The Golden Record- The Replacements
By Joshua Dominguez
The Replacements never had a hit record. It seemed fitting to create a “golden record,” the best of the best from one the greatest cult bands in history who never struck it big. Originally: formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1979 as a punk band, The Replacements soon transitioned their style and became pioneers of what we know today as alt rock.
Paul Westerberg served as the lead vocalist along with Bob Stinson on guitar, his brother Tommy Stinson on bass, and drummer Chris Mars. Influenced by The Rolling Stones and The Buzzcocks, The Replacements took elements from both sides of the Rock/ Punk Rock coin while simultaneously creating their distinct voice from Westerbergs heart on your sleeve style of lyrics. While their albums “Tim” and “Pleased To Meet Me” were smash hits among the day-one fans, they never really achieved commercial success despite an effort on the subsequent album, “ Don’t Tell a Soul,” to give off a more mainstream sound.
On this golden record of Replacements hits, each song represents an aspect of the band, allowing a closer look into the swift rise and fall, what could’ve been done differently, but most importantly what made them such a once in a lifetime act.
'Bastards of Young' was the smashing exclamation point of the album 'Tim' released under Sire Records out of Warner Bros. Warner had signed The Replacements following their album 'Let it Be'.
A year prior in 1984. The song begins with an emphatic scream from Westerberg followed up by the radically self-ware opening lyrics, “god what a mess, on the ladder of success...you take one step and miss the whole first rung.” At this point The Replacements had released four full length albums, and with little mainstream acclaim to show for, it’s safe to assume they were all feeling the walls potentially closing in on their career.
A theme that will ultimately remain throughout their latter discography. The idea of just being so close to having your foot in the door before slipping up and losing your shot echoed through this entire song. Westerberg also writes, “Dreams unfulfilled, graduate unskilled… beats picking cotton and waiting to be forgotten,” a touching look into his psyche. Illustrating how despite him and his bandmates undoubtedly knowing they had reached the level of the music industry they had hoped for, there was no reason to stop doing what they loved, certainly beating a "normal" job back home in Minneapolis.
Next is 'I’m in trouble' a stripped down, loud and fast, fiery track from their 1981 debut album 'Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take out the Trash.' It was also their first single on Twin Tone Records. The band had only been touring locally largely due to the fact that Bassist Tommy Stinson was only in 8th grade. It’s a barebones song with only four lines of non-repeated lyrics. At 2 minutes and 11 seconds it followed a similar structure to fellow Minneapolis band Husker Du.
They most definitely were trying to keep pace with and would even perform with from time to time. It’s an important blip on the graph charting the evolution of The Replacements not because it evokes the classic sound of what we know as a Replacements song today, but rather gives context to their later albums. The palpable angst wouldn’t disappear from their songs. It would transform into the emotional rock tracks they evolved into recording such as 'Unsatisfied' off of 1984’s 'Let it Be'.
If any track illustrates the knack for comedy and tongue-in-cheek references in their music, the intro for 'Kids Don’t Follow', off of their album 'Stink' is just that. It begins with an audio clip from the Minneapolis Police barging in on and shutting down a keg party the band was at, before jumping straight into another raucous punk track. The defiant lyrics of "What you're doin' In my face out my ear...Kids won't follow What you're saying...We can't hear".
Westerberg's contrarian attitude and feelings towards authority on full display, a pillar of the band's image then and now. This album however, that this track appeared on would mark the beginning of the end of their punk and hardcore style as they began to become disillusioned with it altogether. It's said at this period The Replacements became so exhausted and bored with having to exert so much energy into these same punk performances every night, they ended up playing soft country covers to crowds expecting hardcore. Regardless of the negative feedback at the time, it was the precursor to the lightbulb going off in Westerberg's head for the style of The Replacements should be not having a single one at all.
Color me Impressed came only a year after 'Stink.' Off of their 12 track album 'Hootenanny.' The third song marks the clear turning point for the bands development of a unique sound. The song keeps the same quick guitar and drum sound associated with their punk beginning. The vocals pick fun at the crowd associated with the specific lyrics “everybody at your party they don’t look depressed… everybodys dressin funny color me impressed.” It's clear to see Westerberg and the band’s increasing resentment to the scene as a whole, alluding that those in the punk scene were merely putting on an act and not really living it being that they didn’t look as “depressed” as their music made it sound. Regardless of how true this assumption was, or whether it was just another one of Westerberg’s anti-popular culture impulses, the path is now even more set for what is coming on their next album, 'Tim.'
The leading track off of ‘Tim’ is ‘I Will Dare’ with a sound a far cry from any of the previous songs mentioned on this list thus far. It’s a jangly, catchy, guitar tune with beautifully innocent lyrics telling the story of Westerbergs longing for a special someone in his life. Until now, The Replacements hadn’t yet shed their label as another one of those Minneapolis punk bands, and the 1984 release of ‘Tim’ was their attempt to do just that.
While there were still some more fast-paced songs sprinkled in, tracks like ‘I Will Dare’ specifically allowed for a much more sweet and endearing image to shine through. It also put Westerbergs writing talent on display with his ability to evoke such strong raw emotions with such simple lyrics. His vocals have almost a childish sing-song tone to it, the type that you would sing to your crush in elementary school on the playground. “Meet me anyplace or anywhere or anytime… now I don’t care meet me tonight,” a phrase that gets repeated through the song I believe best encapsulates it entirely.
That innate feeling anyone can relate to, of wanting to see someone so badly that all guards come down, and it’s impossible to even try and act nonchalant about your feelings towards that specific person. This style would stick with the band for the rest of their career developing into the signature sound of what makes The Replacements so universally loved.
Despite their increased commercial appeal with their stripped-down lyricism, “Tim” failed to chart as high as the group wanted. Nonetheless, on their follow-up album, they doubled down on this sound. The album was titled ‘Pleased to Meet Me,’ and on it was the track ‘Can’t Hardly Wait.’ It was nothing short of a wholehearted attempt to strike it big commercially with lyrics vague enough to be related to by everyone and even incorporating horns in the background of their signature drum snares and bass lines. In 1981, the idea of The Replacements having a horn section backing them would be considered Ludacris. Yet here they are fully leaning toward the dream of being a successful charting band. The title and lyric “Can’t Hardly Wait” is bittersweet showing how despite already having 5 albums under their belt, they're still stuck hanging onto the feeling of nervous excitement waiting and waiting for their big break.
On the same album was the song ‘The Ledge,’ existing almost as a parallel to ‘Can’t Hardly Wait,’ it dealt with the same theme of still being on the outside looking in but from a place of anger rather than longing. It’s also important to mention how at this point Bob Stinson had left the band due to problems with alcohol and drug abuse, an unfortunate case at one point or another. affecting all members of the band playing a part in them not achieving the success they were capable of. The ‘Ledge’ in this song can be interpreted as being a level of success in the music industry the group always felt right on the edge of but could never cross over into. Westerberg describes “smelling the coffee… the donuts for the press,” another allusion to being excluded from the industry, but just barely so. Despite this, he also uses the lyrics in this song as a way to portray his mixed feelings. Being that he feels “all eyes look up to me,” Westerberg is writing about how even if the band isn’t necessarily where they want it, he still feels the pressure from the label and fans to deliver.
‘Asking Me Lies,’ off their 1989 album couldn't sound any more different from their songs 8 years prior and perhaps that reason alone makes it that much more of a true Replacements song in its own right. By now, the band was at the tail end of its career without any mass commercial success, and their songs reflected just that.
On 'Asking Me Lies,' Westerberg delivers several tongue in cheek lyrics reflecting upon the bands journey through the music world with the most apparent being “tellin you questions, asking me lies.” In reference to how the band was treated, the idea of being told questions and asked lies references the constant deception and uncertainty of the industry. What makes this song endearing is that even though the band has every right and reason to resent the industry entirely, they’re still able to turn this subject matter into one of their catchiest pop-leaning songs almost ironically given the lyrical subject matter.
Jumping back to 1984, 'Unsatisfied' is a song that sums up the career of The Replacements better than arguably others despite being recorded earlier in their career. The brutal, heart-wrenching lyrics from Westerberg claim that “everything you dream of is right in front of ya, and everything is a lie.” He prophetically sees how everything they’re working towards as a band is so close he could almost reach out and touch it, yet is still not coming to be. Whether it was substance abuse, or simply being at the wrong place at the wrong time, it seems as if the concept of commercial success was always sadly slipping through the band's fingers. The intro lyrics say it all too well with Westerberg asking “look me in the eye then tell me that I’m satisfied, were you satisfied,” before ending the track as blunt as it gets with him repeating “I’m so unsatisfied,” while the song fades out.
Putting together this list, no song felt more appropriate to end on other than 'Anywhere’s Better Than Here' off of 'Don’t Tell a Soul.' In my opinion, this song brings forward the energy of The Replacements better than any other given the context of its recording. 'Don’t Tell a Soul' was the final push at a commercially palettable album, yet in true Replacements fashion, they of course still had to include a couple raucous anthems calling back to their punk days. This song is just that, beginning with the same signature Westerberg scream that opens Bastards of Young. It’s a heavy, electric-guitar forward monster of a song, with gorgeous imagery throughout the track. My personal favorite being, 'They play with your head, but never stroke your hair.' In reference to the band's relationship with the music industry, it captures in so few words the almost 10 years of being teased with the opportunity of success with it ultimately never taking shape.
Westerberg repeats the track title name 21 times as the song concludes, possibly referencing the monotony of their struggle as well. I love The Replacements if not for anything else other than that they’re just so blatantly themselves, and despite changing their sound over the years, it remained authentic each time in its own new way. Their influence is unmatched and still seen today, opening the doors for the alternative rock bands that came after them from The Lemonheads to The Goo Goo Dolls. For the majority of their career, they would much rather have been anywhere than they were, yet still put their heart and soul into every track, never compromising, always doing it their way.
