THE REPLACEMENTS

In theory, the Replacements were the greatest band ever. They put the fun back into rock'n'roll after punk had got too serious for its own good. Their music grew and matured with their ages so that they were always in the perfect position to achieve what they attempted. Like the majority of great bands they kept things simple in just the right way. The music was never over-complicated but always interesting. The melodies were never flashy but rarely forgettable. And the lyrics were a brilliant mesh of ambiguities, sometimes solemn and serious, sometimes flippant and puerile but rarely excessive in either sense so you would never know whether to laugh or cry along; even to the same song. Unlike pretty much all of his peers Paul Westerberg created almost the perfect persona. He was never so self-obsessed that your sympathy gave way to irritation but an evident empathetic streak underlined even his most flippant throwaways. In short, Westerberg was one of us. Given the songwriting talent, none-more-cool attitude, musical progression and hip stylistic trend-setting it is unsurprising every music critic and his dog (or cat, in my case) loves the Replacements. What is surprising - and almost shocking if it weren't for the depressing track record for this kind of thing - is the fact that the general public, during the ten years the 'Ments were together, didn't give 'em the time of day. Of course, the Replacements did make it hard on themselves, being gloriously opposed to the whole "music as a commodity" philosophy MTV had started to introduce (plus a bunch of drunks), but the fact is the Replacements were only branded as "alternative" because the record-buying public were too stupid to make them "commercial". In another life the Replacements' greatest hits would be a multi-platinum album but, as it is, it is left to "cool" celebrities like Kurt Cobain and Winona Ryder to give them their exposure. The Replacements are one of the very few bands I can think of that I cannot believe anyone would not like. They had everything and yet somehow ended up with nothing.

In hindsight, the musical progression of the Replacements almost seems too perfect to be true. To start out as an immature, slacker rock'n'roll band was cool in itself but to then progress into a weightier, more melodic and more mature "alternative" artist, throwing out melodic youthful anthems most bands could only dream of really takes the biscuit. As stated, I love the Replacements and I think anyone who listens to them would do so too. That said, there is something about their overall catalogue that somehow prevents them from being the greatest band ever. It is so vague and unspecific I couldn't really say what it was but, still, no matter how much they seem like the greatest band ever at the back of my mind I know they aren't. I guess part of the reason stems from the fact they never made that all-conquering all-time classic album. Every one of their albums contains a bit of filler (some obviously more than others) and it was a real, real struggle to even justify one 10* award (and even then it was mainly on the basis of its highlights, rather than consistency). In the end, the nagging doubt remains that there was always something holding the Replacements back from actual perfection. Paul Westerberg, great songwriter though he obviously was, clearly did not have enough in the tank to write a full album worth of great songs every time. Sure, "I Will Dare", "Answering Machine", "Bastards of Young", "Left of the Dial", "Can't Hardly Wait", "I'll Be You" (the list goes on) are all absolutely fantastic songs but what about "Gary's Got a Boner", "Dose of Thunder", "Red Red Wine", "I Won't" (the list also goes on)? You certainly don't get the impression of listening to the world's greatest band when the latter lot are on rotation. Furthermore, much as I do admire Westerberg as a lyricist I think there is something a little bit rotten about consciously writing generation-defining anthems. It is one thing to write songs about how you feel and for it to be picked up as a universal theme by your equally frustrated peers but to come out and essentially proclaim yourself as the voice of your generation seems a little arrogant regardless of your talent ("Bastards of Young" being the most obvious candidate). Still, all great artists have their flaws, it is just a shame the Replacements' had to be in practice rather than in theory.

From: Zophael979@aol.com

Good to see that the Replacements have made a fan out of you. They are probably my favorite band of all time and definitely the one that got me into picking up a guitar and bashing out songs of my own (even if my songs suck).
That being said, I disagree with you on several points.
Firstly, I don't think they were at all inconsistent. I do think that songs you labeled 'filler' have merit and, in fact, actually enhanced the albums they were on. One of the many appeals of the band was that they could write a wonderfully cartoonish punk song like "Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out" and then put a sad lament like "Androgynous" after it or that they could follow up the heartbroken pop of "Kiss Me On the Bus" with a loving tribute to the 70s metal they grew up on with "Dose of Thunder" (that they originally gave Ted Nugent a song-writing credit for because they thought it sounded too much like him). It was a testament to their range and their utter lack of pretension (what other underground band was brave enough to put a KISS cover on their album back in 1984?), not that Paul couldn't fill an 11 track album with good songs. Far from it actually. You'd be wise to search for unreleased material because the Replacements left at least two or three GREAT songs (if not more) off every album they did. In fact, the Pleased To Meet Me sessions had enough material to be a double album (in addition to the outtakes found on the AFN/NFA compilation). Call them filler if you want, but I think "Gary's Got A Boner" and it's ilk provided the albums with much needed levity. The Replacements could write songs as fun and silly as the Ramones and songs as emotional as the Beatles. I don't see anything wrong with that.
Secondly, I never got the sense that Paul was ever telling me "I AM THE VOICE OF THIS GENERATION" in his music. To me, he always seemed to be singing about his own experiences (and as extension, the experiences of his band) and that includes "Bastards of Young". Yes, he does use the words 'we' and 'us' in the song, but the meat of the song's lyrical content seems to be drawn from his own experiences as a high school drop out living in his parent's basement at the age of 25. I have yet to find any pose or pretense in it.
Overall though, I enjoyed reading your reviews, even if I found myself disagreeing more often than not. I would heavily recommend the entire Husker Du discography (assuming you haven't already heard it) and everything that Soul Asylum did up until after 1992 if you're interested in hearing more great Minneapolis based rock bands. Keep up the good work on the site.

In trotting out the obvious observation that the Replacements' debut, although being stylistically immature and flippant, still showed signs of the great potential of the band and the great songwriting talent Paul Westerberg was to become it is often forgotten that the Replacements' debut was also one of the finest rock'n'roll albums of its era. Funnily enough, it was on the basis of a recommendation for this album that I first got into the Replacements and I've been surprised ever since to see that that recommendation was the exception, not the norm. Sure, it ain't as serious as later albums or as obviously melodic but, when it comes down to it, what are the real differences? Personally, I feel Paul is just as heartfelt on here as he is on any of the later albums (just a heartfelt drunken teenager, rather than a heartfelt booze-soaked romanticist). If you think about it, why would "Careless" or "Shiftless When Idle" speak less to the youth of the day than the self-conscious anthem-of-a-generation "Bastards of Young"? People moan about the filler on here and, out of eighteen tracks, a handful do waste space but can these people show me a Replacements album without filler? At least the songs are short on here, as opposed to some of the weaker efforts on the future albums. As for melodies, complaints are scarce with the likes of "Careless", "Hangin Downtown", "Shiftless When Idle" and "Don't Ask Why" around. Indeed, compared to other punk classics of the time this is more than melodic enough to deserve a place on the pantheon. In short, there is no real reason why this album should be so continuously overlooked in favour of the three in the middle and, indeed, I'd be tempted to rank this third best, ahead of Pleased to Meet Me. Given that Tommy was about 14 when they recorded this the innocence of youth permeates through it with nothing being overanalysed and without anything much being expected. The kids are happy just to hang out, get drunk, and reject anything and everything. As I've said, I see no reason why this album should not speak as much to a disaffected teenager as the likes of Let it Be does to a disaffected twenty-something. It makes your realise, in retrospect, just how sweet it must have been to have grown up simultaneously with the Replacements and see their evolution match your own. It is easy to see, as a result, why so many people of their generation felt so strongly about them. At the end of the day, though, it is the music that counts and that is why this album should sound great to anyone of any age. The amphetamine rush of the opening four tracks should be enough to make any rock'n'roll fan sit up and take notice with "Takin' a Ride", "Careless", "Customer" and "Hangin' Downtown" flashing by in a matter of microseconds. Although it is often laboured that the Replacements only played hardcore to get gigs there is little doubt that even the most intense tracks ("Rattlesnake", "I Hate Music") have a fury based on a pure love of rock'n'roll rather than old-school punk aggression. Even when the filler crops up, with Westerberg neglecting to write much of a melody, Bob Stinson is often on hand to rescue proceedings with his marvellously anarchic guitar playing and scorching solos. The exception from the relentless head-rush is the ominous "Johnny's Gonna Die" which tolls the bell for the junk-ridden Johnny Thunders. Of course, it took ten years for Thunders to finally call it quits (about the same time as the Replacements, ironically) and his influence is stamped on proceedings, particularly in Bob's guitar playing, if not just in the general love of rock'n'roll. Forget the fact the Replacements went onto more superficially substantial songs, or the fact they were never into hardcore in the first place and just think of this album as another, albeit undeservedly forgotten, classic rock'n'roll album of its time.

With the Replacements struggling to be taken seriously as a bunch of drunken slackers with more of an affinity for Big Star than the Sex Pistols they were again forced to fake some hardcore credentials to impress the booming (?) Minneapolis punk scene. The Replacements being the Replacements, of course, they did so raising a finger to the hardcore "establishment" with an EP of hardcore guitar noise but still capturing the goofy frustrations of adolescence in comical style ("Fuck School", "God Damn Job") and parodying various social drop-outs ("White and Lazy", "Dope Smoking Moron") instead of concentrating on their "emotional defencies" and "rages against the system". Thankfully it only took a fifteen minute mini-album for them to forget about the whole hardcore thing and concentrate on precisely their own sound of music. That said, there is still something disproportionately entertaining about what is essentially an historical aside. Only half the tracks are any good with the parodies being pretty dumb, "Stuck in the Middle" entirely forgettable and "Gimme Noise" weighing in as one of the worst songs in their entire cannon. Thankfully, though, every song is under two-and-a-half minutes long (most only being about a minute-and-a-half) so no-one has to suffer for very long. Given I actually think the Replacements were a great little rock'n'roll combo in the early days it should surprise no-one to learn I actually really love three of the remaining tracks on here. The opening "Kids Don't Follow" is by far the most commercial, being basically melodic and not too thrash heavy - practically a pop tune compared to everything else on here. The lyrics mark Westerberg's first attempt to become a voice of the generation and it opens the album brilliantly with a sample of a Minneapolis cop trying to shut down a Replacements' recording session ("the party is over with, grab your stuff and go and no-one will go to jail"). The wonderfully juvenile "Fuck School" shows exactly why the Replacements were better than the hardcore scene that tried to restrain them and "God Damn Job" (barely over a minute in length) is quite possibly my favourite Replacements song ever. Put simply, in three lines - "I need a Goddamn job"/"I need a Goddamn girl"/"Goddamnit" - Paul says more to me about the disaffection of youth than anything as weighty and as self-indulgent as "Unsatisfied". In short, "God Damn Job" is the encapsulation of exactly why early Replacements should not just be ignorantly dismissed. They might have been cruder but they were most probably cooler. Finally, the EP also repeats "Johnny's Gonna Die" in the form of the equally ominous and probably superior "Go". This CD is obviously hardly an essential purchase but it would be nice if people did at least get to hear the likes of "God Damn Job" and "Kids Don't Follow" so they can get the full picture and realise there was a time when the Replacements weren't just great, they were also pretty fucking cool. By the way, the TwinTone remaster claims this EP came out in 1981 but given the sleeve-notes refer to the recording dates as March 1982 I assume the former date is incorrect. Unless the Replacements were time-travellers of course but, talented though they were, I don't think they were quite that talented.

Given this was the first album with which the Replacements started shedding their hardcore skin and experimenting with more styles, genres and emotions it is often hailed as their first to actually be any good. Diversity is not the be-all and end-all in music, though, and to rate this above Sorry Ma simply on the basis of a bit more variation is inexcusably short-sighted in my eyes. That is not to say it isn't more diverse, of course, and I wouldn't dream of denying that. The bare fact is, though, that very few songs on this album match up to the highlights, not just on future albums, but also the ones on the debut. Already the punk stuff is starting to sound a little hackneyed ("Run it", "Hayday") and not a patch on the youthful energy of the previous mini-classics. It is something of a cliche, I guess, but this album definitely represents a crossroads and, as such, finds the Replacements failing to properly succeed in either direction. The punk stuff is confined to the past but the melodic masterpieces have yet to properly form in Westerberg's mind. Furthermore, the joke songs are also pretty lame (the title track, the bizarre Beatles-parody "Mr. Whirly") although Westerberg has never been a notably funny man and the weeding out of the joke songs from his repetoire on later albums only served to improve them (imagine what Let it Be would have been like with something good replacing "Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out" and "Gary's Got a Boner"). Still, let's not get too negative over this release as most of it is pretty damn fine. "Color Me Impressed" is their first real pop song with melody at the fore-front and the guitars fast without being too furious. Furthermore, we also get the first successful musical experiment with the synth rocker "Within Your Reach". Not just notable for its use of synths it also features some really emotionally honest lyrics from Paul and a sincere vocal performance to match, which makes the cheap synths even seem powerful, rather than cheesy. The band's unbounded sense of fun also shines through with the mock-surf-instrumental "Buck Hill", the self-depreciative skiffle of "Treatment Bound" and the ingeniously amusing "Love Lines" which has Paul putting personal ads to a dinky little tune ("two slightly over-weight girls seek sex"). Finally, we do at least get one remaining fast tune that is rather good in the form of the manic "You Lose" (like the songs from the last release, over within 90 seconds). Still, despite the underrated nature of the Replacements' early career, progression was certainly a good thing at this stage and although this release served more as a bridge than a milestone it got the creative juices flowing and it was a more refined combination of their rock'n'roll origins with a newly-found creative maturity that saw them produce their greatest work of their career and set them on a run of albums that places them up there with the rest of America's greatest rock'n'roll bands (like Aerosmith).

In many ways this album represents as close as the Replacements got to true greatness. Not only is it their finest hour, mixing their raw rock'n'roll with a more mature romantic outlook and a melancholy melodicism, but it also saw them almost reach the big time. The fantastic quality of this album gave them exposure outside of their immediate origins for the first time and the rewards they so richly deserved were finally in sight. A year later they left their local label, TwinTone, and signed with Sire with a genuine and reasonable expectation that the world was theirs. At this point in the chronology, though, we are too premature to dissect where it all went wrong (and we'll probably never know why it went wrong) and instead we can still buy into the grand dreams of a band destined for a greatness that was forever kept out of their reach. Although the albums are actually only separated by one grade it is worth stressing just how much of a progression this album was over Sorry Ma (and, of course, a massive improvement over Hootenanny). Westerberg had matured into one of the greatest songwriters of his generation with this album opening and closing with two of the best alt-rock songs of the decade. Furthermore, presumably because the charts had yet to be properly targeted, the intended mainstream sheen of future albums has yet to be applied and thus this album is still gloriously rough-around-the-edges. The production is raw, the playing loose and ragged, and Paul's vocals beautifully unprofessional and, at times, immensely powerful. As a result, and the reason this album edges ahead of its immediate successor, the band have not yet lost sight of their roots with punk aggression still lurking behind the scenes. It is noticeable, though, that their artistic peak was effectively reached through Paul losing some of his more nihilistic "couldn't care less" posing in favour of his romantic side coming to the fore. All of the above, and therefore everything that makes this album so great, are encapsulated within the very first track. "I Will Dare" features probably Paul's best ever melody trapped within a lo-fi swagger that sways between pop and punk but persuading neither. The alternative credentials are reinforced with REM's Pete Buck contributing a loping, rockabilly guitar solo but what really makes the song are the lyrics with Paul's hopelessly romantic sentiments capturing the angst and innocence of youth in a way that so few people, despite the number of attempts, have ever matched. That song alone highlights just why the Replacements are so highly rated by those who have actually heard them and makes one wonder why so few have. On the flipside, the album ends with a similar mesh of ambiguities, but this time with darker, more desparate, overtones as the protagonist bemoans meeting a mechanical answering machine when all he really wanted was a human voice to open his heart to. The fact that the raging electic guitar was recorded without the aid of any rhythm section again highlights why the Replacements were fundamentally opposed and superior to their counterparts. "Answering Machine" is matched in power by the acoustic power-ballad "Unsatisfied" which manages to overcome its self-indulgent core thanks to the sheer authenticity of Westerberg. Paul also cements his voice-of-a-generation status, albeit deliberately, with the aching ballads "Androgynous" and "Sixteen Blue". Although I've always liked the former, with its late-night lounge-piano style, the sentiments of the latter have always irked me a little. Sure it was tough being 16 but when you get to your early twenties you realise that it really was just a big fuss over nothing and therefore join the laughing ranks of adults who seem so unsensitive to the awkward teens. For a twenty-something Paul to come out and sing the teenagers a sympathetic ballad just seems a little, well, odd to me (as twenty-somethings who hang out with teenagers generally do). Still, perhaps that's why Paul is generally hailed as the most empathetic songwriter of his generation and I'm usually called a heartless bastard. Anyhow, to reiterate, the reason this album is the best of the bunch is because the immature fun side of the 'Ments had yet to be drained out of them by continuous underachievement and therefore this album rollicks along with charming quasi-instrumentals ("Seen Your Video"), fun Kiss covers ("Black Diamond") and jaunty pop/punk numbers ("Favorite Thing"). Only when the band get over-juvenile ("Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out", "Gary's Got a Boner") does the quality suffer and, personally, I think we can forgive the odd (brief) dip into mediocrity when everything else on this album comes up to a delightfully high standard. I have no doubt that if this album was released today it would be hailed as an absolute classic, just as it should have been back in the day. It is an absolute mystery as to why the Replacements' break from the alternative scene never materialised but with this album their promise had finally been fulfilled and surely it was only a matter of time before the rewards followed. Sadly, there was no pot of gold at the end of this particular rainbow.

So with the promise fulfilled and the artistic peak reached it was surely a dead certainty that the Replacements would hit the big time as a result. The exposure granted to them by the brilliance of Let it Be meant they had become too big for a local indie label and therefore no-one was particularly surprised (including TwinTone themselves) when the 'Ments signed to the major label Sire. Obviously the expectation was that the first release for Sire would be the album that made them international superstars and the resulting LP did not disappoint. Sire drafted in a celebrity producer, label-mate Tommy Erdelyi (Ramone, to you and me), whose position within the punk aristocracy of course handily reinforced the Replacements' alternative credentials. Paradoxically, though, Erdelyi actually gave them a mainstream gloss that smooths the rough-and-ready edges that made the previous album so appealing. That said, there ain't anything particularly wrong with the production job and it certainly sounds more appropriate for a major label commercial break-through than the lo-fi nature of their previous albums. Paul had also continued to mature as a songwriter with the punk roots of early days airbrushed out of the picture and with more emphasis on the melodies themselves. Of course it would be erroneous to suggest the Replacements were somehow being forced to conform to mainsteam expectations. Paul seems as geniune on this album as he does on any other and it seems to me at least to just be a natural progression in him toning down his more lo-fi ideals. It is noticeable, though, that Paul's dominance was growing even further at this point with Bobby Stinson succumbing to the alcoholism from which he never recovered and therefore having a much less obvious impact on proceedings. As his official swan-song, though, he does at least get the odd chance to shine, particularly with the scorching introductory riff to the classic "Bastards of Young". Although I've been bad-mouthing said number due to its self-conscious desire to be hailed as an anthem of a generation there is no doubt that it IS easily one of the Replacements' greatest ever songs. The melody is naturally perfect and, the fact is, it pretty much deserves to be a generation-defining anthem. Paul's vocals are spine-tinglingly authentic and his lyrics are some of his very best. Indeed, I'd be tempted to rank the middle section (from the guitar solo to the "ones that love us least are the ones we'll die to please..." verse) up there with "Careless" and "God Damn Job" as the greatest minute in their history. We're also presented with one of Westerberg's finest charming pop songs in the form of "Kiss Me on the Bus". The coy sentiments are as charming as the melody as Westerberg perfectly captures the naivity and innocence of youthful romance, which culminates with one of my favourite ever lyrical couplets - "if you knew how I felt now, you wouldn't act so adult now". Believe me, you'll never be able to sit next to a pretty girl on the bus again without having that tune running through your head. ANOTHER alt-rock anthem is delivered with the famous "Left of the Dial" which is also rightly regarded as being as close as the Replacements got to a greatest hit. The introduction alone is more powerful than some bands' entire cannon. The pick of the rest is probably "Little Mascara" with its simple-yet-brilliant escalating hook although "Swingin Party" is a delightful, swaying ballad, the opening "Hold My Life" a melodic alt-rocker and the off-the-cuff "Waitress in the Sky" a wry and fully-deserved put-down of air hostesses ("you ain't nuthin' but a waitress in the sky"). The overall consistency of the album, though, is not high enough to warrant full marks and this release falls below the former one through its album closer - "Here Comes a Regular". Although I appreciate the fact it must have been distressing to see Bob Stinson come off the rails so severely due to his drink problems (particularly for his younger brother) the song itself is far too mopeish and self-indulgently maudlin for it to really convey the power of the message. At the end of the day, and excuse my insensitivity, I can't help but shake my attitude that drinking is actually rather fun. Still, even with Stinson facing expulsion from the band the strength of Westerberg's ability meant it would hardly even be noticed. I wasn't into the Replacements at the time so I can't offer an accurate summary of what went wrong but it remains absolutely astonishing that this wasn't one of the great successes of the 80s alt-rock scene. The great mainstream break-through that somehow never was.

After Tim met with an underwhelming reception Westerberg obviously decided the best way to have another stab at the big-time would be to stick to the same blueprint in the hope the public would not be so narrow-minded second time around. In this way, Pleased to Meet Me represents perhaps the shortest progression from one album to another in the 'Ments entire career. Not that it sounds unoriginal or stale, of course, but this album is essentially another similarly-styled collection of off-kilter melodic rock songs polished off with a mainstream sheen. A different producer was used (Jim Dickinson) but any variation is barely noticeable apart from the terrible mastering job the currently unremastered CD apologetically offers us. Again four songs are obviously of a high enough standard to have been considered greatest hits in a different universe (where the public are actually into what is actually good) and the rest is of a varying standard, high enough to make up a great album but not quite stellar enough to comprise a classic. In truth, the Replacements were not helping their cause by turning their back on the usual avenues of commercial exposure. The music video for "Bastards of Young" consisted solely of a camera focusing on an amp for the full three and a bit minutes (when a glossy MTV video would probably have put it top of the charts) and the exposure granted by TV appearances was nullified as the band invariably turned up drunk and dishevelled. At the end of the day, hitting the big-time is one's own responsibility and the band clearly have mostly themselves to blame. On the other hand, Paul and co. (now B. Stinson-less) were obviously at least content to remain at an underground level and I'm sure a career of commercial under-achievement obviously appealed to Paul given his affection for one of the great losers in rock'n'roll history - Big Star. Indeed, Paul's love for Big Star was famously revealed on this album in no uncertain terms ("I never travelled far without a little Big Star") with "Alex Chilton" - an obvious ode to Paul's eponymous hero. Like the last album, the band choose not to open with one of the stronger tracks ("I.O.U." is perfunctory rather than great) and instead the album really kicks off three minutes later with the abrasive opening chords to the masterful "Alex Chilton". The sentiments are unashamedly nostalgic and it was obviously a sweet gesture of Paul to grant his hero some much-needed exposure (Big Star inevitably enjoyed a long over-due re-appraisal around this time). One hopes someone would be generous enough to grant the same favour to the Replacements at some stage in the future. The remaining three classics on the album are the dark rocker "The Ledge" in which Westerberg perfectly captures the bitter, misanthropic undertones to most teen suicides (actually the sentiments to "Alex Chilton" were mirrored at least by Winona Ryder with Heathers being practically an open love-letter to Paul), the delightfully pretty ballad "Skyway" (which reprises the theme of romance on public transport) and the closing "Can't Hardly Wait" which, in another world, is the greatest pop song ever. Indeed, Alex Chilton himself apparently contributed to the latter track and the Memphis horns only reinforce the Big Star tribute. Listening to any one of the aforementioned quartet really does give the impression of the greatest band ever. Still, their equally quintessential inconsistency rears its head on the album with "Never Mind" and "Valentine" being pleasant if unexceptional melodic rockers and "Red Red Wine" (not a UB40 cover) showing their rock'n'roll days were almost behind them. I say "almost" because its twin in the track-listing, the rough-and-ready "Shooting Dirty Pool", is actually pretty rockin' and amusing ("why don't you get a hair-cut sister? ...THAT'S IT!") briefly reminding us of when Paul was altogether more shiftless when idle. Such times inevitably must pass, though, and this album represents the last time the band still seemed like they had smiles on their faces as romance and nostalgia finally give way to bitterness and resentment at a career gone wrong that always seemed destined for success. Really, with albums of this calibre under their belts, one can't help but sympathise.

As the eighties drew to a close the curtains were also starting to come down on the career of the Replacements. Tim and Pleased to Meet Me had failed to set the world alight as they were expected to and should have done and the resentment and disillusionment had started to grow. Bob Stinson's demise cast a shadow over the band and the youthful rock'n'roll exuberance of their early albums seemed like a million years ago. Despite the record-buying public turning their noses up at some of the finest albums of the decade Paul actually continued with his mainstream evolution with this album being about as slick and as polished as one can get, with even nods towards the "mellow vibes" of adult-contemporary. Paul was getting older, of course, but the slick cynicism of this album is more likely to have been a product of his bitter disillusionment rather than his still reasonably youthful age. One can also speculate that the absence of Bob Stinson (although now officially replaced by Slim Dunlap) meant the rough-and-ragged edge of their early records had departed with him. Due to the glossy sheen of the production this album is sometimes cast aside as the weak link in the 'Ments' catalogue but, typically, patience brings its own rewards. Of course this album IS a little weaker than the previous three and there is little doubt, in retrospect, that the band were on their way down (albeit slowly) from the other side of their artistic peak. Still, Westerberg remained a mostly superb songwriter and so there are still highlights on here that are as high as anything anyone else was putting out at any time. The slickness of the production does mean some of the songs drift by rather unassumingly but at least it is a smooth listening process, rather than being jolted towards the skip button by the principal offenders on Stink or Hootenanny. (Not that I skip tracks, of course, but I realise not all of you were made quite as perfect as me.) As a secondary guitarist, Dunlap helps to soften the tone by mostly ignoring distorted guitars ("Anywhere's Better Than Here" being the sole exception) with steel and acoustic guitars being used more prominently than on any other album. Westerberg's lyrics tackle mostly the same sort of subjects as before (ie. the awkwardness of youth) but are noticeably less positive than before with his band's impending failure playing on his mind. Although the overall sound is pretty uniform two exceptions do bear a mention. Firstly, "Rock'n'Roll Ghost" is an eerie synth rocker that covers the same sentiments of "Here Comes a Regular" (ie. the self-destructive side of rock'n'roll) but far, far better. "I Won't" is similarly retrospective as it attempts to recapture the old fun rock'n'roll stuff but it is disappointingly flaccid as it is embarrassingly apparent that Paul no longer has the heart for that sort of thing. The other nine songs are all fairly similar and mostly distinguishable by some having better melodies than the others; although all at least aim to press home memorable hooks. The two classics from the album are undoubtedly the gorgeous ballad "Achin' to Be", with some of Westerberg's best, most emotive lyrics ("she's just like a movie everyone rushes to see/but no-one understands it, sitting in their seats"), and the melodic rocker "I'll Be You" which is a simply perfect mix of unforgettable hooks and a compelling arrangement. Other than the two obvious greatest hits the second best songs are probably the bookends to the album. Acoustic opener "Talent Show" sets the scene with its melancholy atmosphere whilst "Darlin' One" simply features better hooks than most of the other songs. As such, there is not a huge amount to add about the album. Although the band were starting to wind down, the music continued to mature with the abrasive edges smoothed off into a polished product, containing plenty of melancholy melodicism. Losing some of the edge also deprived the band of some of their urgency, however, and as a result this album is occasionally too slick for its own good.

Mirroring several other bands' careers the last album by the Replacements was actually, to all intents and purposes, the first solo album from Paul Westerberg. Like many great bands the 'Mats knew the right time to get out and after the quality-barometer nudged itself below perfect following Don't Tell a Soul the band counted up their numbered days. Paul was persuaded, however, (presumably by the record company) to put one more Replacements product on the market and so this album was released still bearing his band's name on the cover, rather than his own. Of course, it is at least arguable that the Replacements were Paul's vehicle from Tim onwards but the fact that Westerberg was moving away from the band's fundamentals of drunken rock'n'roll towards a quieter and slicker maturity suggests his solo career was beckoning. Thankfully, this album is actually a little less slick and polished than Don't Tell a Soul with more of an off-the-cuff feel to it and an occasional dip into the world of lo-fi. A lot of the melodic rockers still have an overtly commercial feel to them and one can easily imagine them being listened to in an after-dinner situation by that accursedly lucrative market of people who don't like music. Certainly if one of that lot took a shine to something like "Someone Take the Wheel" you can imagine they'd find the likes of Let it Be a rather rude awakening. Similarly, Paul's vocals have lost their raw edge and are anonymously smooth at times (although still mostly uniquely affecting). Given the prominence given to the melodic mid-tempo rockers one actually has to resort to the nooks and crannies in the track-listing to find what really makes this album good. At first listen, for instance, the title track seems like a real anomaly. It sounds like Paul can barely play it and it is so quiet one might pass it off as inaudible. Still, if one does not tune out when it is on its delights become evident enough. Indeed, its drugged-up red-eyed numbness actually stands out as one of the key moments on the album (and represents an area in which this album is definitely superior to the last one). Similarly, the sparse drawn-out ballad "Sadly Beautiful" might seem a little insubstantial at first but it actually reveals itself as one of the most melancholy moments in the Replacements' entire cannon (and its title could not be more appropriate in capturing the ambience of the song). The sentiments of it, how the innocence of youth is irrevocably lost, are common throughout the album as the demise of the Replacements is bitterly reflected on. The best song on the album makes such sentiments overtly clear with its melancholy chorus of "it is nothing like when it began". The success of "When it Began", though, is based mainly on the fact it features such a priceless melody that sees it easily distinguished from the other mellow mid-tempo rockers. The only dark rocker on the album is the driving "Bent Out of Shape" as everything else frames the melancholy undertones of the album in a superficially jaunty manner. Of course, the fact that the smiles seem forced and the lingering resentment below the surface is palpable is what elevates this album from the purgatory of inoffensive melodic rock. Like the last album there is one last attempt to "rock out" like the days of old and Paul makes it a duet as some female vocalist (whose name I forget so I imagine she ain't famous) helps him out on "My Little Problem". Apparently it is much-maligned but I actually find it a rather fun outing. It helps, of course, that it succeeds in altering the tone a little which, coming at the end of the album, had started to slip into one of unassuming anonymity. As it is, it is side-steps like "My Little Problem" that help promote this album above its superficial commercial sheen. It is certainly a relief, though, that the 'Mats bowed out whilst they still had fuel in the tank (no band wants an In Through the Out Door or Cut the Crap to their name) and the aesthetics of this album are refreshingly advanced from their debut, all those years ago. It certainly is nothing like when it began.

In one sense, the title of this quasi-Greatest Hits package could not be more apt. When looking back at the eighties and seeing such a superb career amount to barely an after-thought in the record-buying public's consciousness no-one could blame Paul and the boys for bitterly reflecting that it was all for nothing. On the other hand, no-one can take the actual music away from them and, objectively speaking, regardless of what the fickle public think, they were still responsible for the some of the greatest music of the decade, if not the century. Westerberg might not be rich (to tell the truth, I don't know) but he will always be the author of the likes of "Bastards of Young" and "Can't Hardly Wait". It is still rather sad to note, though, that even after a seven year gap for people to cotton on to the greatness of the Replacements (particularly with alt-rock coming into the spotlight in the nineties) this compilation still met with a rather underwhelming response. I stand firm, though, that one day the Replacements will finally get their due. To repeat a point I made right at the start of this page - I simply cannot imagine anyone not liking them, such is the expanse and depth of their appeal. Rather disappointingly, the swap from TwinTone to Sire in 1984 means copywrite issues prevent the possibility of a career-encompassing Replacements Greatest Hits being released. Instead, this double CD was released by Warner Music (who own Sire) and therefore only contains the greatest hits from the last four albums. By way of compensation, though, and the main reason for getting it, the record company have included a full-length bonus CD of unreleased material and outtakes from the relevant sessions, thereby giving us, effectively, a whole new Replacements album. Given the amount of new material available I'll cover the second CD in a separate paragraph. For now I'll quickly run the rule over the compilation on the first CD. Obviously the fact that it does not contain anything pre-Tim means it cannot be a proper Greatest Hits (not least because Let it Be is their finest hour). That said, as an overview of their later period it does a pretty adequate job. Reflecting their Marxist sympathies each album has four songs picked from it, so the (slightly) inferior latter duo are still given as much prominence as their peak. Although there are no complaints about picking the four obvious classics from Pleased to Meet Me the other three albums have at least one questionable inclusion each. I guess "Here Comes a Regular" is highly regarded by the band themselves due to its personal subject-matter but it will always seem over-wrought and under-developed to me. I probably would have included "Little Mascara" ahead of it but "Kiss Me on the Bus", "Bastards of Young" and "Left of the Dial" pick themselves. Similarly, "Talent Show" and particularly "Achin' to Be" and "I'll Be You" are the natural choices from Don't Tell a Soul even if I would have had "Darlin' One" ahead of the workmanlike "Anywhere's Better Than Here". The biggest omission on the compilation, though, is clearly the conspicuous absence of "When it Began", by far the strongest track on All Shook Down. An alternate take of "All Shook Down" appears on the second CD so we can excuse the exclusion on CD1 but, "Sadly Beautiful" apart, the rest - "Merry Go Round", "Nobody" and "Someone Take the Wheel" - don't do a hella lot for me. I hate to sound anal but, actually, the best thing about the first CD (assuming you have the rest of the albums) is the fact that the tracks are all remastered and remixed, meaning the Pleased to Meet Me classics all sound as great as they deserve to.

Of course, though, the main reason for trawling through eBay trying to find a copy of this compilation (no way am I paying the £20 odd this costs first-hand) is to get one's mubby grits on the second CD jam-packed with exclusive Replacements goodies. Speaking overall, disc two is most interesting in that it concentrates much more on the comic side of the band. Truth be told, it is hard to imagine much of this stuff appearing on the official releases and not because it is worse than that material but simply because it is so untypical. That said, I can't say I'm actually taken with many of the joke songs. Chris Mars' "All He Wants to Do Is Fish" shows why Westerberg was in charge, and the comic covers of "Cruella DeVille" and "Jungle Rock" are rather dopey and just plain lame. In fact, the covers are rather disappointing overall as "Like a Rolling Pin" is unimpressive and unfunny and the Only Ones' classic "Another Girl, Another Planet" is given a merely perfunctory reading. Still, it is nice to see Paul giving another unjustly ignored band some richly-deserved exposure. This compilation also sees the band branch out stylistically a little more than they did on record with the mock-gospel of "Date to Church" (I also find the sentiments of taking someone on a date to church delightful in its innocence) and the murky steel-guitar dominated "Election Day". At odds with the stylistic maturity they were heading towards over the course of the latter four albums this compilation reveals they were also still messing about with the old-school flippant rock'n'roll. "Beer for Breakfast", "Til We're Nude" and the manic "Wake Up" each show to some extent that the Replacements still had plenty of rock'n'roll left in them. That said, some of the best tracks on here are the ballads with the PTTM-era "Birthday Gal", "We Know the Night" and "Portland" (which "Talent Show" borrowed a hook from) being the pick of the bunch. Mind you, the best song on the whole CD and, arguably, the greatest song in the Replacements' entire career is actually one we are already familiar with, albeit in a different form. The second CD begins with an original version of "Can't Hardly Wait" taken from the Tim sessions and therefore with Stinson providing a lead guitar. Stripped of the strings and horns (and with different lyrics) seeing the bare bones of the song reinforces just what a great tune it actually is. Furthermore, the sheer energy level of the band (complete with one of Paul's best ever vocal performances) sees the early version actually outstrip the original (which was one of their best songs to begin with). Words cannot do justice to it, really, so I'll just say 'golly' and leave it at that. In fact, it is that song alone that sums up just how magnificent the band were. To have something that great sitting in the vaults as an outtake is nothing short of astonishing. Indeed, as one of the record company helpers writes in the sleeve-notes, when you first hear those songs you don't expect the band to achieve great things, you just assume it. Eight albums down the line, one can moan as much as one likes about the stupidity of the average record-buyer and the evils of the corporate record industry, but one can never, ever say it was all for nothing. Not as long as those shiny metal discs can still play such magical sounds, that's for sure.

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Email me at: jackfeeny@yahoo.co.uk