TVD's Parting Shots

There's some consensus that the last two Replacements releases, 1989's 'Don't Tell a Soul' and 1990's 'All Shook Down' are, well...pretty weak.

"Whether 'Don't Tell a Soul' is a strong album with a few clunkers or a weak album with some great songs, the Mats' previous glories tinge the record with disappointment," Trouser Press noted, and summarily followed up with, "...compared to the stultifying 'All Shook Down,' however, 'Don't Tell a Soul' is positively blistering."

No faint praise there, huh?

But actually after a week of delving into The Mats' back catalog, I think time has been somewhat kind to these two records and if one say, over a bottle of wine or something (*cough-last night-cough*) were to choose five tracks from both releases, you'd have a mighty fine Replacements record indeed, I'm thinking. AND you'd also have your Weekend's Ten:

The Replacements - Talent Show (Mp3)
The Replacements - One Wink At A Time (Mp3)
The Replacements - Achin' To Be (Mp3)
The Replacements - Sadly Beautiful (Mp3)
The Replacements - They're Blind (Mp3)
The Replacements - When It Began (Mp3)
The Replacements - Attitude (Mp3)
The Replacements - Rock 'N' Roll Ghost (Mp3)
The Replacements - Darlin' One (Mp3)
The Replacements - My Little Problem (Mp3)

"When you open that bottle of wine/you open a can of worms every time..."

TVD Weekly Wax | The Replacements

There's a weird confluence of events here I notice as I'm posting tracks from 'Pleased To Meet Me' to this vinyl-based blog.

Back in 1987, all of 20, I was pulling the vinyl out of the racks to make way for those CD things as this record blasted over the in-store speakers at the Record World in Georgetown Park Mall where I was employed. The CDs were packaged in long boxes then, perhaps as a bridge of tangibility and physical substance for the still large group of vinyl buyers out there.

But you could tell something wasn't right from the get-go. You'd open up the top of the long box and literally gaze into abyss to where, waaay down below was the CD is the jewel case. Something akin to buying a brand of cereal for the toy surprise inside and when it's fished free, it's a mere fraction of the size as promised by the box. Distressing.

But this was the 'new thing,' man. Out with the old, in with the new while Paul's singing "... Hurry now the sun is goin' down..."

The Replacements - I.O.U. (Mp3)
The Replacements - Alex Chilton (Mp3)
The Replacements - The Ledge (Mp3)
The Replacements - Skyway (Mp3)
The Replacements - Can't Hardly Wait (Mp3)