The Replacements start their 3-in-a-row brilliant albums with Let It Be

The Replacements

Introduction

In 1984 The Replacements released their Let It Be and started the peak in their career, which would last for 3 albums. A look back at the fantastic Let It Be, Tim and Pleased To Meet Me.

The Replacements

In 1978 the Minneapolis based band Dogbreath was founded by brothers Bob and Tommy Stinson. It wasn’t before long drummer Chris Mars was added to the line-up. After a quest for a singer, the band was completed with the arrival of Paul Westerberg. After Westerberg joined the band the music was handled more earnestly. In the early days liquor and drugs were important, even more so than the music. Unfortunately, this would remain a big problem throughout the band’s entire career and ruin many shows.

The band name was replaced by The Impediments. Using that moniker the band played only one disastrous show: the band was heavily intoxicated. The solution was to change the band name once again: The Replacements.

The Replacements – Sorry Ma, Forgot To Take Out The Trash, Stink & Hootenanny

The band recorded a demo in 1980 and gave it to the owners of Twin/Tone Records, resulting in the band securing a deal with the little company. Because the band had their suspicions in regards to the music industry, the band didn’t sign a contract, but worked under an aural agreement. Westerberg went to work and wrote enough songs for the debut album Sorry Ma, Forgot To Take Out The Trash which was released in August 1981 and was very well received. the album contained the song Somethin to Dü, a tribute to that other punk/alternative rock band hailing from Minneapolis, Hüsker Dü.

In June 1982 Stink, an EP written and performed with punk in mind, was released. But the band wasn’t really comfortable within the punk idiom: “We write songs rather than riffs with statements”.

Hootenanny, which was released in April 1983, made the band gain an audience outside of Minneapolis for the first time. So, a tour through the US was organized. They also played as a support act to R.E.M., but weren’t really successful. Westerberg: “We’d much rather play for fifty people who know us than a thousand who don’t care”.

It was time for a follow-up.

Let It Be

The Replacements – Let It Be

Let It Be was released on October 2nd, 1984. The band opted for a more melodious and mellow route. The band had had it with loud and fast, and was in search of more sincere music and feeling.

The band had asked R.E.M.’s Peter Buck to take on production duties, but when they convened the band had too little material ready.

The album’s title is a deliberate statement: “our way of saying that nothing is sacred, that the Beatles were just a fine rock & roll band. We were seriously gonna call the next record Let It Bleed“.

Review

A fantastic rock ‘n’ roll album which signaled the start of a trilogy of beautiful alternative rock albums. The wish of creating more sincere music was perfectly executed. The songs are all equally great and catchy, without selling short to the “alternative” feel of their previous albums.

Kiss‘ Black Diamond cover is quite remarkable. But this served a purpose: a ‘fuck you’ statement to the punk movement that held the band in high regard, but was extremely conservative as well. Punk once embodied innovation and change, no rules and freedom, but the conventions about what was and what wasn’t punk, were very rigid. At live shows in particular, the band often played covers just to piss of their (punk)audience.

Songs

All songs written by Paul Westerberg, unless stated otherwise.

I Will Dare
Favorite Thing *
We’re Comin’ Out *
Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out *
Androgynous
Black Diamond #
Unsatisfied
Seen Your Video
Gary’s Got A Boner ~
Sixteen Blue
Answering Machine

* Paul Westerberg, Tommy Stinson, Bob Stinson, Chris Mars
# Paul Stanley
* Paul Westerberg, Tommy Stinson, Bob Stinson, Chris Mars

The players

Replacements

Chris Mars – drums, vocals
Bob Stinson – guitar
Tommy Stinson – bass, vocals
Paul Westerberg – vocals, guitar, piano, mandolin on I Will Dare, lap steel on Unsatisfied

Additional

Peter Buck – guitar solo on I Will Dare
Chan Poling – piano on Sixteen Blue

The Replacements – The Shit Hits The Fans

Let It Be was very well received and the band gained the interest of major record companies. They regularly played shows where record company representatives were in attendance. The band often knowingly played bad with a lot of covers. On January 25th, 1985, the cassette-only release The Shit Hits The Fans was released which serves as a primary example of the band’s performances in those days. Recorded in November 1984, the 24 songs only contained 5 band originals.

Yet, there was one record company who dared to sign the band: Sire Records. The band was happy with the company that had signed The Ramones years back.

Tim

The Replacements – Tim

Tim was released on October 14th, 1985, on the Sire Records label. The album was produced by Tommy Ramone (using his real name Tommy Erdelyi). Westerberg’s influence is growing, this album only contains one song with writing input by other band members.