The Suburbs: Credit In Heaven (Twin/Tone Records/1981)

The Suburbs were one of the greatest bands to come from Minneapolis in the 1980's. Originally a jumped-up, noisy new wave quintet, and later evolving into a more moody, danceable outfit. The band's first record in 1978, was also the first ever released on the Twin/Tone label (later home to Soul Asylum and The Replacements) and would serve as the band's label until 1983. In that time they released two albums, two EP's and three singles.

The second of those albums was Credit In Heaven. An ambitious double-album platter, with a nice and varied track selection and clear production via Paul Stark (who would later produce The Replacements' Hootenanny album). The album's lone single “Music For Boys” reached number 66 on Billboard's Dance Music/Club Play singles chart. And it became something of a new wave club staple.

While there is a singularly originality to The Suburbs and their material; a few points of references are Roxy Music, Talking Heads and David Bowie. Beej Chaney's vocals point to Iggy Pop, while Chan Polling's voice recalls Bryan Ferry. “Cigarette In Backwards” sounds like a boozy Roxy Music. “Drinking With An Angel” sounds like Iggy Pop fronting Talking Heads. “Idiot Voodoo” and “Dish It Up” sound like absolute new wave dance classics, while “Tape Your Wife To The Ceiling” and “Spring Came” sound like they should be alternative radio classics. Being that it is a double-album there are a few lesser tracks (namely “Macho Drunk”, “Postcard” and “Girlache”). But even those tracks don't detract from the overall cohesiveness and general effectiveness of the album.

The band's playing is tight and the arrangements accentuate the excellently understated rhythm section of bassist Michael Halliday and drummer Hugo Klaers. Lead guitarist the late Bruce C. Allen is shown to be an original player and effective foil to Chaney's spare, quirky parts. And Polling is an a master at knowing what to piano parts to play and what not to play. There is a shared sense of understatement which is common to all.

A highly recommended album.  

Here's the video review:

Special thanks to: Doug Mashkow of New Music Scene and CD Island.

The Oysters: Green Eggs And Ham (Taang! Records/1985)

The Oysters are a band that came to my attention via an entry in The Trouser Press Record Guide (1991 edition). It basically said that if Paul Westerberg had increased his drinking and Bob Stinson remained in the band, this is what The Replacements would sort of sound like. The Oysters were a band from Boston, MA and were signed to the TAANG! label (who released record by Gang Green, The Lemonheads and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones). In fact, Dickey Barret from the Bosstones is responsible for the cover art for Green Eggs And Ham. The band only released this one album and a single (Mine Caroline also on TAANG!) before breaking up.

Lead singer and guitarist Richard McKenzie sounds like a decidedly off-key Paul Westerberg. “Make It All Up To To” sounds like a mash up of The Replacements “Mr. Whirly” and “Never Been To College”. Other highlights include “Ballantine Stomp”, “On Special”, “Headhunter” and “Reeperbahn”. While the band does have their own sound, they certainly channel The Replacements more than anyone else. Highly recommended for fans of The Replacements and fans of boozy garage rock.  

Here's the video review:

The Replacements: Boink!! (Glass Records/1986)

Minneapolis' The Replacements are one of few bands on a personal shortlist of a half-dozen or so bands that changed me as a preteen. They informally introduced to American post-punk rock, American alternative rock, and boozy proto-alt country. They are what The Smiths from the United Kingdom, were to American teens in the 1980's in that they were a beacon for disaffected, alienated youth looking for a spokesman to speak for them. And they found on in Paul Westerberg. Or so I've always believed in any case.

Boink!! was an eight-song compilation album released in 1986 for the UK market on Glass Records.

In consists of three songs from Hootenanny - “Color Me Impressed”, “Within Your Reach” (which had it's widest exposure in the Cameron Crowe film Say Anything... and “Take Me Down To The Hospital”. Three songs from The Replacements Stink (the should've-been-a-single “Kids Don't Follow”, the bluesy rave-up “White And Lazy” and the mini-epic “Go”) albums. Plus the B-Side to their debut single “I'm In Trouble” (the fantastic, would-be-Merle Haggard song “If Only Your Were Lonely”) and the previously-unreleased Alex Chilton - produced “Nowhere Is My Home”. Alex Chilton was almost the producer for the band's Tim album, however Sire Records wanted someone with more name-recognition so they in-turn went with Tommy Ramone. Who did a fantastic job. “Nowhere Is My Home” is a fantastic song and also appears on the 2008 reissue of Tim.

Boink!! is a wonderful, if seemingly random selection of tracks and the album is pretty rare. In fact I've only ever seen it in record stores maybe five times tops.

Here's the video review:

Goo Goo Dolls: Hold Me Up (Metal Blade/Fun After All/1990)

Goo Goo Dolls are most famous for their hits "Name", "Iris" and "Slide". However, several years before all of these name-making hits, the band were a ratty, bratty, thrashy punk band. They'd first released Goo Goo Dolls (Mercenary/1987) and Jed (Metal Blade/1989), but really hit their stride on their third album, the first to be distributed by Warner Brothers, Hold Me Up. It was on this album that guitarist Johnny Rzeznik (aka Johnny Goo), sings lead on four (and co-lead on "Hey") of the songs on the album. Bassist Robby Takac (aka Robby Goo) was the lead lead singer on the band's first two albums (okay, Johnny sang two of the songs on Jed), however, Johnny undeniably assumed the role of front man/lead singer by the time of the band's fifth album (and multiple-platinum release) A Boy Named Goo. 

I first discovered this band in late 1990 with the video/single for "There You Are" on MTV's 120 Minutes. I saw the band live before I'd heard the album, and was completely blown-away. The album did not disappoint when I did in fact hear it. The influence of The Replacements, Cheap Trick, Hüsker Dü and The Ramones are evident throughout the album. The singles, "There You Are" and "Just The Way You Are" are highlights. The two covers (Prince's "I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man" and The Plimsouls' "A Million Miles Away") are exceptionally rocking. Takac is responsible for a few of the albums' exceptional tracks; the intense Ramonesesque opener "Laughing", the amphetamine-rockabilly of "Out Of The Red" and minor-key-yet-optimistic "So Outta Line". The stalker song "Hey" could be a contender for best song on the album. The instrumental "Kevin's Song" is oddly the album's centerpiece and is kind of wonderful. The mid-tempo "You Know What I Mean" and the acoustic (the bands first acoustic song, a taste of the future) "Two Days In February" both appeared on the Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare soundtrack- as did the non-album single "I'm Awake Now".


If you think you know the Goo Goo Dolls and haven't heard this (or their early work), I highly suggest giving it a serious listen. It still holds up (no pun intended) as a great pop/punk album.
Great, tight playing and very fine material. Also Superstar Car Wash (the album that followed Hold Me Up) is definitely work a listen.

Here's the video review:

Special thanks to: Stephen Gersztoff.

The Replacements: Festival Pier, Penn's Landing, Philadelphia, PA Saturday 5/9/15

The surprising and wonderful reunion of The Replacements came to Philly this past Saturday Night. The location was the outdoor venue of Festival Pier at Penn's Landing right off of the Delaware River. The weather was humid, but certainly more than bearable given the occasion. The band took the stage with authority and purpose and blasted through "Takin' A Ride", "Favorite Thing" a medley of "I Don't Know/Buck Hill" and "Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out" before catching their breath with the latter-day B-Side "Kissin' In Action". Original members, rhythm guitarist/vocalist Paul Westerberg and bassist Tommy Stinson were in excellent form as were new members lead guitarist Dave Minehan (ex-Neighborhoods) and drummer Josh Freese (ex-Vandals, currently in Devo).

                                             (Objects in photo are closer than they appear)

I'd seen the band four times from 1989-1991, all before the age of 15. Since then I have a new-found respect for the band and their legacy. From the bands' performance, it seems that they too have learned to respect their own legacy and they delivered a seriously great performance with very little shtick from Westerberg (he's finally learned to hide behind his songs and nothing more).

The twenty-five song set contained a few fan-favorite surprises ("Hold My Life", "Little Mascara", "Never Mind" and "Valentine"), and a lone random cover (Sham 69's "Borstal Breakout") in favor of originals the band had been performing regularly on their Back By Unpopular Demand Tour (their nearly mainstream hit "I'll Be You", "Color Me Impressed", "Skyway", "Waitress In The Sky" and "Merry Go Round"). Plus songs that were singles and should have been massively big songs (i.e."I Will Dare", "Can't Hardly Wait", "I'm In Trouble", "Alex Chilton" and "Bastards Of Young"). I was happy to hear them perform "Within Your Reach", "Nobody"and "Seen Your Video" (which they hadn't performed when I saw them last September at their amazing Forest Hills Tennis Stadium performance). 

I sincerely hope they continue playing thus making this a regular once-in-a-lifetime event for their fans.

Special Thanks: Scott Scherquist. 

Embarrassingly distant photo by the author.  

The Replacements: Songs For Slim (New West Records / 2013)

Bob "Slim" Dunlap was the Replacements lead guitarist from 1987-1991, having replaced original guitarist Bob Stinson. He joined the band following the recording of Pleased To Meet Me and was the lead guitarist in-tow for the accompanying tour. He played on their Don't Tell A Soul and All Shook Down albums. In February of 2012, he suffered a massive, debilitating stroke. With Slim and his family facing considerable expenses for his rehabilitation and care, the surviving Replacements (Chris Mars, Tommy Stinson & Paul Westerberg) decided to set up a fundraiser. The result was the songsforslim.com website, collecting numerous auctions and merchandise for fans to purchase with the proceeds going to the Slim Dunlap Fund.

                                       
                                          The Replacements in 1987 with Slim (on far right).

One of these releases, Songs For Slim was a five-song EP that was initially was pressed on 10" vinyl with a limited pressing of 250 and were auctioned online with all proceeds going toward Slim and his medical expenses. Later pressings were sold on 12" on magenta-colored vinyl (with a download card). Tommy Stinson & Paul Westerberg reunited to record four songs - one of which "Busted Up" was written by Slim the others being covers. "Radio Hook Word Hit" (also written by Slim) was recorded entirely by former Replacements drummer Chris Mars. The project was produced by former Replacements mentor/manager Peter Jesperson. The cover art was also done by Chris Mars (who's had a lucrative career as a visual artist since the demise of the Replacements).

There's also been a series of eight 7" singles on colored-vinyl released of Slim's
songs as performed by such artists such as The Young Fresh Fellows, Peter Buck of R.E.M., John Doe of X and Frank Black of The Pixies. These songs (as well as several others) were also collected on the benefit double-album Songs For Slim: Rockin' Here Tonight - A Benefit For Slim Dunlap. All this activity spawned an unlikely Replacements reunion with the band performing at Coachella, Riotfest and on the Tonight Show. I personally saw them at the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium in September of 2014 and it was an exceptional performance.

This is recommended for The Replacements fan (if you haven't already picked up a copy). But it's not a great starting point for the non-replacements. That would be Tim, Let It Be or Pleased To Meet Me.

Here's the video review:

Special thanks: New West Records, Chris Mars Publishing.