who doesn't love the mats ? from the second i heard Bastards of Young on 120 minutes in 86 ? i was hooked, whats amazing is they have so many good songs, there in my top 5 of all tine with Lush, Joy Division, Pixies..
Westerberg achieved his dream--he became the new Big Star. The Replacements are truly one of the most criminally under appreciated bands in rock history.
Gerald Frieberg this comment makes me think of an interview I read years ago, some hair-metal guy was asked some question, wish I could remember what prompted his response lol, but he went off on some tangent about how Pete Townshend couldn’t play “lead guitar”, and that he was probably jealous of hair metal guys like Steve Vai, for one example. Right, I’m sure when Pete Townshend thinks back on his career, he feels inadequate because he’s not as “good” as fucking Eddie Van Halen. And EVH is a GREAT guitarist, love VH, but they weren’t one of those bands who recorded a lot, and left songs in the “vault”. Their album sides are shorter than any contemporaneous band. Album sides NORMALLY clocked in at anywhere from 15-20 minutes per side. Van Halen sides regularly come in at under 14, or even 13, minutes. My point is, as great as Vh is, they struggled to write good songs. Look at all their covers for cryin’ out loud... It’s hard to write good songs. Anyway, Can you imagine that Pete Townshend tortures himself over not being able to “shred” (I’d be willing to bet he could if he wanted). I’ll bet he’d gladly give back ‘Tommy’ if he could be Joe Satriani. Sound logical? The Replacements have a shitload of great songs. Give me that over some dickhead trying to be Yngwie Malmsteen every day and twice on Sunday. 😎
All I needed to appreciate and respect this band for my entire adult life.. Was to see them play in Lincoln Nebraska.. It was during the "Let it be " tour.. I was blown away by the energy but it was the songs that won me over.. Anyone who thinks less of this band for the technical way they played has no taste.. And doesn't know well the songs are crafted.. Absolutely great songs wrapped in deceptively crafty melodic packages.. The world is a better place because these brilliant deviants were in it..
This is the song that did for me. I bought in right away 86/87...Only got to see em once...Opening for Tom Petty in 1989...Wish they'd reunite again, like they did in 2014/15
Your very funny comment takes me back to L.A. 1985, the Replacement's just-released masterpiece, "Tim" cassette constantly blaring through my Ford Escort's well-tortured speakers while stuck in yet another 405 Freeway Clusterf*ck. Anybody know of a Dark Web Warlock who might be willing to sell me back, say, the last 36 years of my life?
One of the greatest Rock and Roll bands in the true sense of the phrase. Drunk, childish, and self-destructive. Never played the game to their own detriment. Always a "big fuck you" to the man. They are rock and roll.
I read their biography, scary similar to how my family and neighborhood was in the 80's and 90's a true working class rock band that was more punk than the punks. Bastards of Young was our theme song growing up. These guys just nailed it.
Amen......!!! From their very beginnings they were like, "Nope we're not going down that road...... we can't go down that way". Even in the mid 80's when they started receiving notoriety they knew there was just so far they could go because they were never gonna be what the music industry wanted them to be....... Ultimately selling out to make as much garbage music for the labels as they could. Westerberg was very open and honest about this.....in an interview he said, ".... when I'm alone in a hotel room ripping my heart out cause I sold out to the music labels, they're not gonna be there to hold my hand....." paraphrasing
@@zootsoot2006 Um, yeah Aside from Television, X, Los Lobos, The Blasters, Flaming Groovies, Talking Heads, The Plimsouls, Guadalcanal Diary, Husker Du, the Minutemen.... Yeah - the late 70's - late 80's America that gave rise to the 'Mats was a complete wash out otherwise🙄
@@RHINOSAUR Huh??? GBV weren't even FORMED by the time many of the bands I mentioned - with a few exceptions - had already produced their most legendary work and had broken up - or were teetering on the cliff's edge. ie -Television, Blasters, X, Plimsouls, T. Heads, Minutemen... That is - if we're sticking to the timeline laid out by the OP by his laughably inane mention of Kiss as some kind of yardstick for the era. A piece of batshit idiocy that barely merited a response in the first place.
Nobody, in the Midwest USA, could nail longing and nastalgia quite like these guys. Deep, flat endless horizon of the same trees..... soft and quiet flyover country.
As a resident of said flyover country, I respectfully and politely (of course) object to your blanket description of our region:). There are quite a few beautiful, exciting, and eclectic places that make up Middle America, especially the upper part, where the Mats hail from. Longing and nostalgia, yes, but also grit, debauchery, and even validation of "something meets boy, and something meets girl" characterize the Midwest. Come visit! If not, maybe we'll be able to find you left of the dial:)
Thank you for posting this (and filming)! The love and appreciation that PW is showing the crowd is very palpable and, let's be honest, kinda rare. You really captured something unique and special. Thanks again, man.
Saw placemats in the Cameo Theatre on Miami Beach in 88? 89? I got there early, and went to the bathroom upstairs, and the whole band was in the bathroom, just hanging out. I was dumbfounded and didn't say a word! I did my biz, washed my hands, and took as long as I could while they just talked and joked around. Unbelievable. Needless to say, was a fantastic set. Later saw Paul Westerberg outside of Atlanta in the mid 90s; he did lots of placemat songs as well as his solo work; just unbelievable. Where are guys like Paul nowadays? I miss this music!
People just don’t know. It’s not their fault. Not for anything, but the ‘Mats basically went out of their way to hide from success. There’s a reason there’s so little footage from their early days. When they’d allow it, they’d sabotage it. Personally, I kind of like the relative anonymity of the replacements. It’s like a little tribe and I have a secret to to spread to people we trust will get it. I wasn’t there for the early days, but from what I’ve heard and read, this is how the boys wanted it. Go read Trouble Boys, if you haven’t yet.
Wow, I forgot just how good this is. Glad I stumbled back here to get some COVID relief. My last live show before COVID hit was Tommy playing solo in a little bar near my house. Damned if he didn't give me one of my absolute finest live music moments. THAT is what a Replacement can do for you. Hahahhhaha. Fantastic and thanks for letting us see this Dave.
Tow of the top 25 songs ever but I hate to sound so Un-Mats like but I love their studio stuff and missing Bob. Tim is a top 10 record of all time as is Please to Meet Me and Let it Be. Alex Chilton is almost as great as Left/Dial and comes in at no. 26 all time for me. The list of Best Replacements songs is 1. Unsatisfied 1. Left of the Dial 1. Hold My Life 1. Alex Chilton Kiss me on the Bus Johnny's Gonna Die (the Live version on RU-vid) GO (I just heard this for the first time so I will rate it higher) Bastards of Young Can't Hardly Wait Androgynous (written as a love song from Paul to Tommy, surprise) Here Comes a Regular I Will Dare Skyway Nobody Color Me Impressed Achin' to Be Within Your Reach Answering Machine Back to Back Favorite Thing . Little Mascara Sixteen Blue If Only You Were Lonely Swingin' Party Never Mind Talent Show Sadly Beautiful
I've seen these guys more times than I can count- back to the early/mid 80's with Bob Stinson and the original lineup. And they never, ever disappoint.
Thanks, I was torn. I told myself I was just going to enjoy the show but struggled having that spot and not capturing some. Glad you liked it, was a great time!
Sorry, but anything from, say, the first four X albums renders that comment REALLY debatable for probably millions of us. Just off the top of my head - no disrespect to the 'Mats intended.
god this is just too good to be true.. they sounded incredible here as always and crowd participation is so amazing!!! i just wish they would reunite again and play some more shows. i'm only 16 so i wasn't fortunate enough to ever have the opportunity to see them live, but to be truthful it's all i really want in life. they're my favourite band ever and always will be, even if this really was the end, i'm just eternally glad to know them and have their music in my life. i wouldn't be alive without them
Best part of the Mats was seeing them in smaller venues. Saw them probably 15-20 times at different clubs on Landsdown street in Boston in college. Oh the memories (and lack thereof, 😮). Great times
Its because of the replacements that I know about big star and the box tops. It wasn't enough that they created their own magic. They led me to the source...
@@sidv192 That analogy is is pretty severe. Barrett was an acid casualty who couldn't function/play on stage. Yes, Stinson was a casualty, but was [mainly] an alcoholic who could/function play on stage. For Westerberg to fire Bob for overindulgence is laughable. He wasn't in much better shape in 1986 .
Actually, the music critics of the era absolutely loved them. For years you couldn't pick up a music rag (Rolling Stone, Spin, etc) without seeing the Replacements name dropped in articles and reviews.
When they took it seriously, they were an extraordinary, tight band. The times I saw them back in the day it was about 60/40; excellent or falling down drunk. I figure that was a pretty good success rate, lol. Even too drunk to really play or even finish a song, they were hilarious, although not everybody there was amused.
They are probably the funniest rock band in the world when they had their shit together, Redlight Redlight run it and rip it out the dentist song are insanely funny
Interesting to see this, and thank you for sharing it here. Still, it is hard to work up much enthusiasm for latter-day Replacements. They were one of those bands where you needed every specific member to make the chemistry that made them what they were. I only saw the original band once live, in 1986 in Cincinnati. One of the best shows I saw in my college years. After Bob Stinson got kicked out (I think that happened around early 1987), they just were not the same. They had lost the magic, and it never really returned. Westerberg still wrote good songs, but the hard-to-define quality that captivated people was gone. (But I still come around, hoping for evidence to prove myself wrong.) I wish the survivors well, and hope Tommy and Paul made decent money with their reunion.
Hmmm. Interesting. I'm a big Jam fan (at least, their early stuff). I never really thought about the connection, but the passion that we get from Left of The Dial & Alex Chilton isn't too far off In The City, Sounds From the Streets, or Away From The Numbers. Great call, Stev Jame!
Weller and Westerberg are two of my faves. Almost cut from the same cloth. Working class, ragged, genius and talked about social class a good deal in their work. Good spot
They were beloved by critics and people with taste back then. I remember Paul being named 'Songwriter of the Year' in Rolling Stone critic's poll repeatedly in the mid-80's. And honestly they torpedoed their own career in a lot of ways. As someone who bought all the records from Tim forward and played the shit out of them (it was college for me) I like that they were never 'popular' myself.
This video is something short of perfect. He's jamming a Resiglass guitar. Nobody payed any attention that shit, besides Keif.. Amen to these guys! PAUL! THANKS BRO!
Pretty cool that Da 'Mats combined these two tunes into, uh, one...no doubt because they knew that they're 2 of my most favoritest songs by 'em. Thanx dudes.
They wouldn't be great if they were any bigger. Some bands are great by virtue of their music not their success. Meat Puppets, Screaming Trees, Trail of Dead, China Drum, The Gits, UFO, Bad Brains, 24/7 Spies, Catherine Wheel, add whoever you love who didn't hit the big time. The list goes on. Music becomes a commodity once you put a dollar sign on it. Music is for you and me not the frickin industry.
The Best Band to ever come out of the United States. So good. And they really didn't give a fuck. More punk in this one band -- even if they don't sound Punk -- then all of the Punk in the UK. I agree. "Criminally underrated."
