Replacements, The
Formed in 1979 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The band consisted of Paul Westerberg, brothers Bob (guitar) and Tommy (bass) Stinson, and drummer Chris Mars. They were discovered by Peter Jesperson, cofounder of Twin/Tone Records and signed with Twin/Tone in 1980. The Minneapolis Tribune summarizes the band this way:
“Westerberg was a poetic punk with a record collection that ran from Kiss to Frank Sinatra to Hank Williams, and an appreciation for the craftsmanship of songwriting. Stinson was a smash-mouth guitarist with an attitude of, "Let's just scream through it." Throw in Stinson's bass-playing brother Tommy - who wasn't even old enough to drive a car, let alone get into the bars where the Replacements played - and steady drummer Mars, and it was an intoxicating mix.” (2.23.95)
The band gained a following that nicknamed them the `Mats (for "placemats"), they put out albums that progressed from the punk assault of their first two releases to the country-tinged Hootenanny (1983) to Let It Be (1984), an album that placed them at the forefront of alternative-rock bands. The latter album also showcased Paul Westerberg's songwriting talents. The band was signed to a major label (Sire) and put out 1995's Tim (produced by the Ramone's Tommy Erdelyi). Tim was critically hailed and the breakthrough album for the band. But, according to allmusic, “the band was poised for a popular breakthrough, they were unsure about making the leap into the mainstream. As a result, they never let themselves live up to their full potential.” The band appeared on Saturday Night Live, but they were roaring drunk throughout their performances and Westerberg said "fuck" on the air. Their live performances became well known as showcases for their drunken, sloppy behavior. Frequently, the band was barely able to stand up, let alone play, and when they did play, they often didn't finish their songs. Bob Stinson sometimes performed in underwear or a dress.
The Replacements also refused to make videos that could be aired on television -- the video for "Bastards of Young" featured nothing but a stereo system, playing the song – so they cutting themselves off from the mass exposure MTV could have granted them. Meshed with this erratic and destructive behavior was the writing of Paul Westerberg, hailed for his ability to write painfully honest songs that spoke to a large audience. Bob Stinson left the band after the tour for Tim. The band recorded and released Pleased to Meet Me (1987) was met with consistently excellent reviews, although the same problems with public performances continued. In 1989, the band released Don't Tell a Soul and vowed that they had cleaned up and were ready for a mainstream audience. They shot a video for “I'll Be You” which became a number one album-rock track, crossing over to number 51 on the pop charts. However the album never really made the break through. Soon after the band started to fall apart and quietly disbanded in 1991. In 1995, Bob Stinson was found dead in his apartment from a drug overdose. Other Replacement members released solo albums but none achieved commercial success. In 1996 Paul Westerberg released his second solo effort, Eventually, and in 1999 he released Suicaine Gratification, widely acclaimed as his strongest solo work to date.
According to the article in the Minneapolis Tribune, The Replacements' influence on music is immeasurable:
"The Replacements were the link between the '60s creative explosion of the Who and the Beatles and the whole renaissance of the '90s with Nirvana and Pearl Jam," said Los Angeles Times critic Robert Hilburn, who is on the nominating committee for the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. "They'll never get to the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame because they didn't sell enough records, but creatively they deserve to be there."
The Replacements were an important musical group for Jakob Dylan. In addition to The Clash, he cites The Replacements as significant:
“I loved the Clash. That was the first group, really. I thought the Jam was a great group, and the early Replacements stuff.” (Blackbook Summer 1997)
The Wallflowers covered The Replacements' “Here Comes a Regular” for many performances in 1992 and 1993.
