The Replacements: Classic or Dud?

Yeah, anyone remember the Musician cover story circa Don't Tell a Soul? The cover line was something like "The Last Great Rock'n'Roll Band" or something ridiculous like that. I was a massive fan at the time (OK, I still am), but even to me it seemed silly.

BUT...I think they get sold down the river by some people because of all that. They were a lot funnier, smarter and weirder than that whole earnest-romantic-rocker tag gives them credit for. Hootenanny covers more ground in less time than almost anything I can think of, and somehow manages to drop "Within Your Reach" right in the middle, and "Let It Be" is likewise full of left turns. "Tim" and "PTMM" are more conventional "rock" records, obviously, but they're not that conventional, and they're loaded down with track-by-track good-to-great songs. And if you're looking for a Twin Cities guy to lump Westerberg with, I think Craig Finn's a much better match than Bob Mould.

OTM. this song blows me away every time...

I just wish sometimes that I could exorcise the Replacements out of me once and for all. If I could just UNDERSTAND what the hell they did, and then finally let them go. But I continue to try to unravel the mystery, fascinated, spellbound. Well aware of their flaws.

I saw them live in 1985, but I was too young to even understand how important they would seem later.

Gotta also mention "Swinging Party" in the same breath. What a great song. Mabye it's 'cause I lived in Mpls in my 20s, but those echoey plaintive vox take me right back to the grey streets, sometime after the leaves have dropped and before the first frost.

I honestly cannot imagine anyone saying "dud" to this band. Sure, their last, oh, two albums were largely shite (though I still adore "Anywhere's Better Than Here" on Don't Tell A Soul), but everything else if fuckin' gold. Yeah, they unwittingly begat a slew of shitty bands like the Goo Goo Dicks and the so forth, but y'know...what'cha gonna do.

"Take Me to the Hospital" on Hootenanny is also, by the way, fucking perfect.

Great, unteathered, shambolic, genius rock'n'roll with personality and attitude galore. Don't like it? Go listen to Mariah Carey then, you cheese-addicted twits!

(from my new album "WAIT they dont love you like i love you")

I'm usually immune to the "makes me feel old" syndrome, because I'm pretty aware of my age and comfortable with it and I know everyone's experience is relative and subjective and whatever. But still, someone's parents having a cassingle of "I'll Be You"...makes me feel old.

Yeah in retrospect I felt bad I didn't mention that one in my post. I meant it no disrespect.

Honest version: For god's sakes, man what are you waiting for? GET your arse down to a shop NOW! You've got hurricanes down there in Florida, you can't afford to take these kinds of risks! ;)

The thought of cassingles alone makes me feel old.

Their early liner notes were all classic. Sorry Ma features the immortal "written 20 mins after we recorded it."

Westerberg's notes to his recent solo best-of are similarly funny, though significantly crankier.

xero, stop using your ears as ... oh, never mind.

Incidentally: Classic, for Sorry Ma, Stink, and Hootenanny, plus bits of Let It Be, Tim,, and Pleased to Meet Me.

when westerberg meets his fans, some of them go up to him smiling, and leave wiping their eyes. this usually happens because of how deeply, personally his music touched their lives. i've never seen anything like it before in my life.

let it be, motherfuckers.

They are a classic band who wrote mostly brilliant songs with great lyrics. What more is there?

I mean, I know my finger quivers with existential angst just before it hits the "play" button, but I would like to hear of your experiences.

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(ha)

Delivering noise
Real tough boys
And what else have I got
Half-priced drugs
Stolen guitars
When the weather's hot
It's somethin to du
It's somethin to du