gently.
6 of the 8 songs here are true Replacements classics. In the book I just read, I learned that "Kids Don't Follow" was the reason for these recording sessions. Their manager heard them do it live and he snuck them into a studio to record it as some sort of single. Once they were there they banged out the other 7. Those were prolific times. Perhaps in hindsight, it would have been wiser to wait and combine these tracks with the best of the "Hootenanny" sessions, into what might have been their 5th great album. But I guess then we wouldn't have this cool, oddball of an EP, which by the way I also have on vinyl.
"Stuck in the Middle" and especially, "God Damn Job" are great, great songs. Everything here is performed with such fury and possesses such "spirit" as Westerberg refers to it in the book. In the later years there were still some good songs but that spirit was less and less present. Bad reverb and silky smooth overdubs tend to kill spirit, I guess.
"Kids Don't Follow" and "F*ck School" are a different kind of punk rock anthem. "White and Lazy" is the best sounding crappy recording ever. "Go" is the ingredient that sets the band apart from the others. A ballad would seem so out of place on this record but this one simply isn't. "Dope Smokin Moron" and "Gimme Noise" are fillers with an acceptable level of quality and listenability.
6. "Don't Tell a Soul" (1989) Travesty!!! I keep thinking, do I need to tear down one album in order to justify another's position? I don't know anymore. On the one hand I can sense how unpopular a choice this is here at #6. I mean, I always had the impression "Don't Tell a Soul" was perceived as their worst album. That was that and you couldn't question it. On the other hand, I think I am down to only two regular readers, so how unpopular could anything I do be?! On with the show.
All that to say that in conjunction with reading the book, I slapped all their albums onto my iPod, paired them up - two to a playlist - and began listening to them intensely. You have to understand that for all intents and purposes I have not listened to a Replacements album for years. I really needed a break. After a while, no matter how great the band, years of blasting out the same tunes becomes overkill. It got to the point where I thought I would never come close to that magic I felt when I first heard "Pleased to Meet Me" at age 16.
The multi-year break proved fruitful, as I thoroughly enjoyed hearing the albums again. I can tell you now the Replacements are probably my favorite band ever. I mean, if I have to pick one, I'll say them. But listen, I don't want to really get into that. I like a ton of bands, they all have great songs, but the 'Mats have come closest to what - for me - is the perfect type of pop rock song. Still, after a while, it's just pointless to try to figure out if the Stones have more good songs, or the Replacements best songs are better, or if I like hard rock or metal more and AC/DC or Metallica is tops, etc. No point, you just go in circles.
A more realistic and hopefully interesting endeavour, I thought, was to rank the Replacements albums. In 1991 I probably couldn't have objectively done this. I was still really into "All Shook Down" 'cause it was so fresh and new. "Don't Tell a Soul" still seemed like the most uncool album ever, the one that turned all the diehard fans against them. "Let it Be" was universally recognized as their masterpiece, so placing it first seemed like a foregone conclusion.
Luckily, the passage of time can render many of these preconceptions obsolete. Does that make a list more relevant, more valid? Maybe. Probably. Anyhow, with that in mind, I paired up the albums on my player and went through a sort of round-robin death-match elimination tournament of Replacements albums. I now present to you my findings. I have listed the albums from tops to least good and included throughts, comments, highlights.
1. Pleased to Meet Me (1987) This one has been my favorite most of the way but it wasn't such a no-brainer pick. I honestly had to give the top 4 very careful consideration. Each has very strong points and some weaknesses. However, no matter how many ways I tried to create shock and surprise and pick another, "Pleased to Meet Me" just wouldn't let me. In particular after reading the book, I kind of wanted to put an album that Bob Stinson plays on in the #1 spot. But the guitar playing is really good on "Pleased" and it just shows that though Stinson's lead work was a great complement to Westerberg's songwriting, it wasn't the most essential ingredient in this recipe."Let It Be" is revered for having so much variety but so does this one. The difference is "Pleased" has more cohesiveness. One recurring theme with the Replacements is the presence of "rockers" or "rocking tunes" on any given album, or rather the perceived necessity thereof. There was this idea that at some point Paul threw in a couple of rockers just to keep Tommy happy. "I.O.U" is as good a straightahead rock and roll number as the band has in its vast repertoire. It doesn't sound forced at all, so I think Paul just wrote a great tune and it happened to be an upbeat rock and roll number. In a similar vein, "I Don't Know" is also excellent.
"Red Red Wine" and "Shooting Dirty Pool" are commonly referred to as the fillers on this record but in my opinion, only the latter fits that bill. "Red Red Wine" is a tad on the goofy side but it's a good enough tune, while "Pool" is perhaps the one true weak spot - despite a handful of great lyrics. It's the one they could have dropped had they wished to trim this group of songs down to the magic number 10. In case anyone is wondering, yes, I honestly think all albums should be no more than 10 songs long. If they were they would all be better. Just try it out with any album over 10 tracks and you'll see what I mean.
The trifecta of songs that really vaulted this album to the top spot for me is "Alex Chilton", "Never Mind" and "Can't Hardly Wait". Likely three of my top 10 Replacements songs, all on the same album. If I had to make that difficult choice, I would pick "Alex Chilton" as my favorite Westerberg song. It has all the elements: great riff, excellent lyrics, it rocks in a pop kind of way, and it just has this sound and feel that sets it apart from any other band's songs. It's a great pop rock song and at the end of the day, this is probably what Westerberg did best, though he is often thought of as more of a "rock and roll" guy who also writes good ballads.
"Never Mind" is another classic pop rock song. It has that anthem-like quality that a goodly number of Replacements numbers possess. It's my favorite of all their anthem-type songs, including "Bastards of Young". It also features one of the finest Westerberg vocals committed to tape.
And "Can't Hardly Wait" is a great song that was given a superb treatment in the studio, not always the case with this band. Often it was "the song is great even though the recording isn't". This one has a great guitar sound, great vocal and all the horns and overdubs add something worthwhile and elevate the overall result. Recently I heard an acoustic cover version of this song and just thought, this guy missed the point, what a waste of time.
This 11-track set is rounded out by another solid, straightahead pop rocker, "Valentine", and a threesome that again shows how well Westerberg's versatility works when he's just trying to write great pop songs, rather than trying to figure out how to conquer the charts à-la U2. "Nightclub Jitters" is a perfect bridge between the upbeat opening 3 and "The Ledge" that follows. "Jitters" is typically chock full of lyrical hooks and the arrangement works very well. In a world filled with bad song ideas set free, it's a pretty good idea for a song pulled off very well. "The Ledge" is a real highlight. It's a good example of how the band could stray from the beaten path and still sound natural and unforced. It does sound like they are trying to do a single with a certain sound, but they really pull it off.
Finally, there is the acoustic ballad "Skyway" which ranks up there with any similar song by Westerberg. It's lighter than the ballads on "Let it Be" and more catchy and compact than the epic "Here Comes a Regular" that closes "Tim". I read somewhere it came down to picking between "Skyway" and "Beer for Breakfast" to round out the album. They made the right choice.
So there you have it. Even the Replacements best album - or my favorite, rather - is not a perfect 10. There's that one track you could do without. Luckily it's only just over 2 minutes. The sound is decent: guitars sound good, vocals sound the best of any of their records, overdubs and extras are for the most part welcome, while the overall reverb and the reverb on the drums in particular is a tad excessive. Make that way excessive. But even the annoying 'verb doesn't come close to spoiling any of this album.
In closing, it is impressive and rare that a band peaks so far into their career. In most cases you look no further than the first 2 to 3 albums for the best and most enduring material. The Replacements were still hitting homeruns 7 years and 6 records into their career.
2. Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash (1981) It took me many, many years to fully appreciate their debut record. In the book, you can sense the excitement and buzz that surrounded its release. I can imagine why there was such a build up, in particular after seeing those YouTube clips of the band in concert in 1980. They sounded like a well-oiled pop/punk/rock machine. I imagine their first album fulfilled all their early fans expectations and hopes. These 18 songs in just over 36 minutes rival any great debut, like "Ramones", or the Dead Kennedys "Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables", or the Buzzcocks "Another Music in a Different Kitchen", or the Sex Pistols album, etc.This one sounded just great through the mp3 player. The early recordings - "Sorry Ma", "Stink" and "Hootenanny" - really do a great job of capturing the band, it seems. It's no frills, just well balanced instruments, powerful vocals with a "one great take" feel and of course, great songs.
After a couple of listens I was reminded that "Sorry Ma" has no bad songs. You could argue "Otto" is no doozie but it's so short, it just fits in nicely, taking nothing away from the better tracks it is sandwiched between.
The two sides really play out like two blazing live sets. The first is fast paced, energetic and relentless. You never think of skipping ahead from the opening riff of "Takin' a Ride" to the mind-blowing closing twosome of "Rattlesnake" and "I Hate Music". The hooks are non-stop, the vocals are unbelievable and Bobby pulls off some great leads.
Then side two comes through like a series of knockout punches. It boggles the mind to realize that the best songs are all crammed onto the second half, even though the first was so good. "Johnny's Gonna Die" is a depressing little break from the thrills and spills of the other 17 tracks. You can picture them coming on stage after a quick bathroom break and starting the second set with a gut-wrenching ballad. Then the steam-train gets rolling again with an unbelievable 8-song sequence: "Shiftless When Idle", "More Cigarettes", "Don't Ask Why", "Something to Dü", "I'm In Trouble", "Love You Till Friday", "Shutup", "Raised in the City".
These songs are like the Replacements equivalent of the Beatles early material. Short, intense, deceptively not that simple, hook-laden songs that are too-often dismissed as something less than masterpiece. On "Sorry Ma", it's like side 1 is stuff from an early Beatles album - back when the albums did not contain the singles - and side 2 is the collection of singles, like "Past Masters". The singles are the ones you would pick for a party mix, but then you listen to those album tracks and realize they're just as good.
In some ways, "Sorry Ma" is their best album. Only the sheer greatness of the absolute highlights of "Pleased" persuaded me to place it ahead of its earlier, grittier counterpart.
3. "Tim" (1985) In some ways it was easiest to differentiate "Tim" from "Let it Be", thus easiest to decide where to place them on the list. In other ways, it was the most difficult decision. What the heck am I saying, anyway?! The two albums are so different in their sound and in the type of song they contain. For sound, "Let it Be" wins hands-down. In terms of production quality - though I do prefer the absolute rawness of the first three - it has to be the band's best. "Tim" is the one that many consider to have the best group of songs but that was ruined by the awful production and mixing of Tommy Erdelyi, who ironically was hired to transition the band to the "big time".Ultimately, for my taste the group of songs on "Pleased to Meet Me" was even better and the overall album quality of "Sorry Ma" was better, too. But I did go with "Tim" over "Let it Be" because I slightly prefer the style of the songs. The sheer variety of excellent songs on "Let it Be" make it such an interesting album but I'll go with the more straightforward rock approach of "Tim".
"Tim" has a somewhat similar breakdown of song types as "Pleased" but it does lack the quality rock and roll numbers like "I.O.U." and "I Don't Know". "Dose of Thunder", perhaps in large part because the production job absolutely destroys the entire song, doesn't quite cut it and sounds messy instead of powerful. And "Lay it Down Clown" is a valiant attempt that falls short just because the song isn't that great.
But after that "Tim" is simply an amazing collection of rock and roll anthems. "Hold My Life" starts in strangely abrupt fashion but by the chorus it turns out to be top-notch Westerberg. "Kiss Me On The Bus" is an absolute pop gem. "Waitress in the Sky" is one of those PW songs that just sounds like a "standard", kind of like a Hank Williams tune. "Swingin' Party" / "Bastards of Young" is one of the best 1-2 punches on any 'Mats album. Those two tracks probably tipped the scales when it came to placing this album 3rd rather than 4th.
After a brief stumble with the aforementioned "Lay it Down Clown", side 2 of "Tim" shows tremendous depth with a closing trifecta of pure rock anthemage. "Left of the Dial" and "Little Mascara" feature the band's uncanny ability to produce what I refer to as rock melancholy. It's like a song that completely rocks but sounds so emotional, nostalgic, sentimental, etc. To close out the record, "Here Comes a Regular" reminds us that the oft-attempted 3-chord acoustic ballad is something best left to the master songwriters, like Westerberg.
4. "Let It Be" (1984) One of the most interesting facts I learned in the book is that this album has sold 250,000 copies. I imagine that sales were spread out over a fairly lengthy period after its release. It became a very cool album to own in the 1990's. I guess I'm proud to say I own a vinyl copy that I purchased in the same decade it was released. It is clearly the best sounding Replacements record and it's very interesting to note that the same guy - Steve Fjelstad - engineered both this one and "Tim". Perhaps Tommy Erdelyi really did screw up "Tim" when he mixed it, as Westerberg claims in the book.After two songs of "Let it Be" I was thinking, "Ok, this is their best one for sure". I mean, "I Will Dare" and "Favorite Thing" are absolutely brilliant. The first is such a great and unconventional pop song and the second is a masterclass of punk rock hookery. "Favorite Thing" might contain Paul's best-ever chorus, which he caps off by singing "You're my favorite thing......BAR NOTHING!!!" leading into the guitar solo. Amazing.
The rest of the album is a rollercoaster ride to say the least. It's a truly unbelievable record and it's plain to see (hear) why it is the Replacements most critically acclaimed work.
I personally think the punky rock duo of "We're Coming Out" and "Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out" are more of a weak link than a strength. Or maybe just the latter. "We're Coming Out" does sound more genuine and has that cool breakdown at the end.
From Track 5 onward the twists and turns of the album are jaw-dropping. "Androgynous" has that same "How does this guy write songs that sound like standards?" feel of "Waitress in the Sky", but in a quirkier kind of way. "Black Diamond" is the king of all rock covers. You wonder how they could totally blow away the original, which they did. The guitars are so powerful, the vocal so passionate, and yes, perhaps Chris Mars is actually a better drummer than Peter Criss.
Side 2 is just nuts. There's the classic Westerberg ballads "Unsatisfied" and "Sixteen Blue", the straightahead rock instrumental (?) "Seen Your Video" and the sloppy blues rocker "Gary's Got a Boner". You wonder how the heck this could all be on one side of a rock album, then "Answering Machine" comes in to knock you senseless. That one and the first two are my highlights. "Answering Machine" is just a perfect recording of a brilliant song.
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So there it is. "Let it Be" closes out the top 4. I am pausing here, if only to mention that there is a considerable gap between 4 and 5. The identity of the top 4 albums was clear cut to me. I just had to work out the order. As I glance back up, I have to say, it looks right to me.
Those 4 albums are what make the Replacements one of the great bands ever. There's a bit of gravy down in the 5 to 8 range but 1 to 4 is pure gold. There are enough classic songs up there to match up with anybody. And considering the band's less than virtuoso musicianship, I must say there is also a fair bit of stylistic variety.
It's surprising how few bands have 4 great albums. I guess for me that's the "hall of fame" threshold: 4 great albums. It's the line that separates most bands of the absolute upper echelon from the others, even the very good. A lot of groups have 1 great album, maybe 2, and a couple more decent ones. But 4 great ones is rare. I don't want to get into that too much because it's a whole other post, or even a series of posts. But I really believe The Replacements are part of that elite group, what with the above 4 records.
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5. "The Replacements Stink" (1982) It was interesting to consider whether this should count as an album. Clocking in at just over 15 minutes, it's hardly an EP, never mind an LP. But I enjoyed listening to it so much I figured, why not just make up the rule "7 song minimum", just so it can qualify. I urge you to listen to it from start to finish. I guarantee that despite its brevity, it has the feel of a full album. Especially if you've listened to the vinyl version, where you had to flip between the two distinct sides. There's the intro at the start of Side 1 with the police breaking up a party, the sequence of songs on that side, the "first song on Side 2" feel of "White and Lazy", the ballad next to last, the super fast aggressive song to end, etc.Anyway, "Stink" just has to be here, if only because it has as many good songs as "Hootenanny" and it just HAS to kick those other two albums in the gut, or at least slap them in the face ever so gently.
6 of the 8 songs here are true Replacements classics. In the book I just read, I learned that "Kids Don't Follow" was the reason for these recording sessions. Their manager heard them do it live and he snuck them into a studio to record it as some sort of single. Once they were there they banged out the other 7. Those were prolific times. Perhaps in hindsight, it would have been wiser to wait and combine these tracks with the best of the "Hootenanny" sessions, into what might have been their 5th great album. But I guess then we wouldn't have this cool, oddball of an EP, which by the way I also have on vinyl.
"Stuck in the Middle" and especially, "God Damn Job" are great, great songs. Everything here is performed with such fury and possesses such "spirit" as Westerberg refers to it in the book. In the later years there were still some good songs but that spirit was less and less present. Bad reverb and silky smooth overdubs tend to kill spirit, I guess.
"Kids Don't Follow" and "F*ck School" are a different kind of punk rock anthem. "White and Lazy" is the best sounding crappy recording ever. "Go" is the ingredient that sets the band apart from the others. A ballad would seem so out of place on this record but this one simply isn't. "Dope Smokin Moron" and "Gimme Noise" are fillers with an acceptable level of quality and listenability.
6. "Don't Tell a Soul" (1989) Travesty!!! I keep thinking, do I need to tear down one album in order to justify another's position? I don't know anymore. On the one hand I can sense how unpopular a choice this is here at #6. I mean, I always had the impression "Don't Tell a Soul" was perceived as their worst album. That was that and you couldn't question it. On the other hand, I think I am down to only two regular readers, so how unpopular could anything I do be?! On with the show. "Hootenanny" is a mystery, isn't it? Wasn't 1983 like the best year in music ever? And if the Replacements are the best rock band ever, then shouldn't their 1983 album be really great, or at least better than their overproduced 1989 lame shot at platinum-laden success? Oh well, more about "Hootenanny" in section 7. Now it's time to praise the merits of the black sheep of the 'Mats discography.
Like I said before, we're getting down to the gravy of the band's repertoire, here. These are the lesser albums, the ones that can't stand up to the 4 Big Ones but still contain a few really great songs. But over the years, perhaps as dementia slowly set in, I have come to believe that "Don't Tell a Soul" is a bit more than that. It's actually dangerously close to being a tremendous album.
The same guy produced this and "14 Songs". He even produced "The Real Thing" by Faith No More, a relatively normal and good sounding heavy rock record. "14 Songs" has its share of duds, but from a sonic standpoint it's pretty good. "World Class Fad" is a superb sounding track. So what happened with "Don't Tell a Soul"? Did they give him carte blanche and he went nuts, thinking he would be the mastermind behind the 'Mats answer to "The Joshua Tree"?! If so, this Matt Wallace guy is no Dan Lanois. And even if he was, that vision was the wrong one for this band. You must let them rock as they know how. The production here is just way off for them. I really think the sound, much more than the songs, is what ruined this for a lot of people. Most of the songs are quite good. But just like with "Tim", at some point you just get past the fact that you personally wish it sounded different, and you get into the songs. If you don't do that, well then, get into a different band I guess.
Back to my main point, that most of the songs are very good. In fact, after a few more recent listens, I conclude there are no more than 2 duds. The main culprit is "We'll Inherit the Earth". The fact that this lousy, insincere sounding anthem occupies the pivotal third slot in the batting order just makes matters worse. If "I'll Be You" is well suited in beefing up the latter portion of the record, then the excellent "Anywhere's Better Than Here" could have filled that third position quite admirably.
"We'll Inherit The Earth" is a half-hearted attempt at a big U2 song. So is the closer, "Darlin' One". After reading the book, I am reasonably convinced that the band did not need a hot-shot producer to convince them to do this. So the band themselves must take the fall here. Clearly, they would have been better off calling Bono and offering him the songs, like "Hi it's Paul Westerberg, I wrote two songs with your band in mind, I thought it would be cool if you picked your favorite and considered recording it." And "Darlin' One" would have made a nice album track on "Achtung, Baby" or whatever.
Enough about the low points, on to the highlights. "Talent Show" ranks comfortably in the pantheon of great Replacements songs. Sure, that live awards show version was better but again, with time you get over that and realize the album version is excellent as well. "Back to Back" is an underrated one. It's a light number but it's still a really good rock song, not the kind of folky "they all say I'm a genius songwriter so I'm just slapping quick songs together on my acoustic guitar" number that is a dime a dozen on "All Shook Down" and his solo records. "Achin' to Be" and "I'll Be You" are classics, too. The latter actually sounds great the way it is and the former is another, like "Talent Show", that belongs on a greatest hits type set list and you know sounds great when delivered live, with more punch and a dirtier guitar sound.
"Rock 'n' Roll Ghost" completes the quartet of bona fide classic songs from this album. It's another one where the slick production doesn't take anything away, it rather works well. "They're Blind" is the unsung great, a truly remarkable song. "Asking Me Lies" was part of their live set in later times and rightfully so, it's a fine pop song. "I Won't" doesn't totally work but it's not horrible. It's probably the worst case of "rock filler to please Tommy". In this context it sounds really contrived but you could slap it on "Tim" instead of "Lay it Down Clown" and it would be just fine.
Listen, this album followed "Pleased to Meet Me". It was mission impossible. To make matters worse it didn't even try to match its predecessor. Instead, it tried to sound like the farthest thing from it, perhaps intimidated by the task at hand. In hindsight, what may have seemed like a wise move at the time was a mistake. The material is strong enough that with another Jim Dickinson type production job, "Don't Tell" would have made a very solid follow up to "Pleased", instead of a disappointment to diehard fans.
7. "Hootenanny" (1983) It was a fairly close call between this and "Don't Tell a Soul" but not so close that I hesitated for very long. "Hootenanny" fits the bill of the album so many road-weary bands have made, out of gas and inspiration after touring for a classic debut album. They are rushed back to the studio with little or no ammunition or gas in the tank. Judging from the sheer strength of the "Stink" material and the best songs on "Hootenanny", however, the Replacements would have had no problem matching their mythical first record. A hasty management decision meant they blew part of their load on a rapidly assembled EP and they had scraps left for the second full-length. Still, there were gems among the scraps and even the bad parts have some of that ever-important spirit. "Run It" and "Hayday" are top-notch early 'Mats rockers, matching almost anything on "Sorry Ma". "You Lose" is cut from a similar cloth but not quite the same high thread count. But there are a few too many jokey numbers. The opener is fine, "Mr. Whirly" is interesting but "Take Me Down to the Hospital" I could do without and "Lovelines" quickly becomes an automatic skipper. "Buck Hill" was a valiant attempt at an R.E.M.-ish song but it winds up sounding like a Dead Milkmen outtake. An interesting moment in their vast repertoire, I guess. "Treatment Bound", on the other hand, works well. The cheap recording is perfect. You can picture them drunk sitting in the basement blasting out the tune, people sitting around watching in amazement this guy who just said "oh, here's one of my new songs".
Then there's "Willpower". It's so darn long! And bad. Maybe if it was by Bauhaus or something it would be considered a classic, relating mankind's plight in a godless universe of incessant pain and suffering. But juxtaposed with good Replacements songs on this album, it is exposed as one terrible track.
Then there's "Willpower". It's so darn long! And bad. Maybe if it was by Bauhaus or something it would be considered a classic, relating mankind's plight in a godless universe of incessant pain and suffering. But juxtaposed with good Replacements songs on this album, it is exposed as one terrible track.
"Color Me Impressed" and "Within Your Reach" are the album saviours. They are positioned strategically at 3 and 7, bridging lackluster material and even making it seem better than it probably is. "Color Me Impressed" is an imperfect pop rock single that foreshadows future perfection. "Within Your Reach" shows the "Paul not in a band kind of mode" at his best. Before the repetitive folkery of his later material, he was capable of this type of absolute brilliance in lyrics, hooks and overall musical magicianship.
8. "All Shook Down" (1990) The easiest decision by far was placing the last album in last place. It wasn't close. It's last by a considerable margin. I know, Paul wanted to do a solo album and the label demanded it say Replacements on the cover. Oh well, too bad. So instead of his first solo album being pretty mediocre, the last Replacements album is. One argument I heard and that I agreed with for a while was that it is only mediocre when measured by the band's extremely high standard. I'm just not so sure anymore. I was bored right out of my skull listening to most of it.
What happened with "All Shook Down", for me anyways, is that the excitement of a new Replacements album became completely blinding. To put this in perspective, I first heard the band in '87 or '88, when "Pleased to Meet Me" was the current album. I then backtracked and got "Let it Be" and "Hootenanny", a friend bought "Sorry Ma" and dubbed "Tim", I bought "Stink". They became our favorite band and then "Don't Tell a Soul" came out. We were disappointed. Where was the edge? Our parents wouldn't complain when we put this record on! My mom liked it!!!
So we went and convinced ourselves that the next one would be a return to form. We did such a good job of brainwashing ourselves that when it came out we just cheered in unison and went "Yes!!!" We worshipped it and found every possible way to find everything about it great. At least I did.
Years later, with the excitement all worn off, I find it difficult to identify the truly memorable moments on this album. "Merry Go Round" is a half decent single. "One Wink at a Time" and "Nobody" are pretty good, maybe even very good. And that's about it. "When it Began" and "Attitude" are ok. I think "Happy Town" is the highlight. It's a really good rock song, nice big chorus, cool catchy verse.
"14 Songs" is without a doubt a superior album, not that that's saying much. At least it has a really great single, "World Class Fad". Maybe when Westerberg found out they wouldn't let him do a solo record, he saved his best songs for later. Honestly, I think the highlights of his first few solo albums, and there are highlights, are much stronger than anything on "All Shook Down". It wasn't a great way to go out but it did seem that way at the time, to me at least, for a while.
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There it is. Wow, it's over already. Hold on, now that I scroll back up I realize that it's damn long.
Still...as an encore, I will attempt a list of my 10 favorite Replacements songs, complete with some lame copout 2 and 3-way ties. Here goes:
1. Alex Chilton
2. Never Mind
3. Favorite Thing
4. Shiftless When Idle / Somethin to Dü
5. Bastards of Young
6. I Will Dare
7. God Damn Job
8. Can't Hardly Wait
9. Swingin' Party
10. Love You Till Friday / Rattlesnake / Raised in the City (and probably 3 more from "Sorry Ma")
Honorable mentions: Talent Show, Answering Machine, Stuck in the Middle, Color Me Impressed
Ok, now this post has to end. Before I do "Honorable mentions, part 2".
8. "All Shook Down" (1990) The easiest decision by far was placing the last album in last place. It wasn't close. It's last by a considerable margin. I know, Paul wanted to do a solo album and the label demanded it say Replacements on the cover. Oh well, too bad. So instead of his first solo album being pretty mediocre, the last Replacements album is. One argument I heard and that I agreed with for a while was that it is only mediocre when measured by the band's extremely high standard. I'm just not so sure anymore. I was bored right out of my skull listening to most of it.What happened with "All Shook Down", for me anyways, is that the excitement of a new Replacements album became completely blinding. To put this in perspective, I first heard the band in '87 or '88, when "Pleased to Meet Me" was the current album. I then backtracked and got "Let it Be" and "Hootenanny", a friend bought "Sorry Ma" and dubbed "Tim", I bought "Stink". They became our favorite band and then "Don't Tell a Soul" came out. We were disappointed. Where was the edge? Our parents wouldn't complain when we put this record on! My mom liked it!!!
So we went and convinced ourselves that the next one would be a return to form. We did such a good job of brainwashing ourselves that when it came out we just cheered in unison and went "Yes!!!" We worshipped it and found every possible way to find everything about it great. At least I did.
Years later, with the excitement all worn off, I find it difficult to identify the truly memorable moments on this album. "Merry Go Round" is a half decent single. "One Wink at a Time" and "Nobody" are pretty good, maybe even very good. And that's about it. "When it Began" and "Attitude" are ok. I think "Happy Town" is the highlight. It's a really good rock song, nice big chorus, cool catchy verse.
"14 Songs" is without a doubt a superior album, not that that's saying much. At least it has a really great single, "World Class Fad". Maybe when Westerberg found out they wouldn't let him do a solo record, he saved his best songs for later. Honestly, I think the highlights of his first few solo albums, and there are highlights, are much stronger than anything on "All Shook Down". It wasn't a great way to go out but it did seem that way at the time, to me at least, for a while.
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There it is. Wow, it's over already. Hold on, now that I scroll back up I realize that it's damn long.
Still...as an encore, I will attempt a list of my 10 favorite Replacements songs, complete with some lame copout 2 and 3-way ties. Here goes:
1. Alex Chilton
2. Never Mind
3. Favorite Thing
4. Shiftless When Idle / Somethin to Dü
5. Bastards of Young
6. I Will Dare
7. God Damn Job
8. Can't Hardly Wait
9. Swingin' Party
10. Love You Till Friday / Rattlesnake / Raised in the City (and probably 3 more from "Sorry Ma")
Honorable mentions: Talent Show, Answering Machine, Stuck in the Middle, Color Me Impressed
Ok, now this post has to end. Before I do "Honorable mentions, part 2".
