The Replacements: Classic or Dud?

0 prev. unreleased tracks

If they get released individually I'll definitely pick Tim up (have PtMM already and yeah, not fussed for the last two).

Gave away my DTIS a few years ago, haven't really missed it. No format can make that record sound good, anyway.

DTAS is half-good at least, though "I'll Be You" is awful.

The one time I saw them live was on that tour, and they acted like an actual band and not a bunch of drunken morons. Ended the encore with "Cruella Deville".

I'm about 300 pages into the book, and I really heartily recommend it. A lot of stuff in it you already know, but the author does a really good job of propelling the story while incorporating a lot of direct quotes and (as I think Ned pointed out on another thread) largely avoiding cliches. Funny in many spots, though heartbreaking throughout (especially the Bob-stuff).

Right now I'm at the part where they're touring DTAS, so I put it on for the first time in awhile. It definitely sounds very dated compared to everything they'd done to that point.

I think all of their major label albums sounds dated and/or shitty except maybe "Pleased." Regardless, I love "Don't Tell a Soul." I listen to it far more than "Tim" or "Pleased."

Tolerate PtMM but don't dig the other major label stuff. Super dry guitars courtesy of Lord Alge Bros on DTAS are maddening. Actually kind of like ASD, but is it really a 'Mats album?

Oh yeah, book delivers. Wonder if when naming Let It Be they thought, The Buzzcocks took the cover design so we will take the title.

Speaking of the book, did yall see this chunky excerpt? They play Saturday Night Live, and party with Harry Dean Stanton, the host with the most:
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/inside-the-replacements-disastrous-saturday-night-live-debut-20160212

Sorry, Don, forget to read the excerpt.

Came to post this, in case we haven't done it already: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AUFWnbz2siM

Try again: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUFWnbz2siM

that 7th street entry video is absolutely classic. chris' posture is making my back hurt.

Speaking of the book, did yall see this chunky excerpt? They play Saturday Night Live, and party with Harry Dean Stanton, the host with the most:
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/inside-the-replacements-disastrous-saturday-night-live-debut-20160212🔗🔗

Right now I'm at the part where they're touring DTAS, so I put it on for the first time in awhile. It definitely sounds very dated compared to everything they'd done to that point.

― dc, Tuesday, March 1, 2016 12:48 PM (3 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I listened to it yesterday for the first time since 1989. And yeah, it still sounds just as dated as I remembered, and it's obvious Mars is playing to a click-track, but some of the songs are still killer. My band at the time used to cover "Talent Show."

I think all of their major label albums sounds dated and/or shitty except maybe "Pleased." Regardless, I love "Don't Tell a Soul." I listen to it far more than "Tim" or "Pleased."

― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, March 1, 2016 12:53 PM (3 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I also love DTAS. Unreservedly

"Anywhere's Better Than Here" alone off DTAS is better than the entirety of Tim.

Song for song, I'd take DTAS over any Mats album that isn't Let It Be, and I think the 'bad production' criticism is overstated (not because it's wrong but because it's beside the point). "Achin' To Be," "Rock and Roll Ghost," "I Won't," "Anywhere's Better Than Here," "Darlin' One." I mean, all the songs are good, which is the only Mats album you can say that about. When was the last time you cued up "Gary's Got A Boner" or (ugh) "Waitress In The Sky?"

Waitress in the Sky is great

so is Gary's Got a Boner

song for song, i'd take every twin/tone album over every sire album, and it isn't all that close. and first two sire albums over last two sire albums.

the best songs on DTAS (Talent Show, I'll Be You, Achin to Be) overcome the production

Replacements are the most selectively liked band I can think of. When I bought Sorry Ma the record clerk told me, "That's their only good album."

Ha! I never listen to that one. And if I play Stink, it's only to hear "Go"

"Gary's Got A Boner" is harmless filler, but "Waitress In The Sky" is a blight on an otherwise perfect album (OK, maybe "Lay It Down Clown" could go, too)

"The most selectively liked"--yeah, this section of the thread's been proving it, like a Neil Young thread, or maybe even more so! Whatta band.
James, sorry I didn't warn yall about the Bob bummer in that excerpt, but I've read so much bad and worse re Bob that it didn't occur to me, I took it as a given.

Whole book's a Bob bummer; makes me wanna go back in time and hug/adopt him.

For me it's LIB > Hootenanny > the next two > the first two > the last two

For me it's LIB > Hootenanny > the next two > the first two > the last two

― dc, Saturday, 5 March 2016 01:02 (59 seconds ago) Permalink

LIB > Hootenanny > LIB & Tim > Sorry, Ma & Hootenanny > DTAS & ASD

?

aren't the next two albums after Hootenanny LIB and Tim (unless you're talking about Shit Hits...)?

Oh. Because I didn't clarify that "the next two" refers to the next two after the ones I named. But duh.

I think the 'bad production' criticism is overstated (not because it's wrong but because it's beside the point).

One of the reasons -- actually, the main reason -- I don't think the "bad production" gripes are overstated is the click-track. The tension of Mars playing ever-so-slightly ahead of the beat, and his subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) tempo variations, was one of their defining characteristics. Because he's shackled to the click-track, here are far too many moments on DTAS where it sounds like it could be anybody on drums, which is extremely disconcerting for a Replacements record.

dtas is a good record and all, it's just before that, they were the replacements

i'm new to these dudes but that 7th street set may be the best thing on youtube. i had been looking for any halfway decent footage of them. i can stop looking now.

song for song, i'd take every twin/tone album over every sire album, and it isn't all that close. and first two sire albums over last two sire albums.

/I think the 'bad production' criticism is overstated (not because it's wrong but because it's beside the point)./

One of the reasons -- actually, the main reason -- I don't think the "bad production" gripes are overstated is the click-track. The tension of Mars playing ever-so-slightly ahead of the beat, and his subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) tempo variations, was one of their defining characteristics. Because he's shackled to the click-track, here are far too many moments on DTAS where it sounds like it could be anybody on drums, which is extremely disconcerting for a Replacements record.

I third the above.

http://pitchfork.com/tv/15-docs/1640-the-making-of-trouble-boys-the-true-story-of-the-replacements/

Just got the book, burned through half of it in a day. It's comparable to Lewisohn's Beatles bio in its insanely thorough research, and in the sense that I can never hear the subjects' music the same way again (in a good way).

At this point, I'm going with Stink>every single other thing they ever did, and it's been that way for years. I'm pretty convinced that everyone in the world decided that Westerberg was the important guy, because he wrote the words and sang, but that ultimately Bob was literally the *only* reason why this band was important. I like a few things from the other three albums before they fell off a cliff, but there's really only one EP that holds up these days. I have Tim filed very closely with Daydream Nation in the file of bands-that-were-great-suddenly-blowing-it-in-every-way-and-getting-rewarded-for-it.

Production on Stink is killer, opening track is probably the best thing they ever did, Go is probably the worst thing on the EP and presages Paul's development as a guy who might appeal to Winona. It's like a band that was incredibly good at one thing being pushed to do another thing because their songwriter was cute and thought he had potential as an everyman's poet. Literally one of the bigger personality crises in indie rock history.

those last two post read very 'old ilm'

i mean obv that's yr opinion and that's cool but it's very dismissive of some really good tunes

It's more re-re-evaluative. I'm pretty sure I went back to Stink sometime in the 2010s (around the same time I realized that side 2 of Zen Arcade really is my favorite side).

All I know is that it's really hard to finish my book on dark money with this book sitting on the table staring at me.

I spent a lot of time trying to appreciate post LIB Replacements, because it seemed like the right thing to do. That in itself is probably a bad sign. They're a band that existed on the cusp of "you have no chance of ever being important" and "you will be a band for the ages" and I think that's rarely a good thing. I'm sort of afraid to read the book.

xp I immediately set aside My Anonia when it came in the mail. No regrets.

obv that's yr opinion and that's cool but it's very dismissive of some really good tune

i think there are some really good tunes on the first two sires, less so on the last two sires, but i think dlp is basically otm. i'm sure i've said this elsewhere in this thread, but the difference between bob and post-bob replacements is the difference between a four-piece band gelling in unpredictable, chaotic and beautiful ways and a singer-songwriter getting his tunes across in a really linear, functional manner. i think so much was lost musically.

also, not sure if this is the players' fault or the producers' fault, but bob's guitar tone >>>>> paul's guitar tone.

He's kind of otm except for the fact that "Go" is a great tune too.

I don't hate it, btw. Just think it points in the wrong direction for the band.

Hey, good looking here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GO_0HlOfBdI

Just as one example, was thinking about the line "17,18,19,21" from Stuck In The Middle, coming out of the guitar solo, and how completely brilliant that is. They lose the ability to do things like that pretty quickly.

I mean, "We are the sons of no one, bastards of young" vs. "17, 18, 19, 21" tells you a lot.