Nearly 40 years after its 1985 release, the Replacements’ Tim has received a new remaster, doing justice to an album long hindered by its mix, and challenging the idea that Let It Be is the Mats’ magnum opus. But, should you care?
On Tim, The Replacements’ eclectic musical influences are most clearly on display: Swingin Party is a dreamy, ethereal echo of Roy Orbison; Here Comes a Regular shares a chord progression with Dylan’s Knockin on Heaven’s Door; and Lay It Down Clown is a loud, insulting punk staple.
Paul Westerberg’s poetic lyricism ties it all together, showing his talent for depicting honestly the dreads of everyday life. In Swingin Party he desperately cries “If being afraid is a crime we hang side by side,”. Bastards of Young is an under appreciated anthem of an alienated youth, poignantly dubbing Gen X “the sons of no one”.
The album, while receiving critical acclaim, charted low, barely cracking the Top 200 at number 183. Arguably, it was most stunted by its atrocious mix, created by then mostly-deaf Ramones ex-drummer Tommy Ramone. The band themselves weren’t exactly trying to skyrocket themselves to stardom, either - they were notorious for their erratic, often drunken live performances, which consisted largely of fragmented covers.
Throughout their career the Replacements played their best shows to crowds only single digits strong. What little success they had was squandered, the pursuit of fame secondary to their self-indulgent shenanigans. But perhaps without laying bare their drunken imperfections, the band wouldn’t be the same.
The Replacements, in their music and in their existence, are a statement - that nothing is sacred and the famous and obscure alike are only ever pretending to belong.
"Ever wanted to be popular, the life of the party (just plain liked, ever)? Well, we did. And now that the absurd dream seems to be within reach, we've come to the sobering realization that we don't know how to pull it off. People come to see us and what do we go and do? What we want - play covers, basically wing it and embarrass a lot of people in the process (a dunce cap never fit so well). For worse or for worser, it's us, and without that stuff we'd die a dull death.”
- Paul Westerberg
Check out the album below, and be sure to tune into WLTL's Rock-A-Thon fundraiser beginning Sunday, February 9 for music from The Replacements and other great 1980s themed entertainment!
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