It worries me sometimes how easy it would have been to reach this point in my life without ever hearing The Replacements. I guess I would have read about them in Our Band Could Be Your Life, but that still wouldn't have necessarily lead to me checking them out. I would have seen their name here and there, but without actively seeking out their influence on the punk scene I might never have known about it. What's more worrying is that there are probably other bands across loads of genres I like that are highly regarded and loved by many that I might have not heard yet. It doesn't keep me awake at night, but it is concerning.
As it was, I heard The Replacements because my friend Hugh said I should buy this record. I don't always follow his recommendations, and they've been hit-and-miss in the past, but I'm glad I took him up on this one. When we lived in Cardiff there was a second-hand record shop in Cathays called D'Vinyl (which may or may not still be there). A lot of the stock was in terrible condition (boxes or LPs on top of other boxes) and it would take days to look through everything they had. A lot of it was shit, but under a table near the counter were two boxes of punk-rock records. Hugh had told me there was a copy of The Replacements' classic Let It Be in there and that it was worth a listen. I'm not sure why he hadn't bought it himself, but I found it the next time I went in and bought it.
When I put the needle on the record I didn't really know what to expect but I enjoyed what I heard. I Will Dare opens the record brilliantly, We're Coming Out, Black Diamond and Unsatisfied are all great songs (especially the finger-clicks on We're Coming Out) as was the slightly more chaotic Seen Your Video. The initial highlight for me was the closer, Answering Machine, which is still one of my favourites now. My housemate Nicky once commented that he used to wait for the drums to kick in on that song, but loved that they never did. It always struck me as a nice thing to enjoy in song - the idea that it doesn't do what you expect it to. The strangest thing was then going back and getting their first album Sorry Ma, I Forgot To Take the Trash Out and hearing how they'd matured between the two. Sorry Ma is a fairly simple punk-rock album, but Let It Be has a lot more going for it. (That said, the reissue bonus track on Sorry Ma If Only You Were Lonely gives an indication of the more thoughtful band they were going to be).
Let It Be is in hundreds of list of the best albums of the 80's, of all-time, etc and I still think it could easily have passed me by. I know there are other albums in such lists that I should listen to, but I haven't found the time yet. And that's the alarming thing; what if I don't? What if I go the rest of my life without hearing these cornerstones of the genres I love? It does worry me.
Format: 12"
Tracks: 11
Cost: £5 second hand
Bought: D'Vinyl, Cardiff
When: 12/07/08
Colour: Black
Etching: none
mp3s: no
