Hailing from Minneapolis, The Replacements formed in 1979 when vocalist and writer Paul Westerberg join brothers Bob and Tommy Stinson, along with Chris Mars. Taking a cue from fellow locals Hüsker Dü, the ‘Mats (as they became known among their fans) adopted a loose, sometimes chaotic approach to live performances during their early years.
But their unvarnished talent was evident, and in 1980 they signed to local Minneapolis label Twin/Tone, on the strength of a four-song basement demo tape. After the release of an unsuccessful album (Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash) and an EP (Stink) the band refocused on their sound, adding new musical elements to the watershed 1983 release Hootenanny. This variety of styles (pop, straight-up rock and roll, country and folk) became a hallmark of the band’s sound and spreading artistic influence.
Hootenanny became the launching pad for 1984’s Let It Be, a critical success hailed as #15 in the Rolling Stone 100 Greatest Albums of the 1980s. New instrumentation and inspired songwriting got the attention of major labels, too. The band signed a deal with Sire in 1985 and assigned producer Tommy Ramone to help record Tim, released that year. More positive reviews followed and the band seemed destined for a breakout. But internal rifts were forming, leading to the dismissal of Bob Stinson and manager Peter Jesperson following the release of Tim.
Drunken stage shows and riotous live appearances (including dropping an F-bomb during a Saturday Night Live episode) combined with the bands lack of interest in self-promotion (they hated making supporting videos – a must for the MTV-fuelled 80s music scene) kept the band from breaking out to large-scale success.
Two more albums followed, 1987’s Pleased To Meet Me (featuring the iconic “Can’t Hardly Wait”) and 1989’s Don’t Tell A Soul, each garnering more critical, if only modest commercial, success. But the band was falling apart, with Chris Mars departing after the release of Don’t Tell A Soul. Their final album (1990’s All Shook Down) was essentially a Westerberg solo project, featuring only partial contributions from the remaining band members and supplemented heavily by studio players.
The group disbanded, with Westerberg maintaining a modest profile as a solo artist and the remaining members assuming work with other projects. Fans hold out hope for a reunion, but nothing firm is forthcoming at present.
Like all great music, The Replacements catalog truly stands the test of time. Despite external difficulties and internal eccentricities which kept them from broad commercial success, their songs are some of the most satisfying artifacts of the 1980s. Up All Night is pleased to present this sincere retrospective of a classic American rock and roll band. Hope you enjoy!
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