I was thirteen years old- still listening to Bon Jovi and Whitesnake- when I stumbled upon my first Replacements album (Pleased to Meet Me) and was instantly hooked. They were just four kids from Minneapolis playing rock 'n' roll but early on the Replacements got labeled punk. Their raucous early albums sounded like heaven to beer drinking teenage boys and their live shows were famous for being awful or amazing- it depended on which night you caught them (they never played or recorded songs the same way twice).
But it was singer and multi-instrumentalist Paul Westerberg’s ability to compose empathetic songs about feeling sad and insecure that always set the Replacements apart from their ‘80s musical peers and his teenage confessionals and anthems really resonated with the young people who were lucky enough to hear them. Most Replacements songs sound as if they might fall apart at any second but after losing guitarist Bob Stinson in 1986, the band began experimenting with a more polished sound- just before breaking up in the early ‘90s.
At times I feel I’ve outgrown the Replacements and now it’s some other teen’s turn to discover them. But then I meet an adult who somehow made it through adolescence having never heard the Replacements and I feel like they missed out and should immediately crack open a cold one and have a listen. I think the Replacements work best as an album band since each of their albums has a totally unique sound and feeling: Let It Be will always be my favorite; Don't Tell a Soul is underrated; Tim is good though overrated; Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash is meant to be played loud; and Pleased to Meet Me changed my life. Here are some of my favorite Replacements songs that have inspired me at different times in my life. Enjoy!
01. The Replacements – “Skyway” (1987)
02. The Replacements – “Achin’ to Be” (1989)
03. The Replacements – “Can’t Hardly Wait” (1987)
04. The Replacements – “Can’t Hardly Wait (The Tim Version)” (1985)
05. The Replacements – “Alex Chilton” (1987)
06. The Replacements – “Unsatisfied” (1984)
07. The Replacements – “Talent Show” (1989)
08. The Replacements – “Never Mind” (1987)
09. The Replacements – “Bastards of Young” (1985)
10. The Replacements – “Sixteen Blue” (1984)
Listen to the playlist on Spotify...
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