During ten anarchic years, The Replacements recorded a ton of wonderful songs, self-sabotaged their career, and never achieved the mass success they promised.
The Replacements started as part of the hardcore punk scene of the early 1980s, but they were never punks at heart. Lead guitarist Bob Stinson was a big fan of Yes. Lead vocalist Paul Westerberg was a sensitive writer whose empathetic songs sounded better when The ‘Mats slowed down from the extreme speed of hardcore punk. Drummer Chris Mars and bassist Tommy Stinson provided a solid rhythm section. Tommy was merely 14 when the band released their debut, 1981’s Sorry Ma, Forgot To Bring Out The Trash.
The Replacements also have a wealth of interesting non-album material, like the legendary, and brilliantly named, bootleg The Shit Hits The Fans, where the band play a bunch of sloppy classic rock covers. There are also a bunch of worthwhile b-sides and outtakes, like the Tom Waits collaboration ‘Date To Church’, the stripped down ‘Portland, and the countrified ‘If Only You Were Lonely’. ‘Like A Rolling Pin’ was the Bob Dylan cover you always hoped someone was irreverent enough to record.
Here are The Replacements’ seven studio albums, ranked from worst to best:
#7 Hootenanny
1983
Hootenanny represents The Replacements’ transition between their early hardcore punk, and their later alternative rock. It’s the sound of a fledgling band trying a bunch of ideas and not all of them sticking. There’s a silly Beatles medley (‘Mr Whirly’) and a throwaway opener where the band members all switch instruments, although ‘Lovelines’, where Westerberg reads aloud from the classifieds, works fine. But there are a couple of classics here – the rocker ‘Color Me Impressed’ and the tender ‘Within Your Reach’, a solo effort from Westerberg accompanied by a drum machine.
#6 Don’t Tell A Soul
1989
The Replacements made a bald-faced bid for the mainstream with their sixth album, with new guitarist Slim Dunlap in tow. But there’s not enough personality here, with too many of their rough edges sanded off. There are strong tunes like ‘We’ll Inherit The Earth’ and ‘Achin’ To Be’, but they’re drowned in reverb. As part of their bid for the mainstream, the group toured with Tom Petty, who lifted the line “Rebel without a clue” from standout track ‘I’ll Be You’ for his own ‘Into The Great Wide Open’.
#5 Sorry Ma, Forgot To Take Out The Trash
1981
The Replacements were never hardcore punks at heart, and they jumped on the bandwagon to grab a record deal. But their debut is still an entertaining ride, brimming with personality, great Bob Stinson guitar solos, and typical Westerberg one-liners; ‘Shiftless When Idle’ is a great song title. But the band’s most effective when they slow down for the emotional ‘Johnny’s Gonna Die’, a tribute to The Heartbreakers’ Johnny Thunders.
#4 All Shook Down
1990
The Replacements’ final album is a mournful, subdued affair that was originally intended as Paul Westerberg’s solo debut. While Tommy Stinson and Slim Dunlap play on many of the tracks, rumour has it that all four members only play together on ‘Attitude’, while there are guests like John Cale and Los Lobos’ Steve Berlin, while Johnette Napolitano from Concrete Blonde duets with Wsterberg on ‘My Little Problem’. After the slick Don’t Tell A Soul, All Shook Down is refreshingly personal and rough-hewn.
#3 Pleased To Meet Me
1987
Paul Westerberg describes Pleased To Meet Me as The Replacements’ equivalent of The Rolling Stones’ Let It Bleed, an album recorded without a lead guitarist, with Westerberg taking all the guitar duties. It’s one of the three key Replacements albums, chock full of great Westerberg songs, but it’s the weakest, without Bob Stinson’s guitar and with the slickest production job of their mid-1980s albums. But great songs abound, from Westerberg’s tribute to ‘Alex Chilton’, the acoustic, gorgeous ‘Skyway’, and the adolescent drama of ‘The Ledge’.
#2 Tim
1985
Tim was The Replacements’ first major label release, with production from Tommy Ramone, and was also Bob Stinson’s final album with the band before he was fired for substance abuse. It’s a little less raw than Let It Be, but the songs are still terrific, like the silly air-hostess put-down ‘Waitress In The Sky’, rockers like ‘Hold My Life’ and ‘Bastards of Young’, and the heartfelt ‘Here Comes A Regular’; Tim is the sound of a band maintaining their peak form.
#1 Let It Be
1984
Let It Be is an amazing record, juxtaposing silly throwaways like ‘Gary’s Got A Boner’ with earnest, heartfelt songs like ‘Unsatisfied’ and ‘Sixteen Blue’. Where a full album of personal songs would feel empty and manipulative, crammed together with silly throwaways like ‘Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out’, they sound natural and real. And the cover of Kiss’ ‘Black Diamond’ makes Westerberg’s songwriting look like genius in comparison.
Do you have a favourite ‘Mats’ album?
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I fuckin love the Replacements. For me Westerberg is a vastly underrated songwriter.
I’d probably swap Let it Be for Tim (I don’t like Lay It Down Clown but I can’t stand Kiss) and I find something quite enjoyable about the over production of Don’t Tell a Soul. That being said they are a band of missed opportunity and the one I reach for most is Don’t You Know Who I Think I Was. Last year’s live album is a blast too
I think that run of three albums from 1984-1987 is pretty great – a lot of great songs on those records. They didn’t breakthrough to the mainstream, but they left a pretty good recorded legacy.
Good list- hard to disagree. Pleased To Meet Me is my favorite in part because it was my first Replacements- but I have to agree with you- Let It Be and Tim rank ahead of it. Saw them live a couple times- the first time was one of my favorite concerts- the second time right before they broke up- so-so.
Pleased To Meet Me was my first one too, actually, and was my favourite for quite a while.
Jealous you saw them twice during their first run.
I had tickets to see them a few years back- the day of the concert the concert and tour were cancelled. … Favorite Replacements song Can’t Hardly Wait.
Let it be is best but I really love All Shook Down a lot
There’s an article online where Tommy Stinson ranks their albums band he puts All Shook Down at number one.
It does have some great songs
Favourite song. Waitress in the Sky
The Replacements are one of my favorite bands, so this was a very interesting read. I’d switch Don’t Tell a Soul with Sorry Ma, ant Tim with Let It Be, but it is hard to really disagree with the order.
Paul Westerberg is a hugely underrated songwriter, but I guess that goes along perfectly with his and his band’s image as this group of lovable losers who cannot get anything right. Well, there was one thing they did get right, which was writing and performing some of the best rock songs ever put on record.
I guess that among the songs you did not mention I would highlight I Will Dare, Androgynous, and Sadly Beautiful, the latter of which is utterly heartbreaking and is able to shred souls and hearts with that John Cale viola solo. Sadly beautiful indeed.
Yup, I have a lot of time for Westerberg’s solo career too, but that’ll be a separate post sometime.
I like all of these three songs too – just a lot of great songs to cover in one blog post.
I haven’t gone into his solo career yet, but I will eventually.
Favorite song Can’t Hardly Wait with classic line Jesus rides beside me
He never buys any smokes
Yup, that’s a good one. I’ve never heard the horn-less version from the Tim sessions.
Yes me neither
Nice one. I’d never ventured as far as their last two records.
All Shook Down is very good – a few people have mentioned it in the comments.
I only know Let it Be. Still. I know more of Westerberg’s solo stuff!
You’d probably enjoy Tim and Pleased To Meet Me too – they’re a bit more conventional and less raw, but plenty of great songs IMO.
Duly noted. I’ll get them added to the list and delve in.
Cool – be good to know what you think. They get slicker, but lots of good songs.
I’d swap Let It Be and Tim, but I’d really drop All Shook Down. It’s just lifeless. When Johnette Napolitano comes roaring in on “My Little Problem” I think “that’s what’s been missing…”
Yeah, it’s pretty low key. I generally like the songs though.
Always lots of good insight by you. Favorite songs, albums? It’s all one big pie for me.. Another one of their singles coming up on a CB take shortly.
Cool – I look forward to it!
There was and is a guy named Art Bergman from my neck of the woods who had the same vibe as The Replacements. He also didn’t play the commercial game and also had a few demons that he battled. I still listen to him. I’m going to feature a song by him also. John Cale produced one of his solo albums.
Cool – produced by Cale is lots of cool points.
Really love the Replacements!! Let It Be (Sixteen Blue) and Pleased to Meet Me (Alex Chilton – I got into them through Big Star!) are my favourites, but I’ve always loved ‘Left of the Dial’ from Tim as well…
Those are all great choices! I always associate ‘Left of the Dial’ with Suzanne Vega’s ‘Left of Center’.
The first line of ‘Torture’ is going straight into my ‘best first lines of the ’80s’ article… Great stuff.
Except it’s 1990!
Oh b*ll*cks… Is there any chance it was RECORDED in 1989?!
According to Wikipedia, it was all recorded in 1990.
Love the Mats. Saw them back in the day and Westerberg fell off the stage. Saw the reunion tour a few years back and they were shockingly good. Weird how you can sound better when you are not wasted. My daughter lives in the same building where the rent party The Replacements Stink was recorded.
If you not read this must read bio of the band it is must read: Trouble Boys. https://catchgroove.com/2016/03/10/trouble-boys-the-true-story-of-the-replacements-bob-mehr/
I’ve heard that it’s so warts-and-all that it makes you think worse of them. I want to read about them in This Band Could Be Your Life too.
It is warts and all, but made me love them even more.
The newly reissued ‘Tim – Let it Bleed Edition” could change the order of your ranking. Don’t know if you had the chance to listen to it, but the mix is fantastic.
Thanks for writing in!
I haven’t caught up with it, or the different mix of Don’t Tell A Soul. I think the latter has more chance of moving, since Tim can’t go up very far…