Published on Jun 23, 1997
They say revenge is sweet. So, Christopher Thelen, this one’s
for you!
The Replacements are a classic case of shoulda, woulda, coulda.
They were supposed to be the alternative indie act that broke
through big time in the 80’s. They were also their own worst
enemies and ended up self-destructing in Chicago’s Grant Park a few
years ago. I for one miss this band. They exemplified everything
great and brillant about live music and sometimes everything
horrible and downright awful. They were human like me. Besides,
they could rock hard or quietly, wrote brilliant little epithets
about everyday life and had the resident cranky leader in
Westerberg. Show me one great band who doesn’t have an mercurial
egomaniac at its core!
I was introduced to the Mats at a Cubby Bear show around the
time of
Let It Be‘s release. They were already overhyped by every
magazine from the
Village Voice to
NME to
Rolling Stone. I was sick of hearing about them and quite
skeptical. My good friend told me I’d love the band as they were
loud and obnoxious plus they occasionally displayed “absolute rock
perfection” during live sets. They stunk. It was 65 minutes of Ted
Nugent covers, Westerberg and Bob Stinson were so drunk they wore
skirts, and Tommy acted like a hyper-kinetic teenager speeding
through his bass lines. Wait, he was a teenager then. To make
matters worse, Westerberg tumbled off stage and approached me for a
cigarette. When I failed to produce a match, he sneered “What’s a
rich girl doing at our show?” At the time, I made about $15,000 a
year. Huh? I retorted, “You guys suck. Aren’t you going to play any
originals?” Tottering back onstage, the Mats tore into
“Unsatisfied” with Paul sneering at me through the rest of an
unbelievable set including most of the new material off
Let It Be.
I was converted. I saw God.. After the show, he bought the
drinks and I realized I loved the Mats forever more. Insults
apparently inspired Paul.
From the start of side one’s “I Will Dare” through the end of
side two, this album is The Classic of the Replacements catalog.
Who can resist the impertinent sneer of Paul’s voice throughout
“Gary’s Got A Boner” for it’s all out whacky charm. OK, no tact,
but still cute. Paul’s voice has matured over the years whether
from too many cigarettes and whiskey or plain abuse, but there is
an undeniable edge to his vocals throughout. In 1984, these guys
were pups and yet to experience the quasi-success of
Tim or
Pleased To Meet Me yet. They were ordinary guys just like us
who seemed just as lost and confused as the rest of the world. They
also seemed to be clueless as to where to go, but they sure were
enjoying the ride.
Westerberg’s lyrical brillance was beginning to emerge on this
album even as he decries “it’s only rock and roll” on “Seen Your
Video.” He can’t take himself too seriously, yet on the rock anthem
of “Unsatisfied” he says it all to his audience: “Look me in the
eyes and tell me that I’m satisfied” Later, he shouts “…I’m
so, I’m so, UNSATISFIED…” and your heart breaks along with
him. Westerberg has since said in interviews that this was only a
song, sorry guys, no deep, tortured feelings went into this Mats
classic. But you sure could fool any true fan as they felt their
own disillusionments blaring out of their speakers as the boys
rocked through the pain.
The quiet ballad “Androgynous” foreshadows Westerberg’s own
early desires to break from the all-out rockers the band came to be
identified with much of their career.. The tinkling piano and
Westerberg’s gravel-tinged vocals are quietly supported by the
Stinson brothers on bass and guitar. But have no fear, for there’s
plenty for everyone with the hard-rocking “Black Diamond”
showcasing why the brothers were one of the most thunderous
bass/guitar duos of their day. Unfortunately, drugs and alcohol had
a way of interfering with every band member’s musical abilities
during live shows and some of their later recordings.
This album suggests the promise the Mats held in their early
career. They redefined punk/grunge/alternative music in the
post-punk era. They could be diabolically noisy in their approach
on a song or quietly self-reflective as evidenced throughout the
album. A well-balanced rock diet from the bad boys is offered here.
Not many other bands have influenced or affected the future music
would take in the late eighties and nineties as much as the Mats.
Take a listen to current indie radio and somewhere in there is a
Paulism, Bobism, and Tommyism, if only in image and approach.
Note to Christopher Thelen: I must agree with you that
Westerberg should feel flattered by the Goo Goo Dolls obvious
deference to him. Hey remember, imitation is the sincerest form of
flattery, Chris. But my dear co-writer,
Don’t Tell A Soul is not boring! No wonder it takes
Westerberg forever to put out solo records. Nobody will let him
stop playing the rocking, hard-drinking buffoon. Give the poor
bastard a break. Even he had to grow up sometime. Their wild-child
image would haunt and eventually help destroy the Mats.
But listening to
Let It Be is like remembering the bloom of adulthood with
all the hopes and idealism of youth still in place. The band
captured that hip cynicism only a young person can pull off without
ridicule.
I may not be able to recapture my youth. I’m starting to feel
like a damn dinosaur at live shows anymore as witnessed at a recent
Del Amitri promo appearance where other than the band, I was the
only person over 30. But, I can always put on the Mats and catch a
wave of great, fucking straightforward rock ‘n roll on
Let It Be.
I sure miss them, skirts and all. And, Paul – I never got rich
either.