The Replacements

For the 2000 Keanu Reeves movie, see The Replacements (film).

The Replacements were a seminal alternative rock band from Minneapolis, Minnesota. They began as a punk rock outfit, but they style shifted to more mainstream, blues-influenced rock following the departure of guitarist Bob Stinson in 1987.

Loud and exuberant, the band featured guitarist and vocalist Paul Westerberg, guitarist Bob Stinson, bassist Tommy Stinson, and drummer Chris Mars. Tommy Stinson was 14 years old when the first 'Mats (fan name for the band, short for Placemats) album (Sorry, Ma, Forgot To Take Out The Trash) was recorded. The band was famous, or infamous, for their rowdy, drunken shows. Sometimes the band would show up too drunk to play their own songs, and instead play covers, which they were also too drunk to play. They stumbled their way through four independent releases on Twin/Tone Records (from Minneapolis, MN, their home town) the last two of which, "Hootenanny" and "Let It Be", are widely considered classics by fans of what alternative rock was in the 1980s. The Replacements first major label release, "Tim" on Warner, was produced by Tommy Erdelyi (aka. Tommy Ramone, of the Ramones).

After Bob Stinson left the band owing to substance abuse problems he formed Static Taxi with three musicians from Uptown (Minneapolis, MN). They recorded two albums before folding in 1991. He died in 1995. Meanwhile, Minneapolis guitarist Slim Dunlap played some sessions on the Pleased to Meet Me Replacements album, and then joined the band for its remaining run.

Westerberg, Dunlap amd Mars have all produced solo albums. Westerberg is currently signed to Vagrant Records, and under his alias, Grandpaboy, to Fat Possum Records, and has released both a DVD and a CD under the title "Come Feel Me Tremble". The DVD features some professional footage insterspersed with fan footage (for which Paul thanks his fans, left-handedly, in the DVD's titles). Both the CD and DVD are widely considered by fans and critics to be a welcome return to his looser (not loser), younger days. The DVD is especially notable for it's footage of Westerberg in his basement studio.

Discography

Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash (TwinTone, 1981)

Stink EP (TwinTone, 1982)

Hootenanny (TwinTone, 1983)

Let It Be (TwinTone, 1984)

Tim (TwinTone, 1985)

Boink!! (TwinTone, 1986, reissues)

Pleased to Meet Me (Warner, 1987)

Don't Tell a Soul (Warner, 1989)

All Shook Down (Warner, 1990)

This last record was essentially a Paul Westerberg solo album.

the Replacements were paid homage by "They Might Be Giants" on their album Miscellaneous T