GodIHateYourBand bloggity-blogs on the new Replacements reissues here. I have not heard them yet, but his post made me think of their debut Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash. An album usually pooh-poohed by a lot of Replacements fans for some reason, the same fans who are gonna spend every word of their reissue yapping on Let it Be and ONLY Let it Be, as per usual. I've always loved it, and have three things to say about the record.
1) It's basically an album of singles; 18 great, rocking cuts that if presented to you as a 45 you'd listen and think "wow, that's great!" There's not a non-single feeling song in the whole bunch. So much so that I've never understood why "I'm in Trouble" was chosen as the actual single. It's a great song, but a quick look at the track listing puts it as only my 8th or 9th favorite cut on the album.
2) The bass playing is staggering; it's almost impossible to believe a 14 year-old played it. Unlike most rote bass playing in punk bands, the bass here runs wild and is all over the place. And for some reason out in front a lot of the time. It's great.
3) In what would become a pattern (I think) for the band, the album is back-loaded rather than the customary front-loaded. The last six songs (and last three in particular) end the album with a flurry of great numbers, a la dont ask why/somethin to du/im in trouble/love you till friday/shut up/raised in the city.
And, of course, the liner notes are the best of any record ever. Lookin forward to hearing all the reissues.
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