Thank you Twin\Tone!

As a general rule, Monday is the suckiest day of the week. Everybody knows that. I didn't get as drunk yesterday as I usually do on Sundays, so this wasn't a bad day. It was just kind of blah. But then I got home and saw a USPS media mail package on my doorstep. Today turned out to be the day I received the twelve-inches I ordered directly from Twin\Tone: The Replacements Stink EP and the "I Will Dare" single.

I made a great discovery a little over a week ago. Twin\Tone Records sells all of its backstock vinyl via its website. I really wish that I had investigated this sooner, but there is still a pretty impressive amount of stuff worth owning. Each record, whether it be an LP, EP, or 12" single, costs $15 sealed, with a shipping cost of $5 per order. That's a damn good deal, in my opinion, as most of the stuff they have available is either a) damn near impossible to find, or b) going to cost you a lot more than fifteen bucks at a record show or on Ebay. I've already spent way too much money on records this month, so after making this discovery, I limited myself to the two Replacements titles they had remaining in stock.

Judging by the layout of its site, it appears that Twin\Tone got in on the online game fairly early. There's also a history section, written by Pete Jesperson dated 6/98. If they've been selling stuff online since then, I wish I could have found out about this sooner and potentially scored original pressings of the entire 'Mats catalog, The Suicide Commandos live record and the record that Jonathan Richman put out for the label. Well, no luck there, but there is still plenty of stuff for sale that I would call a downright bargain at $15. For my next helping, I think I will get some Curtiss A (influential MPLS figure that isn't too well known outside of town), something by the Suburbs, and one or two of the Soul Asylum records they have for sale, since they were still great when they were on Twin\Tone, and didn't start sucking until they got on a major label.

On to the haul for today:

The Replacements
Stink (EP)

Stink is a very interesting recording. It came at the tail end of the 'Mats early years, when they were suffering an identity crisis. They were sort of a hardcore band, but not really a hardcore band. Paul was starting to show flashes of brilliance as a songwriter, but he hadn't come into his own yet. By their own admission, they didn't know what they were supposed to be, but they didn't want to play punk anymore, because they weren't the hardest, the loudest, or the fastest. The LP Hootenany would be their next release; and while it's kind of uneven, it's a transitional record that paved the way for Let it Be, Tim and Pleased to Meet Me. Those three records are what I consider to be the Replacements "golden age", but some people swear Sorry Ma and Stink. And I wouldn't call those people wrong, it's really a matter of what you prefer.

All preferences aside, I still love the early 'Mats stuff. I just don't love it as much as the mid-to-late 80's stuff. Stink is a great EP and it's a hell of a lot of fun. There are eight total tracks on this EP, and it comes in at just over fifteen minutes. With song titles such as "Fuck School", "White and Lazy", "Goddamn Job" and "Dope Smokin' Moron", it obviously wasn't meant to be taken too seriously. It's just a great band banging out some solid tunes. Here is a high-quality video of the boys performing the centerpiece of this release, "Kids Don't Follow" live in 1981.



This is not an original pressing, but still a solid value at 15 bucks. It's also worth buying the Rhino CD re-issue of this one, as it includes one of Paul's first great ballads: the amazing "You're Getting Married".


The Replacements
"I Will Dare" (12 inch single)

Everybody has a favorite song. Well, maybe not everybody has a favorite song, but everybody should. I have one, and it's called "I Will Dare" by The Replacements. I think this is the pinnacle of pop/rock music. The lyrics are heartfelt and clever, the hooks are all over the place, and the sound is deep, with Paul playing a 12 string and a mandolin, and a nice little guitar solo by 'Mats enthusiast Peter Buck.

Side two of this twelve-inch single doesn't disappoint either. Included is a cover of T. Rex's "20th Century Boy". Unsurprisingly, Paul totally butchered the lyrics on it, and unsurprisingly, it totally worked. Also included is a live cover of Hank Williams "Hey Good Lookin", with a Bob Stinson solo in the wrong key. Somehow that works just fine, too. Nobody made chaos sound as good as these guys did in their heyday.

If you own a turntable, and don't have this record, you really need to buy it. If you don't have a turntable, go buy one, and then buy this record. I actually already owned it. I paid about 25 bucks for a used copy (notched like it may have been in a cut-out bin) of it on Ebay about a year ago, so fifteen for a sealed copy to do with as I please was the obvious play. Add this one to your collection, and you won't be disappointed.

That's all I got for now. I promise no more Replacements posts for at least a month. Later this week, I'm going to buy some new music or see some live stuff and then I'll let you know what I think of it.