I don’t remember when it was that I was introduced to The Replacements. What strikes me is odd was how my best friend didn’t introduce me to the band at all. He hailed from Minneapolis and introduced me to Husker Du and The Ramones (along with a bunch of other musical stuff), but it was MTV that served up my first dose of Paul, Tommy, Chris and Bob through the “Bastards Of Young” music video.
While I was introduced to the band it wasn’t until later that I became a fan. Sort of too late. With 1989’s release of Don’t Tell A Soul I found myself wanting more from the band other than just what I heard on the radio. Yes, I heard the band on the radio. There was a great station in California, KSPB, that would in between The Cure and Siouxsie And The Banshees play the odd “punk rock” song (pre-approved, of course – the only song by he Dead Milkmen that was allowed was “Punk Rock Girl”).
Of course the band’s “hit” would stand out during this time. The lyrics really spoke to me and where I was in my place in life then. I don’t know why then I didn’t explore The Replacements more. For the longest time I only had Don’t Tell A Soul, the 1982 EP Stink, then after a while I picked up the first album Sorry Ma, Forgot To Take Out The Trash.
1989 was the first opportunity for me to see the band, and I passed it up. While I enjoyed what I had, would consider myself a fan, I didn’t really have any interest in seeing the band open for Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers. I wasn’t paying enough attention and didmn’t see the writing on the wall. I don’t remember what prevented me from seeing The Replacements the next time they came to town. Work schedule or maybe my own band was playing out of town then, whatever. I took it for granted The Replacements would be back around.
But they weren’t. Even the 1990 album All Shook Down was pretty much a Paul Westerberg solo album (though it wouldn’t be the strangest). The Replacements were done. All over but the drinking.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder, or something of the sort, and that’s what happened. Over the ensuing decade, mostly my 20s, I would come to appreciate more and more who The Replacements were. Paul Westerberg’s songwriting was full of longing in various forms. When channeled through The Replacements filter, regardless of “genre” the band performed, it wasn’t just a guy singing about his feelings, the songs took on something more. Listen to “Don’t Ask Why” from Sorry Ma then “Kiss Me On The Bus” from Tim.
“Don’t Ask Why”
“Kiss Me On The Bus”
It wasn’t just relationships. Listen to the longing “Left Of The Dial” (also from Tim) evokes. It’s one of my all-time favorite Replacements songs.
“Left Of The Dial”
As my 20s became my 30s I really grew to appreciate some of the more subtle songs the band released. There were times when I needed the unadulterated cathartic release of “Stuck In The Middle” and other times when something like “Merry Go Round” is the only thing that will scratch a particular itch with its heartbreaking lyrics.
Over the decades I came to appreciate The Replacements more and more. As I entered my 40s the youthful anger of the early records didn’t hold as much sway as the later ones. Not to say that I didn’t listen to them. Different songs for different moods. But always with a similar background of internal pain and conflict.
And so The Replacements became one of my favorite bands. I had missed the chance to ever see them, becoming a fan too late and squandering the one time I did have. Then a few years back they almost reformed. 2006 saw the release of Don’t You Know Who I Think I Was? This compilation of career spanning “hits” included two new songs. Chris Mars isn’t drumming any more, but new material under The Replacements name with Paul and Tommy working together. This was almost too good to be true.
“Message To The Boys”
Would they tour? No.
This tease only fueled my love for the band and what could have been.
But they would tour. It would take a few years but The Replacements would get back together, sort of. But it was The Replacements. And I would get to see the band, but that is a story for a different time.