Friday, April 5, 2013

The Essential Replacements Collection

   I watched the documentary about The Replacements, "Color Me Obsessed" (you can see it on youtube, fyi) several months ago.  Unlike most music documentaries, there's, uh..., no music in the film.  Nor are there any interviews with the band.  Instead, it's just 2 hours of folks (mostly fans, but also people who knew 'em way back when, musicians who were influenced by them, etc.) reminiscing about The Replacements (also known as The Mats to their legions of Gen X fans) and talking about their music.   The film could have used some tighter editing, but I think the conceit still works (it works even better in All Over But the Shouting, the book that would seem to have inspired the
documentary).  Seeing it also inspired me to put together a couple of Replacements mixtapes using my usual formula - obscurities, a cut from each formal release, and lots of live tracks - especially the covers the Replacements were so known for.  I don't think I necessarily captured the ineffable essence of the band (notwithstanding the title), but I tried.   Oh, and if you're just now discovering The Replacements and want more - go buy Let It Be, Tim, and Pleased to Meet Me (and then Hootenanny, Stink, etc.....).
p.s. By the by, I've re-upped most of the links on the site over the last couple of months.

pps.  I neglected to mention when I first posted this that The Replacements (Paul Westerberg and Tommy Stinson) recently put out a 5 song ep "Songs for Slim".  All the proceeds go to help pay Slim Dunlap's (the guitarist who replaced Bob Stinson) medical bills.  So go out and get it if you haven't - it's pretty damn good!!! (Busted Up from Side A is from Songs for Slim just in case you were wondering.)

Side A

Hey, Good Lookin'
Busted Up
Ought To Get Love
I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man  
Kissing in Action
Cool Water
Nightclub Jitters
Route 66
No More the Moon Shines on Loreena
Chasing the Night
Gary's Got A Boner
More Cigarettes
California Sun
Little GTO
Bundle Up
Cruella DeVille
Date to Church
Back To Back
If Only You Were Lonely

Side B

Hold My Life
Perfectly Lethal
Jungle Rock
'Round and 'Round
20th Century
Heartbeat, It's a Love Beat
Stuck in the Middle
My Little Problem
Ain't No Crime
Left Here In The Dark
Till We're Nude
empty is your heart
Another Girl, Another Planet
I Wanna Destroy You
Street Girl
Pool & Dive
Time Is Killing Us
We Know the Night
Within Your Reach